Any computer with a wifi adapter can be configured as a virtual wifi router without the use of third-party programs. But every time you restart your computer, you will have to create the virtual network again.

Let's figure out what is the peculiarity of creating a virtual router using only one operating system, and using special programs.

Creating a virtual router using Windows

Remember that the main requirement when creating a virtual network by means of the operating system is that the client connected devices must work with WPA2-PSK / AES encryption. Otherwise, they will not be able to connect to your virtual router.

Access point creation

To implement a virtual network, you need to open the command line, and on behalf of the administrator run the command - nеtsh wlan set hоstednetwork mode = allоwed ssid = "My Virtuаl Wi-Fi" key = "Password" keyUsаge = persistent

Command values:

• My Virtual Wi-Fi is the name of the wireless network. Think of any so that you can find it in the list of wifi networks.
• Pаssword - password for access to the created network.

Running command

After implementing this command, a network card should appear in your device manager - "Micrоsoft virtual WiFi mini-port adapter", and a wireless network connection should appear in the network connections folder 2.

Virtual router adapter

To start your virtual network, open the command line again and enter this command - nеtsh wlan start hоstednetwork. The network should now work, you can check this by looking for wireless networks on any wifi device. If you want to turn off the virtual router, then in the command line, instead of - start, enter - stop, and the network will stop broadcasting.

Removing an access point

To remove a virtual router from a computer, you need to run the command in the command line as an administrator - nеtsh wlan set hоstednetwork mode = disаllow.

Now the virtual router adapter will disappear from the device manager.

Access to the Internet from a virtual router

Go to the Networking and Sharing Center, then to change the adapter parameters. You should select your Internet connection, go to its properties. There go to the tab - access. Check the box next to the inscription - allow other network users to use the Internet connection of this computer. Specify the connection to which you allow access just below. We have a wireless network connection 2.

Selecting a connection property

We check, connect to the created network, try to go online.

In this version of creating a virtual router, everything is good and fast, but there is one inconvenience - when you restart the computer, all the manipulations described above will have to be performed again. Therefore, in order to avoid this, you can use special software for the implementation of virtual networks. It simplifies setup and does not have to start all over again every time you restart your computer.

Creating a virtual router using the application

On the Internet, you can find a dozen applications that help create virtual networks. But now we will consider one of them, this is mHotspot. A small application that does not require installation, consisting of a single file.

Download the program from the Internet, run the executable file, the following window should appear.

Mhotspot app menu

The Mhotspot application menu has three buttons: "SETUP HOTSPOT", "START", "STOP". First press - SETUP HOTSPOT, this is the access point setting.

Setting up Mhotspot

Now we enter data from the appropriate fields: Hotspot name - write the name of the future virtual network, this name will be displayed during the search for wireless networks. Password -write the password, it will have to be entered to access the virtual network. This measure will protect your network from unauthorized users. We save by pressing the button - Ok. That's it, you can press the Start button, and your virtual router should work.

Setting up the distribution of the Internet

Now we need to configure the distribution of the Internet from an existing connection. Go to: Control Panel - Network and Internet - Network and Sharing Center - Change adapter settings.

Virtual wireless connection

In this window, we are looking for Wireless Network Connection 2. Hover the mouse over it, an inscription should appear - Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter. For convenience, it is possible to rename it to - Virtual WiFi. Now find your internet connection.

There can be several of these connections, because you can use the Internet from a 3G modem or via a provider's cable. Choose exactly the one from which you want to distribute the Internet.

Go to the properties of the selected connection and check the boxes following the example of the picture below.

Internet access

After pressing the button - Ok, you need to reconnect this Internet connection, and the virtual router should distribute the Internet.

When you restart your computer, if you want to distribute the Internet via wifi, just run the application - Mhotspot and click - Start. Now you don't need to enter anything, because the program remembered the data entered earlier. The application can be closed, the virtual router will continue to distribute the Internet.

How to set up a Virtual Wi-Fi connection

Without Wi-Fi technology, the life of most modern people is unthinkable. First of all, it is very convenient: you can use the Internet both at home and at the train station or at the airport, in various institutions and enterprises. Therefore, it is extremely important to understand how this technology works and be able to use it correctly.

What is a virtual router?

A device that forwards information packets between segments (computers) within a network. It is the routers that allow us to use the wireless Internet: computers or other devices that we connect to any network, the router combines into one network, allowing them to simultaneously use the Internet.

A virtual router is a technology that allows you to create a virtual device based on a single network card that performs all the same functions as a real one. At the same time, the device itself does not physically exist: we can say that our computer becomes a router. No need to mess with wires and setup.

Any computer with Windows 7 installed provides this opportunity.
In this case, two ways are possible:

• Use the technology implemented at the kernel level and configure the connection via the command line;
• Use additional software that takes over the configuration task and provides a user-friendly interface;

Having figured out why we need it, we will consider both options in detail.

What are virtual routers for?

Surely you had to distribute Wi-Fi from your phone more than once? For phones with the iOS operating system, it is enough to enable "modem mode" in the settings, enter the network name and password - and you're done! At this moment, your phone becomes a full-fledged Wi-Fi distribution point. Each time you use this function on your phone, you actually create a virtual router, uniting the users connected to you into a single network. The only difference is that it is a little more difficult to do on Windows.

So, the main reasons for using:

• The need to “distribute” Wi-Fi to another person as quickly as possible;
• Saving money due to no need to purchase a router;
• Lack of an electrical outlet nearby for connecting a router;

Installation and configuration

Method 1. We use the technology built into Windows 7.

We need a command line. To call it, press the Win + R key combination:

Run "run" with win + R combination

Enter "cmd" in the window that opens, click OK

Run window in Windows 7

A command prompt window will open. Enter the netsh command and press Enter.
Then we write the following line:

wlan set hostednetwork mode = allow ssid = "name" key = "password" keyUsage = persistent

Here name is the name of the future network, password is the password, respectively. Keep in mind that the password should not only consist of numbers or letters

Press Enter, if everything went well, we see the following:

Don't close the command line! It will still be useful to us.

The network adapter (virtual Wi-Fi) is created, however, let's check. We go to the Control Panel, go to the Network and Sharing Center, and then go to the section "Changing adapter settings"

Among the list of networks, we should see the following:

As you can see, our connection is created, but does not work. Open a command prompt window and write:

wlan start hostednetwork

Then we see a notification that everything is running:

Go to the "Network and Sharing Center". Now our point is working:

Ready! At this stage, the creation of a virtual Wi-Fi router is completed.

Method 2. Using specialized programs.

To configure a virtual Wi-Fi point without resorting to the command line and to be able to manage our network, you can use special programs.

What is the essential difference between this method and the first? It's about functionality. Let's say you wanted to change your network name or password without running to the command line and not wasting time entering some commands there. Or, for example, you want to monitor which computers are connected to you and block them if desired. It is software such as Connectify that provides these capabilities.

You can download this program both from the official website and from any other source. Installation is also as simple as possible and won't cause any problems.

There are only a few obvious fields in the main program window: Name, Password, and Internet to Share. We set the last parameter to automatic, since the program itself will choose the desired connection for distribution.

Click the Start Hotspot button and you're done! In the Clients tab, we see a list of devices connected to us, which we can easily block:

Outcomes

We got acquainted with what virtual routers are and what they are used for, examined the main ways of organizing them on our computer. Which of the ways to use is up to you. In any case, the technology of creating virtual routers is a skill that is extremely useful for any user. In addition, by tackling this topic more seriously, you can learn many more interesting things for yourself.

Let's imagine the following situation: you have a laptop or computer running Windows 10 at home with Internet access (via cable or USB modem), and besides, you have a tablet, smartphone, TV, etc., which would also be nice. it would not be difficult to connect to the Internet, of course, if there was a Wi-Fi router, but what to do when there are a lot of devices, there is no router, but everyone wants the Internet.

There is a way out, you can configure the distribution of the Internet via Wi-Fi directly from a laptop or from a stationary PC (provided there is a discrete or external Wi-Fi adapter in it), i.e. create a virtual access point (Hot Spot), essentially turning your computer into a Wi-Fi router.

All this, of course, can be implemented using the standard Windows tools (), but for most people it will not be so easy to understand all the intricacies of such a setting, therefore, to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi, it would be much more convenient to use the free Switch Virtual Router program, which will help it is easy for every PC user to create and run a virtual access point.

Program setting

• Download the program via a direct link;
• Installation is not required, it is enough to extract files from the archive (for example, using an archiver or);
• Run VirtualRouterPlus.exe;
• Fill in the Network Name (SSID) field - you can come up with any name, in our example "alpinefile";
• Password - set a password, a combination of letters (Latin) and numbers, but, of course, it is better not to enter a password like ours "12345678", think of something more complicated;

• The program is up and running, but that's not all;

• In the left part of the window, click "Change adapter parameters";

• In the window that opens, select the main wireless connection, right-click on it, then "Properties";
• Open the "Access" tab, check the box next to: "Allow other network users to use this computer's connection", then in "Home network connection" select "Local area network connection * 3" (created by Virtual Router Plus, your name may be different ). The order of the above actions is shown in the screenshot;

• That's all, now we can distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi and without a router.

Possible setup problems

If you did everything according to the instructions, the program works correctly, as evidenced by such an icon in the notification area,

but there is no connection, then, with a high degree of probability, it can be argued that the connection is blocked by the firewall installed in the anti-virus program (Dr.Web, for example, does just that). Therefore, do not forget, if necessary, to add the created Internet connection to the exclusions of your antivirus software.

In order to distribute the Internet via wi-fi, you need a router - a special device. But in most cases, especially at home, you don't even have to buy it, but turn any computer into a router. All that is required for this is a computer with a built-in or external wi-fi adapter and a small program Virtual Router Plus - a free virtual router.

Thanks to a virtual router, you can distribute wi-fi to all devices in the immediate vicinity - computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, everything that can receive a signal.

Virtual Router Plus - Free Virtual Router

Virtual Router Plus is a free virtual router in Russian. Thanks to him, any computer with a wi-fi adapter can distribute the Internet to other devices that can receive a wi-fi signal.

Virtual Router Plus is lightweight, easy to use, intuitive, stable, and does not load the system. This is one of the simplest and most intuitive programs for creating a wi-fi point on a computer.

Virtual Router Plus interface

When you run this program, a window will open in front of you. You need to fill in the following data:

• Network name (SSID). Write down what your wi-fi network will be called. I do not recommend using the Cyrillic alphabet.
• Password. Come up with a password to prevent neighbors from stealing your internet.
• Shared connection. Select the Internet connection from the list that you want to distribute through this virtual router. If the required connection is not in the list, then click next to the "Refresh" button.

When all the data is filled in, click on the "Launch Virtual Router Plus" button. When wi-fi starts to be distributed, you will see a message in the system tray. After that, you can try to catch the Internet with a variety of devices.

During its existence, wireless networks (Wireless Local Area Network-WLAN) have gone through many changes that have affected security, range and speed, but the basic principles of operation have remained unchanged.

Wireless networks can operate in two modes: when two or more devices are connected directly to each other - point-to-point, or when they are connected through an access point (Access Point-AP). In the first case, one speaks of a simple network (ad-hoc mode). The use of this operating mode is quite rare and is used mainly for data exchange when it is not possible to use an access point. The second mode, using an access point, is called infrastructure mode and in most cases is used in conjunction with a wireless router that is connected to the Internet. But the use of two modes of operation at the same time on one physical wireless adapter is not provided for by the very concept of Wi-Fi.

In search of new ways to use wireless networks, the concept of virtualization was proposed, which removes certain restrictions on the use of such networks and thereby expands their capabilities. This approach to using wireless adapters has been implemented by several companies with corresponding technology names. At Intel, it's Intel My WiFi, and at Microsoft it's Virtual WiFi.

Virtual Wi-Fi is a software layer that abstracts the wireless network card and creates multiple virtual adapters. Each virtual adapter can be separately configured to connect to different wireless networks, but all of them will use the resources of only one physical wireless adapter.

What can this technology be useful for? For example, creating a personal network (Wireless Personal Area Network - WPAN) in which you can quickly connect a PDA, phone, printer, camera, laptop and other device with a wireless adapter for simple information exchange; use a laptop as a hotspot (Hotspot) to provide Internet access to wireless devices using an Internet connection on the laptop, at least Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 3G or WiMax. Another example could be when the radio signal is not stable enough or does not cover the required distance between the access point and the wireless devices. In this case, a computer or laptop with Virtual Wi-Fi technology can act as a repeater, thereby improving the radio coverage of the wireless network.

In Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2, Virtual WiFi technology was included in the system and implemented at the kernel level, in addition, work was done on a simple implementation of a Software Access Point (SoftAP), while from manufacturers of wireless devices, now you only need to implement SoftAP support in your drivers. In this regard, in the current implementation of Virtual WiFi in Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2, it is possible to create only one virtual adapter that will work only in access point mode, while providing WPA2-PSK-AES encryption.

By the way, support for Virtual WiFi in drivers is a mandatory requirement for certification of wireless adapters for compatibility with Windows 7.

Virtual WiFi is designated as Wireless Hosted Network, in Russian designation as a Hosted Network. In connection with the introduction of Virtual WiFi into new operating systems from Microsoft, new commands have been included in the network shell to control the distributed network. Here are some of them:

• netsh wlan set hostednetwork allowed | disallowed - Allow or deny use of the network.
• netsh wlan set hostednetwork<идентификатор_SSID> <парольная_фраза>persistent | temporary - Configure network parameters, where SSID is the SSID of the network; Key- User security key used by the network; keyUsage specifies the security key to be permanent or temporary
• netsh wlan show settings - Shows the network property and its state.
• netsh wlan show hostednetwork settings = security - Displays the security settings of the hosted network. (Shows, including the password specified in the key when configuring netsh wlan set hostednetwork)
• netsh wlan start hostednetwork - Start hostednetwork.
• netsh wlan stop hostednetwork - Stop hosted network.

How it looks like setting up Virtual Wi-Fi in practice: we need a laptop or a regular personal computer with wireless devices, Windows 7 and a driver that supports Virtual WiFi.

If the above criteria are met, then we call the command line, with administrator rights and execute the following command in it:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode = allow ssid = "MS Virtual Wi-Fi" key = "Pass for virtual wifi" keyUsage = persistent

In this example, "MS Virtual Wi-Fi" is the name of the wireless network, "Pass for virtual wifi" is the password for accessing this network. You can set these values ​​as you like.

After executing this command, the system will find new hardware and a new network adapter will appear in the device manager, or rather a virtual one - Microsoft Virtual WiFi miniport adapter. But again, this virtual adapter will appear only if our wireless adapter driver has support for Virtual WiFi.

Going to Control Panel - Network and Sharing Center - changing adapter parameters, we will see a new Wireless Network Connection 2 connection, which will show the status - no connection. Therefore, the next step will be to launch the network. To do this, you need to run the command in the command line running with administrator rights:

netsh wlan start hostednetwork.

After that, the network will start and the SoftAP (SoftAP) will work. You can verify this by going to Control Panel - Network and Sharing Center. Since we are using a Wi-Fi internet connection, we found that Windows 7 is connected to multiple wireless networks at the same time. Now other wireless devices can connect to our hotspot.

If we want to provide access to the Internet to other wireless devices that are connected to our software access point, that is, to organize a Hotspot, then we need to go to the Control Panel tab - Network and Sharing Center - change adapter parameters and connection properties , which is connected to the Internet (in our case, this is a Wi-Fi connection, but it can be anything: ethernet, 3G, WiMax, etc.). On the access tab, check the box Allow other network users to use the Internet connection of this computer, and in the Home network connection specify which network adapter to provide (share) the Internet to, in our case, it will be Wireless Network Connection 2, which refers to virtual wireless adapter.

From the client's side, you can see several wireless networks, and when connecting to our organized access point, the client will automatically receive an IP address from the internal DHCP server and will be separated from the external network by NAT (Network address translation).

The convenience of using Virtual Wi-Fi is obvious, but using the command line to configure and launch a network (and you need to start a mixed network every time you restart your computer with administrator rights) is not very convenient. Unfortunately, there is no built-in graphical shell for configuring Virtual WiFi. Therefore, it is not surprising that third-party utilities appear that perform the function of this very shell. Now there are several such utilities - Connectify and Virtual Router Manager. Their configuration is minimized - you need to specify the SSID and password for access. They are loaded with the system and immediately provide the inclusion of a distributed network and are able to display all connections to our distributed network.

Connectify