Create Windows 7 Hotspots
Asides
Windows 7 has an awesome utility called netsh that allows you to create wifi networks, even if you’re already connected to a wifi network on the same interface, which is actually slightly better than the same feature on OS X. If you don’t want to play with the command-line, there’s a handy utility called Connectify that makes creating a wifi hotspot from your Windows 7 box a breeze. This was one of the things I missed most about my Mac laptops.
Just get a linux-based mobile phone, running Android 2.2, and make your own WiFi hotspot!
I’ve used PDAnet to do that before, but I’m in a foreign country where the data rates are $20 per megabyte, so I’d much rather go through the hotel internet connection plugged into my laptop than anything mobile.
I’m in a foreign country, but an Android phone hotspot of 1GB max for up to 1 month duration is $17. With a 3G modem and $66 a month you get “unlimited” download. That’s what our home hotspot is running on, but “unlimited” means about 15GB a month.
If money is a real problem one can still check emails and a few pages with daily plans of 10MB for 66c.
We still believe it is too expensive.
If you’re an iPhone man (and you happen to not be in a foreign country), you can use MyWi to do the same thing. It’s available in Cydia after you jailbreak for $9.99.
Best $10 I’ve ever spent. It enables USB and Bluetooth tethering, and it can act as a WiFi access point to provide internet access. It can also provide minimal WEP security, and keeps a running tally of tethered data usage when you’re using it.
Drains the battery something fierce, but works like a champ.
Connectify is awesome. It’s especially cool I bet if you have a 3G/4G modem plugged into your laptop as you can then use share that.
Somehow none of the Android phones around will connect to this type of hotspot. If I disconnect from the hotspot I’m connected to it works, but two connections works for PCs/Laptops but phones don’t see the network.
That definitely seems odd. Maybe talk to the Connectify guys and see if they can help?
Unfortunatly, Connectify doesn’t work with Win7 Starter, which my netbook has.
Going to have to look into see if Netsh work on the starter edition.
and doesn’t work for my Intel Card.. any other ways?
@ KYLEWITH
In windows 7 starter, Microsoft hid the adhoc setting, but its still there, in the start menu search “adhoc” and the utility pops up
http://www.pcworld.com/article/183799/windows_7_for_netbooks_hides_wireless_sharing_function.html
This is awesome! i connected my iPhone with my laptop, however, i cant share my internet connection.