Quite often, many users who have a wired or wireless Internet connection, ask urgent questions about how to make a computer as an access point, which would allow distributing the Internet directly from a PC or laptop, bypassing all kinds of routers (routers and ADSL modems). Why do we need such actions and how to make the necessary settings using several simple methods in Windows-systems, and then we will consider. Not all proposed methods are equivalent to each other, nevertheless, we will try to decide which of the proposed solutions is the simplest and most acceptable for any user who is unfamiliar with the necessary settings.
Why and how to create an access point?
It’s worth mentioning right away that as an example for describing some solutions we will use desktop versions of Windows installed on stationary computer terminals and laptops. By and large, on a smartphone or tablet with the same Android OS, you can also perform such actions, but this is a separate conversation, since the focus is still on computers.
And before deciding how to make a computer an access point, let's think a bit about what, in fact, all this is necessary. Imagine the simplest situation when you have a wired Internet connection at home, but you need to access some resource from another computer or mobile device. Well, you will not constantly switch the cable and configure the new network connection on the connected devices? The same applies, for example, to cases when friends come to visit you and you want to give them access to the Internet or even play some game over the network using a wireless connection.
Keep in mind that, despite the simplicity of some of the proposed solutions, you need to clearly understand that distributing a WiFi access point from a computer, if the corresponding wireless adapter is not installed in it, will fail. This is the main condition.
How to connect a WiFi access point to a computer using a standard Windows tool?
So, now let's see what actions may be required if only the tools available in the operating systems themselves are supposed to be used for distribution. We will not consider the creation of a WiFi access point on a computer with Windows XP due to the obsolescence of this OS, but let us dwell on the seventh modification of the system and above. True, some methods and programs for XP can also be applied.
First you need to create a wireless network. This technique is suitable for both existing wired and wireless connections. The first step is to go to the network and sharing management section, which is located in the standard “Control Panel”. Creating a WiFi access point on a computer or laptop using the tools available here can be quite simple.
To do this, you need to use the item to create a new connection, and from the proposed options, select the wireless connection section of the "computer-to-computer" type. After the configuration settings appear, you must specify an arbitrary network name, set the security type to WPA2-Personal, and also set your own password for access to the connection, which should contain at least 8, but no more than 63 characters. After clicking the continue button, the WiFi access point through the computer will be created automatically.
Note: if for some reason your network is not detected or connection to it is not possible, try changing the type of security system from WPA to WEP (in this case, you will need to create a new 5-digit password). Also, for security type, the password can not be used at all. In this case, it will be necessary to set the value of the open network without authentication.
Additional settings
Now we assume that the WiFI access point on the computer with Windows 7 or higher is created. In theory, at this stage, you can already connect to it. However, for fidelity it is necessary to check the accessibility.
In the properties of the created connection, on the access tab, two points should be noted regarding the permission to access the Internet through this computer and the ability to control the general access to the connection. Now you can connect to the access point during an authorized communication session without any problems.
How to make a computer as an access point using the command line?
Another, however, somewhat more complex technique is to use the command line connection to quickly create a connection. The command line must be called exclusively with administrator rights. How to make a computer an access point using this tool? Simple enough too!
To do this, in the console you need to enter the command “netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode = allow ssid = NAME key = PASSWORD keyusage = persistent” (without quotes, of course), in which NAME corresponds to the connection name set arbitrarily, and PASSWORD is an 8-digit combination in as a password for access to the established connection. After this, the network must be activated by writing the command “netsh wlan start hostednetwork”.
Upon completion of these steps, as in the previous example, it is necessary to activate the above permissions. If it is necessary to disconnect, instead of the “start” operator, in the second command, enter “stop”.
Key issues when creating an access point
As for some inconveniences when using the described methods, the most important problem is that in the first case, a situation is often observed when the network is not detected. In addition, computer and mobile devices should be located no more than 10 meters from the terminal on which the access point was originally created. For the second case, the main disadvantage is that it is not always possible to save the settings for creating and activating a connection without additional user intervention. That is, you will have to enter the appropriate commands every time you want to arrange distribution.
Using the finished .bat file
Nevertheless, some experts find a way out here too. By and large, in Notepad you can create a special text file with the contents shown in the image below, and then save it in BAT format, for example, directly on the Desktop, for the convenience of a quick call.
Again, you will have to run it exclusively on behalf of the administrator. As you can see from the text, the network name and password are used in the executable script, but when you start it, you have the choice of the desired action. In this case, activation of the connection is made by pressing the number 2 key, and disconnection by the triple.
Hot Spot on Windows 10
Speaking about how to make a computer a WiFi access point in the tenth version of Windows, you can not resort to all of the above methods, since the system itself has a built-in unique tool in the form of a mobile hot spot. You can call it through the options menu with the transition to the network and Internet section.
In the settings, you just need to switch the fader to the active position, allowing the use of the current Internet connection, after which it can be used. If necessary, you can take advantage of changing the default settings (connection name and password) by clicking on the corresponding button. By the way, when using a hot spot, the actions related to the inclusion of additional permissions, as described above, are absolutely not needed.
Virtual Router
Finally, if you are not satisfied with the tools of the Windows operating systems themselves, you can use third-party software to create an access point more conveniently and quickly.
So, in a program that is, as the name implies, a virtual router, the necessary connection is created automatically. By and large, in addition to entering the name and password, all user actions are reduced only to activating and deactivating the distribution.
Connectify Hot Spot PRO App
This application works almost similarly to the previous utility and hotspot of the tenth version of Windows. However, there are a few more actions in it.
In addition to setting the network name and password, in a special list, you will need to select a network adapter ("iron" or virtual), from which access to the connection will be allowed. For reliable protection against malware, it is also advisable to enable the activation of the built-in firewall. Well, to activate and deactivate access, the same quick control buttons are used.
Conclusion
It remains to summarize all of the above. As many have probably realized, using third-party applications to quickly create and manage an access point looks like a much simpler and more attractive solution, since the basic automatically set parameters can not be changed. If such programs are not at hand, the best option would be to create a BAT file of an executable script. But for all those users who work with the tenth modification of Windows, the manipulations performed to open the distribution on the basis of the wireless connection do not even need to be considered, since the hot spot provides both ease of setup and excellent communication quality. It goes without saying that for all wireless adapters, including installed hardware, and virtual devices, you must have correctly installed drivers (preferably the latest). To update, if such a problem suddenly arises, resorting to updating the management software using the operating system is completely optional, since automatic update programs like Driver Booster give a more effective result by updating the drivers of absolutely all devices, and only from the official resources of the equipment manufacturers and driver developers , which completely eliminates the penetration of malicious codes into computers in the form of various viruses.