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

Truth for Sale

This episode is inspired by Elton John & Bernie Taupin On Memorial Day, I took my first bike ride since the accident , seeking proof that my legs, lungs, and nerves still remembered the road. The morning air carried that familiar Southern California mix of ocean haze, exhaust, eucalyptus, and sun-baked asphalt. My tires hummed across pavement I’ve ridden for years. Somewhere between the steady click of the chain and the rhythm of my breathing, Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s The Captain and the Kid found its way into my ears. There’s a strange kind of magic when the cadence of a ride syncs perfectly with a song you know by heart. Suddenly, the music and lyrics stop being background noise and become a lens. And through that lens, the road started talking. I've been cycling on this road some, Can't help feeling I've been showing my friends around. I've seen it grow from next to nothing, To a giant eatin’ up our town. Called up the tealeaves and the tarots, Asked the...

Epictetus, Ego, and Acronyms

In this episode, Destroy Communication, One Three-Letter Acronym at a Time This week, I want to explore a deeply relatable, universally feared workplace character: the "know-it-all." Now, I’m not pointing fingers here. If we are being completely honest, we have all played this role. We've all uttered some version of, "Yes, absolutely, that aligns with our strategic objectives," while our internal monologue is screaming, "I don't even know what the objective is, let alone the strategy." What got me thinking about this was a chapter in Ryan Holiday's book, Wisdom Takes Work . Holiday leans on a powerful piece of Stoic truth from the ancient philosopher Epictetus: "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows." It's a brilliant quote that strikes right at the heart of the human ego. You can't learn what you already know, and you certainly can't learn what you pretend to know to save face. Though to be ...

Breaking the Script

In this episode, The Art of the Short-Circuit. We spend a surprising amount of our lives on conversational autopilot. You see it everywhere. At the hardware store. At the post office. In office hallways, where two people can exchange greetings, discuss the weather, and continue on their way without either one actually hearing what the other said. "How are you?” "Good. You?” “Busy." “Yep." It's less of a conversation and more of a system check. Most of us aren't being rude. We're just moving fast. We have emails to answer, meetings to attend, errands to run, and a hundred other things competing for our attention. Before long, our interactions become little more than verbal lane markers helping us navigate the day. I like to break the script. When I run into someone, instead of the usual greetings, I'll ask: "What's the good word?” The reaction is almost always worth it. You can practically see the gears stop turning. People pause. They blink....

The Yellow Legal Pad

In this episode, the Art of Refiring July 1st is staring me in the face, less than two weeks away. For years, retirement seemed like something that happened to other people. Suddenly, it's on my calendar. I've been thinking a lot about the dreaded "R-word" lately. Not because I'm worried about having enough to do. Quite the opposite. What fascinates me is this strange paradox: Why does retirement make so many of us nervous, while having a job—even one that regularly drives us crazy—somehow feels comforting? Let's be honest. Most of us spend years complaining about meetings that should have been emails, reply-all disasters, impossible deadlines, and that one coworker who insists on microwaving leftover fish in the breakroom. Yet when the idea of walking away finally arrives, we hesitate. I think I've figured out why. A career isn't just a job. It's a highly structured coping mechanism. For forty-plus years, somebody else has basically decided what I...

On The Fly

Search This Blog