Hidden WiFi Hotspot

In this episode, Hidden WiFi Hotspot . . .

As many of you know, I'm a MAC user at home and a PC user at work. Recently I read an article from one of my favorite online newsletters, How-To Geek, that caught my eye, How to turn your Windows PC into a WiFi hotspot. You can click the link in the blog post to review the entire article if you like but here is a quick summary.

Did you know, Windows 10 and Windows 11 both have built-in features that can turn your laptop (or desktop) into a wireless hotspot, allowing other devices to connect to it and share your internet connection. Here's how it works.

Thanks to a hidden virtual WiFi adapter feature in Windows, you can create a WiFi hotspot. At the same time, you're connected to another WiFi network or wireless router, sharing one WiFi connection over another.

Why Share Your PC's Internet Connection?

Let's say your phone doesn't get good WiFi or cell reception when you're at your computer, but your PC is connected via an Ethernet cable. If your PC desktop or laptop has built-in WiFi, you can create a WiFi hotspot, then connect your phone, tablet, (or any other wireless device) to that hotspot. Then, your device's wireless traffic is routed back through the Ethernet line, giving you satisfactory performance.

Here’s a little Geek talk for those concerned about network security. WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E use WPA3, which enables encryption on public WiFi networks. But not all networks you'll encounter use those standards yet. If you want to encrypt all of your wireless traffic on a WiFi network, you can fire up a VPN on your PC (probably a laptop), then connect all of your wireless devices to that laptop's hotspot. Then all your internet traffic will be encrypted, and you don't need to worry about whether or not someone is snooping on your online activity.

Another option when you're traveling, circumvent Per-Device Fees. During a hotel stay, on a plane, or anywhere else, many WiFi networks these days have per-device fees. That’s so frustrating. This is another workaround used for the built-in WiFi hotspot functionality. When you arrive sign up for the WiFi plan with one device — your laptop — and create a mobile hotspot. Then connect your other devices to your Windows PC's hotspot.

So, how do Share an Ethernet or WiFi Connection in Windows 11?

Open the Windows Settings app by pressing in combination the Windows key, plus the letter I, or search for "Settings" in the Start Menu.
Once Settings is open, click "Network & Internet," then click the "Mobile Hotspot" arrow to select it from the list.
Turn ON the Mobile hotspot toggle.
Under Network properties you will see the name of your computer's WiFi network and its password.
Click Edit and you can change the name and password if you like.

Sounds easy enough, but let’s face it, as a MAC user changing Widows settings always seems to be a BIG challenge. To view the complete article, click the link in the Blog post or check out the How-To Geek Newsletter; it's free.

I’m Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

The Compass of Cuba: Mom

🎄 Preview of this week's On the Fly blog: A Holiday Tribute to Mom. As the holidays hustle with pixels and beeps, the world scrolls along in a smartphone-y sleep. I log off for a moment—just one little minute— To breathe in the past and to sit myself in it. My mind doesn’t wander to faraway places, Or trips full of tickets and new airport faces. Instead, it drifts backward, as memories do, to Cuba, Illinois, where the best moments grew. To a home full of warmth, in the wintry Midwest, Where my mother—dear “Marcie”—put love to the test. With a smile that could melt the most frigid of dawns, and hugs that hung on you like shivering fawns. She came from La Rochelle in France, brave and bright, Across oceans and war shadows, into new light. A town full of strangers soon felt like her own, And her courage built up the foundation of home. “Oh yes, we know Marcie!” the locals would say— “It's Doc Ball’s French lady! She brightens the day!” She cleaned, and she cooked, and sh...

Feeling Human Again

In this episode, The Unexpected Thankfulness of Feeling Human Again I’ll be honest with you: My triumphant return from France was not the glamorous homecoming I had imagined. No graceful glide back into routine. No cinematic jet-setter moment where I lift my suitcase off the carousel and wink at life like we’re old pals. Instead? I came home and immediately launched into a two-week performance piece titled The Great American Couch Collapse. My days blurred together in a haze of soup, hot tea, tissues, and desperate negotiations with the universe for just one nostril—one!—to function properly. The living room sofa became my emotional support furniture. And any creative idea that dared tiptoe into my congested brain was gently shown the exit with a firm but courteous, “Not today, friend. Try again later.” When life hits the pause button like that—when you’re exhausted, sick, and mentally unplugged—how do you find your spark again? Somehow, today, I felt it. A tiny shift. A clearing of th...

Patience: the Only First-Class Ticket

In this episode, Patience: the Only First-Class Ticket They say travel broadens the mind. After eight days sailing the Rhône with 140 fellow luxury vacationers, I can confirm it also tests patience , calf strength, buffet strategy, and one's tolerance for people furious that France insists on being French. Don't get me wrong—I adored this trip. The river shimmered like liquid optimism. The villages looked hand-painted. The pastries could negotiate world peace. But somewhere between Ship Horn Hello and Bon Voyage, we'd inadvertently boarded a floating behavioral research study disguised as a holiday. Our ship was less a cruise and more a ferry for the Sailors of Status. Some passengers approached relaxation like yogis. Others treated leisure like a final exam with extra credit. I came to believe certain luxury watches emit ultrasonic signals that only their owners can detect. A frequency calibrated to trigger rapid movement toward any line forming for any reason. I saw more ...

Up the Rhône

Up the Rhône by Patrick Ball We booked a fine cruise up the Rhône — what a treat! With iPhones, lanyards, and schedules so neat. They promised us peace and a mind that would mend, But each calm beginning had chores at the end! "Now breakfast at seven! At eight, take the view!" At nine, there's a lecture on ' What Tourists Do!' At noon, there's a tasting (you must love the cheese), Then hurry to nap time — as corporate decrees! I followed that plan till my patience ran dry. The Rhône softly chuckled, "Oh my, oh my, my! You've missed half my sparkles, my ripples, my tone— You're busy pretending you've peacefully grown!" So I fired my planner and banished my clock. I tossed my agenda right off the dock! I let the wind tickle my schedule away, and drifted through hours that danced where they may. I chatted with swans, had no notion of when, I'd nibble, or nap, or go roaming again. No Wi-Fi! No meetings! No planning! No fuss! Just me and ...

On The Fly

Search This Blog