Share Wi-Fi from an Android device

The Internet has penetrated almost everywhere, even in small provincial cities, it is not a problem to find free Wi-Fi access points. However, there are still places where progress has not yet been made. You can of course use mobile data, but for a laptop and even more so for a desktop PC, this is not an option. Fortunately, modern Android phones and tablets can distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi. Today we will show you how to enable this feature.

Please note that Internet sharing via Wi-Fi is not available on some firmware versions of Android 7 and higher due to software features and / or restrictions by the cellular operator.

We share Wi-Fi from Android

To distribute the Internet from your phone, you can use various options. Let's start with the apps that provide this option, and then let's look at the standard features.

Method 1: PDANet +

A well-known application to distribute the Internet from mobile devices to users, presented in the Android version. It can also solve the problem of Wi-Fi distribution.

Download PDANet +

1. 1. The application has the options "Wi-Fi Direct Hotspot" y "Wi-Fi Hotspot (FoxFi)" The second option is implemented through a separate app, which doesn't even need PDAN, so if you're interested in it, check out Method 2. The option with "Wi-Fi Direct Hotspot" will be considered in this method.
   2. Download and install the client program on the PC Download PDANet Desktop After installation, run it. After making sure the client is running, proceed to the next step.
   3. Open PDANet + on your phone and check the box next to "Wi-Fi Direct Hotspot" When the access point is powered on, you can see the password and network name (SSID) in the area marked in the screenshot above (note the access point's activity timer, which is limited to 10 minutes) .The option "Change WiFi name / password" will allow you to change the name and password of the point created.
   4. After these manipulations, we return to the computer and the client application. It will collapse to the taskbar and it will look like this, click on it to get a menu. In it, you need to click «Connect WiFi ...» .
   5. The Connection Wizard dialog box appears. Wait until you find the point you created, select this point, enter the password and click «Connect WiFi» .
   6. Wait for the connection to be established. When the window closes automatically, it will indicate that you are connected to the network.

The method is simple and, in addition, it gives a result of almost one hundred percent. Its drawback is the absence of the Russian language both in the main Android application and in the Windows client. In addition, the free version of the application has a connection time limit: when it expires, the Wi-Fi point will have to be recreated.

Method 2: FoxFi

In the past, a component of the PDANet + mentioned above, as indicated by the option "Wi-Fi Hotspot (FoxFi)" , clicking which in PDANet + takes you to the FoxFi download page.

Download FoxFi

1. 1. After installation, launch the application. We change the SSID (or, if you wish, we leave it as is) and configure the password in the options "Network name" y "Password (WPA2)", respectively.
   2. Click on "Activate WiFi access point" After a short period of time, the application will signal a successful opening, and two notifications will appear in the curtain: about the access point mode enabled and one from FoxFay, which will allow you to monitor the traffic.
   3. In the connection manager a network with the previously selected SSID will appear, to which the computer can connect like any other Wi-Fi router How to connect to Wi-Fi from Windows, read below Read more: How to activate Wi-Fi on windows
   4. To turn it off, just go back to the app and turn off wi-fi sharing mode by clicking «Activate WiFi Hotspot» .

This method is terribly simple, and yet it has its drawbacks: this application, like PDANet, has no Russian localization. In addition, some mobile operators do not allow the use of traffic in this way, which can cause the Internet to not work. In addition, FoxFi, as well as PDANet, is characterized by a limit on the time of use of the point.

There are other applications in the Play Store for distributing the Internet via Wi-Fi from the phone, but most of them work on the same principle as FoxFay, using almost identical names of buttons and elements.

Method 3: System Tools

For delivery Internet from your phone, in some cases you may not need to install separate software as this feature is present in the built-in functionality of Android. Please note that the location and name of the options described below may vary for different models and firmware options.

1. 1. Go to "Settings" and look for the option "Modem and access point" in the configuration group network connection .

On other devices, this option can be located along the path "System" - "More" - "Point of to « : "Networks" - "Modem and shared networks" - "WiFi access point" .

1. 1. We are interested in the option « hotspot mobile" . Tap it 1 time.On other devices, it may be referred to as "WiFi access point" , «Create Wi-Fi access point» , etc. See Help and then use the toggle switch.In the warning dialog box, click "Yes" .If you don't have that option, or it's disabled, chances are your android version do not support the ability to share the Internet wirelessly.
   2. The phone will enter mobile Wi-Fi router mode. A notification appears in the status bar.In the access point's control window, you can see a short instruction, as well as get acquainted with the network identifier (SSID) and password to connect to it.
      

      Important note: most phones allow you to change both the SSID and the password and the type of encryption. However, some manufacturers (eg Samsung) do not allow this to be done by standard means. Also note that the default password changes every time you turn on the access point.

   3. The option of connecting a computer to such a mobile hotspot is completely identical to the method with FoxFi. When you no longer need router mode, you can disable internet distribution from your phone by simply moving the slider in the menu "Modem and access point" (or its equivalent on your specific device).

This method can be called optimal for users who, for some reason, cannot or simply do not want to install a separate application on their device. The disadvantages of this option are the operator restrictions mentioned in the FoxFay method.

As you can see, nothing complicated. Finally, a little life hack: don't be too quick to throw away or sell your old Android smartphone or tablet - with one of the methods described above, you can turn it into a portable router.