mHotspot is an excellent program with which you can create your own wireless Wi-Fi network using a laptop, computer with a Wi-Fi adapter or Android smartphone. All you need is for your device to have access to the Internet and have this program installed on it. There is no need to install any additional modules on your PC.
mHotspot is distributed free of charge, suitable for PCs with the operating system Windows 8, 9, 10. The interface language is not provided in Russian - everything is in English, but this should not cause difficulties in use, since there are few settings and everything is very simple.
The archive will contain a file for installing the program. Double-click on it with the mouse.
In the first window, click on the “Next” button.
The line will indicate the path where the program will be installed. You can leave it like that. If you want to change it, click “Browse” and select the desired directory. Click "Next".
Specify what you want the folder to be called in the Start menu and continue.
One more proposal - we also refuse it.
By the way, when I downloaded the program from the official website, it was precisely because of these suggestions that the browser marked it as a “potentially dangerous file.” The program is absolutely safe, and you can refuse advertising that appears during the installation process.
When everything is ready, click “Install”.
After completing the installation process - “Completing”, you can uncheck the “Launch mHotspot” field, if you do not need to launch the utility immediately, and click “Finish”.
A window will also appear “How do you want to open?”. Select a browser, uncheck the box next to it "Always use..." and click "OK". As a result, the developer’s page on the Internet will open thanking you for downloading the utility.
We figured out the installation. Now let's look at how to use and configure mHotspot correctly to get everything working.
After the first launch, the following window will appear. It outlines the main points to pay attention to:
1. Make sure the Wi-Fi adapter on your laptop is turned on.
2. If you have any problems, you can contact Support.
3. You can write to Support directly from the program window. To do this, click on the green button with a question mark.
4. Go to the “Settings” section to make them for a specific user.
I note that this window will appear every time after starting the program. If you do not need this, check the “Don`t show again” box. To close the window, click “Close”.
The main window of the program looks like this. Let's open "Settings" right away.
Check the boxes here for the options you want:
1. Launch with Windows.
2. Automatically create an access point.
3. Always minimize to tray.
4. Always on top of other windows.
5. Show pop-up notifications.
6. Automatic updates of the list of connected users.
7. Automatically check for updates.
If you click “Reset to Defaults” all checkboxes will be checked as they were by default. To save the settings and close the window, click on the cross.
To create an access point, you must fill in the “Hotspot Name” field – a name (you can come up with any name) and “Password” – a password (at least 8 characters). To view the password, click “Show Password”. Next, in the “Internet Source” line, select an available Internet connection. Specify the number of users who can connect simultaneously - “Max Clients” (you can select a maximum of 10). To start distributing the Internet, click “Start Hotspot”.
If the “Hotspot” field is “ON”, then your access point is working and you can connect to it, if “OFF”, then you are not distributing the Internet.
To stop the created access point, click on the “Stop Hotspot” button.
The bottom block has three tabs. On the first one – “Hotspot” – you can see how many devices are connected – “Clients connected”; how much data was sent (“Sent”) and received (“Received”); total amount of data transferred (“Total”); speed of uploading ("Upload") and downloading ("Download").
For example, by connecting one device to the created Wi-Fi, the numbers began to change.
The second tab “Clients” will display the name of the connected device, IP and MAC addresses.
Even after updating the list (“Refresh Clients”), nothing appeared here. Although I connected the phone and used the Internet on it.
The third tab “News” is advertising. It will open most often: when opening a program, closing any window (for example, with settings) and the like.
I hope that now you will not have any difficulties installing and configuring the mHotspot program for distributing Wi-Fi. Download the utility and at any time you can create your own network, without purchasing a router, and start using the Internet from your phone, tablet, smart watch and similar gadgets.
MHotspot is a unique free program that allows you to distribute Wi-Fi from any computer. Such a program will save the situation when only a built-in or USB modem or local network is possible to access the Internet, but a Wi-Fi network is required that will provide network access for a phone and tablet running Android or any other operating system.
Windows has not yet developed a single program for distributing Wi-Fi. Therefore, users can only find a way out of such situations on their own and download the necessary program from third-party developers. However, increasingly, such programs bring more trouble without solving the main problem, since they are usually paid, and finding them can be difficult. mHotspot is one of these free programs that makes it possible to turn a laptop or computer into a router; it will distribute Wi-Fi.
How to use mHotspot?
This is the easiest to use mHotspot Russian version. It will allow you to turn your laptop or computer with a Wi-Fi module, as well as an Internet connection, into a real Wi-Fi access point. This is usually necessary if the house requires Internet access from several devices simultaneously for a short time.Using mHotspot is quite easy. There are no complex settings or options in it. The setup does not take much time and is done almost automatically. You will need to come up with a name for the Wi-Fi network; it will be distributed by your computer or laptop. The program allows you to connect several computers to a Wi-Fi network at once, but no more than ten at a time.
The mHotspot interface is extremely simple and concise, and is available for free. The main window of the program contains maximum information about how many clients are currently connected to the network, as well as the amount of received and transmitted data, and download speed. There is also a bookmark in the program called “Clients”. Through it you can see which specific device is connected to your network. Connecting to the Internet through the mHotspot program is highly reliable. The connection occurs with support for several encryption algorithms simultaneously. If you decide to download the new version of mHotspot for free and install it on your computer, then you don’t have to worry about data leakage.
When you download the mHotspot Internet distribution program for Windows and install it on your computer, you must follow the instructions below. To create a Wi-Fi network that works smoothly, edit the following lines:
- Hotspot Name– you must specify the name of the access point, which will allow you to find the Wi-Fi wireless network distributed by your computer.
- Password– You must enter a password of at least eight characters.
- Internet Source– correctly filling out the line is important, otherwise the smartphone will connect to the network, but will not have access to the Internet. A drop-down list will appear in front of you, from which you will need to select a network connection with access to the network.
- Max Client– in this line you can select the number of devices that can simultaneously connect to your network (no more than 10) via mHotspot for Windows.
The mHotspot program works with Windows7, 8, Windows 10.
In principle, any laptop today includes two network devices: a wi-fi network card and a “regular” network controller (wired). In this case, the wi-fi card, in most cases, can be an “access point”, that is, distribute the network to other devices. How to use a laptop as a router is discussed in various reviews and on forums, because there are many methods. We will consider the simplest one: using the mhotspot program. Along the way, let’s say why in some cases everything works and in others it doesn’t. The method discussed here is simple, but it will require switching to Windows 7: the laptop acts as a router through a “virtual” adapter. It can be seen by any device, including Android phones, etc. (in older versions of Windows, the “virtual access point” mechanism is not implemented).
Let us repeat that there are several methods for solving such problems. Some require Windows 7, others do not, but they exclude Android devices from the wireless network. Mhotspot is a router program for a laptop, compatible with Windows 7 or 8. You can download it here (http://www.mhotspot.com/download.html).
Before installing the program, we recommend that you update the wi-fi network card driver. You can download it from the official website of the laptop manufacturer. The driver must support Virtual WiFi technology. Some wi-fi adapters (or their driver) may not support this mode (which means, using Software Access Point technology, using the laptop as a router with this adapter will not work). In other cases, it must work!
Settings
Before running the program, make sure that:
- – antivirus – disabled;
- – you can run the application with administrator rights;
- – built-in firewall service – operates in “Auto” mode.
That is, both the built-in and any other firewall must be turned off, and the service must be turned on (and in the “Auto” mode). You can view it in “Control Panel”, “Administration” (click on the “Services” icon):
The picture shows how it should be (how to turn it on/off, see here: http://comp-profi.com/view_post.php?id=214). The laptop acts as a router, works through Software Access Point - a Windows driver that emulates an access point.
If all preliminary steps are completed, you can launch mhotspot. Run the exe file with administrator rights:
We get a window:
The program interface, as we see, is simple. Come up with a name for the network, a password for it (here it’s better to use numbers), fill in the appropriate fields. In the “Share from” line, the connection that implements the Internet connection must be selected (usually “Local”). Here you can select “No Internet connection” (and create a wi-fi network “without the Internet”).
Now, you can click “Start Hotspot”. But, don't rush.
“Sharing” the Internet
You need to open the “Network and Access Control Center” (“Control Panel” -> “Internet Network”). Here we will see the connections:
Note "wireless". There may be several of them. Clicking "Start Hotspot"
you will notice what has changed (in the network connections window):
That is, only one of the “wireless” connections “changes”. Below it will be the inscription: “Identification”. As soon as you notice, click on “Stop Hotspot”.
There is one last step left. Right-click the connection “responsible” for the Internet.
Select “Local Area Connection”
In its “Properties”, go to the “Access” tab:
The settings should be as in the figure (in the line - the connection that passed the “identification”). Do this and click OK. After these settings (oh, miracle!), the program will work correctly. Setting up the router on the laptop is now complete.
By clicking “Start Hotspot”, you will notice that the following will appear in the list of connections:
With the name of the new network, and “access to the Internet.” Such a wifi router distributes “dynamic” IP addresses via a laptop (using the standard DHCH protocol).
Maybe someone will say: why, for the sake of such “little things,” a laptop with Windows 7? Not just any hardware will support this OS. Everything is quite simple here: a laptop with a wi-fi card can only be equipped with a Pentium-4 (and higher). The same applies to USB 2.0.
But that is not all. Older versions of mhotspot worked fine under XP and Vista. Which applies to versions up to 3.0 inclusive. That is, you can configure a laptop as a wifi router from XP. The problem may be in the driver (if you take the “old” pc-mci adapter, then the driver supporting the technology discussed will be missing). The choice is up to the user.
Proprietary technologies
In fact, you can “share” the Internet this way in Mac-OS X (http://osxdaily.com/2012/01/05/enable-internet-sharing-mac-os-x/). But an Apple laptop as a wifi router – isn’t that too chic? The user will decide.
It seems that Sony has not lagged behind Apple, having included the ability to create an “access point” in the most expensive VAIO line (you only need the “VAIO Network” program). What can I say? If you don’t have any of the listed laptops, then the simplest option is Windows 7.
Additionally
How can I check if the adapter (and its driver) supports Soft AP (software access point) mode? In Win7, for example, like this:
netsh wlan show drivers
If you type this in the command line, with administrator rights, then the output will follow, which will contain the line “Hosted network supported”. If it says “Yes”, then it supports, if “No”, then it doesn’t, alas... (it won’t be possible to set up a laptop as a router with a full-fledged “access point”).
What to do in the case of “No” - for example, is given here (http://www.technotrade.com.ua/Articles/tp-link_adhoc_windows7.php). By default, ad-hoc mode (discussed in the review at the link) creates a connection between 2 computers (laptop and some gadget). You can run a laptop as a Wi-Fi router with an external Wi-Fi adapter (to USB). These are the so-called “USB whistles”; let’s look at working with them in more detail.
USB adapters
All USB adapters containing a wi-fi module are divided into 3 classes:
- “Hosted network support” – they do not support, they do not have proprietary software (including the “Access Point” mode).
- They do not have proprietary software, but with the latest versions of the driver they support “Hosted network support” (and therefore “Virtual AP” mode). A good choice for beginners.
- Finally, the third subset are devices equipped with “proprietary” software for organizing a wi-fi access point.
You can make a laptop work as a wi-fi router with class 2-3 devices. “Proprietary” software is, of course, more convenient. It is easier to set up and does not (as a rule) require installing anything additional. The only downside is that it wasn’t made by Microsoft.
That is, for the third case, you need to look for information on forums (in reviews). What OS does it work in, how stable is it, and the actual speed...
In conclusion, let's say: a laptop as a Wi-Fi router is, in any case, better than a regular router. It will work faster (there is more memory here), and the computer is easier to set up.
There are no real obstacles to creating a router (at least theoretical ones). You can try and share information here.
Share the Internet without a Wi-Fi router
Sometimes you find yourself in a situation where a computer has access to the Internet via a local network, a built-in modem or a USB modem, but you need to raise the Wi-Fi network so that you can access the World Wide Web from a smartphone or tablet. Caring Windows developers did not provide any standard programs or utilities for this case that come with the operating system, so there is nothing left to do but look for workarounds by turning to utilities from third-party developers. One of the best free programs for turning your computer or laptop into a Wi-Fi router is.
The installation of the program proceeds according to the standard scenario: first they offer to read the license agreement (which you can scroll through without looking and there is nothing interesting there), then we select the folder where the program files will be located, indicate the section of the “Start” menu where the icon for launching mHotspot will be located and allow /prohibit the creation of an icon for quick launch on the desktop. At the last step, the installer suddenly switches to Russian, highly recommending installing the archiver for Hamster Free Zip Arhiver and the computer “accelerator” SpeedUpMyPC 2014, as simply vital programs for us. What are we culturally refusing, having unchecked all the boxes we see, because we need the mHotspot utility, and not a set of programs with an unclear purpose. Finally, click “Install”, wait a few seconds and launch mHotspot.
Consider that you have already turned your computer into a Wi-Fi access point, all that remains is to make the initial settings. First, put a checkmark next to the “Don’t show again” item in the “Welcome mHotspot” window with brief instructions for the user on what to do so that it does not pop up every time the program is launched. Then we move on to setting up the wireless network itself, where you will need to edit the items:
- Hotspot Name - enter the name of the access point by which it can be found for the wireless network.
- Password - enter a password consisting of at least eight characters. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that it will not be possible to create an open access point, so you will have to enter a password anyway. Forgetful people have the opportunity to see what they entered there by clicking “Show Password”.
- Internet Source - you need to pay attention to this point, otherwise the smartphone/tablet will connect to the wireless network, but there will be no Internet. From the drop-down list, select the network connection of a computer with Internet access (in my case it was “Local Area Network Connection”). If the “Internet” does not appear the first time, you can go through the items one by one until you find the item you need.
- Max Client - the maximum number of devices that can be simultaneously connected to a wireless access point, but no more than 10.
Finally, click Start Hotspote, after a few seconds the local Wi-Fi network will start working, which will be indicated by a green ON sign. The main thing is not to forget, in case of physical/software damage, do not forget to turn on the Wi-Fi module. All that remains is to find your wireless network on your smartphone and connect to it.
To stop the wireless network, you need to click the “Stop Hotspote” button or close the program.
At the bottom of the mHotspot main window, interesting statistics about the wireless network are displayed, namely the number of connected devices, the amount of data transferred and the connection speed.
Those who like to delve into the program’s settings can go to the “Settings” section, although there is nothing particularly interesting here. Those who wish can allow the local Wi-Fi network to be automatically launched and raised when the operating system starts (I don’t recommend doing this; it’s better to start everything manually when needed). You can also allow mHotspot's main window to always remain on top of other programs, automatically check for updates, and finally automatically update statistics about wireless network connections.
If your laptop is connected to the Internet and you need to quickly set up a wireless Wi-Fi network when you don’t have a router at hand, then the mHotspot program becomes a real lifesaver. You need to spend a few minutes to get everything working, by entering a couple of letters and numbers, which even the average computer user can handle, then everything will work almost automatically. I strongly recommend that you use the mHotspot program if you need to make a Wi-Fi access point from your computer.
Of course, even in the ointment there was a fly in the ointment; windows periodically pop up in large numbers with a warning about the impossibility of reading some data, but at the same time the program continues to work normally.
A Wi-Fi network card in almost any laptop can serve as an access point, in other words, distribute the Internet to another device. It can be used for this purpose in various ways. The simplest of them is to install and configure the mhotspot program.
How to set up mhotspot
Windows 7 has a feature that allows you to use your laptop as a “virtual” adapter. Earlier versions of the operating system do not support it. Before starting the program, you will need to make sure that the anti-virus program, including the one built into the system, is turned off. The firewall service, on the contrary, should run in auto mode.
Before you can configure the mhotspot program, you need to open it as an administrator. A utility window will open in front of us. As you can see, the program interface is quite simple. Here you will need to come up with a network name and password to access it. The Share from line allows you to select the connection through which you will connect to the network. You should take care of creating it in advance.
It should be noted that a computer may have multiple wireless connections. You can view information about them in the Network and Sharing Center or by clicking on the icon located at the bottom of the screen. In order for the mhotspot program to work correctly, you will need to change the settings in the one we will use.
In order to make a connection with shared access, right-click in the connection names. From the list that opens, select Status. In it we go to the Properties section. After that, go to the Access tab. Now we mark the line that will help allow other devices to access the Internet on this computer. Confirm the entered parameters with the OK button.
After the settings have been completed, launch mhotspot. In the Share from line, select the connection that you just configured. Next, you can click Start Hotspot, after which the wi-fi distributor will be activated in the laptop. It will also be useful for you to know that there are other similar programs, for example.
It should be noted that a wi-fi card can only be installed in a laptop with a Pentium-4 or higher. If we talk about the advantages of this method of wireless connection, then, firstly, the laptop will work faster than the router, since it has more memory, and secondly, it is much easier to configure. Therefore, with such a device you will not need to purchase an additional wi-fi distributor. You just need to download mhotspot, set the correct settings and share information.