That second Wi-Fi network will just have its own name and passphrase, so this won’t be a truly seamless experience–you’ll have to connect to one network on one side of the house, and the other when you move out of range. In other words, your PC can be connected to your router’s Wi-Fi network, and simultaneously create another Wi-Fi network within range of your PC. This feature can create a new wireless hotspot even if you’re connected to Wi-Fi. It’s possible to do this on Windows 7 and 8, too, though not quite as seamless.

Just head to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Hotspot. Windows 10’s Anniversary Update contains a built in feature that lets you create a separate wireless hotspot. RELATED: How to Turn Your Windows PC Into a Wi-Fi HotspotĪs we mentioned above, there is a free way to do this, but it’s not exactly elegant. The Not-Really-a-Repeater Solution: Windows’ Built In Wi-Fi Hotspot (Free) Obviously, you also want to be sure that your PC is in a spot where it has a solid Wi-Fi signal, and can extend a solid WI-Fi signal to an area of your house, office, or yard that doesn’t have a strong signal. To set up your PC as a repeater, download and install Connectify Hotspot MAX, click the “Wi-Fi Repeater” option, select the Wi-Fi network you want to repeat, and click “Start Hotspot”. Devices can seamlessly move around and remain to the same network, whether they’re within range of the original network or the repeater. Devices connected to the repeated network on the PC running Connectify will appear on the router’s web interface as if they were connected directly to the router. That hotspot functions as its own network, so there’s a network address translation (NAT) layer between the hotspot network and your real Wi-Fi network.Ĭonnectify, on the other hand, just hands the packets directly to the router like a hardware wireless repeater would, making for an actual seamless network.

Other wireless hotspot programs (like the free tip we discuss in the next section) just create a second hotspot that your devices must connect to. Connectify offers a special “bridging mode” that can make a computer function as a true repeater.

It claims to be the only true wireless repeater software for Windows, and as far as we’re aware, that’s true. If you absolutely must turn a PC into a repeater, then Connectify’s Hotspot MAX software is the best option. A Good Software Solution: Connectify (Paid)

Home wifi booster laptop