Automatic creation of ad hoc network

Question

I regularly have to facilitate workshops using Keynote slides.  I use Keynote Remote to control the presentation which requires the creation of an ad hoc network that is password protected.
My procedure for this starts with the MBP where in the Finder menu bar I select the Airport Menu then Create Network… and fill in the text in the dialog box.  Then turn on WiFi on the iPad and locate this network and join it using the password.
I tend to set the same name for my ad hoc network (showtime) and five digit WEP password which means that the iPad just locates and logs on automatically.
Now I want to automate the setup side as I want to reduce my set up time (and stress) when getting ready for a workshop (it's bad enough having to deal with strange data projectors and hard wired AV facilities) or when returning from a lunch break when I tend to take my MBP and iPad with me for security reasons.
I have found that Location services in the network pane of System Preferences completely lacking as it does not retain details of ad hoc networks users may create.
Anyone know of a good third party application that would automate this?  Or a good Apple Script for Mac OSX 10.6.7 that would do it?

Answer 1

I'd forget about administering administrators, and framework-level activities here, and go down a level.
Here's a built-in low-level monitor for local networks:
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Resources/airport -s
You'll typically see the MAC addresses, names and channels involved.  Polling that data could probably be scripted to broadcast a notification from a local (trusted) client, too.  Roll that up with generic MAC data collection and you can probably identify the client device involved.  (Until the gremlins discover MAC spoofing.)
The usual (technical) response to detecting and preventing these networks is not via client settings — phones can do ad-hoc these days, after all — but rather via tools that can explicitly detect rogue access points (APs) and such; an old intro and some Cisco Radio Monitoring details. 
Some APs can send disassociate packets into rogue network, though that's a solution and an approach that I'd view rather skeptically, and would want clear and explicit administrative and legal buy-in before deploying anything like that.  Same for collecting and saving MAC data and locality data; that can potentially be personally-identifying data.  Remember also to account for the possibility of MAC spoofing when forming any administrative or disciplinary policies here, too.