Turn your Windows 7 Computer Into a Personal Wi-Fi Hotspot

By On June 20, 2011 · 20 Comments · In Microsoft

If you can turn your desktop or laptop computer into a Wireless Access Point or WiFi Hot Spot without using a router, then you can share wireless internet connection between your desktops laptops and smart phones.
If you are using a Windows 7 or Windows 2008 R2 operating system in your PC or laptop then you can instantly turn your computer into a Wifi Hot Spot using Windows 7′s Wireless Hosted Network (Virtual Wifi) technology. This helps build a Wireless home network without a router.
A Free but very useful application named Virtual Router from Codeplex helps you to achieve this. Virtual Router is a software based router for PCs running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2. This is one of the best software to share connection.
Using Virtual Router you can share any type of internet connections , be it Wifi, LAN, Cable Modem, Dial-up or Cellular with any WiFi device. The WiFi device can be anything like your personal laptop,PC, Smart Phone, iPod Touch, iPhone, Android Phone, Zune, Netbook, wireless printer, etc.

The Wifi Devices are Supported dependent on you having a driver installed that is Certified for Windows 7.make-windows-7-Wi-Fi-Hotspot without router
The Wireless Network create/shared with Virtual Router uses WPA2 Encryption and this ensure the best security possible. Once you setup your virtual network , you can give a name to it and assign a password. The password should be at least 8 characters long. Also please remember that the security of you “Virtual Router” is dependent on the strength of you Password / Passphrase.

Microsoft has disabled the Virtual Wifi features in Windows 7 Starter Edition so Virtual Router will not work with Windows 7 Starter Edition.
System Requirements

  • Windows 7
  • Windows Server 2008 R2
  • Wifi Enabled Computer

DOWNLOAD Virtual Router

, the author of Globinch.com, is a technology blogger and software architect. You can follow him on Twitter, Google+, Facebook. If you enjoyed reading the above article please consider sharing it.
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  • http://www.globinch.com/ Prasanth

    Thank you for this Nice and Useful tip!

  • Mariel Pascua

    hi…mine says " Virtual Router Could Not Be Started "

    why ??? please help… :(

  • BKB

    I have a Netcomm UMTS/Cellular to WIFI router (creditcard sized battery powered UMTS accespoint with wifi ONLY ( http://myzone.netcomm.com.au ), a netbook running Win7 Starter and a Siemens C470 IP-Phone which only has a 10/100Mb ethernet connection.

    I am trying to make the following setup:

    INTERNET NetComm MyZone wireless router/accesspoint Notebook/Win7 Starter Siemens IP Phone (on which I can set IP/DNS/Gateway/Subnet)

    Is there any way I can enable my Windows7 Starter notebook to work as a router for wired devices like the Siemens IP Phone?

    Presently I do have a working wired connection, but only between my notebook and the IP phone.

    It's just the IP routing that is problematic…

    Very curious on your thoughts…. :-)

    Thank you very much!

    Best regards,

    Bin

  • BKB

    I have a Netcomm UMTS/Cellular to WIFI router (creditcard sized battery powered UMTS accespoint with wifi ONLY ( http://myzone.netcomm.com.au ), a netbook running Win7 Starter and a Siemens C470 IP-Phone which only has a 10/100Mb ethernet connection.

    I am trying to make the following setup:

    INTERNET NetComm MyZone wireless router/accesspoint Notebook/Win7 Starter Siemens IP Phone (on which I can set IP/DNS/Gateway/Subnet)

    Is there any way I can enable my Windows7 Starter notebook to work as a router for wired devices like the Siemens IP Phone?

    Presently I do have a working wired connection, but only between my notebook and the IP phone.

    It's just the IP routing that is problematic…

    Very curious on your thoughts…. :-)

    Thank you very much!

    Best regards,

    Bin KB

  • naveen

    i am not getting any connections in the shared connection sections…..its just blank

    and in the peers connected section also there is nothing connected……it shows zero…!!!

    plz help me

  • http://talalonline.co.nr talalsrilanka

    is thr any way 2 share my dongle – internet conection via wifi??/

  • Richie

    thnx so much 4 dis great software……..am really enjoying it

  • Richie

    thnx so much 4 dis great software …i am really enjoying it

    • Binu George

      Hi Richie,
      Thanks for the comments. Keep visitng

  • http://www.bestlaptopunder1000review.com Jay @ Best Laptop Un

    I use my dell laptop as the wifi hotspot and I share internet with my lil sis. The only problem I face is, when I restart my computer, the wifi does not work any more. Have to create a new connection, so what's the point of saving them? Win needs to fix this!

  • http://wirelessaccesspointhq.com Wireless Access Poin

    Thanks for this. I'm looking for a wireless access point. Will come back to you web site again.

  • yash

    it started once after it hangs no responding..

    please solve this..

  • http://www.123seminarsonly.com Kuttus

    I was checking for this one for my Friend. He try to do this one his computer. He told me he was getting some errors. I will forward this article to him. If we need any more help he will update you. Thank you for this article any way. Nice one.

  • Darrick Baker

    mine says the service is not running…whats wrong?

  • ayush

    i cannot run this software when i open as admim then it said that there is no hotspot running what shall i do for this

    • upeng

      try to open it with the compatability trouble shooter, then try to use a recommended setting then click the start program, but don’t save it after you run the program

  • Rutthina

    same here. mine says it cant be started

  • http://www.seonewyork.ws/ seo new york

    I use my dell personal handbook as the wifi hotspot and I share internet with my lil sis. The only problem I face is, when I restart my computer, the wifi does not work any more. Have to create a new connection, so what&#039s the point of saving them? Win needs to fix this!

  • Guest

    does this work with my windows 8 desktop?

  • abhi_ultimate

    can i share my windows 8 desktop cable-modem internet with my android phone, using this software? i was thinking of buying a router for the same , but now hoping this software saves my money !!