Here we go again: your computer does not locate any Wi-Fi signal and you urgently need to connect to the Internet to correct a document in the cloud, so as not to get a good lecture from your professor. In this and many other cases, only one thing can help you: your mobile hotspot .
What does it mean? Very simple: with a couple of taps here and there, you can share your mobile’s Internet connection and create a real protected Wi-Fi network to use with your laptop or any other device with a wireless card. In fact, I’ll tell you more: you can also do the same thing to share your PC’s Internet connection, effectively transforming it into a wireless “modem”: this is a useful solution when, for example, you only have an Ethernet cable for connection to the network, which you would still like to use for other devices.
Now that you have a clear idea of what it is, it’s time to sit back and read everything I have to tell you on the subject: below I will explain how to hotspots both with smartphones and tablets and with your computer. I can guarantee you immediately that it is easier to do than to say: you will learn how to proceed in no time!
Index
- How to make phone to PC hotspot: Android
- How to make hotspots from Samsung
- How to make hotspots from HUAWEI
- How to make hotspots from Xiaomi
- How to hotspot from iPhone
- How to make hotspots from PC
- Windows 10
- Windows 8.1 and earlier
- Mac
How to make phone to PC hotspot: Android
Let’s start this tutorial on how to hotspots from mobile systems. Before proceeding, however, check that your tariff plan does not include additional costs for the use of this feature and pay attention to the device with which you will use the hotspot: it may happen, in fact, that it starts downloading updates or other data. immediately after connection, quickly draining the data at your disposal.
To avoid this possibility, the advice I give you is to disable automatic updates before connecting to the hotspot, in the presence of a metered connection: for example, if you have Windows 10 (and later), you can set the connection to consumption as I explained to you in my dedicated tutorial .
Having said that, let’s see how to proceed together: first, open the Android settings , by tapping on the symbol of the resident gear on the Home screen or in the app drawer, then touch the items Network and Internet> Hotspot and tethering and, if you mean create a wireless access point, tap on the Wi-Fi Hotspot item .
Now, use the items located on the next screen to define the name of the access point you are going to create, the security algorithm to use for the network key (I recommend WPA2-Personal, WPA3 or similar) and the password to access the hotspot; then, tap on the Advanced item and choose whether or not to disable the access point when there are no connected devices, and the operating band of the same ( at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz ).
To activate the hotspot, move the lever at the top of the screen to ON ; to turn it off, set the same switch back to the OFF position .
If, on the other hand, you intend to share the phone’s Internet connection via USB , connect the latter device to the computer using a USB cable and move the switch corresponding to the USB tethering item in the Settings menu > Network and Internet> Tethering and hotspot to ON. Android; always through the same panel, you can activate / deactivate Bluetooth tethering (ie sharing the Internet connection via Bluetooth) or allow or not allow access to the network via any VPN configured on the device.
The indications I have given you so far are based on a device equipped with Android 10 without customizations, however they may differ slightly from what you see on the screen of your smartphone or tablet; however, to be even more precise, let me show you the exact steps to follow on the devices produced by some well-known big names in the industry.
How to make hotspots from Samsung
For example, if you have a smartphone or a tablet produced by Samsung , you need to go to the Settings> Connections menu of the operating system and tap on the Wi-Fi router and tethering item .
Now, to activate the wireless hotspot, tap on the Wi-Fi Router item and then on the Configure option , located in the next panel, in order to specify the name of the wireless network, the security algorithm to use to protect it, the password to be used to log in and the operating band of the network.
If you wish, tap on the Advanced item to adjust additional parameters such as the network transmission channel , the automatic deactivation of the hotspot or the display or not of the Wi-Fi network name among those available. Once you have applied the settings you prefer, tap the Save button and move the lever under the wording Wi-Fi Router to Enabled .
If you want, instead, to share the Wi-Fi connection via Bluetooth or USB, activate the most appropriate switch from the Settings> Connections> Wi-Fi hotspot and tethering panel . In the second case, before being able to share the connection, you must have previously connected the smartphone or tablet to the computer, using a USB cable.
How to make hotspots from HUAWEI
If yours is a device manufactured by HUAWEI , you need to go to the Settings> Network and Internet> Hotspot and Tethering menu . Now, if it is your interest to create a wireless access point, select the Wi-Fi hotspot and Configure Wi-Fi hotspot items and define the name of the network to be created, the type of encryption to be used, the password to be used to protect the connection and the frequency band (if available), using the panel that appears below. Finally, tap the Save button and move the lever corresponding to the name of the newly created hotspot to ON .
To activate Internet sharing via Bluetooth, instead activate the lever called USB Sharing , always resident in the Settings menu > Network and Internet> Hotspot and Tethering . Finally, through the same panel, you can activate Internet sharing via Bluetooth, by moving the Bluetooth Sharing item to ON . For more information, take a look at my guide on how to hotspot with HUAWEI .
How to make hotspots from Xiaomi
Again, if yours is a smartphone produced by Xiaomi , you must go to the Settings menu > Personal Hotspot of the operating system and, if you intend to activate the Wi-Fi router, press on the Personal hotspot configuration item and then define the name network ( SSID field ), the password to access it, security and operating band .
Once you have completed the necessary adjustments, tap the check mark located at the top right and move the lever corresponding to the Personal Wi-Fi hotspot item to ON , to turn the phone into a wireless router.
If, on the other hand, you intend to share the connection via USB, connect the device to the computer using the latter cable and enable the switch next to the wording USB tethering ; if, on the other hand, you want to activate mobile data sharing via Bluetooth, enable the Bluetooth tethering lever instead .
How to hotspot from iPhone
Turning an iPhone into a Wi-Fi hotspot is a very simple operation, which requires little more than a handful of taps: also in this case, before starting the actual sharing, I recommend that you check that your tariff plan does not provide additional costs for hotspot mode.
In any case, to succeed in your business, open the Settings> iOS Personal Hotspot menu , tap on the Wi-Fi password item and set an access key to protect the network you are about to create.
Once this is done, touch the End item located at the top right and, to enable the hotspot, move the lever corresponding to the item Allow others to access to ON ; keep in mind that the devices associated with the same Apple ID as the iPhone will not have to enter the network password when connecting, as security is guaranteed by sharing Apple credentials.
In any case, once the password has been defined, you can activate / deactivate the personal hotspot even more quickly: call up the iOS Control Center with a swipe from the top right corner down (on devices equipped with Face ID) or from bottom to top (on devices with a physical Home button) and make a long tap on the Cellular Data icon , depicting an antenna, to expand the Control Center Network pane . Finally, tap on the Personal Hotspot icon to activate / deactivate connection sharing.
Note : If you don’t see Personal Hotspot in your iOS settings, you’ve probably turned off your cellular data connection. To activate it again, go to the Settings> Cellular data menu and move the lever of the same name from OFF to ON .
How to make hotspots from PC
Do you want to use your notebook or desktop PC (if equipped with a Wi-Fi network card) as a hotspot? No problem: the latest editions of Windows and Macs allow you to turn your computer into an access point in just a few clicks.
Windows 10
On Windows 10 and later editions of the operating system (eg Windows 11 ), you can turn your computer into a wireless hotspot in just a couple of clicks. Like? I’ll explain it to you right away. First, right-click on the Windows Start menu (the flag icon located to the left of the taskbar), select the Settings item from the menu that appears and then click on the Network and Internet and Mobile Hotspot buttons .
At this point, set the Share my Internet connection from drop-down menu to the type of connection you want to share (e.g. Wi-Fi), choose you want to enable sharing via Wi-Fi , by checking the appropriate box, then click on the Edit button and define the parameters of the hotspot you are about to create: name of the wireless network, password and, if available, operating band (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz).
Now, click on the Save button and, to enable the hostpot, move the lever near the word Mobile Hotspot to Enabled ; to disable Internet connection sharing, return the same lever to the Disabled position . It was a no-brainer, wasn’t it?
Windows 8.1 and earlier
If, on the other hand, you have an edition of Windows older than 10 (and therefore not equipped with an integrated function to act as a hotspot), you must necessarily use a third-party program to succeed in the enterprise. Personally, I advise you to orient your choice on Virtual Router , an open source program compatible with almost all existing Windows versions, which allows you to transform your computer into a Wi-Fi hotspot (if the wireless card allows it) in the a few clicks away ..
To obtain the Virtual Router installation file, linked to this website , click on the Download button located in the center of the page and, once you have obtained the program installation package (eg. VirtualRouterInstaller.msi ), open it and click on the Next (three consecutive times), Yes and Close buttons , in order to complete the setup.
If, during the installation procedure, you were shown a message relating to the lack of the .NET Framework 3.5 , download it from the Microsoft website: therefore open the page indicated above, and press the Download and No buttons , thanks. Continue ; to proceed with the installation of the additional component, click first on the Yes button and then on the item Download and install this feature , which appears in the next warning window.
Once the installation of the .NET Framework is complete, run the Virtual Router setup file again and perform the same steps that I indicated above, to complete the installation of the program.
Now, you are finally ready to turn your computer into a hotspot: if it does not start automatically, Virtual Router using the icon that, in the meantime, has been added to the Windows Start / Start Screen menu and fill in the form in the window that appears on the screen, entering the information relating to the hotspot you want to create.
Therefore, type the name you want to assign to the connection in the Network name field , enter the network key to use to protect access in the Password field and set the Shared Connection drop-down menu to the type of connection to be shared. (eg Wi-Fi or Ethernet ). The game is practically done: to immediately start your hotspot, click on the Start Virtual Router button ; when you are done, all you have to do is press the Stop Virtual Router button to deactivate it.
Mac
Also on Mac , exactly as already seen for Windows 10 and later, the sharing of the Internet connection via hotspot is natively provided by the operating system and can be activated directly from the macOS settings. Keep in mind, however, that it is not possible to create a hotspot for sharing the active Wi-Fi connection: in this case, for everything to work for the best, the Mac that will act as the access point must be connected to the Internet via Ethernet.
Having clarified this, let’s take action: first, open the System Preferences by clicking on the gear symbol located on the Dock bar , click on the Sharing icon located in the window that opens on the desktop and then on the Internet Sharing item , resident of the side.
Now, set the drop-down menu Share your connection from on the type of connection to be shared (in this case, Ethernet ), put the check mark next to the Wi-Fi item located in the box called To the computers they use and, subsequently, press the Wi-Fi Options… button to adjust the parameters of the access point you are about to create.
At this point, indicate the name of the network that acts as a hotspot in the appropriate field, choose the channel to use for signal transmission (if you are undecided, leave the option preset or prefer channels 1, 6 or 11 ), set the Security drop-down menu to the WPA2 / WPA3 Personal option and type the password to be used to protect the hotspot , in the dedicated field.
When you are done, click on the OK button to confirm the changes applied; finally, start the hostpot by placing the check mark next to the Connection sharing item and then pressing the Start button ; to disable the hotspot, go back to System Preferences> Sharing and uncheck the box next to Internet Sharing .