It just so happened that at work, in order to get full-fledged Internet without restrictions, I have to use a netbook and a 3G modem. Recently, having purchased iPod Touch, I really wanted to connect it to the Internet. If a smartphone could still get online on its own, it was a little more difficult with a player.

One option is to connect using a sync cable. The option is not very convenient, since there is absolutely no desire to carry a cable with you all the time, and you don’t want to install iTunes either. The second option, the one described in this article, is connecting via WiFi. Already on Habrahabr, but for Linux. Our task is to configure the same thing for Windows.

So what do we have

- Netbook, ASUS 1215B
- Internet via USB 3g modem
- Player and smartphone with WiFi

Task

- Get internet on all devices

Solution

Before you start, many people advise updating the WiFi card driver on your computer. Personally, I didn’t do this, but everyone decides for themselves.

Methods

- You can use graphical utilities such as Connectify and Virtual Router. They work, they even work well, but they eat up resources. Some people complained that they were eating up resources too much.

You can do everything yourself via the console using netsh. This is exactly the method I chose. All actions must be performed on behalf of the Administrator.

Creating a network

First of all, you need to create a wireless network using the following command
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid="MyHomeInternet" key="pass12345678" keyUsage=persistent
where MyHomeInternet is the network name (ssid), pass12345678 is the login password.

The success of the command will look something like this:
Hosted network mode is enabled in the service wireless network. The hosted network SSID has been successfully changed. The hosted network user key passphrase was successfully changed.
Now you can go to Control Panel \ \ . I call it "Wireless" network connection 2".

Connection management

Since the connection is in the “No connection” status, we need to enable it. To do this, run the command:
After receiving the phrase Hosted network is running, the network will be launched and we will see your network connection in the list of connections. In our example, this is MyHomeInternet.

To stop the network, you need to use the command:
netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

Connecting the Internet

The WiFi network has been created and you can even connect to it, but the Internet will most likely be absent. In order to correct this misunderstanding, it is necessary:
- go to Control Panel \ Network Control Center and shared access \ Change adapter settings;
- go to the properties of the connection through which you go online(for me this is Internet MTS);
- tab Access;
- check the box next to " Allow other network users to use the Internet connection of this computer " and select our created network from the list - “Wireless network connection 2”;
- click OK;
- disable and enable 3g connection; (ideally restart your computer)
- disable and enable WiFi network.

What happened

Ideally, after these steps, the laptop will turn into a small WiFi point. To do this, take the iPod, turn on WiFi and see our created MyHomeInternet network. Enter the password and connect. There is Internet.

Restrictions

- first of all it will be necessary after each Windows startup start the network using the command netsh wlan start hostednetwork. This can be solved by writing a small script and sending it to startup. Another option is to create a shortcut on your desktop and launch the network only when necessary.
- OS must be Windows 7.
- the connected device must support WPA2-PSK/AES

Problems

Network is not created

- update the driver wireless adapter to a newer one
- run the console as administrator

The network has been created, but does not start

- perhaps restarting the computer and starting the network as administrator will help

The network has been created and started, but it is impossible to connect to it

- check password
- manually specify network settings in the properties of TCP/IP connections on the “server” and client. For example, for the server: ip - 192.168.137.1, mask - 255.255.255.0 and for the client: ip - 192.168.137.2, mask - 255.255.255.0, gateway - 192.168.137.1, dns - 192.168.137.1

Connected to the network, but can’t access the Internet

- make sure that you have shared it (see the item “Connecting the Internet”)
- try to go the wrong way domain name, but by IP address. If it does, then it’s time to think about adding a DNS server to the client and/or server settings.

Bottom line

As you can see, solve this simple task possible without using third-party software. Nevertheless, sometimes it happens that you can’t do without it. In my case, there were problems with DNS and even by specifying the Google Public Domain server in the TCP/IP settings, I could not do anything. Therefore, I had to resort to using the BIND package and setting it to 127.0.0.1. It’s just as easy to set up, but more on that in the next mini-article.

I think many of my readers have encountered a situation when there was an urgent need to distribute the Internet from their laptop to other gadgets, or to create a permanent local network WiFi, but there was no WiFi Router available. There is specialized software for these tasks, for example, Connectify.

However, using such software may not always be a good idea. For example, if the need for distribution is an isolated case, then installing a separate program for these purposes may not be practical. Moreover, the same Connectify has the unpleasant property of significantly slowing down the system and, in some cases, causing various failures. And its free version blocks VPN connection forwarding and has a number of other restrictions, which may also come as an unpleasant surprise for you.

Therefore, in this article we will talk about how to set up a virtual point WiFi access in infrastructure mode without using third-party tools and tools.

Starting with Windows 7 included operating system Virtual WiFi technology was enabled at the kernel level. This means that if your network card supports Software Access Point (SoftAP), you can create one virtual adapter that will operate in access point mode, while providing encryption over WPA2-PSK/AES.

Configuring Hosted Network Settings

To configure settings hosted network You need to start a command prompt with administrator rights and run the following command:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid="Network_name" key="Network_Password" keyUsage=persistent

After executing this command, the operating system will install new hardware and a new virtual network adapter may appear in Device Manager - AMicrosoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter (Microsoft Virtual WiFi miniport adapter)

Note 1: For some new Intel network adapters, additional hardware may not appear in Device Manager. However, Virtual WiFi will still work.

Also in Network and Sharing Center In chapter Change adapter settings, a new connection will appear Wireless network connection 2

Note 2: In case of use In Windows 8.1, in the Network and Sharing Center, a new connection appears only after the hosted network is launched.

Launching a Hosted Network

To start a hosted network, you need to start a command prompt with administrator rights and run the following command:

netsh wlan start hostednetwork

Note 3: The command to configure hosted network settings needs to be run only once for an individual computer, and the command to start hosted network needs to be run each time there is a need to work with a virtual access point.

Stopping a hosted network

To stop the hosted network, you need to start a command prompt with administrator rights and run the following command:

netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

Note 4: When you turn off your computer, the virtual access point is also turned off, and after turning it back on, it will not automatically start. How to ensure automation of a virtual network, see the section Automate the launch of a hosted network.

Note 5: When the user logs out, the virtual access point will continue to work. To stop it, you need to run the appropriate command or restart the computer.

Setting up Internet sharing

To configure shared access to the Internet, you need to go to the tab in the properties of the network adapter that is connected to the Network. Access (Sharing), check the box next to the “Allow other network users to connect thougt this computer’s Internet connection” option and select the virtual network adapter from the drop-down list.

Automate the launch of a hosted network

To automate the launch of a hosted network, we will use the Task Scheduler. To create a new task, you must Task Scheduler Library go to the appropriate folder with your tasks (or create a new folder and then go to it) and on the panel Actions select item Create a task.

Note 6: To launch the scheduler in Windows 8.1, open the Home screen, type in search Schedule tasks, and open the corresponding application.

In the window that opens, you must enter the name of the task, as well as specify other parameters, as shown in the screenshot:

On the Triggers tab, you must specify the conditions for starting the task. Let's create a trigger that starts the task 3 minutes after logging in. For this on the list Start task choose When you log in, and specify other parameters in accordance with the screenshot:

Note 7: I recommend setting the task execution delay so as not to aggravate the problem of slow response of the operating system during autostart of programs and services when logging into the system. It is advisable to select the startup delay time based on the computer configuration, as well as the overall loading of the OS by programs from autorun.

Note 8: If you use Hibernation, then in addition to the login trigger, you need to create another trigger, indicating Start task When the workstation is unlocked.

On the Actions tab, you need to configure the launch of a WiFi virtual network. To do this, press the button Create, and enter the launch command parameters: Action: Starting the program; Program: netsh; Arguments: wlan start hostednetwork.

On the Conditions tab, you can allow a task to run only if the computer is connected to a specified network, or any network at all.

Once the task is created, you must enter a password account, on behalf of which it will be launched.

If you did everything correctly, now after each restart Windows virtual The WiFi network will start automatically.

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Currently, wireless networks are becoming increasingly widespread: they work at train stations, airports, and enterprises, and for many users at home. In Windows 7, an option appeared called “virtual WiFi” - a software layer that creates a wireless network installed on the computer network card several virtual adapters. But first, a little theory.

Wireless networks can operate in two modes

The devices are connected directly to each other. It turns out simple network(ad-hoc mode). This mode is called "point-to-point". This mode is used quite rarely and mainly for data exchange in cases where it is not possible to use an access point.

Devices are connected via an access point (Access Point-AP). This mode is called Infrastructure Mode and is usually used in conjunction with a wireless router connected to the Internet.

It should be noted that the simultaneous use of two modes of wireless network operation on one physical wireless adapter is not provided for by the WiFi concept itself, and this is where the virtualization technology used in Windows 7, which expands the capabilities of adapters, comes to the rescue.

What is Virtual WiFi technology

Without going into technical details: in Windows 7, one physical wireless adapter can be turned into several virtual ones, and - attention! - Each of these virtual adapters can be configured to connect to different wireless networks.

What is it for

Hmm... The question is, of course, interesting.p Example one: the radio signal from an existing access point does not cover the required distance between it and wireless devices. In this case, a computer or laptop with Virtual WiFi can act as a repeater (repeater), expanding the coverage area of ​​the wireless network.

Example two: creating a personal network (Wireless Personal Area Network), to which you can very quickly connect a phone, camera, printer, laptop or any other device with a wireless adapter for simple information exchange.

Example three: an existing wireless network with static IP addresses of devices, but sometimes you need to quickly connect new devices, without any adjustments or adjustments (this can be done if the mode for allocating dynamic IP addresses was enabled. But alas) .

How Virtual WiFi is implemented in Windows 7

By the way: Virtual WiFi technology is included not only in Windows 7, but also in Windows 2008 R2.p Virtual WiFi is implemented in the operating system at the kernel level and allows for a very simple implementation of a software access point (SoftAP), while only requiring wireless adapter manufacturers to one thing is to implement SoftAP support in your drivers (many, by the way, have already done this). So far - in the current implementation - Virtual WiFi has the following limitations: it is allowed to create only one virtual adapter, operating only in access point mode and only with WPA2-PSK/AES encryption. By the way, Virtual WiFi technology allows you to connect up to 100 clients to an access point versus 8 clients in the corporation promoted Intel technology My WiFi.

Installing, enabling and configuring Virtual WiFi

Testing the operation of Virtual WiFi - installing, turning on and configuring a wireless network - was carried out on ASUS netbook eeePC 1000H with built-in Ralink WiFi adapter.

So, first you have to play around a little - call the command prompt with administrator rights and enter the following command:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid="MS Virtual WiFi" key="softodrom" keyUsage=persistent

“MS Virtual WiFi” here is the name (SSID) of the virtual network being created, and “softodrom” is the password for accessing the network. Of course, both of these parameters can be changed at your own discretion.

The last parameter - keyUsage=persistent - determines that the password will be saved and will not have to be specified every time you need to start virtual network.

After running this command, the system will detect the new hardware and a new network adapter will appear in Device Manager called "Microsoft Virtual WiFi miniport adapter".

As a clarification: naturally, a virtual adapter will appear in Device Manager only if the driver of the wireless adapter you have installed supports Virtual WiFi technology.

To be more reliable, let's look at Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center -> Change adapter settings:

As you can see, a new connection “Wireless network connection 2” has appeared here with the status “No connection” (it is already there in the picture. More on that below).

Let's move on to launching the network. In a command prompt running with administrator rights, run the following command:

After this, a) the network will start (Microsoft called it “Hosted Network”) and b) the software access point will work, which you can verify by going to Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center.

As we can see, the computer is connected to several wireless networks simultaneously, and now other wireless devices can connect to our newly created software access point.

To provide Internet access to other wireless devices that will connect to our software access point, go to the Control Panel tab -> Network and Sharing Center -> Change adapter settings and in the properties of the adapter through which the computer - in our case eeePC netbook - gets access to the Internet (we have a WiFi connection, but it can be any of the available ones - Ethernet, WiMax, 3G, etc.) in the "access" tab, check the box "Allow other network users to use the Internet connection this computer."

In addition, in "Connection" home network"you need to specify which network adapter - in our case it is "Wireless network connection 2" - Internet must be provided.

Finally, about the client. From the client side, several wireless networks will be visible, and when connecting to an organized access point (previously we assigned it SSID = MS Virtual WiFi), the client will automatically receive an IP address from the internal DHCP server, gain access to the Internet and at the same time be separated from the external NAT (Network Address Translation) networks.

The clients used in the test were a laptop and mobile phone WiFi enabled; in both cases, accessing the Internet via a virtual WiFi network did not cause any difficulties.

Simplifying virtual WiFi network management

Despite the obvious advantages of Virtual WiFi, using the command line to configure and start a network for Windows users who are accustomed to pressing buttons is not convenient and familiar, especially since they will have to start the network every time after rebooting the computer, as well as waking it up from sleep or standby mode.

Built-in GUI for Virtual WiFi in the operating system, alas, no, but to the rescue, as always, similar cases, third-party developers came and released graphical shells for Virtual WiFi - Connectify and . We recommend the second one, and not for any reason software benefits, but simply because in order to download Connectify, you will first have to register on its developer’s website, and Virtual Router Manager does not require this.

The principle of using both utilities is very simple: in the appropriate fields you need to specify the network SSID and password for access and click on the Start button, after which the program will load along with the startup of the operating system, ensuring the launch of the virtual network. In addition, both utilities, Connectify and Virtual Router Manager, show current connections to the virtual network.

Commands for Managing a Hosted Network

Finally for connoisseurs command line- new commands for managing a hosted network introduced in Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork allowed/disallowed

Allow or deny network use

netsh wlan set hostednetwork<идентификатор_SSID>
<парольная_фраза>persistent/temporary

Configuring network parameters, where SSID is the SSID of the network; key - security key (password) used by the network; keyUsage - indicates whether the security key is permanent or temporary

netsh wlan show settings

Shows network properties and status

netsh wlan show hostednetwork settings=security

Displays the security settings of the hosted network, including the password specified in key when configuring netsh wlan set hostednetwork

netsh wlan start hostednetwork

Launch a hosted network

netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

Stop the hosted network.

In Settings → Network and Internet → Mobile hotspot you can distribute:

• any types of connections in Windows 10 1607 and later
• only mobile connections in Windows 10 1511

Instructions below for distributing any type of connection in Windows 10 1511 and previous operating systems up to Windows 7, which introduced this feature.

Step 1/2 - Create a Hosted Network

On the command line
Check the possibility of creating a network

Netsh wlan show drivers

If it says “Hosted Network Support: Yes,” continue. Otherwise, your only chance is to update the network card driver (it may not support this function at all).

Netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=MyNetwork key=mypassword

Enter your ssid and key (password).

Start the network

Netsh wlan start hostednetwork

In GUI
Third party free utility

Result
This creates a Wi-Fi hotspot that other devices can connect to. This is where some instructions on the Internet end, without saying that they will without internet access(It says so in the Network Control Center).

Step 2/2 — Setting up Internet access

Open Network and Sharing Center → Change adapter settings. In table mode, more information is visible.

Right-click on the network adapter connected to the Internet → Properties → Access

Select the created connection from the list and allow it access

Underwater rocks

No internet access after step 2/2

1. Restart the adapter in Network Sharing Center or Device Manager.
2. Restart Windows.

In step 1/2, when starting the network, a message appears:

The hosted network failed to start. Group or resource not found
in the right condition to perform the required

The main reason is that the Microsoft Hosted Network Virtual Adapter is disabled in Device Manager. Turn it on.

Network disappears after reboot
Add a task to the scheduler with the commands from step 1/2. It will run when any user logs in, but will only work for administrative accounts (you need full rights to start the network). Run as administrator:

Schtasks.exe /Create /RL Highest /TN StartHostedNetwork /SC onlogon /TR "cmd /c netsh wlan start hostednetwork & netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=MyNetwork key=mypassword"

In situations where Internet access is needed for many devices, but there is no router, you can use a computer or laptop that has a WiFi adapter. Each computer equipped with such a device can act as a resource for distributing wireless internet. Set up your PC or laptop and it will become an access point for all devices within its service area. To do this, the network adapter must support Microsoft virtual WiFi miniport adapter – the ability to create a virtual adapter.

Starting from OS version 7, the Microsoft virtual WiFi miniport adapter driver is built into the kernel. In Windows 10 it is called "Microsoft Hosted Network Virtual Adapter". All laptops since 2008 include a Wi-Fi module that is capable of performing virtual functionality and automatically acting as a wireless network source. However, sometimes there are situations when something goes wrong and this whole scheme does not work.

How to check the operation of the Microsoft virtual WiFi miniport adapter?

About the launch of the distribution wireless communication from your laptop, you can read it here. If all actions are completed successfully, the Microsoft virtual WiFi miniport adapter for version 7 will appear in the task manager.

In Windows 10, to see virtual hardware, you must do the following:

1. Right-click (RMB) on the Start button and select options.
   
2. Go to the “Network and Internet” section.
   
   
3. Click Adapter Settings.
   
   
4. And then right-click on your new network, which you distribute from a PC or laptop.
   
   
5. In the window that opens, you will see the name of the adapter and all its characteristics.
   
6. Pay attention to the number of components. The devices for them can be seen in the device manager.
   
   
   Here you can remove the adapter by clicking on the “Delete” button.

Where to download and how to install

If the Microsoft virtual WiFi miniport adapter is missing and the distribution does not work, you can download the driver. There are many resources online that offer this software, but it can be dangerous. We remind you that the driver is present in the kernel and is not supplied separately by the official developer. Therefore, if you downloaded it somewhere, then this is a “non-native” Microsoft development and it is unknown what consequences its installation will lead to.

Most the best option for Windows – download updates. In this case, all outdated and deleted drivers should be updated automatically.

If this doesn't help, manually update your network adapter driver. To do this, launch Device Manager. Click RMB on the desired equipment in the " Network adapters" Choose automatic update.

You can also download a new driver from the manufacturer's website. For example, for a Lenovo laptop, go to https://support.lenovo.com/ru/ru/ and enter your model number.


Go to the Drivers and Software».


And search necessary devices. Available drivers that can be downloaded will be displayed here. After this, all you have to do is run the downloaded file and follow the instructions.

How to remove Microsoft virtual WiFi miniport adapter?

In some cases, wars arise between the virtual WiFi adapter and the real one network equipment. Then neither one nor the other works normally and access to wireless communication is difficult. Neither rebooting nor disabling virtual distribution will help here.

To remove an adapter using the command line, open it and type netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=disallow. This will make the virtual network inactive and the adapter will be removed.

In the network management section, you can see that the network has disappeared, and with it the Microsoft virtual WiFi miniport adapter has disappeared.