Creation of a computer network. Creating a computer network Installing, enabling and configuring Virtual WiFi
Virtual WiFi Router is a simple and easy to use utility that, as the name suggests, can turn your computer or laptop into a hotspot. Wi-Fi access and "distribute the Internet" to short distance. The program is extremely easy to use and configure.
The program doesn't have many options at all. The developers allowed the user to assign a name to the access point, set a password and limit the number possible connections. The main window of Virtual WiFi Router displays all connected devices with brief information about them. Immediately after configuration, the application can be minimized to the notification panel. It will continue to work in background. It is also important that the program is completely free. Its only drawback can be considered the fact that it is only compatible with Windows 7 (including the 64-bit version).
Key Features and Functions
- allows you to turn your computer into an access point in a couple of minutes;
- allows you to assign a name and password;
- displays all active connections;
- can work in the background;
- convenient to use and easy to configure.
To distribute Wi-Fi, just download Virtual Router Plus in Russian and install it as an Internet distributor. Download and try the stable version of this program.
Do you only have a cable connection to the Internet, but still want to use a smartphone or tablet in addition? Now this problem can be easily solved. By installing a small utility called Virtual Router Plus on your laptop, you can create a full-fledged Wi-Fi access point, which is no different from that provided by a regular router.
Virtual Router Plus download in Russian
All you need to do in order to enjoy wireless Internet without any hindrance is to install the above-mentioned application on your laptop and, immediately after launching, execute simple settings. Namely, in the appropriate fields, indicate the login and password for subsequent connection to the newly created access point.
Thus, having Virtual Router Plus among the list installed programs on your device, you can provide yourself and your friends with high-quality wireless Internet at any time. And most importantly, you will get all these privileges absolutely free, since the utility is freely distributed and does not have a paid license.
If Virtual Router Plus is not suitable for your purposes, then you can go to the "" section of our website and select other, more suitable applications there, for example -.
A virtual router plus will allow you to distribute the Internet using an access point on a computer or laptop. Take advantage of the free latest version programs in Russian to distribute Wi-Fi.
Png" data-category="Programs for WiFi distribution" data-promo="/templates/Pisces-kamazox/images/dw..html" target="_blank">Download Virtual Router Plus
| Standard installer |
For free! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| check | Official distribution Download Virtual Router Plus | check | |||
| close | Quiet installation without dialog boxes | check | |||
| close | Installation recommendations necessary programs | check | |||
| close | Batch installation of multiple programs | check | |||
Currently, wireless networks are becoming increasingly widespread: they work at train stations, airports, and enterprises, and for many users at home. In Windows 7, an option appeared called “virtual WiFi” - a software layer that creates a wireless network installed on the computer network card several virtual adapters. But first, a little theory.
Wireless networks can operate in two modes
The devices are connected directly to each other. It turns out simple network(ad-hoc mode). This mode is called "point-to-point". This mode is used quite rarely and mainly for data exchange in cases where it is not possible to use an access point.
Devices are connected via an access point (Access Point-AP). This mode is called infrastructure mode and, as a rule, is used in conjunction with wireless router connected to the Internet.
It should be noted that the simultaneous use of two modes of wireless network operation on one physical wireless adapter is not provided for by the WiFi concept itself, and this is where the virtualization technology used in Windows 7, which expands the capabilities of adapters, comes to the rescue.
What is Virtual WiFi technology
Without going into technical details: in Windows 7, one physical wireless adapter can be turned into several virtual ones, and - attention! - Each of these virtual adapters can be configured to connect to different wireless networks.
What is it for
Hmm... The question is, of course, interesting.p Example one: the radio signal from an existing access point does not cover the required distance between it and wireless devices. In this case, a computer or laptop with Virtual WiFi can act as a repeater (repeater), expanding the coverage area of the wireless network.
Example two: creating a personal network (Wireless Personal Area Network), to which you can very quickly connect a phone, camera, printer, laptop or any other device with a wireless adapter for simple information exchange.
Example three: an existing wireless network with static IP addresses of devices, but sometimes you need to quickly connect new devices, without any adjustments or adjustments (this can be done if the mode for allocating dynamic IP addresses was enabled. But alas) .
How Virtual WiFi is implemented in Windows 7
By the way: Virtual WiFi technology is included not only in Windows 7, but also in Windows 2008 R2.p Virtual WiFi is implemented in the operating system at the kernel level and allows for a very simple implementation of a software access point (SoftAP), while only requiring wireless adapter manufacturers to one thing is to implement SoftAP support in your drivers (many, by the way, have already done this). So far - in the current implementation - Virtual WiFi has the following limitations: it is allowed to create only one virtual adapter, operating only in access point mode and only with WPA2-PSK/AES encryption. By the way, Virtual WiFi technology allows you to connect up to 100 clients to an access point versus 8 clients in the corporation promoted Intel technology My WiFi.
Installing, enabling and configuring Virtual WiFi
Testing the operation of Virtual WiFi - installing, turning on and configuring a wireless network - was carried out on an ASUS eeePC 1000H netbook with a built-in Ralink WiFi adapter.
So, first you have to play around a little - call the command prompt with administrator rights and enter the following command:
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid="MS Virtual WiFi" key="softodrom" keyUsage=persistent
“MS Virtual WiFi” here is the name (SSID) of the virtual network being created, and “softodrom” is the password for accessing the network. Of course, both of these parameters can be changed at your own discretion.
The last parameter - keyUsage=persistent - determines that the password will be saved and will not have to be specified every time you need to start a virtual network.
After executing this command, the system will detect new hardware and a new one will appear in the Device Manager network adapter called "Microsoft Virtual WiFi miniport adapter".
As a clarification: naturally, a virtual adapter will appear in Device Manager only if the driver is installed on you wireless adapter has support for Virtual WiFi technology.
To be more reliable, let’s look at the Control Panel -> Network Control Center and shared access-> Changing adapter parameters:
As you can see, a new connection “Wireless network connection 2” has appeared here with the status “No connection” (it is already there in the picture. More on that below).
Let's move on to launching the network. In a command prompt running with administrator rights, run the following command:
After this, a) the network will start (Microsoft called it “Hosted Network”) and b) the software access point will work, which you can verify by going to Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center.
As we can see, the computer is connected to several wireless networks simultaneously, and now other wireless devices can connect to our newly created software access point.
To provide Internet access to others wireless devices that will connect to our software access point, you should go to the Control Panel tab -> Network and Sharing Center -> Change adapter settings and in the properties of the adapter through which the computer - in our case, the eeePC netbook - accesses the Internet ( We have this connection via WiFi, but it can be any of the available ones - Ethernet, WiMax, 3G, etc.) in the "access" tab, check the box "Allow other network users to use the Internet connection of this computer."
In addition, in "Connection" home network"you need to specify which network adapter - in our case it is "Wireless network connection 2" - Internet must be provided.
Finally, about the client. From the client side, several wireless networks will be visible, and when connecting to an organized access point (previously we assigned it SSID = MS Virtual WiFi), the client will automatically receive an IP address from the internal DHCP server, gain access to the Internet and at the same time be separated from the external NAT (Network Address Translation) networks.
The clients used in the test were a laptop and mobile phone WiFi enabled; in both cases, access to the Internet via virtual WiFi network did not cause any difficulties.
Simplifying virtual WiFi network management
Despite the obvious advantages of Virtual WiFi, using the command line to configure and start a network for Windows users who are accustomed to pressing buttons is not convenient and familiar, especially since they will have to start the network every time after rebooting the computer, as well as waking it up from sleep or standby mode.
Built-in GUI for Virtual WiFi in the operating system, alas, no, but, as always in such cases, they came to the rescue third party developers, who have released graphical shells for Virtual WiFi - Connectify and . We recommend the second one, not for any of its software advantages, but simply because in order to download Connectify, you will first have to register on the website of its developer, and Virtual Router Manager does not require this.
The principle of using both utilities is very simple: in the appropriate fields you need to indicate the network SSID and password for access and click on the Start button, after which the program will load along with the launch operating system, ensuring the launch of the virtual network. In addition, both utilities, Connectify and Virtual Router Manager, show current connections to the virtual network.
Commands for Managing a Hosted Network
Finally for connoisseurs command line- new commands for managing a hosted network introduced in Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2:
netsh wlan set hostednetwork allowed/disallowed
Allow or deny network use
netsh wlan set hostednetwork<идентификатор_SSID>
<парольная_фраза>persistent/temporary
Configuring network parameters, where SSID is the SSID of the network; key - security key (password) used by the network; keyUsage - indicates whether the security key is permanent or temporary
netsh wlan show settings
Shows network properties and status
netsh wlan show hostednetwork settings=security
Displays the security settings of the hosted network, including the password specified in key when configuring netsh wlan set hostednetwork
netsh wlan start hostednetwork
Launch a hosted network
netsh wlan stop hostednetwork
Stop the hosted network.
Utility Virtual WiFi Router is different simple controls and the ability to transform a computer into a wireless network access point. This feature will allow you to use the device to transmit information via the Internet over a certain distance. The program has an exclusively English-language interface.
IN Virtual Wi-Fi Router There aren't any supernatural options, and there aren't that many of them. Each user can only set the parameters of the access point: name, login password and the maximum number of devices that can connect to it. The working window of the program displays a list of active this moment connections and brief information about them. After completing all the necessary settings, the application can be minimized, thereby freeing up space on the device’s desktop. However, it will not stop functioning, but will continue to work in the background.
You can download the Virtual WiFi Router program from our website using the link below, the official website of the program is virtualwifirouter.com.
Features of Virtual WiFi Router for Windows 7, 10:
- Free download and installation;
- Quickly configure an access point on a computer;
- Providing information about all devices currently connected to the access point;
- Work in the background;
- Simple and convenient controls.
Disadvantages of the program:
- Lack of interface in Russian;
- Compatible only with Windows 7, 10 x64/x86;
Currently, wireless networks are becoming increasingly widespread: they work at train stations, airports, and enterprises, and for many users at home. In Windows 7, an option appeared called “virtual WiFi” - a software layer that creates several virtual adapters from the wireless network card installed in the computer. But first, a little theory.
Wireless networks can operate in two modes:
The devices are connected directly to each other. The result is a simple network (ad-hoc mode). This mode is called "point-to-point". This mode is used quite rarely and mainly for data exchange in cases where it is not possible to use an access point.
Devices are connected via an access point (Access Point-AP).
This mode is called Infrastructure Mode and is usually used in conjunction with a wireless router connected to the Internet.
It should be noted that the simultaneous use of two modes of wireless network operation on one physical wireless adapter is not provided for by the WiFi concept itself, and this is where the virtualization technology used in Windows 7, which expands the capabilities of adapters, comes to the rescue.
What is Virtual WiFi technology
Without going into technical details: in Windows 7, one physical wireless adapter can be turned into several virtual ones, and - attention! - Each of these virtual adapters can be configured to connect to different wireless networks.
What is it for
Hmm... The question is, of course, interesting.
Example one: the radio signal from an existing access point does not cover the required distance between it and wireless devices. In this case, a computer or laptop with Virtual WiFi can act as a repeater (repeater), expanding the coverage area of the wireless network.
Example two: creating a personal network (Wireless Personal Area Network), to which you can very quickly connect a phone, camera, printer, laptop or any other device with a wireless adapter for simple information exchange.
Example three: an existing wireless network with static IP addresses of devices, but sometimes you need to quickly connect new devices, without any adjustments or adjustments (this can be done if the mode for allocating dynamic IP addresses was enabled. But alas) .
How Virtual WiFi is implemented in Windows 7
By the way: Virtual WiFi technology is included not only in Windows 7, but also in Windows 2008 R2.
Virtual WiFi is implemented in the operating system at the kernel level and allows for a very simple implementation of a software access point (SoftAP), while the only thing required from wireless adapter manufacturers is to implement SoftAP support in their drivers (many, by the way, have already done this).
So far - in the current implementation - Virtual WiFi has the following limitations: it is allowed to create only one virtual adapter, operating only in access point mode and only with WPA2-PSK/AES encryption.
By the way, Virtual WiFi technology allows you to connect up to 100 clients to an access point versus 8 clients in the My WiFi technology promoted by Intel.
Installing, enabling and configuring Virtual WiFi
Testing the operation of Virtual WiFi - installing, turning on and configuring a wireless network - was carried out on an ASUS eeePC 1000H netbook with a built-in Ralink WiFi adapter.
So, first you have to play around a little - call the command prompt with administrator rights and enter the following command:
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid="MS Virtual WiFi" key="softodrom" keyUsage=persistent
“MS Virtual WiFi” here is the name (SSID) of the virtual network being created, and “softodrom” is the password for accessing the network. Of course, both of these parameters can be changed at your own discretion.
The last parameter - keyUsage=persistent - determines that the password will be saved and will not have to be specified every time you need to start a virtual network.
After running this command, the system will detect the new hardware and a new network adapter will appear in Device Manager called "Microsoft Virtual WiFi miniport adapter".
As a clarification: naturally, a virtual adapter will appear in Device Manager only if the driver of the wireless adapter you have installed supports Virtual WiFi technology.
To be more reliable, let’s look at Control Panel –> Network and Sharing Center –> Change adapter settings:
As you can see, a new connection “Wireless network connection 2” has appeared here with the status “No connection” (it is already there in the picture. More on that below).
Let's move on to launching the network. In a command prompt running with administrator rights, run the following command:
netsh wlan start hostednetwork
After this, a) the network will start (Microsoft called it “Hosted Network”) and b) the software access point will work, which you can verify by going to Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center.
As we can see, the computer is connected to several wireless networks simultaneously, and now other wireless devices can connect to our newly created software access point.
To provide Internet access to other wireless devices that will connect to our software access point, go to the Control Panel tab -> Network and Sharing Center -> Change adapter settings and in the properties of the adapter through which the computer - in our case eeePC netbook - gets access to the Internet (we have a WiFi connection, but it can be any of the available ones - Ethernet, WiMax, 3G, etc.) in the "access" tab, check the box "Allow other network users to use the Internet connection this computer."
In addition, in “Connecting a home network” you need to indicate which network adapter - in our case it is “Wireless Network Connection 2” - the Internet should be provided to.
Finally, about the client. From the client side, several wireless networks will be visible, and when connecting to an organized access point (previously we assigned it SSID = MS Virtual WiFi), the client will automatically receive an IP address from the internal DHCP server, gain access to the Internet and at the same time be separated from the external NAT (Network Address Translation) networks.
The clients used in the test were a laptop and a WiFi-enabled mobile phone; in both cases, accessing the Internet via a virtual WiFi network did not cause any difficulties.
Simplifying virtual WiFi network management
Despite the obvious advantages of Virtual WiFi, using the command line to configure and start a network for Windows users who are accustomed to pressing buttons is not convenient and familiar, especially since they will have to start the network every time after rebooting the computer, as well as waking it up from sleep or standby mode.
Unfortunately, there is no built-in graphical interface for Virtual WiFi in the operating system, but, as always in such cases, third-party developers came to the rescue and released graphical shells for Virtual WiFi - Connectify and Virtual Router Manager. We recommend using the first one (Connectify), since its developer is constantly working to improve it and regularly releases new versions, and the development of Virtual Router Manager is still in the beta stage, with the last beta version dating back to 2009.
The principle of using both utilities is very simple: in the appropriate fields you need to indicate the network SSID and password for access and click on the Start button, after which the program will load along with the startup of the operating system, ensuring the launch of the virtual network. In addition, both utilities, Connectify and Virtual Router Manager, show current connections to the virtual network.
Commands for Managing a Hosted Network
Finally, for command line connoisseurs, there are new commands for managing a hosted network that appeared in Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2:
netsh wlan set hostednetwork allowed/disallowed – allow or deny network use
netsh wlan set hostednetwork persistent/temporary - setting up network parameters, where SSID is the SSID of the network; key - security key (password) used by the network; keyUsage – indicates whether the security key is permanent or temporary
netsh wlan show settings – shows network properties and its status
netsh wlan show hostednetwork settings=security – displays the security settings of the hosted network, including the password specified in key when configuring netsh wlan set hostednetwork
netsh wlan start hostednetwork - start a hosted network
netsh wlan stop hostednetwork - stop the hosted network.
