How to Turn Your Windows 10 PC into a Wireless Hotspot

You know that you can connect your Windows 10 PC to a Wi-Fi and browse the web, but you probably don’t know that you can turn your Windows 10 PC into a wireless hotspot and share its connection. This tutorial will teach you how.

Turning your Windows 10 PC into a wireless hotspot is easy and simple. Previous versions of Windows required complicated software hacks and workarounds that could get confusing. With the Windows 10 Anniversary Update installed on your PC, you only need a solid internet connection and administrator privileges to share your connection.

The Dell XPS 13

Read: How to Cast & Stream from Windows 10

Here’s how to turn your Windows 10 PC into a wireless hotspot.

To turn your Windows 10 PC into a wireless hotspot you need a working internet connection, the latest Windows 10 updates and a PC that has the right drivers. We will verify most of these things in this tutorial. However, there is no easy way to predict if your device has drivers that allow for hotspot connectivity, unfortunately.

First, check that the PC you wish to turn into a wireless hotspot has a stable internet connection. You can do this from the Wi-Fi icon in your Taskbar. If the icon is white, you have an internet connection. If it’s not, click on the icon to connect to the internet. Mobile Hotspot on Windows 10 works with Ethernet connections, Wi-Fi connections and mobile data connections from your wireless carrier.

You can turn your Windows 10 PC into a Mobile Hotspot by just clicking or tapping on the button in this Wi-Fi pop-up. Just clicking this button assigns the wireless network you create a name based on your computer’s name. Once Mobile Hotspot is running, come back to this area to find out how many other devices share your PC’s connection.

Read: How to Turn Off Metered Connections in Windows 10

You must go into your PC’s settings to change the connection’s password, customize its name and decide what type of internet connection it relies on. Tap or click on Network & Internet Settings in the pop-up.

Inside the Settings app, click on Mobile Hotspot in the menu on the left side of the app. It’s the third menu option from the bottom.

At the top of your screen is a second switch that allows you to turn Mobile Hotspot connectivity on your device on or off. Don’t flip this yet because you can’t change your network’s settings with it active.

Again, Mobile Hotspot on Windows 10 works with Wi-Fi connections, Ethernet connections and mobile internet connections. Use the drop-down below the hotspot switch to decide which of your internet connection’s you’d like to share with other devices. A connection only shows up in this drop-down menu when it is active. Be sure that the connection you want to share is working for you before you attempt to share it.

When you turn your Windows 10 PC into a Mobile Hotspot, you make it a router. Every router needs a good network name and password. A distinct network name helps you and other people identify it no matter how many other Wi-Fi networks you see. Without a password, anyone can use your internet connection. You don’t want that.

If you don’t know anything about network bands, it’s a good idea to leave that toggle alone. Newer devices all work well with 5GHz, but older devices rely on 2.5GHz.

Finally, there’s the Turn On Remotely option. This feature lets your smartphone or another PC turn on Mobile Hotspot. It’s a good idea that hasn’t gotten much traction. You can turn this off.

Come here to monitor how many other devices you have shared your connection once you’ve turned on Mobile Hotspot. For now, Windows 10 only allows 8 notebooks, desktops or tablets to connect to one PC.

There isn’t a usage meter in the Mobile Hotspot settings area, so you can’t come back here to see how much data other devices have used. Instead, you must go to the Data Usage area. It’s available from the menu on the left under Mobile Hotspot. Unfortunately, it doesn’t breakdown data usage for just the Mobile Hotspot feature.

Cortana Upgrades

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The procession of impressive new features begins with Cortana, Microsoft’s digital personal assistant. With the first Windows 10 release, Cortana became cross-platform; there are apps for Android and iPhone now. With this release, Microsoft is closely tying the assistant to Windows phone and Android. Cortana now stays informed of your device’s battery life. She notifies users when your battery is low. She can be asked to track down your iPhone or Android device using its built-in GPS too. The personal assistant now sends directions` directly to your phone when you request them on your Windows 10 PC. The company says that it has improved the setup process for Cortana too.

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