is it possible to network two laptops together wirelessly and play games on a plane?
Dec 15, 2010, 4:59 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 121
is it possible to network two laptops together wirelessly and play games on a plane?
is it possible to network two laptops together wirelessly and play games on a plane? thanks! 
(one is sitting in business, while the other one is 7 rows back in coach... on A340, if that makes any difference)
(one is sitting in business, while the other one is 7 rows back in coach... on A340, if that makes any difference)
Dec 16, 2010, 12:00 pm
#6
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
That's going to be a tough sell considering airlines are selling wireless to people now, which obviously requires the wireless functions to be turned on
Dec 16, 2010, 2:01 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 121
AA now allows passengers to link their laptops via WiFi for a reasonable $20 per laptop per flight, or $50 for 30 days. It does not provide internet access of any kind... only linking between two laptops.
Dec 16, 2010, 2:07 pm
#8
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
Why would anybody pay when they could do it for free? $20 is not reasonable when free is better.
American does offer GoGo inflight internet on some flights. (since July of 2008)
http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/gogo.jsp
American does offer GoGo inflight internet on some flights. (since July of 2008)
http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/gogo.jsp
Dec 16, 2010, 3:35 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: United, American, Southwest, USAirways, Delta
Posts: 1,874
It's "Possible"...
Yes, it's possible... You would want to set up what's known as an "Ad hoc" network between the two laptops. I cannot give you guidance on how to do it - google might be your friend. It will really depend on the OS of each laptop, etc.
I don't know anyone that has had much success with it, but it is possible...
I don't know anyone that has had much success with it, but it is possible...
Dec 17, 2010, 12:20 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Purgatory
Programs: Too many to list. Status is a half dozen.
Posts: 9,235
It works just fine. Have done it in a pinch between netbooks to play battleship. On a train, not a plane, but that doesn't make any difference. You just go to the properties of your wireless network adapter (easily found in Device Manager, or Control Panel, or Network & Sharing Center, or whatever OSX calls it) and change from Infrastructure to ad hoc. And configure both laptops to use the same network name (SSID). Don't even need to worry about IP's. If running Windows, both should self-assign a 169.x.x.x address (called APIPA, but that's not important) and see each other just fine.
But note that the ad hoc requirement in the IEEE standard for 802.11 variants is only 11Mbps. It's not fully spec'd out in the current standards so most WiFi adapters only support 11Mbps despite being 802.11g capable of 54Mbps. I have read but can't confirm that ad hoc with 802.11n adapters will run at 54Mbps (as opposed to up to 150Mbps in infrastructure mode).
Those speed limitations become and issue depending what kind of multiplayer gaming you intend to do.
On a train, not a plane, but that doesn't make any difference. You just go to the properties of your wireless network adapter (easily found in Device Manager, or Control Panel, or Network & Sharing Center, or whatever OSX calls it) and change from Infrastructure to ad hoc. And configure both laptops to use the same network name (SSID). Don't even need to worry about IP's. If running Windows, both should self-assign a 169.x.x.x address (called APIPA, but that's not important) and see each other just fine.But note that the ad hoc requirement in the IEEE standard for 802.11 variants is only 11Mbps. It's not fully spec'd out in the current standards so most WiFi adapters only support 11Mbps despite being 802.11g capable of 54Mbps. I have read but can't confirm that ad hoc with 802.11n adapters will run at 54Mbps (as opposed to up to 150Mbps in infrastructure mode).
Those speed limitations become and issue depending what kind of multiplayer gaming you intend to do.
Dec 17, 2010, 6:58 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: LON, ACK, BOS..... (Not necessarily in that order)
Programs: **Mucci Diamond Hairbrush** - compared to that nothing else matters (+BA Bronze)
Posts: 15,128
Would have happily played Half Life multiplayer if I could have done a few years ago. Would have made journeys fly by in Y, it certainly made the hours disappear after work. 
Dec 17, 2010, 8:19 am
#14
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
While they would probably frown if they knew you were doing this, there are a few wireless routers that are either battery powered or USB powered (either off the laptop or any of the usb battery packs out there) so you can just set your own network up on the go. Of course if you are on a plane with power ports it doesn't matter.
Not that I would ever recommend doing this, but if you set the network name to something everybody expects to see like Hhonors or the Free Wireless one, nobody will notice unless they are bright enough to notice it's not an adhoc one.
Instructions on setting up adhoc networking in
XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...tup/adhoc.mspx
Vista
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...ad-hoc-network
Windows 7 Starter Edition can not start an adhoc network, but it can join one.
Other versions of 7
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...ad-hoc-network
Not that I would ever recommend doing this
, but if you set the network name to something everybody expects to see like Hhonors or the Free Wireless one, nobody will notice unless they are bright enough to notice it's not an adhoc one.Instructions on setting up adhoc networking in
XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...tup/adhoc.mspx
Vista
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...ad-hoc-network
Windows 7 Starter Edition can not start an adhoc network, but it can join one.
Other versions of 7
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...ad-hoc-network