This guest post was contributed by Jeff Davis.
There are lots of reasons why you’d usually hectic activity around buying and selling of laptops. That’s because laptops are versatile computing machines that many people depend on for various uses. Some people like to have laptops for the sheer pleasure of owning one. Many others use laptops to work, to play, to pamper themselves with entertainment round the clock.
No matter what the use for the laptop is, the Internet remains as a dire necessity for almost every category of laptop user. The trouble, however, is that not every place as Internet connections you could possibly live with. While the days of dial up connections are long gone, normal Internet connectivity is still a rarity to a certain degree and depending on where you are headed out.
Agreed that there are tons of WiFi points all over the world but for the roving worker or the Internet addict, there are still many places without Wireless access points. If you have to get work done, check your Facebook account, or access your email, there would come a time when you’d have to “tether” devices.
Further, there are times when you’d have to leech on one device to be able to work on another. It’s times like these that you’d need to know how to turn one of your devices (could be your laptop, tablet, or smartphone) into a WiFi hotspot by itself. If you own a Windows 8 laptop, here’s how you can turn it into a WiFi HotSpot.
Windows 8 Doesn’t Have Ad Hoc Networks
Sharon Vaknin of CNET points out that Windows 8 quietly removed the much-used “Ad hoc networks” feature (available on Windows 7), which would let you turn your laptop into an instant WiFi spot. So, if you had to set up your Windows 8 laptop as a WiFi spot, you’d have to hit the command prompt and get into a cycle of explicit geek land, which most users won’t like to. Yet, that’s an option.
Use Virtual Router Plus
If you don’t have a WiFi router handy or if you had to turn your Windows 8 laptop into a WiFi HotSpot, Virtual Router Plus is apparently one of the best ways to do so. According to Whitson Gordon of Lifehacker, Virtual Router Plus is a great option for Windows users, as it’s free and involves a simple download without any installation required. Fire it up, choose the network you want to connect to (your Windows 8 laptop, in this case) and connect.
Work with the Command Prompt
If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, Howtogeek.com recommends the “Command prompt” approach. Here’s the post outlining the steps you need to take to turn your Windows 8 machine into a WiFi Hotspot. You could try to lug around portable 3G routers that you could pack into a bag and take them wherever you go but there are chances that you might misplace these routers and/or you might lose them forever. That’s when being a bit of an adventurous techie can help. Yet, we believe that this approach might not be for everyone.
Use Connectify
Connectify HotSpot makes it easy for you to convert your Windows PC’s built-in WiFi Card to wireless share available Internet connections. You could share networks with friends, co-workers, and even mobile devices. Connectify made it to Lifehacker’s Top 10 Downloads for a Road Warrior Laptop list. The paid version of Connectify allows you to connect laptops with just one click, for a fraction of the cost that some hotels can charge you for using their networks.
You can possibly share Internet connections through WiFi networks, 3G/4G cards or devices, and do a lot more such as drag and drop files to other devices, customize SSID, and much more.
There are alternatives; lot more than you think
Thanks to technology, you are mercifully not limited to just a few ways to get anything done – that holds good for turning your Windows machine into a WiFi router of sorts.
If you thought that these are all the options you have to help convert your Windows 8 machine into a WiFi Router, you’d be surprised. TechNize has a whole list of at least six more ways to turn your Windows machine into a WiFi HotSpot featuring solutions such as Seventhgate – a light resource alternative to Connectify; Virtual WiFiRouter; Virtual Router; Maryfi; Whisher; and WiFi HotSpot Creator.
As you can see, there’s no dearth of ways you can convert your Windows 8 machine into a WiFi HotSpot. There are many options in spite of the fact that Windows 8 doesn’t have the “Ad hoc networks” option available anymore.
Did you turn your Windows 8 Laptop into a WiFi HotSpot? Could you use the Internet after you did so? Please share your experiences in the comments below.
Author:
Jeff Davis is living in California and currently associated with Quick Laptop Cash – A place where you can sell laptop online. He has been into this field since last 6 years and responsible for troubleshoot issues; interact to discuss projects, technology solutions. When he is not working, he enjoys hanging out with his beautiful wife.