Tip: First print this page before you start. You will have to disconnect from the internet to follow this tutorial.

There are many applications that enable to access a PC from an iPad through a local or remote network (Splashtop, Teamviewer, etc). However most are ineffective if there is no local router. This tutorial will make it work even in the absence of any network (like on a boat, a car, etc...).

A. What you need:

- IPad (any model)
- A PC with Windows 7 or XP*.
- USB WiFi key **

* Ad-Hoc connections have been removed from Windows 8! However, there are many tutorials on the internet to circumvent this limitation
** This tutorial was made with a tiny "Belkin N150 Micro-adjust" USB WiFi key bought €19.90. You can try at first with the internal wireless card from your laptop, but often wireless internal cards are not good for Ad-Hoc.

B. Prerequisites

- Install your USB WiFi key on the PC by following the installation procedure given by the manufacturer
- Install the following free apps on the iPad "VNC lite" and "Fing Network Scanner"
- Install TightVNC (Free) on the PC
- Run TightVNC Server, enter the required password and press OK

C. Connection:

(note that this tutorial was made on the French version of Windows, so that terms might differ from what you see on your computer)

1. Create an Ad-hoc connection on your PC:

Windows 7:
- Open the "Network and Sharing Center" And click "Set up a new connection or a new network"
- Click bottom of the list on "Configure a wireless ad-hoc (computer to computer)"
- Choose the WiFi USB key as "connection"
- In the next screen, give a Network Name (Eg "Test1") and security level = "No authentication" (you can later try with a higher level of security if you wish)
- Click next for confirmation of the creation of the network.

Windows XP:
- Click Start> Connections> Wireless Network Connection
- Click on Properties and then "Wireless Networks" tab
- In Preferred networks, click on "Add". Enter the network name "Test 1" Authentication "Open" Encryption "off" and check "this is a peer-to-peer network" at the bottom, then OK
- Return to the previous window, click "Advanced"> in network access, check "Network equals"
- Come back again on the window, clickon the network "Test1" and close with OK
Ad-hoc network is created
 

2. On the iPad, open General Settings> WiFi. You should see the live network "Test1"
Select this network and WAIT AT LEAST ONE MINUTE. Tap the little blue 'i' to the right of the network name and check the IP address. After one minute, a new address should appear obligatorily as 169.254.XX. Do not proceed further if this address does not appear.

3. On the PC, find the TightVNC Server icon at bottom right of your screen. Right-click and click "Attach Listening Viewer", then enter the above IP address of the iPad in this window.

4. On the iPad, open the Fing application and start exploring the network by tapping the arrow curved top right. You should see two devices:
- "My Ipad" with the IP address above
- "your PC's name" with the ad-hoc IP address of the PC. Take a note of this address

5. On the iPad. Launch the VNC lite application. Tap Menu> configure and enter:
- VNC server address: the PC's IP address you've just noted
- VNC server port: 5900
Go back and do menu> connect and tap the connection that was just created
A window opens - enter the TightVNC password you created at the beginning on the PC and click OK

6. Here you are, you should see the your Windows PC's  screen! Magic, isn't it ?

D. Controls:

You have several controls:
Short tap = left click of mouse
Long tap = displacement of the window
To scroll the window up and down, there is no equivalent to the mouse wheel: use the scrollbar to the right
The menu at bottom contains the keyboard, VNC menu, an "entry" function, the readjustment of the screen at the bottom left and  a padlock to freeze the screen (useful in case of rain )


To exit the application: VNC Menu> disconnect. For safety, right click on the TightVNC icon > "disconnect all viewers'

Note on antivirus and firewall:
Depending on the settings you established on your PC, it is possible that you have to disconnect your firewall or your antivirus to allow for ad-hoc connection.
But it is not mandatory: for this test, it worked very well with "ZoneAlarm" as firewall and "Avast" as antivirus still working.