Connectify Creates a 3G Hotspot With Your Windows 7 Computer
As mobile enthusiasts, we really can’t live without our connectivity. To that end, James bought a MiFi device, while I use a mishmash of methods, including a Boingo Wi-Fi account, a 3G data plan with Verizon Wireless and Internet tethering on my iPhone as a backup. There’s a number of ways to share our 3G connections — the MiFi does it natively — but Windows 7 adds a new feature that one company is already taking advantage of. Microsoft added Virtual Wi-Fi, which uses software to virtualize one or more hardware wireless adapters. And as ReadWriteWeb notes, Connectify is offering beta software to use the new Windows 7 feature.
With Connectify, you have a software solution to share the data connection of your PC — a secure hotspot with WPA2-Personal (AES) encryption is created via a virtual Wi-Fi interface, so any other Wi-Fi device you have can take advantage of your mobile broadband connection. And this differs from tethering options we’ve covered in the past (here for PC and here for Mac OS X) because tethering generally only allows one other device to leverage the connection. By creating a Wi-Fi hotspot, multiple devices can join in.
The obvious disadvantage of a software solution is that it requires your Windows 7 computer to be up and running. That’s where hardware like the MiFi excels — you don’t need to have computer on because the MiFi creates its own hotspot. Still, I see the advantage, so I’m hopping on the beta train for Connectify right now.
I think this would make a good backup for when your home router goes down, or even render it useless in some ways.
Of course, if you ponied up the extra to get built-in 3G in your notebook, this would be a sweet treat for the mobile users. It would eliminate the need for a MiFi device almost entirely.
why didn’t you do this with your winmo mobilephone before? mifi wasn’t necessary
I did and made videos of how to do just that about two years ago. Links are in the above post: one to do it on a Mac and one to do it on a PC — both with Windows Mobile.
I think their server or beta invitation system exploded after hitting on the frontpage of slashdot. I registered for beta test software so they were supposed to send me the download link for the software, but so far (more than 24 hours) nothing came to my inbox.
Their server has definitely taken a hit with all this traffic, but I got hold of a copy and it’s a fantastic piece of software. Very easy to use (enter a network name and password and click the button) and works flawlessly.
If you have a home wireless network it’s probably a little pointless, but for anyone with a single connection point, it basically turns your PC into a router. I’ve used it to turn my University LAN connection in my room into an access point, so I can slouch on my bed with my laptop to do some work while my PC does some folding@home crunching.
It also means I can get spotify in the shared kitchen
Try http://www.bzeek.com which does much much more on every laptop and allows you to connect free to global wifi network.
Here’s a Free, Open Source program like Connectify: http://virtualrouter.codeplex.com