2 easiest ways to create virtual Wi-Fi network hotspot router in Windows 8.1

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Windows 8.1, just like Windows 8 lets you create virtual Wi-Fi hotspot easily which can be used to share your internet connection from your Windows 8.1 PC to other devices by using a virtual router. If you have a broadband or Ethernet connection but, want to use the same network on your mobile devices using Wi-Fi then, it’s possible.

Creating a virtual Wi-Fi hotspot in Windows 8.1 is very easy and you don’t need to have any special hardware like a Wi-Fi router to create the network. If you are looking for the best ways to create a virtual Wi-Fi hotspot then, you are at right place.

Below are the 2 best yet easiest methods to create virtual Wi-Fi hotspots in Windows 8.1.

What are the advantages of creating a virtual Wi-Fi hotspot router in your Windows 8.1?

• You can create the virtual Wi-Fi hotspot router which will work as the physical Wi-Fi router to give internet access

• This virtual Wi-Fi hotspot router can be create easily in seconds free of cost

• You don’t actually need to have a Wi-Fi router to take advantage of this router

• Internet from your 3G/4G, broadband and Ethernet connections can be used to share internet using this router

• The IP address of your virtual Wi-Fi router is different from your PC which can be useful and gives you two different IP addresses.

Requirements for the creation of virtual Wi-Fi hotspot router

• You would need to have access to the Internet from any source like 3G, 4G, broadband or Ethernet connection

• Supported Wi-Fi card on the host device to share the internet from your Windows 8.1 PC to other devices

Before we proceed to the methods, you would need to perform a small modification in your settings to share your internet connection with Wi-Fi hotspot, to be created later.

Instructions:

• Simply search for ‘network and sharing center’ while on Start Screen. Network and Sharing Center would be showed in results. Press it.



• You would be taken to the desktop where Network and Sharing Center window will open. Considering you are connected to a broadband or Ethernet internet connection, press the ‘Change adapter settings’ from left navigation menu.



• You would be showed all the network adapters configured with your PC. Here select the network adapter type you are using (e.g. WiFi connection or Ethernet or Broadband connection) by right clicking it and selecting ‘Properties‘ or selecting ‘Change settings for this connection’ from the menu ribbon above.

Tip: You can see which adapter is active by seeing the icon where WiFi signals icon is showed in green color (refer the screenshot below).



• A pop-up window will open. Here open the ‘Sharing’ tab.

• Once in Sharing tab, check the ‘Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection’. Once checked, you would be able to select the network to be shared from drop down menu. Select ‘Local Area Connection 13/4/3’ from the drop down menu.



• Once selected, press ‘Ok’.

• You may close this window.

Let’s proceed to the two methods.

- Method 1 – The easiest and simplest one

Note: This method will not work on Windows RT based devices but, the second method can work on any device with any type of architecture.

You can now create a virtual Wi-Fi hotspot easily in your Windows 8.1 by just a utility which will do the rest.

• You would need to download the free utility by AskVG from this link which we will be using and recommend to use.

• Once downloaded, unzip the file named ’Wi-host’ by opening it in your Windows by double clicking/tapping. You would be showed the contents of the zipped file. Press ‘Extract all’.



• You would be asked to select the extraction folder. Once selected, press ‘Extract’ button.



• Once extracted, open the folder where you extracted the Wi-Host folder. You would be showed another folder named ‘Wi-host’ in it, open it.

• Now, you will see two different folders. Open the folder named ‘Windows 8’.

• You will see a utility named ‘Wi-host’. Select it and copy it your desktop so, that you can access it easily later.

• Once copied to the desktop, right click it or long press it and select ‘Run as administrator’ from the context menu.



• Windows will ask for your permission to let this program make changes to your computer. Grant the permission by pressing ‘Yes’

• Now, your Wi-Host utility will open.



• Here let’s check whether your Wi-Fi adapter support creation of virtual Wi-Fi network or not. Press the ‘Hosted Network Supported?’ button.



• You would be showed a pop-up window where the results would be showed whether the Wi-Fi adapter supports hosted network (virtual hotspot router) or not.

• If the adapter is supported then, you may proceed to the next steps. If not supported, then, you might be disappointed that you may not be able to create a Wi-Fi hotspot router.

• Now, press the ‘Setup Hosted Network’ button. Another tab will open.

• Here type the Network Name called ‘SSID' e.g. javanet but, you can name it anything you like without spaces between words.

• Enter the Wi-Fi password aka key. Once entered, press ‘Start Hosted Network’.



Note: You might be showed that enable Internet Connection Sharing in a pop-up window but, don’t worry we have already enabled it in above steps.



• Press ‘Ok’ and you would be showed that ‘Hosted Network Started’.