Finally, Windows 10 has a standard and simple function that allows you to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi from a laptop or computer. This feature is called "Mobile Hotspot". This is a separate tab in the settings, where you can literally launch a Wi-Fi access point in just a few clicks. All you need is to set the name and password of the Wi-Fi network that the laptop will distribute, and indicate the Internet connection from which you want to distribute the Internet to your devices. Everything is very simple and clear. I checked everything, everything works great.

Now, in order to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi in Windows 10, you do not need to perform complex configuration of an access point via the command line, as I wrote in the article on setting up Wi-Fi distribution from a laptop on Windows 10, or use third-party programs. It is enough to set up the “Mobile hotspot” and activate the wireless access point function.

Important point! The Mobile Hotspot feature appeared in Windows 10 version 1607 . After installing the anniversary update dated August 2, 2016. If your system has not been updated (there is no “Mobile hotspot” section), then there are two options: update Windows 10 to the latest version (via Update, or by downloading the update from the Microsoft website), or launch the access point using the command line . I provided a link to the instructions above.

I tried different options for configuring this function. I started distributing Wi-Fi from a laptop and from a desktop computer via a Wi-Fi adapter. True, it didn’t work with a PC, I’ll write at the end of the article about all the possible problems that you may encounter while setting up a mobile hotspot in Windows 10. I set up the distribution of the Internet, which is connected via a network cable, via a 3G/4G modem (cellular network), and even via Wi-Fi.

To distribute the Internet, it must be connected to your computer and it must work. Also, you must have a Wi-Fi adapter. It is built-in in a laptop, but on a PC you can use USB adapters. It must be connected, the driver installed, and there must be a "Wi-Fi" section in the settings and a button on the notification panel. If you have problems with Wi-Fi, then see this article.

Wi-Fi distribution via Mobile Hotspot in Windows 10

First of all, open the parameters. Since we have detailed instructions, I’ll show you how to do it:

Go to the "Network and Internet" section.

Open the “Mobile hotspot” section. There you will immediately be given a standard name for the Wi-Fi network that the computer will broadcast, and a standard password that must be used to connect to this network will also be set. You can leave them or you can change them. To do this, click on the "Change" button.

Set your network name and password. The password must be at least 8 characters.

In the "Internet connection sharing" drop-down menu, you need to select the connection through which you connect to the Internet. It doesn't have to be "Ethernet". There may be a connection with the name of your provider. To launch the mobile hotspot, click on the switch next to “Allow the use of my Internet connection on other devices.”

That's all, the computer distributes the Internet via Wi-Fi. You can connect your devices to the mobile network using the set password. A maximum of 8 devices can be connected at the same time. Information on mobile hotspot clients will be displayed in the same window.

I tested everything, the Internet on the devices worked perfectly. I didn't notice any connection interruptions.

Launching an access point when the Internet is via a 3G modem (mobile network)

I decided to connect my 3G USB modem to my laptop and try to launch the Mobile Hotspot. After all, many people use the Internet through 3G/4G modems, and want to distribute it to their mobile devices, without buying a router. This method will suit you, everything works.

I can’t say for sure that this method will work on all computers and with all modems, but everything works for me.

We connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, and distribute via Wi-Fi networks

Strange, isn't it? I decided to check this method too. It doesn't make much sense, but still, it might be useful to someone. It turns out that you can receive the Internet via a wireless network, launch an access point and distribute it via Wi-Fi to your devices. It may come in handy when, for example, you are allowed to connect only one device to Wi-Fi. We connect the laptop, and we are already distributing the Internet through the “Mobile hotspot”.

This is such a strange function, but everything works. It turns out that the laptop acts as an access point with a wireless network connection.

Managing the Mobile Hotspot feature

You can disable the function itself and stop distributing the Internet by simply setting the switch to the “Off” position. in the settings window.

Or by clicking on the button that appears when you click on the connection icon in the notification panel.

Everything is convenient and at hand.

Possible problems when setting up an access point and their solutions

As I wrote above, during the process of starting the access point, you may encounter various errors. When I tried to launch a mobile hotspot on a desktop computer with a TP-LINK TL-WN721N adapter, I also encountered the error “Cannot set up a mobile hotspot. Turn on Wi-Fi.” No matter what I did, I could not start the virtual network. At the same time, on the same computer, with this adapter, it is possible to start Internet distribution via the command line without any problems. I wrote about this in the instructions: setting up an access point via a Wi-Fi adapter.

Error "Cannot set up mobile hotspot. Please turn on Wi-Fi"

This error looks like this:

According to my observations, this error appears due to problems in the Wi-Fi adapter driver, or because the virtual adapter is disabled. At the same time, as I wrote above, I could not overcome this error on one computer. Although, all the necessary drivers were there in the device manager, and they worked. Even if your Wi-Fi is turned off with a button, the mobile hotspot starts up smoothly.

If you think logically, then the problem is definitely not the lack of a wireless adapter driver, because if there were no driver, then the “Mobile Hotspot” tab would not exist at all. Just like the "Wi-Fi" tabs in the settings.

The problem needs to be looked for in Device Manager. First of all, try updating the Wi-Fi adapter driver. Reinstall it by downloading it from the manufacturer's website. If this does not help, then go to Device Manager and check if "Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter" is there. It may have a number at the end. It is through this adapter that the laptop distributes Wi-Fi in this way.

To do this, you first need to enable the display of hidden devices. If there is an icon near the "Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter" adapter, then right-click on it and select "Enable".

If this doesn't help, you can also try the tips in this article.

A few more solutions

1 Error: “This Internet connection cannot be shared because there is no connection to the mobile network.”

I got this error when I tried to start distributing the Internet when connected via a 3G modem. Everything was resolved simply by restarting the Internet connection. Make sure the Internet on your computer is working. You can restart your computer, connect to the Internet, and start everything again.

2 Error: "The mobile hotspot could not be set up because the computer does not have an Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or cellular network connection."

You will most likely see this error only if your computer is not actually connected to the Internet. Check the connection.

3 Devices do not connect to a running Wi-Fi network. I have not encountered such a problem, but anything can happen. Most often, the connection is blocked by antiviruses and firewalls. Disable them and check your network connection.

Since the problem turned out to be very popular, I prepared a separate article: devices do not connect to the access point in Windows 10. Obtaining an IP address.

conclusions

Finally, Microsoft has made a simple solution for setting up such a useful and popular function as an access point. This is much more convenient than entering obscure commands through the command line. Everything works, but of course not without problems. I think that errors most often appear due to old drivers. After all, not all manufacturers have released drivers for Windows 10 yet. And for many devices, these drivers will no longer be available.

If the Mobile Hotspot function in Windows 10 does not work for some reason, then try starting the access point via the command line. I provided a link to the instructions at the beginning of this article.

In the comments you can ask questions and share tips on setting up a mobile hotspot on your computer. Best wishes!

Finally, Windows 10 has a standard and simple function that allows you to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi from a laptop or computer. This feature is called "Mobile Hotspot". This is a separate tab in the settings, where you can literally launch a Wi-Fi access point in just a few clicks. All you need is to set the name and password of the Wi-Fi network that the laptop will distribute, and indicate the Internet connection from which you want to distribute the Internet to your devices.

Now, in order to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi in Windows 10, you do not need to perform complex configuration of an access point via the command line, as I wrote in the article How to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi from a laptop in Windows 10, or use third-party programs. It is enough to set up the “Mobile hotspot” and activate the wireless access point function. You might also be interested in 8 hidden features of Windows 10.

So, in order to enable the access point, click on the “Start” button on the taskbar and click on the “Settings” icon or press the keyboard shortcut + I

Go to the "Network and Internet" section.

In the “Network and Internet” section, open the “Mobile hotspot” tab

In the “Mobile hotspot” tab that opens, we see that the wireless network name (SSID) and password are assigned automatically, but you can change the network name and password by clicking on the “Change” button

In the “Change network information” window, change the network name and network password (at least 8 characters), click the “Save” button

Next, in the “Internet connection sharing” drop-down list, select the connection through which you are connected to the Internet, it does not have to be “Ethernet”, it can be a wireless network or the name of your 3G/4G modem. See also How to see the password hidden by asterisks in the browser and How to register on Instagram from a computer.

To launch the mobile hotspot, click on the switch next to “Allow the use of my Internet connection on other devices.”

Now that the mobile hotspot is configured and turned on, any Wi-Fi-enabled devices can connect to it. 8 devices can be connected to the access point at the same time. Information about connected devices will be displayed in the same window.

I decided to connect my 3G USB modem to my laptop and try to launch the Mobile Hotspot. After all, many people use the Internet through 3G/4G modems, and want to distribute it to their mobile devices, without buying a router. This method will suit you, everything works great.

This is roughly what it will look like for you

Managing the Mobile Hotspot feature

You can disable the function itself and stop distributing the Internet by simply setting the switch to the “Off” position. in the settings window.

Everything is very convenient and easy to set up. You will also be interested in TOP jokes from Google and Yandex developers and Temporary mailbox for registration.

Possible problems when distributing the Internet in Windows 10 through a mobile hotspot, and their solutions

As I wrote above, during the process of starting the access point, you may encounter various errors. When I tried to launch a mobile hotspot on a desktop computer with a TP-LINK TL-WN720NR adapter, I also encountered the error “Cannot set up a mobile hotspot. Turn on Wi-Fi.” No matter what I did, I could not start the virtual network. At the same time, on the same computer, with this adapter, it is possible to start Internet distribution via the command line without any problems.

Error "Cannot set up mobile hotspot. Please turn on Wi-Fi"

This error looks like this:

According to my observations, this error appears due to problems in the Wi-Fi adapter driver, or because the virtual adapter is disabled. At the same time, as I wrote above, I could not overcome this error on one computer. Although, all the necessary drivers were there in the device manager, and they worked. Even if your Wi-Fi is turned off with a button, the mobile hotspot starts up smoothly.

If you think logically, then the problem is definitely not the lack of a wireless adapter driver, because if there were no driver, then the “Mobile Hotspot” tab would not exist at all. Just like the "Wi-Fi" tabs in the settings.

The problem needs to be looked for in Device Manager. First of all, try updating the Wi-Fi adapter driver. Reinstall it by downloading it from the manufacturer's website. If this does not help, then go to Device Manager and check if "Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter" is there. It may have a number at the end. It is through this adapter that the laptop distributes Wi-Fi in this way.

To do this, you first need to enable the display of hidden devices. If there is an icon near the "Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter" adapter, then right-click on it and select "Enable".

A few more solutions

1 Error "This Internet connection cannot be shared because there is no connection to the mobile network."

I got this error when I tried to start distributing the Internet when connected via a 3G modem. Everything was resolved simply by restarting the Internet connection. Make sure the Internet on your computer is working. You can restart your computer, connect to the Internet and start everything again.

2 Error: "The mobile hotspot could not be set up because the computer does not have an Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or cellular network connection."

You will most likely see this error only if your computer is not actually connected to the Internet. Check the connection.

This error also appears when you are connected to the Internet via PPPoE (high-speed connection). The mobile hotspot does not see such Internet connections.

3 Devices do not connect to the running Wi-Fi network. I have not encountered such a problem, but anything can happen. Most often, the connection is blocked by antiviruses and firewalls. Disable them and check your network connection.

Finally, Windows 10 has a standard and simple function that allows you to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi from a laptop or computer. This feature is called "Mobile Hotspot". This is a separate tab in the settings, where you can literally launch a Wi-Fi access point in just a few clicks. All you need is to set the name and password of the Wi-Fi network that the laptop will distribute, and indicate the Internet connection from which you want to distribute the Internet to your devices.

Now, in order to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi in Windows 10, you do not need to perform complex configuration of an access point via the command line, as I wrote in the article How to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi from a laptop in Windows 10, or use third-party programs. It is enough to set up the “Mobile hotspot” and activate the wireless access point function. You might also be interested in 8 hidden features of Windows 10.

So, in order to enable the access point, click on the “Start” button on the taskbar and click on the “Settings” icon or press the keyboard shortcut + I

Go to the "Network and Internet" section.

In the “Network and Internet” section, open the “Mobile hotspot” tab

In the “Mobile hotspot” tab that opens, we see that the wireless network name (SSID) and password are assigned automatically, but you can change the network name and password by clicking on the “Change” button

In the “Change network information” window, change the network name and network password (at least 8 characters), click the “Save” button

Next, in the “Internet connection sharing” drop-down list, select the connection through which you are connected to the Internet, it does not have to be “Ethernet”, it can be a wireless network or the name of your 3G/4G modem. See also How to see the password hidden by asterisks in the browser and How to register on Instagram from a computer.

To launch the mobile hotspot, click on the switch next to “Allow the use of my Internet connection on other devices.”

Now that the mobile hotspot is configured and turned on, any Wi-Fi-enabled devices can connect to it. 8 devices can be connected to the access point at the same time. Information about connected devices will be displayed in the same window.

I decided to connect my 3G USB modem to my laptop and try to launch the Mobile Hotspot. After all, many people use the Internet through 3G/4G modems, and want to distribute it to their mobile devices, without buying a router. This method will suit you, everything works great.

This is roughly what it will look like for you

Managing the Mobile Hotspot feature

You can disable the function itself and stop distributing the Internet by simply setting the switch to the “Off” position. in the settings window.

Everything is very convenient and easy to set up. You will also be interested in TOP jokes from Google and Yandex developers and Temporary mailbox for registration.

Possible problems when distributing the Internet in Windows 10 through a mobile hotspot, and their solutions

As I wrote above, during the process of starting the access point, you may encounter various errors. When I tried to launch a mobile hotspot on a desktop computer with a TP-LINK TL-WN720NR adapter, I also encountered the error “Cannot set up a mobile hotspot. Turn on Wi-Fi.” No matter what I did, I could not start the virtual network. At the same time, on the same computer, with this adapter, it is possible to start Internet distribution via the command line without any problems.

Error "Cannot set up mobile hotspot. Please turn on Wi-Fi"

This error looks like this:

According to my observations, this error appears due to problems in the Wi-Fi adapter driver, or because the virtual adapter is disabled. At the same time, as I wrote above, I could not overcome this error on one computer. Although, all the necessary drivers were there in the device manager, and they worked. Even if your Wi-Fi is turned off with a button, the mobile hotspot starts up smoothly.

If you think logically, then the problem is definitely not the lack of a wireless adapter driver, because if there were no driver, then the “Mobile Hotspot” tab would not exist at all. Just like the "Wi-Fi" tabs in the settings.

The problem needs to be looked for in Device Manager. First of all, try updating the Wi-Fi adapter driver. Reinstall it by downloading it from the manufacturer's website. If this does not help, then go to Device Manager and check if "Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter" is there. It may have a number at the end. It is through this adapter that the laptop distributes Wi-Fi in this way.

To do this, you first need to enable the display of hidden devices. If there is an icon near the "Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter" adapter, then right-click on it and select "Enable".

A few more solutions

1 Error "This Internet connection cannot be shared because there is no connection to the mobile network."

I got this error when I tried to start distributing the Internet when connected via a 3G modem. Everything was resolved simply by restarting the Internet connection. Make sure the Internet on your computer is working. You can restart your computer, connect to the Internet and start everything again.

2 Error: "The mobile hotspot could not be set up because the computer does not have an Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or cellular network connection."

You will most likely see this error only if your computer is not actually connected to the Internet. Check the connection.

This error also appears when you are connected to the Internet via PPPoE (high-speed connection). The mobile hotspot does not see such Internet connections.

3 Devices do not connect to the running Wi-Fi network. I have not encountered such a problem, but anything can happen. Most often, the connection is blocked by antiviruses and firewalls. Disable them and check your network connection.