Sharing wi-fi internet connection from MacBook to the private Ethernet LAN

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Sharing wi-fi internet connection from MacBook to the private Ethernet LAN

Hi,

I want to share my wi-fi internet connection from my MacBook to my other computers on my private Ethernet LAN. Those computers have an access to the same wireless network but their wi-fi adapters are weak so they don't collect as strong of a signal as my MacBook. As a result, their own internet connection is very slow, while MacBook has a great, speedy connection. Well, I want to share that speed with my Ethernet LAN.

My MacBook joins the Ethernet LAN via a multiport Satechi adapter and an Ethernet cable attached to that adapter. My MacBook that way has no trouble connecting to the rest of the LAN. I am trying to share my MacBook's wi-fi connection via Preferences -> Sharing -> checkmark on INternet Sharing, from wi-fi to USB 10/100/1000 LAN. Other computers on the LAN, including my MacBook, have static IP addresses for the Ethernet LAN. However, sharing internet access that way isn't working. If I turn off LAN's wireless cards off while internet connection sharing on MacBook is on, not only do they loose internet access, I loose Ethernet connectivity to all of them.

How do I enable internet sharing from my MacBook's wi-fi to my Ethernet LAN while keeping the connectivity within the LAN? Is the Satechi adapter at fault and would situation improve if I get a Mac Mini with its own built-in Ethernet port?

MacBook running MacOS Big Sur 11.6, other computers on the LAN runnung Ubuntu and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

MacBook, macOS 11.6

Posted on Dec 23, 2021 1:44 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

GjorgifromSantaFe Author

Level 1

12 points

Dec 24, 2021 11:31 AM in response to MartinR

Thank you for getting back to me, once I set up both my MacBook’s Ethernet connection and my Linux Ethernet connection to receive their ip from dhcp (automatic), Internet connection sharing works. The Linux computer gets the speedy internet connection while its Wi-Fi was turned off however, I lost the connection I had between my MacBook and the rest of the Ethernet network (Linux computers and the printer), Ethernet adapter on the MacBook uses a self assigned IP address while internet connection sharing is on.

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Answer 2

MartinR

Level 6

19,243 points

Dec 23, 2021 2:12 PM in response to GjorgifromSantaFe

There isn't quite enough specific information here to really address the question. It will help to know exactly what equipment & computers you are using, and the reason you are using static IP addresses.

Is this the setup you are using with your MacBook ...

MacBook <---> WiFi connection <---> unidentified WiFi router <---> unidentified ISP

And is this what you are trying to do to share the network via your MacBook ...

Macbook <---> USB-C cable <---> Satechi adapter <---> Ethernet cable <---> Some way to connect multiple computers via wired Ethernet

If that's what you're trying to do, it would be much simpler and easier just to cable an ethernet switch directly to your router, then connect the various computers to the switch. You would get the full wired speed of the switch/router combo. No need to put everything through your MacBook's WiFi connection, which could easily become a choke point even if it works.

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Answer 3

Dec 23, 2021 2:18 PM in response to MartinR

Hi MartinR,

You have described the network setup correctly, however the wireless router is in a building I don’t have access to.

Static IPs are there because of the size of the private Ethernet LAN: three computers and a printer, all connected to a switch.

Would a DHCP on that private LAN solve the problem? Like if I set my MacBook as a dhcp server and a gateway? It didn’t help when I set MacBook’s address as the gateway for the LAN on my Linux machines.

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Answer 4

MartinR

Level 6

19,243 points

Dec 24, 2021 7:33 AM in response to GjorgifromSantaFe

I suspect the problem is either your Satechi adapter (it may not support sharing) and/or the static IPs.

The router acts as a DHCP server for attached devices (both via WiFi and any wired device connected to it) and your MacBook is getting its WiFI IP address from the router. I suspect that Internet Sharing sets up your Mac as a bridge, in which case the static IPs would conflict with the addresses provided by the router (either because they are duplicative or they are not in the same range.) Try setting up one or more of your LAN computers to get their IP addresses via DHCP (i.e. the router) and see if that works.

https://www.macworld.com/article/352173/how-to-share-a-wi-fi-connection-on-one-mac-over-ethernet-to-another.html

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Answer 5

Dec 24, 2021 2:32 PM in response to MartinR

Solved by getting a wireless range extender. Yes, internet connection sharing worked when letting DHCP assign addresses to the machine I was sharing MacBook’s internet connection with, but I lost Ethernet connectivity between those machines on my local network. File transfers, screen sharing, printing from my MacBook etc., I lost that. Now I’m back to manually assigned IP addresses and wireless connection of my Linux machines looks just a bit better, despite the extender being 10 feet away from the Linux computer I still don’t get all the bars up, lol 🤦‍♂️😧 while my MacBook has all the bars up while being connected to the Wi-Fi router in a building much further away.

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Answer 6

Dec 24, 2021 3:07 PM in response to GjorgifromSantaFe

I had a similar problem. This solved my problem.

thanks =)

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Sharing wi-fi internet connection from MacBook to the private Ethernet LAN

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