How to convert your laptop into a wireless hot spot

Posted on 29 November, 2008
This item is filed under [Hardware, Internet, Tips & Tricks]

November 29, 2008 · 7 comments

Did you know that your laptop can  function as a wireless hot spot?  As long as your laptop runs both Ethernet and Wi-Fi at the same time, it can work as a wireless hot spot.

But why would you want to convert your laptop into a hot spot? Imagine a situation where there are several people, probably attending a conference, but there is just one ethernet connection. How could everybody connect to the internet?  Simple, convert one of the laptops into a hot spot and share the single ethernet connection with everyone else.

Let’s see how to do that. It is actually much easier than you would imagine.

In Windows Vista:

  • Connect the laptop to the internet using the ethernet cable.
  • Open the control panel and go into the Network and Sharing Center.
  • Set up a new connection called a wireless ad hoc network.
  • Give it a name and setup the desired security options.
  • Deselect Save this Network.
  • Finally, click on Turn on Internet Connection Sharing.
  • Now anyone can connect to your laptop’s Wi-Fi.

In Windows XP:

  • Make sure your laptop is connected to the Internet using the ethernet cable.
  • Go to Control Panel and open up Network Connections.
  • Right-click on your wireless connection and select Properties.
  • On the Wireless Networks tab, check Use Windows to configure my wireless network setting.
  • Under Preferred networks, click Add, and name your network.
  • Select shared, and provide a password.
  • Click the Advanced button and select Computer-to-Computer (ad hoc) networks only.
  • Go back to the Network Connections control panel and open the Properties dialog for your wired internet connection.
  • Go to the Advanced menu and check the box next to Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection.

It looks like a lot of steps for XP, but when you actually do it, you would be up and running in a couple of minutes.

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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

kskumar November 30, 2008 at 7:31 pm

Is it possible to do the same with odinary PC’s

Reply

Suresh December 1, 2008 at 7:39 am

@kumar: Unlike Laptops, desktop PCs are not usually Wireless enabled out of the box. But technically, as long as they are wi-fi enabled, it would be possible to turn them too into a hot spot.

Reply

shyamlal December 7, 2008 at 5:49 pm

hello suresh

, nice article that will be advantangeous to normal persons

I will post the link to this article in my site so that my users also get advatage of it

shyam

Reply

colin May 7, 2009 at 2:23 am

can you do a hotspot wireless 2 wireless thanks. colin.

Reply

darksider October 10, 2009 at 6:08 pm

hehe nice ideas but its not approved yet, doesn’t think it may be so easy to make a laptop to a wireless hotpot!!!! if there is much things would found easily yet i had never found any thing like that for Windows Vista Ultimate pack. but i had knew few things would make it possible but for old windows.

Reply

azhar ali buttar November 13, 2009 at 1:32 am

Hi everybody,

there is another very easy way to do this with a very simple software. check the under given post at itoperationz.com.

http://www.itoperationz.com/2009/11/convert-your-windows7-laptop-into-a-wireless-hot-spot/

Reply

azhar ali buttar November 16, 2009 at 12:54 am

That make sense but the thing is the above method is not working at all. Here is a small free software that can do this very easily. check the new post on itoperationz.com to convert your laptop into a wireless hot spot

Reply

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