Turn Your Laptop/PC Into A Wi-Fi Router For Free Internet

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1. Today I am going to tell you a nice trick to make your laptop as Wi-Fi hot spot or router. Suppose you have a iPhone or Android or may Symbian having Wi-Fi and you want to use internet via Wi-Fi in your phone.Or may be you internet package in your mobile just Run out but still you want to use internet on your phone.Then this trick sure help you.We know that wi fi is great to sharing internet.And you can share you internet via Wi-Fi from laptop to android or iPhone or may Symbian or nay high end phone having Wi-Fi. I have seen many post where people make their laptop Wi-Fi router or hot spot using ad hoc method.But in this method you can only share your internet to another PC not phone.As when you will try to search the Wi-Fi network you will get that no network found. So this method not useful.Then what to do ? just follow the step.

FAQ/Acronym
What is SSID?
SSID – Service Set Identifier: An SSID is the name of a wireless local area network (WLAN). All wireless devices on a WLAN must employ the same SSID in order to communicate with each other.
Which Operating System supports Connectify?
Only Windows 7.
For Windows XP Users: read here instead.
For Windows Vista Users: read here or here instead.
Unable to connect to device despite Connectify showing “Status: Running <SSID>”.
Wait for 5mins and re-attempt to connect with your device, if issue persists, Restart Hotspot (Click “Stop Hotspot” then “Start Hotspot”) again.
Can i assigned a different IP address instead of the automatically given address?
Yes. on Windows 7 > Type: Network and Sharing Center > Change Adapter Settings > locate adapter: Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter (Usually Wireless Network Connection 2) > Right click it, Properties > Select Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IPv4) > Click Properties > Change both the IP Address and DNS Primary Address accordingly
Device does not support WPA2-PSK encryption type.
Stop Hotspot, Refer to fig.12 above, select “Always Show Ad Hoc Settings” -> on Mode: select the encryption type that your device supports (eg. Access Point WPA2-PSK, Ad-Hoc Open or Ad-Hoc WEP).
Encryption Types:
Access Point, WPA2-PSK: Requires 8 to 63 character Password. (Recommended settings)
Ad-Hoc, Open: open network, no security – use with caution.
Ad-Hoc, WEP: Requires 5, 10 or 26 character Password.

Method 1: Using Connectify

Main Site: http://www.connectify.me/
Download here: Connectify v2.2
Note: Connectify is only meant for Windows 7 Computers.
Things required:
A Windows 7 Computer
Wireless Network Adapter
Gigabit/Ethernet Network Controller
Internet Connection
Connectify v2.2.exe
My Setup:
Windows 7 x64 Professional Computer
Atheros AR5b93 Wireless Network Adapter
Atheros AR8151 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Here we go…
Part 1 - installation

First, download Connectify as stated from aboveFig.01: Double click on ConnectifyInstaller.exe
Fig.02: Click “I Agree” on the License Agreement
Fig.03: Uncheck “Install TuneUp for iTunes” and Click “Install”

Fig.04: Let the installation run…

Fig.05: Uncheck “Show Readme” and click “Finish”

Part 2 - Setting Up Connectify Wizard

Fig.06: Connectify Hotspot Setup Wizard will start and click on “Next”

Fig.07: Provide a wireless name (SSID) for your hotspot connection, for testing purposes we will name “HWZ” as the SSID – click “Next” once you are done with the naming.


Fig.08: Provide a password for your hotspot connection, for testing purposes we will set “hardwarezone” as the password – click “Next” once you are done with the password.


Fig.09: If you are currently connected to the Internet via Local Area Connection, select Local Area Connection else, Wireless Network Connection


Fig.10: Click “Finish” and wait approximately 3-5mins for your PC to get things configured.

Fig.11: Up and running (locate this via the bottom right of your taskbar – a.k.a System Tray)

Fig.12: For more Advance options, right click on Connectify icon > Options > Show All Settings & Always Show Ad Hoc Mode

Set up your device to connect to:
SSID: Yournamehere
Password: Yournamehere

Connected Device:
 

Watch the video tutorial below…

Method 2: Using MaryFi

MaryFi is a free and easy to use software router for Windows 7 computers. With Maryfi, users can wirelessly share any Internet connection: a cable modem, a cellular card, or even another Wi-Fi network. Other Wi-Fi enabled devices including laptops, smart phones, music players, and gaming systems can see and join your Maryfi hotspot just like any other Wi-Fi access point and are kept safe and secure by password-protected WPA2 Encryption.
MaryFi is a software router for Windows 7 computers which is meant to turn your PC into a Wi-Fi hotspot so that you can easily share your Internet connection originating from a cable modem, a cellular card, or even another Wi-Fi network. It provides many additional options which compliment the Wi-Fi connection sharing process. For example, unlike MHotSpot, MaryFi enables setting a custom username and password for your Wi-Fi hotspot, and provides a how to use guide (in PDF format). With this easy to use application, you can share your wireless internet connection with laptops, smart phones, music players, and even gaming systems. MaryFi works with both secure and unprotected wireless networks.
To make your computer a wireless hotspot, go to your wireless connection properties by right clicking on it and selecting Status –> Properties –> Sharing (tab). Once done, click check “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection” and select your wireless internet connection from the list. Click OK for the changes to take effect.

How To Use MaryFi

Before Installing MaryFi

Before downloading Maryfi to your Windows 7 computer, you need to download and install Microsoft Virtual Wi-Fi Miniport Adapter. This is an important update to your Windows 7 laptop to run your computer in the Access Point mode. Besides it gives your computer the ability to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot, and run Maryfi and start your own Wi-Fi hotspot, this means that your computer acts as a Wi-Fi client and Wi-Fi hotspot at the same time.
You can download this update from Microsoft website, or from Maryfi website.

Maryfi Interface

Setup Maryfi hotspot before starting

After downloading and installing Maryfi to your Windows 7 computer, you need to make some configurations to your new Access point and your Internet connection you want to share.
By default Wi-Fi Name (SSID) is Maryfi and password is12345678 (you can view the password by clicking on View button), you may change these settings by simply entering the new values into the relevant textboxes and when clicking start hotspot/stop hotspot new settings will be saved.
Maryfi software enables you to make a virtual Wi-Fi that others can get connected to and get access to Shared Folders (Offline Mode), and to enable Internet Connection Sharing to the Users of your hotspot you need to do some modifications to your Internet connection whether it’s a DSL Connection, 3G Mobile Internet or even another Wi-Fi network.
To Enable Connection Sharing click on the View Network Connections to Setup Internet Sharing button in the Maryfi Interface.

A window will come up. This window displays every connection you have in your computer (3G Mobile, Local Area Connection, Wireless Network Connection and your new Wireless Network Connection provided by Maryfi (Maryfi Connection)…etc..

If you are thinking of sharing your Mobile Internet connection (Mobile Broadband Connection 3 for example, seen in the previous window), right click on its icon and choose properties.

The mobile connection properties window is coming up. Move to Sharing Tab in the top.

Check Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection  (Yellow highlighting) and then click on select a private network connection (Blue highlighting) to choose Maryfi Connection.

After that click on Settings button to choose services you want to share.

Check any service you like to share and then click ok button to close advanced settings Window, and on Ok button again to close the parent window (Mobile Internet Connection Properties).
After finishing of connection sharing your Network Connections should look like this one.

Starting Maryfi Hotspot

If we look to Notifications Tray before starting our hotspot we’ll see wireless icon points to every wireless connections you have.

By clicking on this icon you get this if you are connecting to internet using your mobile 3G connection.

Now to start your Hotspot, just click on Start Hotspot button.

Wait a few seconds and you’ll see Maryfi status changed to On

If you take another look to your wireless icon you’ll see two connections, one your mobile connection and the other is your Maryfi connection, and the best of all there are two connections have access to the internet.

Now let your friends enjoy your internet. All you have to do is to provide them with the password to get connected to your hotspot.