More on using MacBook Pro (Snow Leopard) as a Server

You can actually turn a MBP into a WiFi hot spot with the built-in software. Here's the trick:
System Preferences -> Sharing -> Internet Sharing checkbox -> Share your connection from Ethernet
You see AirPort pop up as an option. Click it and click on Airport Options and VIOLA you can configure your MBP to be a router!
You can create a network name, a password, and select level of encryptation. Remember to activate the Internet Sharing checkbox again at the end to "start" the WiFi hotspot.

This was designed to allow you to pipe your ethernet broadband internet connection wirelessly to other devices in the neighborhood, the great thing is even if you do NOT have the ethernet port connected to anything, it will still broadcast a WiFi signal and you can use the local computer name (name.local:8888) to browse to the MAMP server in the MBP.

Why would anyone want to do this? The answer is sometimes you want to browse to the server on a handheld device, even when you are not connected to a local WiFi hotspot. One way is to leave the server behind, at a hotspot, and browse to it using 3G, using methods described previously. But NOW, even if you have a WiFi ONLY device such as an iPod or iPad that doesn't have 3G, if you bring the server with you, you can still run your server scripts on the handheld.

The only problem being: even with the MBP lid closed? The answer is yup, but you have to run a free software called InsomniaX to keep the MBP running even with the lid closed.

Remember, Airport can only go one way at a time. You gotta turn off Internet Sharing to restore Airport to a receiver (instead of a transmitter) once you use it. Crazy.