Share your windows 8 PC’s internet via WiFi without having to use any software!

If you have a laptop or a desktop with WiFi connectivity, you can share your internet via WiFi to feed up your mobile or tablet devices. There are plenty of software out there to do that like Connectify, WiFi Hotspot creator, etc. But each one of them are resource hungry monsters which slows down your PC.

There was a option in previous version of windows to create a ad-hoc network to share your wifi, but in windows 8 they decided to bury the option down deep inside so that an average user cant find it. So users are forced to use 3rd party software to share the internet. But there is one way to avail the buried feature. In order to do that you have to get back to old school: The command prompt method.

Many of the windows hidden functions are accessible by using command promt and WiFi ad-hoc creating is on of them. (Though i don’t know whats to point of hiding a great option!). So lets get started!

1. Firstly make sure your WiFi is turned on.

2. Go to your start menu and type “cmd” and right click on it and open it as administrator (important!)

3. Just type in the following command in a single line and hit enter:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=homeinternet key=a1b2c3d4e0

Here the “homeinternet” is your preferred WiFi name and “a1b2c3d1e0” is your preferred password. You can use whatever WiFi names and passwords you like but for the key at-least 8 character is required. If everything went OK it will give a message like this:

4. Then type

netsh wlan start hostednetwork

After hitting enter if it says “the hosted network started” then you are good to go. Close the cmd panel.

5. Now your adhoc network is started, you just need to define which connection to share. Open network and sharing center and go to change adapter settings. (right click the network icon from your task-bar and navigate to network and sharing center)

6. Right click on the connected network icon that you are using internet with and go to properties>sharing. (don’t select the connected network saying virtual network in the description. it is actually the adhoc network by which you are about to share the internet).  Check the first box saying “allow other networks…” and from the drop list from home networking connection, choose the virtual network you just created(usually it named as local area connection *<number>)

Now your WiFi is broadcasting your internet!

There are software to share WiFi, so why I should use this trick?

The whole method can be a bit disturbing for those who don’t want their hands dirty typing cmd commands but trust me, it will keep your PC fast without having to start any heavy loaded WiFi sharing software and not to mention most of them costs some bucks. Plus, this trick will help you to share the internet while you are in your friends house and don’t want the troubles of installing any software.

There is also a trick to save yourself from all these memorizing and typing troubles.  Follow our guideline to launch a command line with a single click. I have created one for you. Download it and run it as administrator, then you don’t have to memorize or type anything at all!

And you dont have to change the settings in the network and sharing center every-time, it is required only the first time.

Say thanks if you found this helpful and keep exploring nutboltu.com 🙂