Turn Your Laptop Into Wifi Hot Spot

[parin 857]

For Mannual Setup Follow Below Instruction if u dont want more software on ur taskbar

or download the connectify software from below

This article will help you convert your Windows XP , Vista and Windows7 based laptop in a Wirelss HotSpot Once you setup your laptop as HotSpot then you do not need a router, switch, hub, etc… to form a network, in fact other laptops or PC's can connect or access the internet through this newly created HotSpot

What do I need to set a HotSpot?

1. Active Cable Internet

2. Laptop

3. Wifi on Laptop

4. Wired net connection

5. Or USB Data Card

Once you have all the above things mentioned, you are all set to follow the steps:

How to setup HotSpot on Windows7

1. Got to Control Panel

2. Click on "Network and Sharing Centre"

3. Under Tasks choose "Setup New Connection"

4. Wireless "Ad-hoc network"

5. Now type in a "Network Name"

6. Choose "WEP" from drop down menu, input the password if you don't want to share the connection with the entire world

7. Click "Internet connection sharing"

8. Done!

How to setup HotSpot on Windows Vista:

1. Got to Control Panel

2. Click on "Network and Sharing Centre"

3. Under Tasks choose "Setup New Connection"

4. Wireless "Ad-hoc network"

5. Now type in a "Network Name"

6. Choose "WEP" password if you don't want to share the connection with the entire world

7. Click "Internet connection sharing"

8. Done!

Now a WiFi enabled machine will be able to connect to the network you have just setup with the WEP password

Lets setup a HotSpot on a Windows XP machine:

1. Go into Control panel

2. Open "Network Connections"

3. Right click on "Wireless Connection" and click on "Properties"

4. Click on the "Wireless Networks" tab and select the check-box which says "Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings"

5. Under "Prefered networks" click "Add"

6. Type a name in "Network name" text box

7. Select "Shared" from the options under "Network Authentication"

8. Under Data encryption select "WEP" and type in your password in "Network Key" field and now click "OK"

9. Now the new HotSpot should show in the list of preferred networks.

10. Click on the "Advance" button and select "Computer-to-computer (ad hoc) networks only" and press close

11. Hit "OK", we are done with the wireless connection properties

One more step, we have to change something in the wired connection setting so that it knows that it has to share connection with the computers accessing our HotSpot.

1. Go to local Area Connections(if wired) or Data Card Connection, right click it and select properties

2. Go to the "Advanced" tab or Sharing in Win7 & Vista and under Internet Connection Sharing check the box which says "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's internet connection" and make sure the box under that is NOT selected so that no one can disable the network remotely.

3. Hit "OK"

4. In Case of Win7 & Vista use Wireless Connection from Dropdown Menu

I hope this helps setting up a wireless connection without a WiFi router. Have FuN!

Update ......

U can use the Software Connectify too Credits to Tushar for pointing out

here's the Link

Download

Update 12/09/2011

Here are some of the options available to configure a windows 7 laptop as a wifi hotspot or router.

http://www.mhotspot.com/

http://virtualrouter.codeplex.com/

http://www.connectify.me/

http://www.mypublicwifi.com/publicwifi/en/index.html

Hope this will be helpful to some on this list.

Edited December 9, 2011 by parin

[hiteshkkk1 327]

Nice share parin.....+1 from me

[Greatest 55]

WOW.... +1 for your efforts bhai.. People really needed this..

[gauravjc 47]

Good Find Parin Bhai !!!

[neerajayshree 36]

Nice discovery.

[harshal_1507 1]

So if u r using wired Internet no need to have a router, may be the range will not be to good

[amit.shippie 135]

We were using this method in our hostel in our college days... just care that always enable security otherwise everyone in that range can use it and ur speed will b terribly slow...

[harshal_1507 1]

Amit in above it's already written what u have said

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Excellent useful post Parin. +1 for your efforts.

[amit.shippie 135]

@harshal... i was talking abt speed bro... the pc's connected through this method are terribly slow....

@parin.. nice post parin bhai... this is the only way to use internet in hostels where only one connection is provided in each room...and also if miyan bb has only one datacard n both wants to use net; husband can use this option :-) :-P

Edited November 9, 2010 by amit.shippie

[parin 857]

Miyan BB Wali Bat sahi hai

Actually at home we have only one laptop

So now i can at-least surf on my phone while my wife is using laptop

This was an inbuilt feature in windows & i was searching for a software to do this

but finally got to know this method & though it will be useful for lot of people

[tushar_163 63]

Nice find Parin bhai .

"Connectify" can also be used for the same and it's easy to use .

[Genius 817]

NIce pick - +1

[vijaykv 5]

Thank you Parin. I was thinking of getting a wireless router from MTNL as we have a unlimited bb connection and Two laptops and a PC at home. I haven't tried so far. But going to try today or tomarrow.

[dkaile 1,051]

Kindly note that this requires 1 way traffic of wifi of your laptop i.e. if you are already connecting wirelessly to a network on your laptop, this solution will not work to create a hotspot (e.g. if you are thinking to use your laptop to extend the range of your wireless connection by using it as a hotspot); u need a different source of internet connection i.e. from a wired connection or a usb dongle to use your laptop as a hotspot... JFYI...

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Lets say you have a built in wi-fi adapter laptop through which you connect wirelessly to a network.

Then you put an additional USB Wi-Fi Dongle in the laptop and configure it for internet sharing.

Can you not extend the range of your wireless connection or create a hotspot by this method?

USB Wi-Fi dongle may turn out to be cheaper than range extender or additional Wi-Fi Routers.

[kesav 127]

+1 for Parin for sharing this info.

[Honest 836]

Great Share dear Parin.

+1 from me also.

[parin 857]

Rajan if ur source is a wifi connection, I don't think its possible.

[Genius 817]

Can you not extend the range of your wireless connection or create a hotspot by this method?

USB Wi-Fi dongle may turn out to be cheaper than range extender or additional Wi-Fi Routers.

Putting another adapter dose not increase range for sure specially dongle for that you need a big antenna one that comes in router, it has to be one with wired lan

[ami1 237]

Putting another USB WiFi dongle does work (configured with a different subnet) as you can connect the 2nd PC/notebook to this WiFi dongle subnet and the 1st PC/notebook is connected to your normal wifi network. This does effectively increase the range if the normal wifi network doesn't reach the 2nd PC but reaches the 1st PC. Offcourse you need to enable sharing/forwarding/proxy between the two networks on the first PC/notebook

However, Connectify, mentioned by Tushar is the best option as it enables you to have a normal wifi hotspot rather than Ad-Hoc.

Some devices (like Palm Pre) which do not connect to ad-hoc networks can also connect.

Plus you can have multiple connections unlike simple ad-hoc mode which is peer to peer ie only 1 device will connect to it.

However, connectify only works with the newer wifi chipsets/cards which have this capability (usually not more than 1-2 years old). In these chipsets win7 also allows you to set up normal hotspot like a wifi router.

[parin 857]

Thanks Amit Connectify makes it more easier

Here's the download link

This will work on Win7 only

Edited November 10, 2010 by parin

[didipat 0]

Kindly note that this requires 1 way traffic of wifi of your laptop i.e. if you are already connecting wirelessly to a network on your laptop, this solution will not work to create a hotspot (e.g. if you are thinking to use your laptop to extend the range of your wireless connection by using it as a hotspot); u need a different source of internet connection i.e. from a wired connection or a usb dongle to use your laptop as a hotspot... JFYI...

Bhai, kya hai? Why do you need to setup ad-hoc if laptop sees another wireless for Internet, then your adhoc peer would also see it!!! LOLz. It happens Bhai..Newton se bhi aisa hota tha. Tum bhi to hamare Newton Ho. Cheers.

Regards,

Deepak

[dkaile 1,051]

^

mere hoshiyaar dost... pehle mera jawaab theek se padne ki koshish karo phir apni akal ladao...

Edited November 26, 2010 by dkaile

[vgudakesh 0]

Hi Parin & all,

I could not make this setup work with my ipad.

I have a lenovo laptop with wifi and a reliance broadband+ data card.

The ipad is able to locate the wifi hotspot created by the laptop, but cannot access the internet through the USB data card connected to laptop.

Looking help to troubleshoot.

Regards