Access point from laptop

Did you buy a laptop and you need an access point? From the laptop that you just bought, it will be a great point for all your wireless devices. Read this article to the end and find out how this can be done.

A modern computer or laptop running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, with a Wi-Fi adapter is able to easily and easily connect wireless devices in your home. But, unfortunately, very few people know about this interesting property of modern computer technology . Often, even those users who consider themselves gurus in the world of IT technologies are surprised when they are informed that a Wi-Fi zone is served by an access point from the laptop .

Despite the fact that the network is full of materials on this topic, with what they are distributed as developed by this technology companies Microsoft and Intel, as well as other developers who have joined the topic, the new technology has remained almost unnoticed by publications moving in the mainstream of the technological flow.

In short, Wi-Fi works in two modes: either the point-to-point mode is turned on, then each client connects to another, or the access point mode starts, then all data exchange occurs only through it. In theory, the adapter can not simultaneously work in two modes, but with the help of technology called SoftAP this becomes a reality.

Who might need such an access point - from a laptop or computer? Many, because with its help you can quickly create a wireless network, which will operate a small group of devices, computers, smartphones, etc. At what they not only will see each other, but also will be able to use the Internet, which they will provide a laptop. The access point does not interfere with a laptop or a computer with a Wi-Fi adapter, at the same time being a client of another wireless network and at the same time maintaining its own working condition.

If you can not wait to try these features in action, take your laptop. The access point will work only with those wireless modules, in which the drivers support SoftAP mode. Practice shows that almost all adapters released in the last year can work with it, and if the box says that the device is approved for Windows 7, then it is 100% compatible with SoftAP technology. If you are not sure if you have the latest drivers for a wireless network card, update them before you start configuring your laptop or computer. Do not forget that the only type of encryption that is supported by SoftAP technology is WPA2-PSK / AES, so other devices should be able to work with this algorithm.

Start the console with administrator rights and copy into it, or type in a hand

Netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode = allow ssid = "SoftAP Tst" key = "Yourpassword" keyUsage = persistent

In the ssid field, enter your access point name, and in the key field, you must enter a password for access. When you have finished configuring everything, you can use the same command to change the connection settings. If the command went ok and reported that all tasks are completed, then in the list of devices in the "Network adapters" section you have added one more - Virtual Wi-Fi.

If suddenly you do not need it at the moment, all you need to do is enter the same command again, but change the mode switch to mode = disallow, and delete all other parameters.

So, the point at us is ready for launch, the virtual adapter is configured and it remains to launch it all in flight, to start, type in the console command:

Netsh wlan start hostednetwork

If you need to check the virtual access point settings, enter two more commands:

Netsh wlan show settings

Netsh wlan show hostednetwork setting = security

When Virtual Wi-Fi is launched, the DHCP server starts simultaneously with it, with it you can expand your network connection for all devices that your new virtual network will serve.

That's how the access point from the laptop, Windows 7 and SoftAP is able to change for a better life a single apartment, a small office or a private house.