With several people having various smart gadgets like computers, TVs, laptops, phones, and other electronic goods, finding a means to link all of these gadgets to the Internet has now become highly essential.
In many situations, people set up a hotspot point of access, which enables gadgets to connect to the internet through Wi-Fi or ethernet.
However, what tends to happen if only your computer can access the internet?
Luckily, if you have a connection through a wired, Wi-Fi, or GSM modem, Windows will easily let your other gadgets get your Internet.
Easy-to-Follow Methods to Share Your Windows Internet Connection
In this article, we will focus on the many ways for sharing a connection to the internet from a Windows computer.
So without further ado, let’s get started!
1. Share Your Internet in Windows Using Ethernet
Step 1: Utilize an Ethernet connection to link your client endpoints to your hosting computer.
Note: If neither device contains an open Ethernet port, a USB to Ethernet adaptor needs to be utilized.
Step 2: Navigate to the Network Connections option of the menu. The simplest method to access it is to type “Network Connections” into your Windows Search Bar.
Step 3: You can access “Properties” by right-clicking on the “Active Internet Connection.”
Step 4: In the Sharing tab, turn on the “Allow other network users to connect” and choose a suitable Ethernet connection from the pulldown selection.
Please keep in mind that if you already got the VPN app activated, you might notice several virtual Ethernet connections on the list and will have to select the correct port.
Once you hit the “OK” button, Internet access will be available to your client unit through the Ethernet connection.
2. Share Your Internet in Windows via Wi-Fi Hotspot
Now suppose your computer has a wireless network but your mate’s device does not? Or you have a computer that is linked through Ethernet and you want to link your smartphone but you don’t have a router.?
It’s very quick and simple to convert your Windows Computer into a remote hotspot for different gadgets.
Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1: Go to the “Mobile Hotspot Settings” tab. You will easily reach there by searching “Mobile Hotspot” in the Windows Search Bar.
Step 2: Turn on the “Share my Internet connection.”
Step 3: If it’s not been selected by configuration, choose your source of the Internet connection.
Note: If you have several Internet connections active at the same time, the panel will most likely display the proper source by itself.
Step 4: If it isn’t yet chosen, pick Wi-Fi from the “Share my Internet connection over” tab.
Step 5: In the “Network Band” option, choose the Edit feature.
Step 6: Configure your network’s username, and its bandwidth, and enter a password.
Your client gadgets will require a password and SSID to obtain access to your Internet.
It’s important to mention that if you’re hosting a 5 GHz Wi-Fi connectivity, your client endpoints have to be compatible with 5 GHz as well. A few old systems including the Pi 3 and Zero, can just run at 2.4 GHz.
You can now share your Windows 10 Computer’s Internet connection with other gadgets as if it’s a regular hotspot.
3. Share Your Internet via Windows 10 Internal Feature
If you don’t want to use a third-party alternative, you can accomplish it with Windows 10 capabilities.
We outline the method below:
Step 1: A menu will appear when you right-click on the “Windows Start” button. Then choose the “Network Connections” option from the menu.
Step 2: This will take you to the “Network Windows” after you have done so. Then, configure the adaptor options by clicking on them.
Step 3: This will immediately lead you to a list of all the network connections that are accessible on the Internet.
Step 4: Select the “Properties” by right-clicking on the Wi-Fi adaptor.
Step 5: Next, turn on the “Allow other network users to connect” option.
Step 6: Lastly, choose the Ethernet port via which the connectivity should be enabled.
Additionally, be certain that the ethernet you’re going to use for sharing your internet is of sufficient quality. Otherwise, your internet connection will suffer.
This is especially noteworthy for individuals who use VPN apps since they can generate and display several virtual ethernet connections.
4. Steps to Create Wi-Fi to Ethernet Bridge to Share Internet Connection
In addition, you can use the bridge connection to establish a Wi-Fi to Ethernet gateway for sharing your Internet connection.
Step 1: For doing this, right-click the start key or just hit the “Windows Key + X” and then pick the “Network Connections” option.
Step 2: Pick the connections that relate to the ethernet port and Wi-Fi to which you will be linking.
Step 3: After you have picked the connections, right-click on them and choose the “Bridge Connections” option.
5. Share Internet Connection via Hosted Network Feature
In addition, you can utilize a hosting platform to join an Internet connection. You can access it with the “Windows Network Shell” program.
Hosted Networks builds a virtualized adaptor, which allows you to start sharing Internet connection via program-based entry points.
So, before you begin setting it up, you have to first know whether or not your adaptor offers the Hosting Network capability.
Step 1: For doing this, first start the command prompt with administrative privileges.
Step 2: Write the below command in it and hit the enter button. It will then provide a full report that includes an IP address.
NETSH WLAN show drivers
Step 4: Confirm whether the Hosted Network function is available or not. If it shows YES, your PC provides it and you can establish an internet connection.
Step 5: For initiating a hosted network, open the command prompt and enter the below command.
NETSH WLAN set hosted network mode= allow ssid= key= “
Step 6: Right-click on the freshly made adapter and then choose the “Connection Properties.”
Step 7: Go to the “Sharing” section and mark the option to enable other people to access your Internet.
Step 8: Choose the freshly made virtual adaptor by clicking on the “Home Network Connection” and then press the “OK” to successfully share your Internet connection.
How to Fix the “Failed to Obtain IP Address” Problem in Windows
If you get an error message on your user device that says “Failed to Obtain IP Address” while attempting to share Internet in Windows over Wi-Fi, don’t worry; here’s how to solve it.
Step 1: Go to the “Network Connections,” then right-click on the “Internet Connection” and choose “Properties.”
- Note: You can check how to do this in steps 2 to 3 of the “How to Share Your Internet in Windows Using Ethernet” heading above.
- Step 2: On the Sharing section, choose the “Local Area Connection.” Check that the “Allow other network users to connect” option is on.
Wrapping Up
If you need to link your various gadgets to the Internet via your computer or you just wish to share the Internet with your family and buddies, Windows make it easy to accomplish this in a matter of minutes.
It’s important to mention that the solutions listed here enable you to share the internet with devices other than Windows. These include your tablets, smart TVs, and iOS systems.
For avoiding unwanted usage, we also highly recommend setting a secure password for the wireless network.
