How to make a laptop an Internet access point. How to create an access point at home

I became interested in how to make Wi-Fi on a computer, when in a friend's office I needed to go to the Internet - from my phone. But Wai Fai was not there. Only the cable connected to the laptop. It only took a few minutes for me to figure out how to solve the problem. Later I repeated this procedure on other Windows PCs and found ways to optimize the method. So it is very convenient in the room or to distribute mobile Internet. I will describe all the ways how to distribute Wi Fi in the instructions below. I will describe them for Win 7 (the steps will look the same on the "top ten") and add an option for Win 10.

How to create a WiFi hotspot on Windows 7

Methods for making an access point contain all versions of Windows starting from the seventh (with the exception of Starter). The methods are executed in the same way on different OS. Here are 4 ways to enable the hotspot on your computer and laptop:

Through the control center.
By downloading individual programs.
Using the command line.
By writing the commands to the * .bat script.

I would like to point out right away that, in my opinion, the simplest and best method is the fourth. But first things first.

Method 1: standard for Win 7

A WiFi hotspot on a Windows 7 laptop can be created from the default settings. The steps are as follows:

Click on the network icon (near the clock) and click on the caption below.

Use the menu on the left to go to "Management of wireless networks" and find "Add". Click on this inscription.

We need "Computer-computer", "Further" .

We choose which Wai Fai network will have a name and its password.

We turn on access to the Internet.

Now you will have your own Wi Fi. This is the most common way to do Wi-Fi on a computer. It is not very convenient that a lot of actions are required, and the network after disconnecting users will cease to be active.

Method 2: programs for creating a network

A slightly more convenient way to make Wi-Fi on a PC so that another computer can catch the network is to use special utilities. Free programs do exactly what I will describe in methods 3 and 4. Paid programs contain many useful functions and create a connection on the computer automatically. The most popular are the following applications:

Virtual Router;
Switch Virtual Router;
Conectify (paid);
and others.

If you make a Windows 7 computer as a WiFi access point, then all these utilities enter similar data: network name, key, and optional options. It is possible to enable autorun.

However, free programs have a drawback: to launch, you have to do one more manual action.

For a network to share the Internet, you must:

Through the search for "Start" go to "Network connections"... You will see a new icon that appears after you make Wi Fi on your computer. A hint can be the name of the network you entered earlier - below from its name.
Right-click not on it, but on the connection through which you get the Internet: either an Ethernet cable, or the name of a 3G / 4G provider, or a wireless adapter.
Go to "Properties", and then in the "Access" tab from the drop-down list, select the very new network. If it is not there, restart the adapter (turn it off and then turn it on through the context menu) and it will appear. Then "OK".
Restart your PC, run the program on your PC again. If everything went well, then a WiFi access point on Windows 7 will be created, with which you can share the Internet.

Method 3: cmd - command prompt window

The third method, how to make Wi Fi on a computer, is easier than the previous ones - oddly enough. In all Windows, it is enough to perform only two steps to create Wi Fi:

In the search for "Start" - "cmd" - right click on it - "As administrator".
Enter 2 lines in turn:

Everything is done: you managed to set up an access point on your laptop. The NAME1 and KEY1 fields can (should) be changed. This is the name and password.

If you need to rename the network or change its password, enter the first command again with new parameters. To stop it, apply.

For the Internet to work, be sure to follow the instructions from the previous method.

By the way, in order to make Wi-Fi on a stationary computer, the described method is also suitable. The main requirement: the computer must have a Wi-Fi adapter.

The only drawback of this method: the second command will have to be executed every time. After restarting the PC, it always turns off. This is not very convenient, so let's move on to method 4.

Method 4: script in bat file

After completing these steps once, you will have your own network, which you control and which constantly distributes the Internet to you - if there is one, of course. Here, a Windows 7 virtual WiFi hotspot is created manually once, and then automatically turns on every time you start Windows. To stop it, you need to double-click on the icon. So, the steps are as follows:

You need to make a WiFi access point from a PC. We execute the first command from method 3.
We open the notebook. We enter 1 line there - "Netsh wlan start hostednetwork"... This is the main part of the instructions on how to make Wi-Fi on a computer.
Save As - WIFIstart.bat.

Any name is allowed, the main thing is .bat at the end. When you open this file (double click on it), Wi Fi will start.

Similarly, you need to make another file, write there "Netsh wlan stop hostednetwork" and save it as WIFIstop.bat.
Now we will automate the process. Add network start to Autostart. I am a supporter of quick methods, so we will not search for it among the folders. Just hold Win + R, paste in "shell: startup" and click OK.

6. Copy WIFIstart.bat to the opened folder.

All is ready. For me, this is the best method of how to make Wi-Fi on a computer and turn it on automatically at system startup. Do not forget that if the first command was launched, then you need to turn on the distribution of the Internet (described at the end of method 2) in order to make a wireless Internet to the computer via WiFi.

Frequent problems and how to solve them

During the execution of instructions, various errors may occur. Either there is no Internet on the receiving gadgets, or the access point does not turn on, the network cannot be started, or other unpleasant messages. Their solution comes down to several points:

Make sure to follow the instructions at the end of Method 2 exactly.
See if you have a network connection on the sharing PC.
Update Wi-Fi driver. This must be done for the computer to accept WiFi and share the network. Download it from the website of the PC brand or the Wi Fi module brand.
If on the tenth Windows in the "Mobile hotspot" menu you have an error, then use the command line from methods 3 and 4.
Disable your antivirus - it might block your attempts.

These methods help 95% of the time. Now you can be constantly connected on all gadgets, as long as the PC has access to the Internet. The portable Wi-Fi is always close to you.

We remind you that attempts to repeat the actions of the author can lead to the loss of the warranty for the equipment and even to its failure. The material is provided for informational purposes only. If you are going to reproduce the steps described below, we strongly advise you to carefully read the article to the end at least once. 3DNews editors are not responsible for any possible consequences.

In the case of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, this is just one of the many innovations that went almost unnoticed, although materials on this topic are extremely easy to find on the Internet. Strictly speaking, the Wi-Fi specification implies that the network operates in two main modes - either point-to-point (ad-hoc mode), when all clients connect to each other, or in access point mode (infrastructure mode), when data exchange between two hosts. goes through the third side. The operation of one physical adapter simultaneously in these two modes is theoretically impossible.

In practice, Microsoft decided to turn its gaze to the now fashionable virtualization technologies and created a layer that abstracts the wireless adapter. In fact, we can have several Wi-Fi modules in the system, each with its own settings, which in reality use the resources of only one physical device. This subsystem is called Virtual Wi-Fi. Intel has a similar development - Intel MyFi (My Wi-Fi). We will not go into the technical details of the implementation of each of the technologies - it is important for us that we can make the adapter work in the mode of a software access point, Software Access Point (SoftAP).

So why would you need SoftAP? First, to quickly organize a local wireless network to which you can connect another computer, smartphone, and so on. Secondly, we can distribute the Internet from the main machine inside our small network. In this case, clients will be behind NAT. It doesn't matter how we access the Network on a machine with SoftAP - via Ethernet, WiMax, 3G, Dial-Up (anything can happen) or something else. It is noteworthy that the computer can be connected to a wireless network and at the same time be an access point.

Thus, it is easy to create a repeater by placing a laptop at the reception edge of the main wireless network and setting the same SoftAP parameters as the parent access point. Thus, we will expand the range of the network, and all clients, if necessary, will automatically reconnect to the repeater and vice versa. Another possibility is to easily "enter" the traffic of wireless clients to any available network interface, for example, to a VPN tunnel. There are other possibilities for using a software access point that go beyond the moral boundaries of our headings.

To implement SoftAP, we need a Wi-Fi adapter whose drivers support this mode. In principle, almost all modern wireless modules, built-in or external, have this capability. Moreover, Virtual Wi-Fi support is one of the prerequisites for the adapter to be included in the list of certified compatible devices for Windows 7. Do not be lazy to find out this point before starting the setup and update the drivers from the official website of the Wi-Fi module manufacturer, just in case. However, in most cases, the driver that "arrived" along with the system updates will work as expected. Unfortunately (not very big, though), now we can create only one virtual access point with mandatory WPA2-PSK / AES encryption.

In order to create an access point, it is enough to start the console (command line) as administrator and execute a single command:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode = allow ssid = "SoftAP Tst" key = "Yourpassword" keyUsage = persistent

Naturally, in the ssid parameter, you must specify the name of the access point, and in the key, specify the password for accessing the network. In the future, you can change the AP parameters in the same way. After executing the command, the OS will install the required driver and the Virtual Wi-Fi we need will appear in the list of wireless adapters. To remove an adapter, specify mode = disallow in the command and omit all other parameters.

Now you can start the point with the command:

netsh wlan start hostednetwork

To stop working, change the start parameter to stop in the command in a logical way.

It is highly discouraged during operation in theSoftAP disable physical adapterWi-Fi like pull it outUSB port - this can lead to an abnormal shutdown of the OS !!!

To view the current parameters of a virtual access point, you can use the commands:

netsh wlan show settings

netsh wlan show hostednetwork setting = security

When SoftAP starts, the built-in DHCP server will automatically start. To "share" the Internet connection for users of the newly created wireless network, you need to go to the "Sharing" tab in the properties of the network interface that has access to the Network. There you need to enable Network Sharing permission and select our virtual adapter in SoftAP mode.

To simplify the work with the software access point, two programs can be advised: VirtualRouter and Connectify. The first one is absolutely free, but a little outdated and does not always work out of the box, and the second one asks you to pay money for access to some functions. However, it's worth it. The utility's functionality far exceeds the built-in capabilities of the OS for working with a virtual access point. It has an UpnP server, it allows you to choose a different type of encryption, has more convenient management of wireless clients, and much, much more. In general, a real little software monster for organizing a hot spot. If you really need this kind of advanced functionality, then $ 30 a year doesn't seem like a lot of money. You can also create a Soft AP on Linux or Mac OS X. True, in the first case, you will have to tinker with the settings, and there will be less opportunities than in Windows 7. In the second case, in the best traditions of Apple's OS, everything is done elementary. In addition, with the advent of AirDrop and AirPlay, the exchange of information between i-devices has become much easier. On this, as they say on your Internet, we will consider the topic uncovered. Good luck!

Today Wi-fi technology is very popular among the users of the World Wide Web. Free wireless access points are installed at airports, train stations, cafes and shopping centers. Sometimes it is required to create such a network in the office or at home. This is true if there are several working devices - PCs, laptops, smartphones, etc. Below we will look at how to create wifi access on a laptop with Windows 7 for the subsequent distribution of the connection to the above devices.

Let's start with the command line. It opens with Administrator rights. To do this, call the "Start" menu and enter the command "cmd" in the search field. Then, on the shortcut, with the right mouse button, select the "Run as Administrator" column. A window appears where you need to enter the following commands: "netshwlansethostednetworkmode = allowssid =" EVRIKAK "key =" MYPASSWORD "keyusage = persistent". Here "EVRIKAK" is the network name and "MYPASSWORD" is the password.
After pressing "Enter" you see a message about the successful creation of the network. Now you should start it. In the same window, we write the command "netshwlanstarthostednetwork". Everything, the first step of creating a wifi access point is done, we are working on.

Now we check the network. To do this, go to the control panel and find the "Network and Sharing Center". Here we press "Change adapter parameters". We make sure that among the wireless connections there is one that we have created. The name of the network should be there (we have "EVRIKAK)". Let's move on to the last step.

The network itself has already been created by us, you can connect the desired device by entering a password. Now, for everything to start working, you need to connect the Internet. This means that in order to configure the wifi access point, you need to allow the newly created network to use the connection. In practice, this is easier than in words. So, again go to the "Adapter settings" menu and, among other connections, look for the WiFi network Internet channel.

Then we open its "Properties" with the transition to the "Access" tab. Check the box "Allow other network users to control the sharing of the Internet connection", as well as "Allow other network users to use the Internet connection of this computer."

By clicking "OK" our created network will be connected to the Internet. The work, as you can see, is simple and quite within the power of even a novice user. Good luck surfing the net!

To connect several devices to the Internet at once, including wirelessly, a classic Wi-Fi router is most often used. Modern routers do an excellent job of providing a reliable and interference-resistant connection, but a router may not always be at hand. A standard situation - you decided to spend a few days at the dacha and took with you only a laptop with a USB modem. It would be nice to be able to connect to the Internet through it, not only on your laptop, but also on mobile gadgets such as a smartphone or iPod. Those. there is a need to use a laptop as a separate Wi-Fi access point, to which other devices can be connected by analogy with a conventional router. If anyone did not know, the functionality for the implementation of such a task is built into the Windows 7/10 operating systems, the main thing is that your laptop is equipped with a wireless adapter.

So, in this article, in step-by-step mode, we will consider all the main ways of distributing Wi-Fi from a laptop running Windows 7 or Windows 10. We will create an access point both by means of the system itself and using the most popular third-party programs. The source of the Internet for the laptop will be a 3G modem of one of the mobile operators. However, all the considered schemes will work in the case of a conventional wired Internet connection.

Creating a virtual Wi-Fi router via the command line

For users who are not friendly with the command line, this method will probably seem rather complicated and tricky. However, if you follow the instructions exactly, then no problems should arise. Most importantly, this method is universal, i.e. works in both Window 7 and Windows 10, and does not require the installation of any additional applications.

First of all, we will launch the command line itself as an administrator. This can be done through the search bar of the Start menu by right-clicking on the "Command line" item and selecting "Run as administrator". In Windows 10, just right-click on the Start menu icon and select "Command Prompt (Admin)".

In the console, immediately execute the command netsh wlan show drivers in order to make sure that the laptop's Wi-Fi adapter is currently capable of operating in access point mode. After entering the specified command, press Enter and look for the line "Hosted network support".

If there is “Yes” next to it, then everything is in order and you can proceed to the next stage, but if “No” is written, then it makes no sense to continue, since the adapter is not ready for Wi-Fi distribution. The reasons for the lack of support for the hosted network can be very different - from incorrectly installed (or old) drivers to the incompatibility of the current version of Windows with the installed hardware. We have devoted a separate article to ways of solving such a problem (see ""), so now we will not focus on them and will go further.

At this stage, we need to enter a command to initialize the created Wi-Fi virtual host. It looks like this:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode = allow ssid = InternetNout key = 87654321

InternetNout is the name of the wireless network;
87654321 - password.

If everything went well, a corresponding message will appear, as in the screenshot.

Now we launch our network with the command netsh wlan start hostednetwork, as a result of the execution of which we should see the message "Hosted network started".

We need to check if a new wireless connection has really appeared. We go to the "Network and Sharing Center" and find the network we created InternetNout.

True, she still has the status "Without access to the network", which categorically does not suit us. In order for a virtual Wi-Fi point to be able to distribute the Internet, it must access directly the connection through which the laptop itself receives the Internet. In our case it is Ethernet 3.

Click on it and then click on the "Properties" button.

Next, go to the "Access" tab and put a checkmark next to the item "Allow other network users to use the Internet connection of this computer." Below in the drop-down list, select the target connection. We have this "Local Area Connection * 14".

Click "OK" to apply the parameters. Now in the network management center status InternetNout changed to "Internet", which is what we wanted.

We take a smartphone in our hands and in the corresponding settings section we check whether the device sees the created Wi-Fi point. If all the steps described above are completed, then the network will certainly be detected. We click on it, enter the password and wait for the connection to occur.

The laptop will start distributing the Internet to our smartphone via Wi-Fi. To display information about the network, for example, the number of connected clients, the command netsh wlan show hostednetwork... To disconnect the access point, run the command netsh wlan stop hostednetwork.

Sharing Wi-Fi using a wireless computer-to-computer network in Windows 7

This method allows you to create an access point without any manipulations with the command line, but the technique works only in Windows 7. First, open the "Network and Sharing Center", and then click on the link "Set up a new connection or network".

In the window that opens, select the item "Configuring the wireless network computer-computer", and then click "Next".

Fill in the fields "Network name" and "Security key", then click "Next" again.

A window will appear informing you that the network is ready for use. At the same stage, it is proposed to enable Internet Connection Sharing. This must be done by clicking on the corresponding link.

Now all that remains is to wait for the operation to complete.

To see the newly created network, in the "Network and Sharing Center" on the left you need to go to the link "Manage wireless networks".

Here you can manage connections - delete, add, change properties, set priority.

Mobile hotspot in Windows 10

In Windows 10, it is possible to very quickly organize an access point for mobile devices through the Settings utility. Launch the application and go to the "Network and Internet" section. In the menu on the left, select the item "Mobile hotspot".

If the laptop is connected to the Internet by wired or using a USB modem, on the page that opens, it will be possible to allow the sharing of the Internet connection by several devices. That is, the same Wi-Fi access point will appear, through which the Internet will be distributed to other devices from the laptop. To activate the hotspot, move the slider located at the top to the "On" position.

The network name and password for accessing it will be indicated below (they are generated automatically). The network exists (we call it DESKTOP-EHJUIN4 3118), but does not yet have access to the Internet, which can be verified by going to the network control center.

To open this access, you need to repeat all the same actions that we performed when working with the command line. We go to the Properties of the connection responsible for the "delivery" of the Internet to the laptop, and on the "Access" tab, put a tick next to the corresponding item. Below, select the required connection from the list, for which we open access to the Internet. We save the changes with the OK button.

Make sure the network is now connected to the Internet.

We connect to it on a smartphone or any other device.

Popular programs for distributing Wi-Fi from a laptop

If all of the above methods do not suit you, or with the help of them it was not possible to distribute the Internet, it makes sense to use third-party programs, of which there are a great many. We will consider two of the most convenient in our opinion.

MyPublicWiFi

This application has a lot of positive reviews and has a simple interface that allows you to start distributing the Internet via Wi-Fi from a laptop after a couple of clicks. Download the program from the official website mypublicwifi.com and install it on your laptop. During installation, you will need to restart your laptop. Next, run the utility and set the settings for the virtual access point.

We register the name of the network and the password, we also indicate the connection through which the Internet will be distributed via Wi-Fi. The virtual network is launched by pressing the "Set up and Start Hotspot" button. The program has a minimum of settings, so it will not be difficult to understand them.

Connectify Hotspot

Another popular program that provides the ability to easily distribute Wi-Fi from a laptop to any portable device. Download the Russian-language version of the utility at http://www.connectify.me/ru/, install it and restart your computer. We launch the program. On the "Settings" tab, we see that the application can work in several modes. By default, the "Wi-Fi hotspot" mode is selected - this suits us. We set the parameters of the virtual router approximately as in the screenshot below.

Please note that we have created a new wireless access point, receiving the Internet through the same Wi-Fi. The program allows this configuration. After completing all the settings, we launch the point by pressing the button at the bottom of the window. After a few seconds of waiting, the network should appear. We find it on a smartphone and connect, having previously entered the password.

We did not have any difficulties - after a successful connection, the distribution of the Internet from the laptop proceeded as if it were a regular router. All users connected to your Wi-Fi will be displayed in the Clients tab of the Connectify Hotspot app.

Note that to create an access point, we used a free version of the program, the functionality of which turned out to be quite enough. If you want advanced features, then, of course, you have to pay.

This is, perhaps, all that we wanted to tell on the topic of distributing Wi-Fi from a laptop using Windows 7/10 or using special programs. If the virtual router does not want to be created, then most likely there are problems with the adapter drivers or it does not support operation in the access point mode at all (the latter is unlikely). If the network appears, but after connecting to it, the sites do not load, then the general access to the Internet is not open or is blocked by a firewall / antivirus. Write about the difficulties that arise in the comments below, and we will jointly try to help you.

Very often on the Internet you can find questions about Wi-Fi networks. The networking policy of older OS versions is different from newer ones. Also, the design of the customization windows is different, and sometimes it can be difficult to find familiar old tools. Setting up a Wi-Fi hotspot in Windows 7 also changed. Therefore, today I will tell you about how to create a wireless connection.

In Windows 7, the developers saw fit to put protection on the network. Undoubtedly, this can protect your computer from hacking, but it also brings some inconvenience. Therefore, before configuring, you need to disable this protection in order to have access to folders and files over the network. To do this, click on the network icon on the Windows working panel and select "Network and Sharing Center".

Figure 1. Network and Sharing Center.

In the network management window, select the settings for the sharing parameters. And we change the additional parameters of the sharing.

R is 2... Choosing a homegroup and sharing options.

In the window that opens, disable password protection at the very bottom of the settings and save the changes.

Fig 3. Disable password protection.

This is followed by setting up a Wi-Fi hotspot in Windows 7... We return to the network control center. In the left menu of this center, select: " Wireless network management"And click" Add ". A window should open with a choice of two types of network settings. The first is to connect to an access point, the second is to create an access point.

Fig 4. Connecting to a wireless network manually.

Therefore, you must choose the second: "Create a computer-to-computer network." Click on next and start setting up. We set the name of your network, for example: "MyNetwork". Next, let's talk about the types of security. WEP type - transmits the encryption key to each computer, as the Windows developers claim, the WEP type is easy to crack. But if you do not install the network in a corporate company or office, then there is no point in hacking you. For a normal home network, this type is also suitable. WPA requires user authorization, it is more secure. The last type is Open, which comes without a password. For example, let's select WEP and set a password. We save the network parameters.

Fig 5. Network configuration.

After that, the operating point is ready! Let's check it and try to connect from another device. I used a second laptop to connect. If you have a dedicated button for turn on Wi-Fi then check if it is enabled. We look at the available points and connect to the previously created one.

Fig 6. SettingWi -Fi hotspot inWindows 7.

In the window that opens, enter the password that was set during setup.