The Ultimate Guide to Turn Your Old PC or Laptop into a Powerful Wi-Fi Router

If you have an old PC collecting dust or a spare laptop you rarely-to-never use, then you should definitely turn it into a wireless router. Think about it. It’s much more flexible in terms of connections you can use than a regular dedicated router: supports Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 4G and any other connection types via USB adapters. Plus if you want to turn an old laptop into a wireless router, it’s easy to move it around even when no power outlet is around. Download Connectify Hotspot free and try it on your old PC.

Read below to see how easy it is to turn your Windows computer into a fully featured Wi-Fi router with the help of Connectify Hotspot software. It’s all there: sharing any Internet connection with other devices, extending the range of a wi-fi network, bridging network connections, universal ad blocking and per-device internet controls.

Share Any Internet Connection With All Your Devices

The first and main use for a wireless router is to share an Internet connection to other devices via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. As you know, the newer versions of Windows have built-in capabilities to share a Wi-Fi network or bridge connections, but they are very limited in terms of functionalities and require some technical knowledge, time and a lot of steps to get it going.

This is why Connectify Hotspot is the most popular virtual router software used by millions of people around the world. It literally takes less than 5 minutes to configure an old Windows PC or laptop into a powerful wi-fi router. You will be turning your PC into a wireless hotspot!

With Connectify Hotspot you can share Wi-Fi, Ethernet, a VPN or a phone plugged in with USB for free, and 4G and 5G modems with Connectify Hotspot PRO or MAX. To turn your old PC into a Wi-Fi router:

How to Turn an Old PC into a Wi-Fi Router in 5 Steps

1. Download and install Connectify Hotspot on your 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 PC.
2. Open it and choose Wi-Fi hotspot.
3. Under Internet to share, pick the connection you want to share: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, a VPN or a phone plugged in with USB.
4. Set a password. Turn on Block ads if you want lighter pages on every device.
5. Click Start hotspot. Devices join by scanning the QR code on the Hotspot screen, or with the network name and password, like any other Wi-Fi network.

See the video below!

Naturally, if you’re using a PC and want to turn it into a wi-fi hotspot, you have to make sure it has a wireless adapter installed. It is usually available as a USB adapter, or even onboard in some configurations: check your system / motherboard manual and BIOS.

You can also share the Internet connection via Ethernet, if you have devices that don’t support Wi-Fi, for example older game consoles such as PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo. Wired router mode in Connectify Hotspot PRO makes that possible: choose Wired router, then select the connection under Internet to share and you’re done. See the video below for illustration.

One last thing about sharing connections: you can see every connected device and its data use, and switch internet access off for any one device. That part is free.

Extend the Range of Your Wi-Fi Network with Connectify Hotspot

As a powerful virtual router software app, Connectify Hotspot also works as a repeater and range extender for your Wi-Fi network.

Wi-Fi repeater mode is part of Connectify Hotspot MAX and needs a Wi-Fi adapter that supports it. You must already be connected to the network you want to extend. Then simply choose Wi-Fi repeater, make sure that the Wi-Fi network you want to repeat is selected and start your hotspot. It’s that easy! See video below.

Bridge Network Connections Easily with Connectify Hotspot

If you want to bridge network connections, adding devices to your home network as if they were directly connected to it (game consoles, streaming devices, network attached storage devices, etc.), then bridged mode in Connectify Hotspot MAX can help with that. It works when the PC is on Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Just switch the hotspot to bridged mode. More details in the video below!

EXTRA: Whole House Ad Blocking Made Easy with Connectify Hotspot

Looking for a way to save time, bandwidth, money and battery life for all your devices connecting to the home network? You’re in luck: Connectify Hotspot is more than just a virtual router; it also uses universal ad blocking technology to block ads on every device that joins your hotspot.

Universal ad blocking means that it will block ads not only from websites, but from within apps too. So, if you’re connecting via your iPhone or Android smartphone to the Internet via the hotspot created with Connectify, you will not get any pesky ads within the ad-supported apps you may have on your mobile phone. Great news, right?

Convinced yet? Connectify Hotspot is clearly the best solution to turn your old Windows computer into a powerful wireless router. Get started with Connectify Hotspot MAX now at 70% off!