Unable to Share Wi-Fi Hotspot in Windows 10

Boris_yo

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 22, 2011
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Hello,

I am using USB Wi-Fi dongle on PC to connect to ISP modem for wireless internet and I wanted to share internet through USB to Ethernet converter dongle to my smartphone. After enabling Wi-Fi Hotspot connection sharing why is there no device that is connected to my PC and why do I need "Network Name" and "Network Password"?

Thanks
 

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Hello,

I am using USB Wi-Fi dongle on PC to connect to ISP modem for wireless internet and I wanted to share internet through USB to Ethernet converter dongle to my smartphone. After enabling Wi-Fi Hotspot connection sharing why is there no device that is connected to my PC and why do I need "Network Name" and "Network Password"?

Thanks
Because when you create a wifi hotspot, your computer acts as a wireless access point. Technically you don't need a network name (SSID) and password, but if you didn't assign one then anyone could connect (neighbors included).

A wired Ethernet network doesn't generally need a name or password, because you can usually be sure of who is connecting.
 
If you want to connect to a wireless network and share that to your smartphone, you'll want to turn off wifi sharing on your computer, connect your smartphone to your computer with a USB cable, and then enable connection sharing over USB. I think that setting is on the phone, but it's not the USB tethering setting.
 
If you have a USB hotspot AND a USB wifi dongle, and you want to share the connection with your phone wirelessly, it looks like you are set up right. Just enable wifi on your phone, and connect to the network with the name shown in your screenshot using the password also shown in the screenshot.
 
If you want to connect to a wireless network and share that to your smartphone, you'll want to turn off wifi sharing on your computer, connect your smartphone to your computer with a USB cable, and then enable connection sharing over USB. I think that setting is on the phone, but it's not the USB tethering setting.
Sounds like you are talking about sharing smartphone's internet connection to PC... I need to share PC's wireless connection to my smartphone using Wi-Fi dongle smartphone can't connect to it.

If you have a USB hotspot AND a USB wifi dongle, and you want to share the connection with your phone wirelessly, it looks like you are set up right. Just enable wifi on your phone, and connect to the network with the name shown in your screenshot using the password also shown in the screenshot.
I thought I am supposed to have only Wi-Fi dongle to share PC's internet. This article says this: https://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-7/what-is-microsoft-virtual-wifi-miniport-adapter/
I cannot connect to my PC's wireless network though for some reason. Tried on smartphone, tablet, laptop...

Tried enabling connection sharing from Wi-Fi dongle to virtual Wi-Fi adapter but then I lose internet on Wi-Fi dongle. I am connected but there is no internet and in virtual adapter's IP properties IP address is manually enabled. One time there was nothing filled in, another time it was IP address reminding one of IP4 Autoconfiguration that starts with 169...
 
Sounds like you are talking about sharing smartphone's internet connection to PC... I need to share PC's wireless connection to my smartphone using Wi-Fi dongle smartphone can't connect to it.
No, USB tethering shares your phone's internet with your PC. USB connection sharing shares your computer's internet with a phone. I might have got the name wrong, but they are two different things.

I thought I am supposed to have only Wi-Fi dongle to share PC's internet. This article says this: https://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-7/what-is-microsoft-virtual-wifi-miniport-adapter/
I cannot connect to my PC's wireless network though for some reason. Tried on smartphone, tablet, laptop...

Tried enabling connection sharing from Wi-Fi dongle to virtual Wi-Fi adapter but then I lose internet on Wi-Fi dongle. I am connected but there is no internet and in virtual adapter's IP properties IP address is manually enabled. One time there was nothing filled in, another time it was IP address reminding one of IP4 Autoconfiguration that starts with 169...
If you are using the wifi dongle to access the internet, you cannot also use it to share access to other devices (unless it has multiple radios and you do some advanced configuration, and only certain chips allow that in consumer devices' firmware).

If you have two wifi dongles, or a wireless pcie card and a USB wifi dongle, it might work, but I seem to remember having difficulty setting it up.
 
If you are using the wifi dongle to access the internet, you cannot also use it to share access to other devices (unless it has multiple radios and you do some advanced configuration, and only certain chips allow that in consumer devices' firmware).

If you have two wifi dongles, or a wireless pcie card and a USB wifi dongle, it might work, but I seem to remember having difficulty setting it up.
I have Airlink101 150N wireless dongle that came with drivers and utility on CD. I remember choosing Virtual Wi-Fi in utility and it created hotspot that was able to connect to wireless router and share internet by broadcasting.
 
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