Updated: March 2, 2023 Home » Freeware and Software Reviews » Wireless WiFi Optimization & Network
How to create a free Home WiFi Wireless Hotspot With Login Page? I wrote about Connectify, the free Virtual Router for Windows 7 and 10. For your information, Connectify is a simple application that enables you to share your internet connection via a ‘Virtual Wifi’ feature hidden in Windows 7.
Nobody knows why this feature is not enabled in Windows 7, it could have been a huge selling point, they must have their own reason or this ‘hotspot’ feature is meant for Service Pack 1. Virtual routers can be used to limit the bandwidth or quota when you are sharing the internet among friends at home, in a hostel or if you own a restaurant, budget hotel, schools, especially those renting rooms via AirBnB and more.
↓ 01 – mHotspot | Free | Windows | Android | Linux Ubuntu
mHotspot is a completely free software which converts your windows 7 & 8 laptop into a virtual wifi router and creates a secure wifi hotspot.
You can share a single internet connection(LAN, Ethernet, Data-Card, 3G/4G, Wifi) for multiple devices like Laptops, iPhones, Android phones, PDAs, iPads etc. No router or external hardware is required apart from your existing one. Features :
- Connect upto 10 devices to the hotspot
- You can set your own hotspot name without any restrictions
- Share any type of Internet Connection(LAN, Ethernet,3G/4G,Wifi etc)
- Android phones, ipads, PDAs, tablet-pcs and other devices can access
- See the details of the connected device(Name, Ip Address, Mac Address)
- See the network usage(Upload and Download Speed, Transfer Rates)
- Secures your wireless hotspot with WPA2 PSK password security
- Set max. number of devices that can be connected (upto 10 devices)
- Extends your Wifi range(Acts as a repeater)
↓ 02 – Maryfi | Free | Windows
Maryfi is a free and easy to use virtual router software creator for Windows 7 , 8 and 8.1 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 works in case you are using proxy or even vpn connection.
You can connect any WI-FI enabled device to MaryFi connection. this includes but not limited to: Smart phones, Android, Mac ios, Ipad, Ipod, Iphone, Apple TV. With Maryfi, users can wirelessly share any Internet connection such as: 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 .
↓ 03 – Connectify Hotspot | Free/Paid| Windows
A fully featured virtual router right inside your PC! With Connectify Hotspot, you can transform your PC into a real WiFi hotspot, and share your computer’s Internet connection as Wi-Fi with any other PC or mobile device. Just give your Hotspot a name and password, and you’re ready to go. Connectify Hotspot isn’t just the world’s most powerful hotspot software, it’s the easiest, too. Just give your Hotspot a name and password, and you’re ready to go.
- Custom IP and DHCP Controls
- Bridging Mode
- Wi-Fi Repeater Mode
- Get Ethernet-only Devices onto Wi-Fi
- Share Internet from 3G or 4G Networks
↓ 04 – ARPMiner | Paid | Windows
ARPMiner is a simple captive portal / hotspot software running under Windows (Vista, Windows 7/8, 2008/2012 Server). ARPMiner consists of a GUI and a service application called TekSpot. TekSpot has a built-in HTTP server and a proxy DNS server. RADIUS Accounting is supported in only SP edition. Features:
- Real time monitoring of connected users.
- RADIUS AAA support (Commercial editions only).
- WISPr 2.0 authentication and partial RADIUS dictionary support.
- Customizable HTTP interface.
- Performance monitoring through Windows Performance Monitor.
↓ 05 – Microsolut Hotspot | Free/Paid | Windows
Microsolut is one of the pioneers of complete WiFi solutions / Lan. We develop leading software solutions to secure and manage wired or wireless networks, Hotspot billing Software Manager has a solution. Whether you are from a big Corporate, SME, Hotel, Resort, Cyber Café, Camping, we have a low cost effective solution for you. Not just for business alone, we have solutions for Universities and colleges too.
- Bandwidth management (With Billing, Login Page, Password, User ID. Ideal for Hotels)
- Users control without any client software installations.
- Set your own price plans.
- Wifi hotspot / Wifi billing system.
- Create logs of URL addresses that customers visit.
- Complete wifi billing system with Paypal integration.
- Get real-time statistics and usage reports.
↓ 06 – MyHotspot | Free | Windows
Give your customers the flexibility and extra mobility with Wireless Internet Access. MyHotspot is a professional Wireless LAN software solution for providing internet access to your customers. Customers will be redirected to your login page to authenticate with a user account or a prepaid-code before getting Internet access.
The PayPal payment option allows your customers to create and pay for network access directly. The software controls download, upload, data transfer, time usage, and visited pages. MyHotSpot Billing software runs on your Windows PC, controls unlimited user or prepaid-code accounts, and displays data to customers on your self-branded pages. MyHotspot billing software is the definitive tool for managing your public WIFI-HotSpot in internet cafes, schools, hotels, bistros or gaming cafe / game centers.
↓ 07 – HandyCafe Server | Free | Windows
HandyCafe Internet Cafe Software was written by using the latest technology and concept. Many newly added features contribute to the software’s elasticity and skill. HandyCafe is an Internet Cafe Software which brings prestige to the business with an easy to use structure and its reliability in the network media.
Some new features and other conventional ones of HandCafe are summarized below. Most of them are not given by other programs and thanks to these unparalleled features, managing an internet cafe and network wasn’t ever so enjoyable and easy. HandyCafe is being used by; Internet Cafes, Libraries, Schools, Militaries, Business Networks, Home Users, Governments, Hotels, etc.
↓ 08 – Virtual Router [ Discontinued ] | Free | Windows
Virtual Router is yet another Microsoft Windows 7, 8 and 10 Virtual Hotspot software, unlike Connectify, Virtual Router is free and open source. Virtual Router turns any Microsoft Windows 7, 8 and Windows 2008 R2 Computer into a Wifi HotSpot using Windows 7’s Wireless Hosted Network (Virtual Wifi) technology. The Wireless Network created/shared with Virtual Router uses WPA2 Encryption, and there is no way to turn off that encryption. This is actually a feature of the Wireless Hosted Network API’s built into Windows 7 and 2008 R2 to ensure the best security possible.
Virtual Router is a free, open source software based router for PCs running Windows 8, Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2. Using Virtual Router, users can wirelessly share any internet connection (Wifi, LAN, Cable Modem, Dial-up, Cellular, etc.) with any Wifi device (Laptop, Smart Phone, iPod Touch, iPhone, Android Phone, Zune, Netbook, wireless printer, etc.) These devices connect to Virtual Router just like any other access point, and the connection is completely secured using WPA2 (the most secure wireless encryption.)
Turn Your Microsoft Windows 7, 8 or 10 Laptop into a WiFi Hotspot
Video Tutorial on Internet Sharing via Windows 7
Microsoft Windows 7 and 8 has this feature whereby you can share your 3G, 4G or LTE modem internet connection with other notebooks, smartphones or iPad tablets. This is a free feature in service pack 1. It does not provide much control like the other free software but it does the job pretty well. Watch the video we created:
Free Wi-Fi: Friend or Foe?
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Actually they’ve documented it but didn’t promote it. It all revolves around (1) the netshell wlan commands, (2) what wireless cards are supported and have drivers that support dual mode, (3) having an new access point in addition to the client, and/or (4) how to support users better in pure ad-hoc networking (which is pretty poor unless you make them part of the same ‘home network name’ or supply chat/web/video/file/remote-access capabilities).
Anyway…. that’s why it’s not more visible….
On the other hand, the bigger question should have been how we can get the capabilities of the ORIGINAL MS Research for “VirtualWIFI” (notice as one word), that created MULTIPLE (vs. just one more) ‘virtual adapters’ that could SIMULTANEOUSLY connect to more than one access point (makes hopping a lot easier). This is similar to work I did a couple years back having multiple (3) phone lines in and figuring ways to flip back and forth between the gateways, as well as ways to bond the pipes together (normally a trick reserved for the server eh?).
I have a windows 7 pc with a Realtek RTL 8188CE Wireless LAN 802.11n
Thank you. It’s exactly what I’m looking for.
How To Share Your Windows Internet Connection Using Virtual Router?
Thanks, this is great. I never new Win 7 had this feature.
Hey there,
The first thing Connectify did on installation was to scramble with the DSL settings… damn it, and it wasn’t my computer . Luckily I unisntalled the app and the internet connection was restored
Thanks, this is a nice post. But it seems that this app doesn’t work on my laptop (DELL XPS M 1530). I really wanted to share WiFi with my Android phone so I kept trying apps until I met Virtual Hotspot, I know it’s the one. Freeware, easy to install, supports X64, Windows XP, Vista etc. Now I work really happy with Virtual Hotspot.
do you have virtual wifi hotspot for windows xp, vista and mac?
where to download Virtual Router – Wifi Hot Spot for Windows 8, Windows 7 and 2008?
XP !!! Vista!!! OMG
You should be able to connect to that wireless network from your other devices with no problem. Virtual Router Plus
How to set up Virtual Wifi in Windows 8? any tutorials such as video?
Why don’t I use my laptop to be a wifi router?
I found a solution using net32 virtual wi-fi router … I just used the free Connectify to create virtual hotspot for my Windows 7 Starter netbook
If you want to turn your Windows 7 laptop into a Wi-Fi hotspot without configuring any… … Go to the Codeplex website and download the Virtual Router installer
The next time you re in a hotel or anywhere else that will only let you connect a single device to the Wi-Fi, use these tricks to connect all the devices you might want.