How to Share Internet Connection in Windows 10 Computer?

Having continuous access to the internet has become a necessity in modern-day life. Consequently, the first thing you check whenever you visit a new place is the availability of a Wi-Fi access point to keep you connected whether on a PC, tablet or smartphone. In some cases, you will only find a wired connection where you can only connect a single PC. Fortunately, whether you are using a cellular, ethernet or wireless connection, Windows 10 allows you to share the internet connection with your other devices.

Related: How to connect PC to TV wirelessly?

In this article, we will discuss the various ways to share internet connections in your Windows 10 computer.

Sharing Internet Connection Using Mobile Hotspot Feature

The simplest and fastest way to share internet connection in Window 10 is by turning PC into a wireless hotspot. Other users will see and select your share network from available Wi-Fi networks and enter the security to connect to start accessing the internet from their devices.

Creating a Wireless Hotspot in Windows 10

• Press the “Win + I” shortcut keys to open the Settings app and then open the “Network & Internet” settings.
• Select “Mobile hotspot” on the left pane, click the arrow to expand the options and pick the network adapter from which you want to share.
• You can also choose between sharing your connection over the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth by checking the appropriate option.
• On the same page, you view and change the network information (name and password).
• Click the “Edit” button and enter a name that the users will use to identify the network under the name field.
• Type a password (at least 8 characters) that the users will use to connect to the hotspot under the password field.

• Once done, click the “Save” button.
• Now, toggle on the switch to enable sharing your internet connections with other devices.

Note: Up to 8 devices can connect to the internet using the shared hotspot the normal way as they would access the internet through a Wi-Fi network.

Setting Up the Windows Internet Connection Sharing Feature

Internet connection sharing is another windows feature that enables you to share your PC’s internet connections with other devices.

• To set up the feature, open the Control Panel and navigate to “Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Centre”.
• On the left pane click the “Change adapter settings” link to configure your connections.

• Right-click your internet connection and go to “Properties”.

• This will open a new network properties pop-up dialogue. Switch to the “Sharing” tab and check the box to allow other users to connect to the internet through your computer.

• You can also tick the second option to give other users control over the shared connection and then click the “Ok” button to save the changes.
• Now you can set up a new network to allow other users to connect to your host computer to access the Internet.
• To do this, click the link to set up a wireless network under the heading “Change your networking settings” on the network and sharing centre.

• Select the “Manually connect to a wireless network” on the resulting wizard and click “Next”.

• Follow the screen instruction to complete the setup. Other users will connect using the name and the security phrase you set for this new network.

Sharing Your Computer’s Internet Connection Using the Hosted Network Feature

Hosted Network is a part of the Windows Network Shell utility that allows you to create a virtual wireless adapter (Virtual Wi-Fi) and a software-based access point on your computer. These two components enable you to share your internet connection with other wireless devices.

• Before configuring this feature, you need to check whether your device wireless adapter supports the Hosted Network feature.
• Search for ‘Cmd’ in the search box, run “Command Prompt (Admin Option)”.
• Type the following command, “NETSH WLAN show drivers” and hit Enter on your keyboard.

• If the status for “Hosted Network supported” is ‘yes’ on the output, you can continue to set up the feature.

Creating a Hosted Network in Windows 10

• Continue on the Command Prompt by typing this command and then press the enter key, “NETSH WLAN set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=[network_name] key=[password]” replacing [network_name] with the name you want to give to the virtual Wi-Fi and [password] with at least 8-character phrase that you will enter on other devices to connect.

• After creating the Hosted Network, type the following command to start it, “NETSH WLAN start hostednetwork” and press Enter.
• If you open the “Advanced adapter settings” in control panel, you will notice a new virtual adapter, “Local Area Connection*[number]”.

Sharing Internet Connection with the Hosted Network

• To share your PC’s internet connection with the newly created virtual Wi-Fi, right-click the adapter with an internet connection (Ethernet or Wireless) and go to connection properties.
• Go to the “Sharing” tab and check the box other users to connect to the internet.
• Expand the “Home networking connection” options and pick the hosted virtual adapter.

• Click the “Ok” button to save the changes.

Wrapping Up

In some situations, you may need to share your PC’s internet connection with your other devices or other users. If you are using Windows 10, you can share your internet connections using one of the options discussed above. This is possible irrespective of whether you are connected to a wireless, ethernet adaptor or booked to a cellular connection.