How to Enable Wi-Fi (Mobile) Hotspot on Windows

Using only built‑in tools, you can turn your Windows device into a software-based Wi‑Fi router (hotspot/access point) to share your Internet connection with other wireless devices. This software-based Wi‑Fi hotspot on Windows can be used to create a simple local wireless network (for example, for file and printer sharing) or to share an Internet connection across multiple wireless devices (computers, laptops, phones, TVs, tablets, and other devices).

In this article, we’ll show you how to configure a virtual Wi-Fi hotspot running on a Windows 11 or 10 device. Assume that your computer has two network adapters: one providing Internet access (such as a wired Ethernet or mobile 3G/4G/5G connection) and a separate wireless Wi‑Fi adapter. The goal is to create a virtual Wi‑Fi router on this Windows device to share its Internet connection with other devices.

There are two options for setting up a software hotspot (SoftAP) in Windows:

• The Mobile Hotspot feature is available in Windows 11 and Windows 10 (version 1607 and above) and can be enabled via the Settings panel’s graphical interface. Mobile Hotspot mode is built on the WLAN Device Driver Interface (WDI) management framework, which enables the creation of a software-based access point even without dedicated hardware support at the Wi‑Fi adapter or driver level.
• Wireless Hosted Network – a legacy feature that enables the creation of a software access point via Wi-Fi adapter virtualization (Virtual Wi-Fi). The wireless adapter driver must support the Hosted network mode (a functionality that is not supported by most modern Wi-Fi adapter drivers). This is suitable for running a software access point on old versions of Windows, including Windows 10, 8.1, and 7.

How to Enable Mobile Hotspot in Windows 11 and 10

In Windows 11 and Windows 10 (version 1607 and later), you can configure the Mobile Hotspot feature through the Settings app. Go to Settings -> Network and Internet -> Mobile hotspot) or run the ms-settings quick access command: ms-settings:network-mobilehotspot

Several options are available here:

• Turn on/turn off the Mobile Hotspot.
• Share my internet connection from: if your computer has multiple active network adapters, you can choose which one you want to allow other users to use to access the internet (in my case, it is an Ethernet 0 connection).
• The Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password are generated automatically and can be changed if required.
• Power Saving – automatically turns off the mobile hotspot if no devices are connected (the power-saving feature is enabled by default) 
• The access point settings also allow you to select the access point frequency range, which can be 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz or 6 GHz (if supported by the WLAN adapter).

To connect to the mobile hotspot you have created, either scan the QR code on another device or select the SSID and enter the password manually.

The graphical interface of the Mobile Hotspot page displays a list of the devices currently connected to your access point, including their device name, IP address, and MAC address (up to 8 devices can be connected simultaneously).

You can quickly enable the mobile hotspot feature by opening the notification panel in the taskbar. Tap the network connection icon, then tap the mobile hotspot icon in the quick settings panel.

Enabling a mobile hotspot creates a Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter on your device. This adapter is used for sharing an internet connection.

This network adapter is hidden, so it is not displayed in the Network and Sharing Center. Such a network adapter can be managed using PowerShell:

Get-NetAdapter -InterfaceDescription "Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual*" -IncludeHidden

Use the following commands to enable mobile hotspot in Windows 11 from the PowerShell command prompt:

$connProfile = [Windows.Networking.Connectivity.NetworkInformation,Windows.Networking.Connectivity,ContentType=WindowsRuntime]::GetInternetConnectionProfile()$tethManager = [Windows.Networking.NetworkOperators.NetworkOperatorTetheringManager,Windows.Networking.NetworkOperators,ContentType=WindowsRuntime]::CreateFromConnectionProfile($connProfile)$tethManager.StartTetheringAsync()

Check whether the WLAN hotspot point is running:

$tethManager.TetheringOperationalState()

Stop the mobile hotspot:

$tethManager.StopTetheringAsync()

So, the ‘Mobile Hotspot’ feature in Windows 11 enables you to set up a wireless access point with a single click, eliminating the need for manual configuration via the command line.

How to Automatically Turn on the Mobile Hotspot on Windows Startup

By default, the mobile hotspot doesn’t start automatically after the computer is powered off or rebooted. To automatically turn on the mobile hotspot when Windows boots, you need to run a simple PowerShell script through the Task Scheduler.

1. Run the command Win+R -> shell:startup
2. Create a text file named start_mobile_hotspot.bat;
3. Copy the following PowerShell code into the file and save it:

   powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass "$connectionProfile = [Windows.Networking.Connectivity.NetworkInformation,Windows.Networking.Connectivity,ContentType=WindowsRuntime]::GetInternetConnectionProfile(); $tetheringManager = [Windows.Networking.NetworkOperators.NetworkOperatorTetheringManager,Windows.Networking.NetworkOperators,ContentType=WindowsRuntime]::CreateFromConnectionProfile($connectionProfile); $tetheringManager.StartTetheringAsync();"

   

4. Now your wireless hotspot will automatically start when a user logs in computer (or in the case of Windows autologon enabled).
5. To start the mobile hotspot on Windows startup, create a new scheduler task using PowerShell (the task is run on behalf of SYSTEM):
   $Trigger= New-ScheduledTaskTrigger –AtStartup
$User= "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM"
$Action= New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "c:\scripts\start_mobile_hotspot.bat"
Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "RunHostSpot" -Trigger $Trigger -User $User -Action $Action -RunLevel Highest –Force

Configuring a Hosted Ad-Hoc Wireless Network on Windows

If you’re using an older version of Windows (earlier than Windows 10, version 1607) or are unable to enable the mobile hotspot for any reason, consider running the access point in hosted network mode instead. This is a more complex, legacy method of creating an ad-hoc wireless access point on a Windows computer. It requires configuration via the command line and is not compatible with many modern WLAN adapters.

Firstly, ensure that your Wi-Fi adapter’s driver supports the virtual access point (Ad-Hoc) operation mode. To do it, run this command

netsh wlan show drivers

This command provides information about the Wi-Fi adapter driver in use and its supported options.

“Hosted network supported: Yes” message indicates that this driver supports Ad-Hoc access point mode. Otherwise, try to update the driver version or use another Wi-Fi adapter.

Start a Hosted Wi-Fi Hotspot on Windows Using CMD

Now, let’s look at how to create a virtual Wi-Fi access point in Windows using the netsh wlan command. I will create a wireless network named Hotspot (this is the SSID of the network) with the ZiZiPass security key (password). Open a command prompt (as an administrator) and run the following command:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=Hotspot key=ZiZiPass

If everything is correct, the command will return the following message:

The hosted network mode has been set to allow.
The SSID of the hosted network has been successfully changed.
The user passphrase of the hosted network has been successfully changed.

This command creates a new virtual Wi-Fi adapter (Microsoft Hosted Network Virtual Adapter) on a computer. Other wireless devices in the network can use this adapter as an access point. Now, enable the created virtual adapter:

netsh wlan start hostednetwork

The ‘Hosted network started’ message indicates that a software Wi-Fi hotspot has been successfully started. A new wireless connection named Hotspot will appear in the Network and Sharing Center.

If you scan for available Wi-Fi networks on other devices, they will see your wireless hotspot and be able to connect to it using the password. Devices connected to such a network can share files, folders, and printers, but Internet access through such a WiFi hotspot is not yet possible.

Allow Internet Access for Wi-Fi Hotspot Clients

Next, allow devices connected to your virtual Wi-Fi hotspot to access the internet via a wired network connection. Go to the Network and Sharing Center and click on the name of the network adapter through which you can access the internet. In my example, this is a connection named Ethernet.

Click the Properties button on the network adapter status screen.

Allow Internet sharing for this connection. In the Ethernet Properties form, go to the Sharing tab. Check the box “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection” and select the name of the virtual adapter created earlier in the dropdown list.

Save the changes. In the Network and Sharing Center, the type of Hotspot network will be changed to the Internet. That means that this network (and all devices connected to it) now have Internet access.

Any devices that connect to your Windows hotspot will now have internet access via your computer’s external network interface.

Check the current Wi-Fi access point settings using the command:

Netsh wlan show hostednetwork

The command displays:

• The network name (SSID)
• The supported authentication and encryption types
• The maximum number of devices that can simultaneously use this hotspot (Max number of clients)
• The current number of connected clients (Number of clients).

To view the Wi-Fi hotspot’s security settings, including the connection password (User security key), run:

Netsh wlan show hostednetwork setting=security

Common Hosted Wi-Fi Access Point Issues on Windows

Answer.  Start the hosted network manually using the command:
netsh wlan start hostednetwork

You don’t need to re-enter the network name or password.

The Wireless AutoConfig Service (wlansvc) is not running. The hosted network couldn’t be started.

Answer. Start the WLAN AutoConfig service using either the services.msc console or from the command prompt:
net start WlanSvc
and restart the virtual hotspot.

The hosted network couldn’t be started. The group or resource is not in the correct state to perform the requested operation.

Answer. Make sure that your Wi-Fi network adapter is enabled. Then open the Device Manager, select Show hidden devices in the View menu. Find the Microsoft Hosted Network Virtual Adapter in the Network Adapters section and enable it.

If it doesn’t help, run these commands one by one:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=disallow
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow

Then re-create the hosted hotspot:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=Hotspot key=ZiZiPass
netsh wlan start hostednetwork

If you have previously created a Wi-Fi hotspot on this device, try to clean the Hosted Virtual Adapter settings in the registry. Delete the HostedNetworkSettings DWORD registry parameter under the HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\WlanSvc\Parameters\HostedNetworkSettings reg key.

reg delete hklm\system\currentcontrolset\services\wlansvc\parameters\hostednetworksettings /v hostednetworksettings

Answer
netsh wlan show hostednetwork

Answer. To stop your wireless access point, run the command:
netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

Then, remove the hosted network in Windows, and clear the SSID and network security key (password): netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=disallow

Answer: Check the DNS server settings on the client device. Try specifying the address of the public Google DNS server (8.8.8.8) manually in your client’s network settings. Also, try restarting the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service or disabling and re-enabling the network adapter through which your Windows device connects to the Internet.

Other common issues that can cause software Wi-Fi access points on Windows not to work include:

• The built-in firewall in third-party anti-virus software may block Internet connection sharing. Try temporarily disabling any third-party firewall (or only network protection module) and see if the problem persists.
• Ensure that the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service is enabled on the Windows device sharing its internet connection via Wi-Fi. Check the service state using the services.msc snap-in or with the PowerShell command: Get-Service SharedAccess  
• Start the Network Adapter Troubleshooter tool by running the msdt.exe /id NetworkDiagnosticsNetworkAdapter command. This tool will check the current network adapter settings and attempt to automatically fix any found problems
• Reset the Windows network settings (Settings -> Network -> Network Reset) and recreate the Wi-Fi hotspot.
• The Mobile Hotspot switch is inactive (grayed out) with the Some of these settings are managed by your organization message displayed. For security purposes, a domain administrator can disable the Mobile Hotspot feature on computers joined to an Active Directory domain by using the Prohibit use of Internet Connection Sharing on your DNS domain network GPO option (under Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Network -> Network Connections). Check that this policy is not configured using the local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) or with Group Policy resulting tools (gpresult.exe or rsop.msc). 
• An error appears when trying to turn on the mobile point: We can’t set up mobile hotspot . Check the value of the NC_ShowSharedAccessUI parameter in the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Network Connections. If the value is set to 0, the restriction on creating a software access point in Windows is enabled. To allow mobile hotspot creation, delete the parameter or change its value to 1.