A lot of comments and questions are collected by articles on setting up the distribution of Wi-Fi from laptops. When the Internet is connected to the laptop, we launch the Internet distribution via Wi-Fi in Windows and connect our devices to it: phones, tablets, and other laptops. Our laptop replaces a Wi-Fi router. You can run Wi-Fi sharing in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. In Windows XP, this is not possible.
I have already prepared instructions for setting up hotspot on Windows 10 (using the command line, or Switch Virtual Router) and in Windows 7. See these articles:
- How to share Wi-Fi from a laptop on Windows 10?
- Configuring Wi-Fi Sharing in Windows 10 Using Switch Virtual Router
- How to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi from a laptop on Windows 7? Configuration via the command line
So, many people manage to launch Wi-Fi distribution without any problems. But, there are cases when after setting up Wi-Fi distribution on a laptop, the network itself appears, devices connect to it, but the Internet does not work. On phones and tablets, the pages in the browser simply do not open, and programs that need access to the Internet do not work. If you connect other computers to your laptop via Wi-Fi, then when such a problem appears in Windows, the Internet connection status will be "No Internet access". Or, to a limited extent, if you have Windows 8 or Windows 10.
The problem is clear: The laptop distributes Wi-Fi network, devices are connected to it, but the Internet does not work, "Without access to the Internet." Now we will try to figure out why such a problem may appear, and we will try to solve it. We will consider the case when it is possible to create a network, but there is no access to the Internet. There is simply another problem when the virtual Wi-Fi network itself on a laptop does not start at all, but this is already a topic for another article.
Why does the Internet over Wi-Fi not work when sharing from a laptop?
Let's start with the most popular reason why the Internet, the distribution of which is configured in Windows, may not work.
1We open general access to the Internet. In each article on setting up a hotspot, I wrote about a very important point - opening the general access to the Internet for a running Wi-Fi network. It is because of the sharing settings that the Internet most often does not work. The created network appears, we connect to it without any problems, but the connection through which the Internet is connected to your laptop does not allow using the Internet connection.
Therefore, in the properties of your Internet connection (most likely, this is a regular connection via a network cable, or via a 3G / 4G modem), you need to enable general access to the Internet for the connection we created. The articles, links to which I gave above, have this information. But, let's figure it out again, how to open the general access to the Internet. In both Windows 7 and Windows 10, this is done in much the same way. I'll show you using Windows 7 as an example.
Click on the Internet connection icon with the right mouse button, and select the Network and Sharing Center item.
We openChange adapter settings.
Right-click on the adapter through which your laptop is connected to the Internet. We choose Properties.
Go to the Access tab, check the box next to "Allow other network users to use this computer's Internet connection" and select the network we created from the list. Most likely, it will have the name "Wireless network connection"with some number at the end. Click Ok.
After these steps, the Internet should work. If it does not work, then try restarting the laptop again and restarting the Wi-Fi distribution.
2Disable antivirus and firewall. Antiviruses very often block the connection of your device to a laptop. In such cases, an error like "Failed to connect" appears, all the time getting an IP address ", or an endless connection to Wi-Fi.
But it may be that because of the antivirus, or the installed firewall on your laptop, from which you distribute the Internet, there will be no Internet access. Therefore, you just need to try disabling your antivirus. For a while. Only the built-in firewall can be disabled. Different antiviruses do it differently.
3Check if other devices are working. It may be that the problem is not in the laptop that distributes the Internet, but in the device that you are trying to connect to the Internet. If possible, just take another device and connect to the network you created. See if there will be internet access.
If the problem appears when you connect a laptop with Windows 7 installed, then you can still read the instructions for solving the error "Without access to the Internet". If you have Windows 10, and the status is "Limited", then see this article.
4Features of internet connection. It is clear that in order to distribute the Internet from a laptop, it must be connected to the Internet. It is this connection that it distributes to your other devices. So, if there is no access to the Internet, then this may be due to the nature of your Internet connection. Especially, this can be when connected via a 3G / 4G modem.
I have no way to test the operation of a virtual Wi-Fi network, with different Internet connections. Therefore, if you can't manage to turn your laptop into a Wi-Fi router, then it may be due to an Internet connection.
5Update your Wi-Fi adapter driver. An outdated or "bad" Wi-Fi adapter driver will most likely simply not allow you to configure the access point. But, it is possible that the Internet may be absent due to the driver. Therefore, you can try updating the driver. I already wrote a separate article about installing the driver in Windows 7: https://help-wifi.com/raznye-sovety-dlya-windows/kak-ustanovit-drajvera-na-wi-fi-adapter-v-windows-7 /.
6Update: In the comments, Zhenya shared another solution that helped him fix the problem with the lack of Internet when distributing Wi-Fi from a computer.
On the "Access" tab, where we open the general access to the Internet connection, you need to click on the "Settings" button, and in a new window put a check mark next to "DNS server".
Click Ok and see the result. The Internet on the devices that you connected to the laptop should appear. If not, try restarting your computer again and restarting the distribution.
7Update: another tip from the comments. If your computer is on a home network, then try logging out. This should help, and your laptop will start sharing internet to other devices.
If you solved this problem in some other way, you can tell us about it in the comments, we will be grateful. Well, ask your questions, we will try to help!
8 Another solution shared by Mikhail in the comments, and this method helped many.
We go into the devices of your Internet connection (as I showed above in the article), and uncheck the box "Allow other network users to use ...". Click Ok. Next, open the properties of this connection again, and put a tick next to "Allow other network users to use ..." and select our connection from the list (a wireless network connection with a number at the end). Click Ok. The Internet should work on devices.
