Have you purchased a laptop and need an access point? The laptop you just bought will be a great point for all your wireless devices. Read this article to the end and learn how to do it.
A modern computer or laptop running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, with a Wi-Fi adapter, is able to easily and easily connect wireless devices in your home. But, unfortunately, few people know about this interesting property of modern computer technology . Often, even those users who consider themselves to be a guru in the world of IT technologies are surprised when they are informed that the Wi-Fi zone is served by an access point from a laptop .
Despite the fact that the network is full of materials on this topic, and they are distributed by both Microsoft and Intel, which developed this technology, and other developers who joined the topic, the new technology has remained almost unnoticed by publications moving in the mainstream of the technological flow.
In short, Wi-Fi works in two modes: either the point-to-point mode is turned on, then each client connects to the other, or the access point mode starts, then all data exchange occurs only through it. In theory, the adapter cannot work in two modes at the same time, but with the help of the technology called SoftAP, this becomes a reality.
Who may need such an access point - from a laptop or computer? Many, because with its help you can quickly create a wireless network in which a small group of devices, computers, smartphones, etc. will work. Moreover, they will not only see each other, but they will also be able to use the Internet, which will be provided to them by a laptop. The access point does not interfere with a laptop or computer with a Wi-Fi adapter, at the same time be a client of another wireless network and at the same time maintain its own.
If you are eager to try the described features in action, get your laptop. The access point will work only with those wireless modules in which the drivers support SoftAP mode. As practice shows, almost all adapters released in the last year are able to work with it, and even if the box says that the device is approved for Windows 7, it means that it is 100% compatible with SoftAP technology. If you are not sure if you have the latest drivers for your wireless network card, update them before you start setting up your laptop or computer. Do not forget that the only type of encryption supported by SoftAP technology is WPA2-PSK / AES, so other devices must be able to work with this algorithm.
Run the console with administrator rights and copy to it, or type in the line by hand
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode = allow ssid = "SoftAP Tst" key = "Yourpassword" keyUsage = persistent
In the ssid field, enter your access point name, and in the key field, enter the password for access. When you are done configuring, you can change the connection parameters using the same command. If the team went fine and reported that all the tasks were completed, then you have one more thing added to the list of devices in the Network Adapters section - Virtual Wi-Fi.
If suddenly you do not need it at the moment, all you need to do is enter the same command again, but change the mode key to mode = disallow, and delete all other parameters.
So, the point is ready for launch, the virtual adapter is configured and it remains to launch it all on the flight, to start, type the command in the console:
netsh wlan start hostednetwork
If you need to check the settings of the virtual access point, enter two more commands:
netsh wlan show settings
netsh wlan show hostednetwork setting = security
When Virtual Wi-Fi starts, a DHCP server starts in parallel with it, with it you can expand your network connection for all the devices that your new virtual network will serve.
This is how an access point from a laptop, Windows 7 and SoftAP can change for the better life of an individual apartment, small office or private house.