If you are reading this, then you are probably the only one with an internet connection among your friends. And wouldn’t it be great to share your Internet with your friend? Or say your new hotel limits the number of devices internet for free WiFi.
Well, then here are some free apps to turn your Windows PC into a WiFi Hotspot.
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1. Â Windows Native Hotspot
If you have an itch for DIY (do it yourself) then Windows has its own hotspot feature. You can easily convert your Windows computer into WiFi hotspot or repeater.
Simply open the command prompt by pressing WIN + R key and then typing cmd in the run box. Next, type in the following commands in the cmd window and hit enter.
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=mynetwork key=123456789
Replace the SSID with the name you want for your wifi hotspot and key with the new password.
Now to start the hotspot type the following command and hit enter.
netsh wlan start hostednetwork
This will start the WiFi hotspot, but your work is not completed yet. Next, you have to share the internet connection with the wifi hotspot.
To do that open Control Panel and then click on the Networking And Sharing Centre and then click on Change Adapter Settings on the left. And now right click on Ethernet and click on Properties and under the Sharing tab, check to allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection and select the local area connection if you have more than one connection. Press OK and now your computer is turned into a hotspot.
Bottom Line: The method is slightly geeky but does not require you to install any 3rd party apps.
2. OSToto Hotspot
If you are an advanced user then OSToto hotspot app is the best app to convert your PC into a hotspot.
The app is packed with lots of cool features. For instance, if any of your friends are eating a lot of bandwidth from your hotspot, then you can simply stop them by blacklist option.
You can also set a manual timer to shut down the hotspot. OSToto gives the information such as IP address, MAC address, connect time of the person connected to your hotspot.
Bottom Line: A decent hotspot app with some premium features.
3. Virtual Router Plus
If you love simplicity, then virtual router plus is for you. The app turns your PC into a WiFi hotspot with just a few clicks. Give a name to your wifi hotspot, put a password and select your internet connection which you want to share over wifi hotspot and with a click you are ready.
Bottom Line: Simplest hotspot app to share LAN or WiFi internet to mobile devices.
4. Connectify Hotspot
Connectify Hotspot is the perfect app to turn your Windows computer into a WiFi Hotspot or repeater. It has a friendly UI which is intuitive even for beginners. With Connectify Hotspot, you can share your wireless as well as the wired internet connection.
The free version of Connectify Hotspot, your computer will share wired and wireless Internet over WiFi to your mobile devices. Connectify Hotspot also tracks the info or the connected device such as IP address, MAC address, data consumed and connected time.
Bottom line: Perfect hotspot app compatible with every version of Windows.
While all the above software is free and works fine; my favorite is Connectify Hotspot. It is compatible with the Windows 10 and easy to use. And if you only want to turn your PC into a hotspot, then it’s free version is sufficient. And for advanced users, you can buy Connectify with premium features.
Which WiFi Hotspot do you use? Let us know in the comments.
