How to Turn Your Laptop into a WiFi Repeater on Windows 7
A Wi-Fi repeater picks up your existing Wi-Fi and broadcasts it further, so devices in a far room get a usable signal. Connectify Hotspot, a Windows app that turns a computer into a Wi-Fi hotspot, can do this with a laptop you already own using its Wi-Fi Repeater Mode. On Windows 7, the version to use is Connectify Hotspot 2021.
Which version to download
Windows 7: Connectify Hotspot 2021 is the last version that runs on Windows 7 and 8. Download Connectify Hotspot 2021
64-bit Windows 10 or 11: use the current version, Connectify Hotspot 27. Download Connectify Hotspot 27
Hotspot 2021 no longer gets updates. The PRO and MAX licenses on sale today are for Hotspot 27, so email support@connectify.me before you buy one for a Windows 7 or 8 PC.
A repeater helps when:
- Wi-Fi is weak in part of your home, office or dorm.
- A console or smart TV needs to be on the same network as your other devices, which a repeater with bridging allows.
- You would rather not buy and plug in a separate repeater.
Hardware Repeater or Software Repeater?
Most Wi-Fi repeaters are separate devices that need a power outlet. A laptop that is already in the right room can do the same job with software.
Some hotspot apps “repeat” Wi-Fi without bridging: devices that join get online, but they are not really on your network, so consoles can report NAT problems and Chromecast apps cannot find the Chromecast. Connectify Hotspot’s Wi-Fi Repeater Mode bridges, so devices on the far side get addresses from your router like any other device.
Placement matters: put the laptop where the router’s signal is still good but starting to fade, not in the room with no signal at all. A repeater can only pass on the signal it receives.
How to Set Up Wi-Fi Repeater Mode on Windows 7
- Install Connectify Hotspot 2021 from the download link. Wi-Fi Repeater Mode is a MAX feature: the licenses on sale today are for Hotspot 27, so email support@connectify.me about a MAX license for Hotspot 2021 before you buy.
- Choose Wi-Fi Repeater at the top of the Connectify Hotspot window.
- Pick the network to repeat from the Wi-Fi Network to Repeat list.
- Click Start Hotspot. Devices in the far room join your usual Wi-Fi network as before.
What Else Connectify Hotspot Does on Windows 7
- Blocks ads for every device on the hotspot with its built-in ad blocker, including ads inside apps.
- Puts consoles and smart TVs on your home network with Bridging Mode (MAX).
- Shares wired, DSL and tethered phone connections over Wi-Fi.
Windows 7 and 8 no longer get security updates
Microsoft stopped security updates for Windows 7 and Windows 8. That does not stop a hotspot from working, but a computer that stays online and shares its connection with your phones and tablets should at least run an up-to-date browser and antivirus.
On 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, use Connectify Hotspot 27, where Wi-Fi repeater mode is part of Hotspot MAX.