Hello! We continue the topic of distributing the Internet via Wi-Fi from a laptop or a stationary computer (with a Wi-Fi adapter). And in this article I will tell you how to distribute Wi-Fi if your Internet is connected via a USB modem, that is, 3G, or 4G connection. Now, such an Internet is usually used in villages, since it is possible to lay a regular cable Internet in the city. It is cheaper, more stable, and faster.
If you have the Internet via a USB modem, you have a laptop, or a PC with a Wi-Fi adapter, which I wrote about here, and you want to share Wi-Fi from a computer for your smartphone, tablet, or other computers, then this article is what you need. We already have instructions on how to set up the distribution of the Internet in Windows 7 and Windows 10 on our website. But, there I showed it with an example, when the Internet was connected via a network cable. If you come here by chance and you have Internet not via USB modem, then these instructions are:
- How to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi from a laptop on Windows 7?
- How to share Wi-Fi from a laptop on Windows 10?
- You can also try to configure distribution through the Mobile Hotspot function. It only exists in Windows 10. Everything is much simpler there. But it doesn't always work with USB modems.
I'll tell you one little secret share the Internet from a USB modem it is possible through a router. There are special models that support 3G / 4G modems and work great with them. I wrote on this topic in detail in a separate article: how to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi from a 3G USB modem. Well, if you do not want to buy a Wi-Fi router, then your laptop can replace it. Although this is not always convenient, you will need to configure an access point in Windows, which we will now do.
I will show it using the example of Windows 7. But, in both Windows 8 and Windows 10, the setting for distributing the Internet from a USB modem will be exactly the same. And my modem is Huawei EC 306 and Intertelecom operator. Yes, you most likely have a different modem and another operator (MTS, Beeline, Megafon, etc.), therefore, I cannot say for sure that this method will work for you. Need to try. As I can see from the comments to other articles, there are times when it is not possible to distribute the Internet from a USB modem (it may simply be incorrectly configured). But with 3G modems of the Intertelecom operator, everything works, the laptop distributes Wi-Fi without problems.
Launching the distribution of the Internet via Wi-Fi from a USB modem in Windows
We will configure using the command line. That is, without any third-party software. But, if you are used to using programs like Switch Virtual Router, Virtual Router Plus, Connectify, etc. to launch the access point, then I think that they will also work fine with a modem connection.
Before proceeding with the setup:
- You must have a laptop or computer (with an adapter) running Wi-Fi. If the wireless connection does not work, then update / install the driver on your adapter.
- The USB modem must be connected and configured. The connection is running, and the Internet on your computer (on which we will configure) should work.
If all is well, then you can proceed. Launches the command line. Open Start, and type "Command Prompt" in the search bar. The search results will show "Command line", right click on it and select Run as administrator.
Now, copy this command:
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode = allow ssid = "help-wifi-com" key = "12345678" keyUsage = persistent
"help-wifi-com" Is the name of the network that the laptop will distribute, and "12345678" - the password that you will need to provide to connect to your network.
Paste it into the command line (right-click - paste. In Windows 10, just right-click on the cursor), and click Enterto execute it. A report should appear, as I have in the screenshot below.
If everything is as in my screenshot, then you can continue.
Then, in the same way, run the following command to start the Wi-Fi distribution:
netsh wlan start hostednetwork
A report should appear: Hosted network started... And if you got a report there that "Failed to start the hosted network ...", then check if Wi-Fi is turned on. If enabled, update the Wi-Fi adapter driver. I wrote about the solution to this error in the article: Failed to start the hosted network on Windows.
Leave the command line open for now. Now, the most important thing. We need to enable Internet Sharing for the connection that is configured via our USB modem. If you turn on Wi-Fi on your phone or tablet now, you will see that there is already a network launched by us, with the name "help-wifi-com" (if you have not changed it). You can already connect to it. But, the Internet will not work until we open public access via a 3G / 4G modem.
Configuring Internet Sharing via USB Modem
Right-click on the Internet connection icon (by the way, you may have it in the form of an antenna with a red cross), and select Network and Sharing Center... Next, open Change adapter settings.
There we should have a connection with the name Wireless network connection 3 (the number at the end may be different). In Windows 10, it is called Local Area Connection. It is for him that we need to open access to the Internet.
Now attention! Right-click on the connection through which we will connect to the Internet. Most likely, it is named the same as your operator. For me, this is Intertelecom. Under the name, the modem will also be indicated. Choose an item Properties.
In the new window, go to the tab Access (if any connection appears, just click Ok). We put a tick next to Allow other network users to use the Internet connection of this computer, in the drop-down window select Wireless Network Connection 3 (you may have a different number) and click Ok.
Most likely, a message will appear that the settings will be applied the next time the connection is started. Therefore, now we disconnect the Internet connection, and connect again.
Everything should already work. Connect your device to a Wi-Fi network distributed by your computer. The internet should already work. If there is a Wi-Fi network, but the Internet does not work, then check the sharing settings and turn off the antivirus. I wrote about this problem in the article: Distributed Wi-Fi from a laptop, and the Internet does not work "Without access to the Internet."
Hosted network management:
To stop the distribution of Wi-Fi, in the command building, you need to run the following command:
netsh wlan stop hostednetwork
To start the network, we execute the command already familiar to us (with this command, we need to start the network after each computer restart):
netsh wlan start hostednetwork
And to change the name of the Wi-Fi network, or password, you need to run the following command:
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode = allow ssid = "help-wifi-com" key = "12345678" keyUsage = persistent
By changing the required parameters in it.
If you have any problems in the process of starting the network, then read the tips for solving them at the end of this article.
I hope you succeeded, and you were able to distribute the Internet that you get via a USB 3G / 4G modem. If something doesn't work out, then write in the comments, we'll figure it out. Well, do not forget that not every modem can be configured. Basically, the problem comes down to the fact that there is no "access" tab in the connection properties.
