- Turn Your Laptop into a Universal Ethernet to WiFi Adapter
- Wireless Ethernet Adapter Made Easy: Use Your Laptop
- 5 Steps to Turn Your Laptop into a Universal Ethernet to Wireless WiFi Adapter and Share Internet
- Connectify Hotspot – More Than Just an Ethernet to WiFi Adapter, a True Virtual Router Software
- How to Share Ethernet As Wi Fi
- Using Command Prompt
- Using an Ad-hoc Network for Windows 7
- How to Change from Ethernet to WiFi
- Switch from Ethernet to Wi-Fi
- Changing Priority Order in Windows 10
- Changing Priority Order in Mac
- Expert Q&A
- Tips
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Turn Your Laptop into a Universal Ethernet to WiFi Adapter
Wireless Ethernet Adapter Made Easy: Use Your Laptop
Some home or office devices are not able to connect directly to the Internet through a WiFi connection. These include smart TVs, media players, gaming consoles, e-readers. Some of these devices need a wired Ethernet connection to the Internet.
Naturally, if you’ve got your home or office wired from a router to each device’s location, then it’s simple to plug the Ethernet cable in. But, what if you don’t have Ethernet cables going where you need them? Since you have a WiFi connection, you need a Ethernet to WiFi adapter. This way, your smart TV or media device can use that connection to access the Internet.
Read below to see how to turn your own laptop into a fast and convenient Ethernet to WiFi adapter.
5 Steps to Turn Your Laptop into a Universal Ethernet to Wireless WiFi Adapter and Share Internet
Forget about planning to run wires under the carpets or near the edge of the room to connect your Ethernet-only device to Internet. No need to buy hardware devices, such as dedicated Ethernet to WiFi adapters or additional routers to configure them as bridges. All you need to get the best Ethernet to WiFi adapter is your laptop equipped with a software program for Windows: Connectify Hotspot.
Connectify Hotspot can turn your computer into a WiFi hotpot. This lets you share any Internet connection, including Ethernet, WiFi and 3G/4G through WiFi. Here are 5 steps to turn your laptop into a Ethernet to WiFi adapter:
- Install Connectify Hotspot on your Windows PC or laptop.
- Run the program and click on the Wi-Fi Hotspot button in the interface.
- Under ‘Internet to Share’ – select your Ethernet adapter.
- Under ‘Share Over’ – select your Wi-Fi adapter.
- Click to Start Hotspot.
Connectify Hotspot – More Than Just an Ethernet to WiFi Adapter, a True Virtual Router Software
While other virtual router software only “help” you share Internet from laptop to phone (inherent issues included – NAT levels , peering, Chromecast apps won’t find your Chromecast, your Apple TV won’t show up for your Mac to stream to… ), Connectify Hotspot offers you more:
- Boost your WiFi range with WiFi Repeater Mode in your dorm room or office and getting full coverage in your dorm room.
- Save up to 60% of Internet bandwidth by using the built-in universal ad blocker. It even blocks in-app ads!
- Easily bridge other devices onto your home network with WiFi Bridging Mode: eliminate all game consoles (Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox) and smart TV issues with your home WiFi network!
- Share any type of Internet connection with all your devices: share Internet from existing WiFi networks, LAN, DSL, 3G/4G, even tethered smartphones! You can also share a VPN connection over WiFi easily!
How to Share Ethernet As Wi Fi
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A major frustration of many users with ethernet internet is the inability to connect smart devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and video game consoles to the internet. However, ethernet can be shared as a wi-fi connection to these devices while still retaining unchanged ethernet service at the same time.
- If you’re using Windows, you can share your wired internet connection with wireless devices by creating an ad-hoc or hosted network.
- On a Mac, enable internet sharing to create a virtual wireless access point.
- Try apps like Connectify and Free Virtual WiFi router for a quick internet sharing solution.
Using Command Prompt
Launch Command Prompt. Use either the shortcut Windows + x (in Windows 8 only) or simply search for it in the list of programs.
Enter the command: netsh wlan show drivers. If “Hosted network supported” says “Yes», then you’re equipped to proceed. Otherwise, you need a hardware upgrade, so this method will not work.
- The SSID is simply the network name. It can be anything you’d like.
- Key is the Wi-Fi password. Make it secure by keeping it at a minimum of eight characters long.
- For example: netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=T2Lead key=12345678
Enter the command: netsh wlan start hostednetwork. Before entering this, the network has been made. This command starts the network. After this, type «exit» to close Command Prompt.
- Using the Start menu (if you have a system older than Windows 8).
- Search for it.
- Select the network icon on the toolbar and find the option for opening Network and Sharing Center.
Right click on the “Ethernet” connection. Then select “Properties”. This may require admin permissions; if it asks for a password, enter it and select «Continue». If you are not an admin or do not know the password, ask the admin for it.
In the pop up window, browse to “Sharing tab”. Check “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet Connection”.
Using an Ad-hoc Network for Windows 7
Click on the Start Menu. From there navigate to Control Panel, then Network and Sharing Center. You could also use a shortcut to get there quicker. The internet icon on the bottom right of the toolbar allows you to access it much quicker. It also shows you information about your current internet connection and if any wireless networks are available.
Review the window that explains what an ad-hoc wireless network is. It will also provide some information about the network, and essentially explain everything there is to know. However, ad-hoc networks are very limited, and any devices using the ad-hoc wireless network must be within 30 feet of each other, in any direction. Counting the fact that some household objects may be blocking this signal as well, the range might be cut in half.
Set the name of your network. Choose the security type as well. The recommended security type is WPA2-Personal, since it gives you the best security available. If you have intentions of setting up an ad-hoc network in the future, be sure to check the box saying «Save this network «and continue by clicking the Next button. You will now have set up an ad-hoc wireless network!
How to Change from Ethernet to WiFi
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Darlene Antonelli is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working hands-on in the technology field. She earned an MA in Writing from Rowan University in 2012 and wrote her thesis on online communities and the personalities curated in such communities.
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This wikiHow will teach you how to switch from an Ethernet connection to a Wi-Fi connection by unplugging your Ethernet cable or changing the priority order for network adapters in Control Panel (Windows 10) or System Preferences (macOS) if you want to continue with an Ethernet cable plugged in but want to use Wi-Fi instead.
Switch from Ethernet to Wi-Fi
Make sure you have a Wi-Fi network set up. In order to connect to a Wi-Fi network, you need to have access to one. You can either create your own with the help of How to Set up a Wireless Network (WiFi) Connection or use one that’s available to you (like the free Wi-Fi at Starbucks).
Plug in the Ethernet cable. When you’re stationary, for example, at your desk, an Ethernet connection tends to be more reliable than a wireless connection.
- If you haven’t previously connected to the Wi-Fi network, you’ll need to open a list of all the available networks (click the network or Wi-Fi icons in your system trays either at the top or bottom of your screen), click your network, and enter your password (if your network has one). [1] X Research source
Changing Priority Order in Windows 10
- If you don’t have system administrative permissions, you will not be able to continue with this method.
- If you don’t see this option, you might need to click Status from the menu on the left side of the window.
Right-click the adapter you want to prioritize. In this instance, you want to right-click the Wi-Fi adapter.
Enter a number in the «Interface Metric» field. The lower the number, the higher the priority. For example, if you set your Wi-Fi interface metric to 1, your Wi-Fi will be the default internet connection no matter what you have connected. [2] X Research source
- If you set the Wi-Fi network adapter to 1, your computer will automatically use Wi-Fi instead of a plugged-in Ethernet cord to connect to the internet.
Changing Priority Order in Mac
- A new window will pop up that shows you every network connection type available to you, such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
Drag and drop Wi-Fi to the top of the list. If you want to connect to Wi-Fi even if you have an Ethernet cable plugged in, make sure Wi-Fi is higher on that list than Ethernet. [3] X Research source
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