Can a regular laptop distribute WiFi without using a router? Ways to quickly distribute Wi-Fi from a laptop and PC

So, dear readers of our online magazine, in this article we will share four simple and quick ways to “share” a laptop’s Internet connection via Wi-Fi. In other words, we can easily turn our Windows 7 computer into Wi-Fi hotspot.

How it works?

Any Wi-Fi network card can be used to transmit a wired Internet signal via the Wi-Fi protocol. To implement this task, you need some kind of virtual bridge or router connecting network devices. The Windows 7 operating system contains built-in capabilities for accessing a wired Internet connection through devices connected via a wireless protocol. However, now there is software with which you can literally set up a real Wi-Fi point on your own computer in just one click. In this article we will offer several methods, but the choice is yours!

Wi-Fi access point using standard Windows 7 methods

The most obvious way to turn a laptop into a Wi-Fi point is to use the standard function of creating a new Computer-to-Computer WiFi connection, which allows you to open access to local files and the Internet connection to all computers and devices connected via WiFi.

Go to Network and Sharing Center by clicking on the network icon in the system tray at the bottom right and selecting the appropriate item:

The security type is the type of connection security. The recommended type is WPA2-Personal. It requires entering a password between 8 and 63 characters long. When, if your external WiFi device(phone, tablet, laptop, etc.) the network will not be found, or the connection will be interrupted, You can change the security type to WEP(requires 5-digit password), or open ("No authentication"), that is, without encryption and password.

Click Next and your access point will be created. You may also need to enable access to your computer's Internet connection over the network. To do this, go to the Network and Sharing Center, then in the menu on the left “Change adapter settings” and call up the properties of the Wireless network connection. On the “Access” tab, check the “Allow other network users to use this computer’s Internet connection” checkbox:

Due to the ease of setup and quick activation/deactivation, this method is best suited for temporary and quick connection with various devices.

Setting up a Wi-Fi access point using the Windows Command Line

If you are familiar with the Windows Command Line, then I think it will be easy and simple for you to create a Wi-Fi connection using two simple console commands.

First of all, you need to run Command Prompt as Administrator. To do this, open Start and type “cmd” in the search. In the search results, click on the icon cmd right click and select " Run as Administrator«:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=YourSSID key=YourPassword keyusage=persistent

Where YourSSID— Network name, and YourPassword- password. After this, with the following command we enable the configured network:

netsh wlan start hostednetwork

You can break the connection with the following command:

netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

Automatic creation of a Wi-Fi point using a Batch file

All the actions specified in the previous subsection can be easily automated by writing a small script. All we need is to open Notepad (via the Start menu) and enter a few lines there:

@echo off
CLS
:MENU
ECHO.
ECHO —————————————————
ECHO.
ECHO Press 1, 2, or 3 to select your task, or 4 to Exit.
ECHO —————————————————
ECHO.
ECHO 1 - Set Wifi Sharing Attributes
ECHO 2 - Start WiFi Sharing
ECHO 3 - Stop WiFi Sharing
ECHO 4 - Exit
ECHO.
SET /P M=Type 1, 2, 3, or 4, then press ENTER:
IF %M%==1 GOTO SET
IF %M%==2 GOTO START
IF %M%==3 GOTO STOP
IF %M%==4 GOTO EOF
:SET
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=YourSSID key=YourPassword keyusage=persistent
GOTO MENU
:START
netsh wlan start hostednetwork
GOTO MENU
:STOP
netsh wlan stop hostednetwork
GOTO MENU

Again, instead of values YourSSID And YourPassword enter your connection name and password values. Save the file under any name and Necessarily specify extension ".bat". All you have to do is run the script as Administrator and follow the instructions on the command line screen.

Virtual Wi-Fi hotspot using third-party applications

There are a huge number of applications that allow you to turn your laptop into a virtual WiFi router. We will not consider this countless number, but will dwell a little on a wonderful program called Connectify Hot Spot PRO. The application is distributed on a paid basis.

Connectify Hot Spot allows you to connect both mobile devices of various platforms and computers of various operating systems to a virtual access point. The program is easy to set up. All you need to indicate is Network name(Hotspot Name) password(Password) and, in fact, network adapter(Internet To Share), from which Internet access will be opened. After starting with the “Start Hotspot” button on the “Clients” tab, you can view connected or recently connected devices.

Conclusion

There are many different uses for a Wi-Fi hotspot other than providing Internet access to Wi-Fi devices and computers. However, we hope that any of the methods we described will help you cope with the task posed in this article. Find the best one for yourself and don't forget to like!

There are times when you need to access the Internet from your phone or tablet, but, as luck would have it, there is not a single WiFi network at hand. In this case, it is not necessary to buy traffic or look for a free access point. Advanced users and IT specialists know how to distribute wifi from a laptop and computer if an adapter is installed on it. We hope these methods will help everyone else quickly start distributing wifi without a router and provide themselves with a stable connection.

Using a laptop as a WiFi access point is quite simple, and the speed provided when using this device is sufficient for comfortable browsing on the Internet. It is possible to distribute via WiFi from a laptop using:

• Built-in Windows tools.
• Third party software.

There are a lot of programs that allow you to distribute via wifi from a laptop, but not all provide a high-quality connection. However, for certain tasks this is sufficient. In turn, it is possible to distribute a signal to Windows 7,8,10 from a laptop using built-in tools in only two ways.

It is also possible to distribute wifi from a computer, but in this case a wireless adapter must be installed on it. It is installed extremely rarely in the factory assembly; most often an external device is used. This adapter resembles a radio receiver from a wireless mouse and provides a good Bluetooth and WiFi signal.

Preparing the laptop

If the laptop is connected to the network via a Lan cable and you need to distribute Wi-Fi from the laptop as a router, there is nothing complicated about it. The main thing is to create a regular connection so that the device itself has access to the Internet. You also need to check the functionality of the built-in network adapter.

It is easy to check the operation of the network cable. When it is connected to a laptop, the “Internet Access” icon appears in the lower right corner of the taskbar:

The main reason why the laptop does not distribute wifi and there is no Internet connection is a faulty cable or its insufficiently tight contact with the socket. In this case, the icon looks like this:

After connecting the cable, it's time to check the operation of the adapter. To do this, you need to go to “My Computer”. This is done as follows: open the Start menu or click on the Windows button. Next, find the “Computer” button and click on it. In the menu that opens, right-click on any free area and select the last item - “Properties”.

In the upper left corner, find the “Device Manager” section, click on it and find “Network adapters” in the list. All installed ones will be displayed in the drop-down menu. You need to find a line where NetWork is mentioned, for example:

Right-click on it (RMB), if there is an “Enable” item, activate it; if there is no such option, it means that it is already working and you can start setting up Wi-Fi.

The necessary virtual wifi access point for the laptop to simultaneously receive and distribute a signal, in this case using Windows 7 (and any other Windows will not cope), requires additional software. You can take a more trivial route and install an additional removable adapter, but below we will tell you how to get by without extra costs using special software.

Wi-Fi distribution using built-in tools

The first way to make a wifi access point on a laptop , very simple and appeared in Windows 10 systems, versions older than 1607. This all happens in a graphical menu and without using commands.

First you need to open the “Start” menu, find it in the “Settings” column on the left. Open it and launch “Network and Internet”. Among the list of suggested parameters, find and open “Mobile hotspot”. Then immediately turn it on by dragging the slider, or click on the “Change” button and enter your own password and name for the future connection. That's it, after this the point will work. The answer to the question of how to properly distribute wifi on a laptop has been found.

Distributing Wi-Fi using the command line and netsh

The second way to distribute the Internet from a laptop is to use the built-in Windows tools. They are also called Wireless Hosted Network, they are available on all versions, starting with “seven”. Following these instructions using the command line, it is also possible to distribute WiFi on a laptop.

To begin, go to the Windows menu and enter “cmd” in the lower “Find programs and files” window; in the proposed programs you can see one single entry: “cmd.exe”. Right-click on it and run as administrator. In the black window that opens, you need to copy and paste the following command: netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid="1111" key="11111111"keyUsage=persistent.

Where 1111 is the name of the network, and eight units are the wifi password. This data can be changed to something more familiar to the user, as long as the password consists of eight or more characters.

This is the basic command for distributing WiFi via the command line. If everything is done correctly, an entry will appear informing you that the Virtual WiFi network has been created:

All that remains is to launch a virtual network so that the laptop distributes WiFi. To do this, copy and enter another command: netsh wlan start hostednetwork. If the launch is successful, you can see that the hosted network is running.

If, after all that has been done, the Internet does not work when distributing from a laptop, you need to additionally enable the virtual adapter created by the system. Usually it starts automatically, but there are also bugs. It is used so that you can connect to the created WiFi from other laptops and from Android. To do this, go to “Device Manager”, in the “Network Adapters” section and enable the virtual adapter that appears in the list. How to turn adapters on and off was described above. Only now our adapter has a specific name - Microsoft Hosted Network Virtual Adapter.

If you decide to enable a WiFi access point on a laptop running Windows 10, you need to check whether sharing is enabled. To do this, click the PMC on the “Start” window, find “Network Connections”, click on the PMC, go to the “Properties” tab, “Access” and check both boxes in the menu so that everyone uses the connection.

Distributing Wi-Fi using programs

If difficulties arise during the creation of a Windows 7 wifi access point and the system does not work, you can look for the reason for a very long time. It's easier to use programs. They automatically connect all services, launch the virtual router manager, so the user practically does not have to do anything. Also, some programs from a laptop “create” a repeater. It turns out this way: for it to distribute WiFi, you do not need to have a computer connected via a Lan cable. You can distribute the Internet and at the same time receive it yourself via wifi from another laptop or even a phone. But, of course, not every free version of the application provides this opportunity.

Connectify

If it is difficult to understand how to distribute Wi-Fi from a computer to a phone using an adapter as a router, then for Windows 7 there is a very simple and intuitive program - “Connectify”. You need to download the free version of the program from the official website or another source and install it, then restart your computer and start setting up a new network.

Understanding how to set up wifi distribution via a laptop running Windows 7 is quite simple. After launching the application, a program window will appear with several empty fields:

1. “HotsSpotName”: here you must enter the name of the future network. It will appear when searching for WiFi from a tablet or phone.
2. “Password”: create a password for the network.
3. “Internet to Share”: select which Internet connection will be broadcast.
4. “Share Over”: determine the method of Internet distribution. Either via a local network, if there are devices connected via a Lan cable, or WiFi. You need to choose the second method.
5. “Sharing Mode”: selecting an adapter to broadcast the signal if the computer has one adapter capable of distributing WiFi. This means that at this point there will be only one of the options.

The “Connectify” program is a paid version, it sets almost all the settings itself, but using these hints, the user will configure everything independently, quickly and correctly.

This application is another way to quickly distribute wifi from a laptop. First you need to download and install the program. Next, right-click on the shortcut located on the desktop and run it as administrator.

There are very few settings here; in the first field – Network Name – you should enter the name of the future network. Network key is the future password. Enable Internet Sharing is the most interesting part of the program, since here it is possible to select both a local cable and another Wi-Fi as the initial connection. That is, this program on a computer uses it as a router and repeater.

Mypublicwifi is a free product that has powerful and convenient functionality, despite its simplicity.

MHotSpot

After downloading and installing this program, run it as an administrator in Windows and proceed to the setup stage. The standard menu is used here, as in previous programs. One difference: in the last column you can select the maximum number of users who can connect to the network. The program creates WiFi using only a Lan cable as an Internet connection, but allows you to distribute the Internet from a computer to a phone or to another laptop without problems and very quickly.

This is the easiest way to distribute WiFi from a laptop. Download the program and run it. The menu is simple: only three fields. In the first section, enter the name of the network, in the second - the password (at least eight characters) and in the last section, select the method of Internet distribution: WiFi. That’s it, click on the “Start” button and enjoy the availability of Internet connection.

Security when distributing Wi-Fi from a laptop

In addition, when creating a password in the listed programs, it is possible to select an encryption code. The most secure is WPA 2.

Problems and solutions when creating a Wi-Fi access point

When creating your own WiFi network on a laptop, problems sometimes arise. For example, a network has been created, but the phone “does not see” it. In this case, you need to restart the network adapter. To do this, find it in Device Manager, turn it off and on again. More details on how to enter the “Dispatcher” are provided in the “Preparing the laptop” section.

Also, when creating a wireless point, you need to check whether the Airplane mode is turned off; this applies to both laptops and phones. For these purposes, there is a special key on the keyboard, in the top line above the numbers, with the identification sign “airplane”.

To distribute the Internet on a laptop, you need to disable the antivirus and Windows firewall. The easiest way to do this is through “msconfig”. To do this, press Windows + R and enter “msconfig” in the line that appears. In the new “System Configuration” window, find the “Services” tab. The list includes antivirus (Kaspersky, Eset 32, Avast, etc.) and Windows Firewall. You need to uncheck the boxes next to them, save the settings and restart the laptop.

The method for distributing WiFi from a PC is no different, of course, if it is equipped with an adapter. It is recommended to first update the drivers using the Driver Booster 5 program. Now it is clear whether the laptop can distribute wifi and how to prepare it for this process.

Windows can turn your computer or laptop into a wireless access point if you allow it to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi. Setting up Internet distribution on Windows 7, 8 and 10 is somewhat different. Therefore, to install Internet distribution via Wi-Fi, we will consider separate instructions for each Windows operating system. Go.

The ability to share the wired Internet connection of your computer or laptop to connect wireless devices is available in Windows 7, 8 and 10 without installing additional components. Creating such connections, which are an example of peer-to-peer networks, is as easy as pie. In general, a classic example of a peer-to-peer network is a network of the form computer - switch - computer, and that computers have the same rights on this network. And in our case, the Wi-Fi wireless network interface will be responsible for the role of a switch.

Please note that when setting up a peer-to-peer network using the Wi-Fi adapter of your computer to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi, the current Wi-Fi connection, if any, will be disabled. Since the Wi-Fi adapter will be used to distribute the Internet and will no longer be able to receive it.

I would like to inform you that I do not show here how, after all the settings, you can find the resulting access point on your smartphone or laptop and connect to it. Due to the flourishing of the smartphone market, I think that everyone can connect to a Wi-Fi network.

How to share internet with Windows 10

1. Launch in any way convenient for you: by clicking +I on the keyboard, through the START menu by clicking on the icon. On the main settings page, click the button Network and Internet.

4. In the edit network information window, set the network name and enter your password, consisting of at least 8 characters.

That's all you need to do in Windows 10 to distribute the Internet from your computer via Wi-Fi. This is one of the best features of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

We distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi from a laptop or computer in Windows 8

Unfortunately, Windows 8 does not have a graphical interface for setting up a peer-to-peer network, so we will use the command line for some steps to set up the Internet via Wi-Fi.

It must be said that this method of distributing the Internet via Wi-Fi, described for Windows8, is also suitable for Windows 7 without any additions. All steps are completely identical.

1. Open Network connections in a way convenient for you, for example, by pressing the combination + R on the keyboard and typing in the window Execute team ncpa.cpl, press the button OK.

3. Switch to the tab Access and enable the option Allow other network users to use this computer's Internet connection. If the second parameter Allow other network users to control Internet connection sharing. Then click the button OK.

4. Next, you need to run the command line with administrator rights. Open the START menu and enter cmd. In the search results on the line Command line right-click and select from the context menu.

5. At a command prompt with administrator privileges, enter:

Netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=" "key="

Where this is the name of your network and The password for connecting to the network, which will need to be entered to connect to the access point. In this case, the connection will be based on WPA2-PSK (AES) encryption.

Netsh wlan start hostednetwork

From this moment on, your computer or laptop is ready to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi.

7. At any time, you can view connection information, where you can find out what channel your connection is using, access point name, authentication type, Wi-Fi type and the number of clients connected to the network.

Netsh wlan show hostednetwork

8. You can stop broadcasting Wi-Fi Internet distribution with the following command:

Netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

Internet distribution via Wi-Fi in Windows 7

As mentioned earlier, you can set up Internet distribution in a way that is suitable for Windows 8. But we will consider using a computer-to-computer network (Ad-hoc) to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi. This method is interesting because you do not need to use the command line to configure distribution.

1. Open in Control Panel Network and Sharing Center. In the Change network settings section, click Setting up a new connection or network.

2. Then in the window that opens, select and click Further.

• Network name– we come up with it to your taste;
• Security type– select WPA2-ptersonal;
• Security key– set a password that will need to be entered to connect to the network.

4. The system will automatically configure Internet distribution via WiFi and display a window that is ready to connect to the Wi-Fi network with the specified parameters. In the window that appears, click Enable Internet Connection Sharing.

We distribute wired Internet through the application

We install, launch, specify the network name (SSID), set the desired password, and select our wireless connection that we want to distribute. Press the button Start Virtual Router, and you're done. Below you can see a list of connected devices. It just couldn't be simpler.

Setting up Internet distribution via Wi-Fi may seem like a hassle to some, but in reality it is not that difficult. It all depends on what version of Windows you are using. In addition, you can always use a third-party application, which comes down to an even simpler way to turn your computer or laptop into an access point.

Now you can always use this article to distribute your Internet channel via Wi-Fi, even if you don’t have a Wi-Fi router at hand.

If you need to share the Internet between several gadgets, but don't have a router at hand, you can do without it. These instructions will help you turn your computer into a router for distributing the Internet via an access point (Wi-Fi network) or an Ethernet cable.

1. How to distribute the Internet from a computer using the “Mobile hotspot” function (Windows 10 only)

1. Find the Mobile Hotspot menu: select Start → Settings (gear) → Network and Internet → Mobile Hotspot.

2. In the “Internet connection sharing” field, select the type of connection that connects the current computer to the Internet. This can be a Wi-Fi (or 3G) or Ethernet wireless connection.

3. Click “Change” and in the next window, specify the name and password for the new wireless network through which the computer will distribute.

4. At the top of the page, enable the option “Allow the use of my Internet connection on other devices.”

After this, you will be able to distribute the Internet through the created Wi-Fi network. It is enough to connect the necessary devices to it using the password created in the third step. And you can turn off Internet distribution in the same place where wireless communication is turned off - in the “Network” window on the taskbar.

1. Launch Command Prompt. To do this, enter “Command” in the system search, right-click on the found element and select “Run as administrator.”

2. To create a new network for distribution, enter the command netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=Stacy key=4419E1z# in the line and press Enter. Instead of Stacy, you can enter any other network name, and instead of 4419E1z# - any other password.

3. To activate the created access point, enter the command netsh wlan start hostednetwork and press Enter again. If the commands worked, you will see the following text.

4. Now allow other users to access the Internet through the created network. First, open the Windows Control Panel and select Network and Sharing Center.

5. Then right-click on the icon for connecting your computer to the Internet, select “Properties” → “Access” and check the boxes next to permission requests. In the “Home network connection” field, select the wireless connection created in the second step of the instructions.

After this, you will be able to connect other devices to the Wi-Fi network configured in this way using the specified password. To disable the access point, enter netsh wlan stop hostednetwork at the command prompt. To re-enable it, use netsh wlan start hostednetwork .

If the Internet does not work on the connected devices, open the “Device Manager” menu through the “Control Panel”, expand the “Network adapters” item and check that all devices from this list are turned on. If you find inactive ones among them, enable them using the context menu.

If other problems occur, try reinstalling the network adapter drivers manually by downloading them from the manufacturer's website, or automatically using the Driver Booster program or service. The latter will do everything for you.

If you don't want to bother with the command line, you can use a special utility to quickly configure a wireless access point. You can use the free Connectify Hotspot program in just a few minutes.

1. Download and install Connectify Hotspot.
2. Launch the program and follow the on-screen prompts. The Russian interface language can be selected in the settings. The utility will ask you to set the type of computer connection to the Internet and the parameters of the new wireless network. After this, all you have to do is click on the start button to activate the access point.

When you're done, you can distribute the Internet to other devices via Wi-Fi. You can manage your wireless network directly in the program window.

Connectify Hotspot also has a paid version with additional features. For example, it allows you to distribute not only landline Internet via Wi-Fi, but also 3G and 4G. Hotspot Pro costs $35.

1. Connect the Ethernet ports of both devices with a cable.
2. On the computer from which you want to distribute the Internet, open the “Control Panel” and go to the “Network and Sharing Center” → “Change adapter settings” section. The names may differ between versions of Windows.
3. In the window that opens, select two connections using the Ctrl key. The first should be responsible for connecting your computer to the Internet. The second is for connecting a second computer to this one. Right-click on either of the two connections and select “Bridge Settings.”

After a few seconds, a new connection called “Network Bridge” should appear, and the status “Connected, Linked” should appear next to the used connections. If everything goes well, the Internet will work on the second computer. But this may not happen immediately, but after 10–15 minutes.

In macOS it is quite easy to set up Internet sharing, both via cable and . You don't need any additional programs for this.

1. Expand the Apple menu and go to System Preferences → Sharing.
2. Check the “Internet Sharing” checkbox in the left panel and specify the type of connection of the current computer to the Internet in the “Shared Connection” list on the right side of the window. For example, if it is connected to the Network via cable, select Ethernet.
3. In the “For computers using” field, select a method for sharing Internet access with other devices. For example, if you want to distribute the Internet wirelessly, choose Wi-Fi; if via cable, then choose Ethernet.

If you chose Wi-Fi, uncheck the “Internet Sharing” checkbox, click “Wi-Fi Settings” and set the access point name and password, then check the “Internet Sharing” checkbox again.

After making these settings, you can connect other devices to your computer using the selected method.

Today, almost everyone has at least one mobile device, be it a smartphone, tablet or e-reader. The easiest way to connect to the network is using a router. However, what to do if you don’t have a router at hand, but you need the Internet? In this case, you can distribute WiFi from a laptop with Windows 7 and later versions installed. All steps described in this guide also apply to personal computers with a wireless adapter.

Windows Standard Tools

Microsoft has implemented a convenient way to create a WiFi connection between two devices. This method is relevant for most modern network cards and adapters. Unfortunately, this function was not available in Windows XP and it will not be possible to distribute Wi-Fi on a laptop in this way.

Now your mobile device will be able to see the network created on the laptop and connect to it in the usual way, like to a router.

Virtual Router

The open source utility Virtual Router or Virtual Router Plus allows you to almost instantly create a new WiFi network to which smartphones and tablets can connect. You can download the program from the official website of the developer http://virtualrouter.codeplex.com/. Just follow the link and click on the purple Download button on the right side of the page. This method is relevant for outdated Windows XP, but requires the .Net Framework to be installed to work correctly.

Install the utility following the Install Wizard prompts and run. You will see a small window with two fields to fill out. Opposite the SSID, enter the name of the future WiFi connection, and in the Password line, enter the password. In the Shared Connections column, select which connection you will distribute and click the Start button.

Thus, in just a couple of minutes you get a fully working wireless network distributed from your laptop. The software works on any version of Windows OS.

MyPublicWiFi

Another small free program with good functionality. Like the previous example, it is easy to use, does not require lengthy setup and is relevant for any version of Windows.

The capabilities of this software are somewhat wider than the previous one: with its help you can view the list of clients that have joined the server or impose restrictions on the speed transferred from the laptop.