Is it possible to use a laptop as a modem. How to use a smartphone as a modem? Connection rules. Possible difficulties when creating a Wi-Fi hotspot

  • 13.11.2019

Connect your phone, tablet or other device to high speed internet, brought to the house, you can easily through a Wi-Fi router (router). However, such a device is not always at hand (for example, you went to the country, taking a laptop and a wireless USB modem with you). In such cases, you can use the Internet on a mobile gadget through a laptop, assigning the functions of a router to it. Consider how to make a laptop a Wifi hotspot.

Ways to create a wireless access point

Any modern laptop is equipped with a wireless adapter that can be used as a Wi-Fi router. To do this, you need to create a kind of virtual bridge that connects network equipment ( wifi adapter and network fee).

To get such routing, you can use the following tools:

  • standard tools of Windows OS (graphical application "Network Control Center ...", command line or bat-file);
  • additional software.

Whichever method is chosen, the following conditions must be met:

Creating a Wireless Access Point Using the Windows Menu

The easiest way to create a virtual router is to use the "Network Control Center ..." function built into the OS. For this you need:

After the virtual router has been created, in order to successfully use the Internet through it, you may additionally need to enable public access. This is done as follows:


After all the steps are completed, turn on Wi-Fi on your mobile gadget and start searching for available networks. In the drop-down list, select the name of the network that was specified when creating the virtual WiFi router, and specify the given key.

Creating wifi access via command line

To connect your phone to the Internet through a laptop, that is, using a virtual router, you can also use the command line. This procedure may seem complicated to an inexperienced user, however, following the instructions exactly, you will be able to turn on the Wi-Fi point in just a few minutes.

To start distributing wifi from laptop to phone, you need:

To distribute the Internet via a laptop to a phone or other device, you need to enable sharing to the newly created Wi-Fi point. To do this, go to the "Network Connections" section and call the properties of the network through which the Internet is connected to the laptop. After that, in the "Advanced" tab, put a "bird" in front of the corresponding item, and in the drop-down list, select the name of the created virtual router.

Using a bat file

Creating a Wi-Fi access point through the command line is inconvenient because every time you turn off the PC, you need to write all the commands again. That's why this way turning a portable computer into a router can only be used for a one-time Internet connection to a phone.

The execution of the above commands can be fully automated. To do this, you need to write a small script in a standard Windows text editor, and then save the document on the laptop desktop under any name in the .bat format. To start distributing Wi-Fi using a virtual router to your phone, you just need to run this document with administrator rights. An example script is shown in the figure, where YourSSID and YourPassword are the name wireless connection and a key to access it.

Creating a virtual router through additional software

If none of the above methods helped activate the distribution of the Internet to your phone, you can try creating a virtual Wi-Fi router using special software. There are a lot of such utilities on the network, but among them the most convenient are:

  • MyPublic WiFi;
  • connectify.

Sharing Wi-Fi with MyPublicWiFi

This application is absolutely free and has a user-friendly interface, although on foreign language. With it, you can make a Wi-Fi hotspot with just a few clicks:

Creating a Wi-Fi Hotspot with Connectify

The MyPublicWiFi utility may experience problems if the Internet is not connected to the laptop via a cable, but via a USB modem. In this case, it is better to use the Connectify app. There is a paid and free version this program. For occasional use the second option is enough. To enable Wi-Fi distribution from PC to phone using Connectify, you need to:


Possible difficulties when creating a Wi-Fi hotspot

When creating a new Wi-Fi access point, users often encounter minor difficulties. The table shows the most common problems that may prevent you from distributing the Internet from a laptop, and possible solutions.

The essence of the problemThe reason behind itPossible Solution
The phone can't locate wifi network although it is runningBlocking the connection with an installed antivirus or firewallTemporarily disable your firewall or antivirus program
Internet does not work on the phone, although Wi-Fi is connectedThe user forgot to enable sharing during setupSign in to "Network and Sharing Center" and enable sharing
The connection is being blocked by a firewall or antivirus.Temporarily disable online protection
The message "Failed to start the network" pops upWireless adapter disabled on laptopTurn on Wi-Fi in your laptop settings
Adapter drivers not working properlyUpdate the drivers using the disk that came with the PC or the Internet

Internet access is a necessity for many people. Users communicate in in social networks, watch videos, work. But what if you need to access the Internet from a computer, but there is no modem?

Can a smartphone be used as a modem? Yes, this option is possible, since it will serve to exit to global network. The connection procedure is simple, it is enough to follow simple rules.

Using a smartphone as a modem via USB

How to use your smartphone as a USB modem? If there is a cable from the phone, then it is connected to the computer and used as an external modem. In order for the procedure to work, you must perform the following steps:

  • You need to open the device settings, and then find the "Other networks" section.
  • Select "Tethering and hotspot". You will be notified that a connection to a computer is required.
  • The USB cable must be connected to the PC.
  • Then the “USB modem” tab will appear, which you need to click on to activate.
  • Then you need to open a browser and check the Internet.

This completes the procedure. If everything is done correctly, then the device can work with the Internet. If there are failures, the procedure must be repeated.

Using your smartphone as a Wi-Fi modem

One of the functions needed in the Android OS is the distribution of the Internet using a Wi-Fi access point. How to use a smartphone as a modem for a computer? The phone will serve as an access point, and other devices can connect to access the Network. In this case, 3G and 4G work.

To configure the distribution of traffic using Wi-Fi in your device, you need to visit the "Settings" section, select "Other networks", and then click "Modem and access point". Then you need to create an access point, indicating the necessary parameters: name, protection level, password. After filling, you need to save the data and turn on Wi-Fi.

To connect to a point from a computer or other device, you need to connect Wi-Fi, select an access point, enter a password. It should be borne in mind that you need to come up with control information yourself. Then it can be reported to the person who will use the Internet.

How Easy Tether Lite works

How to use a smartphone as a modem if there are difficulties with other methods? In this case, the Easy Tether Lite program will help, which is needed to turn your smartphone into a modem. It must be downloaded on both devices. After that, you need to connect your smartphone to the PC via a USB cable. The system requires additional drivers to be installed. This is necessary for the application to work properly.

Then on the device you need to enable the function. You should go to the "Settings" section, click "Applications", "Development" and "USB Debugging". On the computer you need to find the program, click on it. When the menu pops up, you need to select "Connect Via "Android"". After a few seconds, the device will become operational, after which you can use the Internet.

Using a Samsung phone as a modem

How to use a smartphone as a modem if the equipment belongs to the Samsung brand? From this company, a CD is issued for the product, which includes the Samsung Kies program. If this application is not available, then it should be downloaded from the official website of the company. After installation, you need to visit the settings, turn off the "USB storage" function.

Then you need to connect the device using a USB cable, and also install the driver. In Windows 7 and other versions, installation is automatic. Then you need to go to "Settings", select "Wireless Networks". In the "Modem and access point" menu, check the boxes next to the "USB modem" and "Mobile AP" items.

Then on the PC you need to enter the "Control Panel" and click "Connection". This section will show the network connections from which you need to select your device. If it is on the list, it means that the technique is working correctly. Then you can use the internet. How to use a Windows smartphone as a modem? You need to use the same pattern.

Possible connection difficulties

In practice, users have many difficulties, even if they know how to use a smartphone as a modem. A common problem is the lack of access to the 3G, 4G network. In this case, you will not be able to use the Internet, because there is no access to wireless technologies. The way out of the situation will be moving to another place, as well as checking the correct operation of the device. You can call your carrier. Perhaps there is a restriction on the transmission and reception of data over the Internet.

Another problem is likely - the equipment does not connect via USB. The phone is not displayed on the computer, so it cannot be used as a modem. It is necessary to check the PC for viruses and whether Windows updates have been performed. You can try using a different USB port to connect the cable. Often, manual installation of the driver that needs to be downloaded helps. If you solve such problems, then the smartphone can perfectly replace the modem.

So, dear readers of our online magazine, in this article we will share four simple and quick ways to “share” a laptop’s Internet connection via Wi-Fi. In other words, we can easily turn our Windows 7 computer into wifi hotspot.

How it works?

Any WiFi Network Card can be used to transmit a wired Internet signal using the Wi-Fi protocol. To implement this task, you need some kind of virtual bridge or router that connects network devices. The Windows 7 operating system contains built-in capabilities for accessing a wired Internet connection through devices connected via a wireless protocol. However, there is now software, with which you can literally in one click set up a real Wi-Fi point in your own computer. In this article we will offer several ways, but the choice is yours!

Wi-Fi hotspot in standard Windows 7 ways

The most obvious way to turn a laptop into a Wi-Fi hotspot is to use standard function creating a new WiFi connection Computer-to-Computer, which allows you to open access to local files and an Internet connection to all computers and devices connected via WiFi.

Go to Network and Sharing Center by clicking on the network icon in the system tray at the bottom right and selecting the appropriate item:

The security type is the security type of the connection. The recommended type is WPA2-Personal. It requires a password between 8 and 63 characters long. When, if your external WiFi device(phone, tablet, laptop, etc.) network not found, or connection will be terminated, You can change the security type to WEP(requires 5-digit password), or open ("No Authentication"), that is, without encryption and password.

Click Next and your hotspot will be created. You may also need to enable access to your computer's Internet connection over the network. To do this, go to the Network and Sharing Center, then in the menu on the left "Change adapter settings" and call the properties of the Wireless network connection. On the "Access" tab, check the box "Allow other network users to use this computer's Internet connection":

Due to the ease of setup and quick activation / deactivation, this method is best suited for temporary and quick connection with various devices.

Setting up a Wi-Fi hotspot using the Windows Command Prompt

If you are familiar with the Windows Command Prompt, then I think it will be easy and simple for you to create a Wi-Fi connection using two simple console commands.

First of all, you need to run command line on behalf of the Administrator. To do this, open start and type "cmd" in the search. Click on the icon in the search results cmd right click and select " Run as Administrator«:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=YourSSID key=YourPassword keyusage=persistent

where YourSSID is the name of the network, and YourPassword- password. After that, we turn on the configured network with the following command:

netsh wlan start hostednetwork


You can terminate the connection with the following command:

netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

Automatic creation of a Wi-Fi point using a Batch file

All the actions mentioned in the previous subsection can be easily automated by writing a small script. All we need to do is open Notepad (via the Start menu) and type in a few lines:

@echo off
CLS
:MENU
ECHO.
ECHO ——————————————————
ECHO.
ECHO Press 1, 2, or 3 to select your task, or 4 to Exit.
ECHO ——————————————————
ECHO.
ECHO 1 - Set WiFi Sharing Attributes
ECHO 2 - Start WiFi Sharing
ECHO 3 - Stop WiFi Sharing
ECHO 4 - Exit
ECHO.
SET /P M=Type 1, 2, 3, or 4, then press ENTER:
IF %M%==1 GOTO SET
IF %M%==2 GOTO START
IF %M%==3 GOTO STOP
IF %M%==4 GOTO EOF
:SET
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=YourSSID key=YourPassword keyusage=persistent
GOTO MENU
:START
netsh wlan start hostednetwork
GOTO MENU
:STOP
netsh wlan stop hostednetwork
GOTO MENU

Again, instead of values YourSSID and YourPassword provide your connection name and password values. Save the file with any name and necessarily specify the extension ".bat". All you need to do is run the script as Administrator and follow the instructions on the command line screen.

Virtual Wi-Fi hotspot using third-party apps

There are a huge number of applications that allow you to turn your laptop into a virtual one. wifi router. We will not consider this innumerable set, but dwell a little on a wonderful program called Connectify Hot Spot PRO. The application is distributed on a paid basis.

Connectify Hot Spot allows you to connect to a virtual hotspot both mobile devices of various platforms and computers of various operating systems. The program is easy to set up. All you need to specify is Network name(hotspot name), password(Password) and, in fact, network adapter(Internet To Share) from which Internet access will be shared. After starting with the "Start Hotspot" button on the "Clients" tab, you can view connected or recently connected devices.

Conclusion

There are many various applications Wi-Fi access point, except for opening access to the Internet for WiFi devices and computers. However, we hope that any of the methods described by us will help you cope with the task set in this article. Find the best one for you and don't forget to like it!