I have an old Win XP laptop which has wifi in it. I would like to convert this laptop to a wifi hotspot. I should be able to connect from both phones as well as computers. Is there any in-built mechanism to do this within XP?
13 Answers
Assuming you wanted an inbuilt mechanism to convert to a wi-fi hotspot, you could use the Wireless Network Wizard. However, and if I know Microsoft, they might over-complicate things. Also, I never used the tool, so my description might be wrong.
- Go to My Network Places (usually at the Start Menu, or in the Control Panel)
- in Network Tasks go to Set up a wireless network for a home or small office
- Select Set up a new wireless network
- Configure your network. I assume that you should use WPA encryption (but due to my own knowledge I can't be sure).
- How do you want to set up your network? This is where you can tell how to transfer the settings to the different devices. I assume you want to do this manually.
- A prompt will ask you to print certain data and to conclude the process.
As far as I know, this is the only inbuilt mechanism in Windows XP.
Yes,There is Software Available "Connectify"
It is Very Easy to Config and No Need to Buy any External Devices.
Your Laptop Worked as Router Your Phone and Other Laptop Can Easily Connect.
It is Also Provide Password Security so Unauthorized Uses Can't Access it.
You Can shared 3G/4G connection Using Pro. version of Connectify
For More Information :
There's no way to do that! Only Vista and above with the new network API and a decent enough wifi card can create a hotspot. Windows XP can only create ad-hoc connections (which is not seen by many devices, especially phones). And you still need a 3rd party software to create the connection since there's no built-in capability to do that. That's an OS limitation. OTOH Vista and up has the ability to create hotspot or ad-hoc connections right from the command line without installing any software
See also WiFi-sharing with Windows XP Pro (similar to "mobile hotspot")
