![]() ![]() This feature can create a new wireless hotspot even if you’re connected to Wi-Fi. It’s possible to do this on Windows 7 and 8, too, though not quite as seamless. Just head to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Hotspot. Windows 10’s Anniversary Update contains a built in feature that lets you create a separate wireless hotspot. RELATED: How to Turn Your Windows PC Into a Wi-Fi HotspotĪs we mentioned above, there is a free way to do this, but it’s not exactly elegant. ![]() The Not-Really-a-Repeater Solution: Windows’ Built In Wi-Fi Hotspot (Free) Obviously, you also want to be sure that your PC is in a spot where it has a solid Wi-Fi signal, and can extend a solid WI-Fi signal to an area of your house, office, or yard that doesn’t have a strong signal. To set up your PC as a repeater, download and install Connectify Hotspot MAX, click the “Wi-Fi Repeater” option, select the Wi-Fi network you want to repeat, and click “Start Hotspot”. However, it seems to go on sale for $15 pretty often, which is a decent price if you don’t want to shell out more than that for a dedicated repeater. Connectify charges $50 for a lifetime license to its Hotspot MAX software…which is more than a dedicated repeater will cost you. The only downside is that it costs money. Devices can seamlessly move around and remain to the same network, whether they’re within range of the original network or the repeater. Devices connected to the repeated network on the PC running Connectify will appear on the router’s web interface as if they were connected directly to the router. That hotspot functions as its own network, so there’s a network address translation (NAT) layer between the hotspot network and your real Wi-Fi network.Ĭonnectify, on the other hand, just hands the packets directly to the router like a hardware wireless repeater would, making for an actual seamless network. ![]() Other wireless hotspot programs (like the free tip we discuss in the next section) just create a second hotspot that your devices must connect to. Connectify offers a special “bridging mode” that can make a computer function as a true repeater. It claims to be the only true wireless repeater software for Windows, and as far as we’re aware, that’s true. If you absolutely must turn a PC into a repeater, then Connectify’s Hotspot MAX software is the best option. And, it’ll use much less electricity than a PC, too.Ī Good Software Solution: Connectify (Paid) They’ll always remain running, so you don’t have to worry about leaving a PC on all the time. They’ll work as wireless repeaters, which means you won’t have to connect to a separate Wi-Fi network like an extender. These are small, dedicated devices you plug into a power outlet. Being heard can be impossible.You can buy repeaters for under $50 on Amazon, which isn’t that expensive. They will all be generating competing signals, taking up valuable bandwidth and interfering with each other. Or the signal dropping between networks whilst making a VoIP call.įinally, be aware that by throwing lots of boosting devices into the mix, you could actually be making things worse. Printing to a printer connected to another network for example. One of which often ends in an annoying “_EXT”. Your WiFi devices are then forced to switch between these different networks as you move around your office or home. As a result, some tasks become particularly frustrating. It’s not possible to create a ‘chain’ of wireless extenders from your router. This means that if your wireless router is located in a distant corner of your office or home, full WiFi coverage becomes impossible.Ī persistent niggle is that most wireless range extenders use a separate network from your router. The problem with this is that you then have two or more different WiFi networks. ![]() This effectively cuts your bandwidth in half.Īs if this wasn’t bad enough, as you connect more and more devices to the WiFi, the problem gets worse. Increasing the load on that single radio just serves to further degrade the wireless performance.Īnother disadvantage is that you can only use a single WiFi range extender in any given direction. If you’ve ever used a walkie talkie you’ll probably remember having to take it in turns to listen and speak. WiFi range extenders suffer a similar frustration. Data can only flow in or out via a single path. Many of the cheaper models of booster only include one radio to both receive and transmit information. The devices themselves can also be a problem. Interference can also be caused by other radio signals nearby, such as competing WiFi networks. This could be a result of the construction of your building, for example if it has thick walls or metal strengthening. There are many reasons, but the primary one is likely to be signal interference. Why don’t extenders or boosters work for me? ![]()
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