How to set up a mobile hotspot inside of Windows 11

Mobile hotspots are becoming increasingly popular, as they allow users to share Internet access with multiple devices. Did you know you can use your Windows 11 computer as a mobile hotspot? Here is how to set up a mobile hotspot in Windows 11.

The rise in the popularity of wifi hotspots is primarily attributed to the increasing use of mobile devices. So, most people are surprised to learn that they can create one inside Windows 11. But how could you use it?

I like to set up a wifi hotspot on my laptop when I go on vacation. Hotels will usually have an Ethernet port in the room, so I connect my laptop to it and share the Internet connection with up to eight (8) devices through the wireless network adapter in my laptop.

The only hardware requirement is that your computer must have two (2) network adapters, and at least one (1) of them needs to be a wireless network or Bluetooth adapter. If your computer has only one network adapter, you can also use USB wired and wireless adapters too.

Now, the mobile hotspot does have a couple of drawbacks. You can only have eight (8) devices connected at a time, and you cannot share files or printers; the only thing you can share is your Internet connection.

How to set up a mobile hotspot in Windows 11

1. Bring up the Settings app by:
• Left-clicking on the Start button to bring up the Start menu.
• In the list of pinned apps on the Start menu, left-click on Settings.
or
• Right-click on the Start button to bring up the Power User menu.
• In the list of programs that appear, left-click on Settings.
or
• Press the Windows logo key + I
2. Scroll down the left-hand column and left-click on Network & internet.
   
3. In the right-hand column, left-click on Mobile hotspot.
4. First, select the connection you want to share from the Share my internet connection from the pull-down menu.
   
5. Second, select the connection you want to Share over from the pull-down menu.
6. Third, check the Network properties to see if they are acceptable. If you want to change the hotspot's name or password, left-click on the Edit button.
7. Fourth, click the Mobile hotspot Off/On switch to turn it on. When you enable the hotspot, you may get an additional switch for Power saving.