Whether your phone’s data is more reliable than the hotel WiFi, or you need to get a second laptop online without a router nearby, Windows can turn your PC’s internet connection into a shareable hotspot for other devices. No extra hardware, no router required — just a setting buried a couple of menus deep.
Quick answer: The fastest way is Mobile Hotspot: go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile hotspot, choose the connection you want to share under Share my internet connection from, select WiFi under Share over, then turn the toggle on. Other devices connect the same way they’d join any WiFi network, using the password shown on that same page.
Below are all three ways to share your connection, when to use each one, and fixes for the most common sharing errors.
Which Method Should You Use?
| Method | Best For | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile Hotspot | Sharing with phones, tablets, and laptops over WiFi or Bluetooth | About 30 seconds |
| Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) | Wiring a second PC directly via Ethernet cable | A few minutes |
| Sharing a VPN connection | Letting other devices use your PC’s active VPN tunnel | A few minutes |
Method 1: Mobile Hotspot (Fastest, Most Common)
Mobile Hotspot is built into both Windows 11 and Windows 10, and it can share a WiFi, Ethernet, or cellular connection with other devices over WiFi or Bluetooth.
Setting Up Mobile Hotspot
- Open Settings (press Windows key + I) and go to Network & internet > Mobile hotspot
- Under Share my internet connection from, select the connection you want to share — WiFi, Ethernet, or cellular, depending on what’s available
- Under Share over, choose WiFi (faster and more reliable) or Bluetooth
- Expand Properties, select Edit, and set a network name and password other devices will use to connect, then select Save
- Turn on the Mobile hotspot toggle at the top of the page
Connecting Other Devices
- On the device you want to connect, open its WiFi settings
- Find the network name you set in step 4 above
- Select it, enter the password (or scan the QR code Windows can display, if your device supports it)
- Confirm the connection
Windows shows how many devices are currently connected, along with their names, directly on the Mobile Hotspot settings page — useful for confirming a connection worked, or for keeping an eye on who’s using your shared connection.
A Few Details Worth Knowing
- You generally can’t share a WiFi connection using the same WiFi adapter that’s receiving it — if WiFi is your only adapter, sharing over Bluetooth is usually the fallback, or connecting your PC via Ethernet instead so WiFi is free to broadcast the hotspot
- If your PC has a cellular connection, sharing it uses data from that plan, the same as it would on a phone
- Turning off Power saving (found near the hotspot toggle) keeps the hotspot broadcasting even when no device is connected, which is useful if devices connect and disconnect throughout the day, at the cost of slightly more battery use on a laptop
Method 2: Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) Over Ethernet
This method is better suited to a direct, wired connection between two PCs — for example, sharing your laptop’s internet with a desktop that doesn’t have its own WiFi adapter.
- Connect the two computers together using an Ethernet cable
- On the PC with the internet connection (the “host”), press Windows key + R, type
ncpa.cpl, and press Enter to open Network Connections - Right-click your active internet connection (WiFi or another Ethernet adapter) and select Properties
- Go to the Sharing tab and check Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection
- From the dropdown that appears, select the Ethernet connection going to the second PC
- Select OK to apply
The second PC typically picks up an internet connection automatically once this is set, without needing any changes on its end.
Method 3: Sharing a VPN Connection
If your PC is connected to a VPN and you want other devices to route through that same VPN tunnel, this combines Mobile Hotspot with a network sharing setting.
- Set up and turn on Mobile Hotspot as described in Method 1
- Press Windows key + R, type
ncpa.cpl, and press Enter - Right-click your active VPN adapter and select Properties
- Go to the Sharing tab and check Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection
- From the dropdown, select your Mobile Hotspot network
- Select OK
Any device that connects to your Mobile Hotspot network will now route its traffic through the same VPN connection your PC is using — useful for covering a phone or tablet under a VPN that doesn’t have its own app for that service.
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
“Share My Internet Connection From” Is Greyed Out
This usually means the underlying network sharing service isn’t running.
- Search for Command Prompt in the Start menu, right-click it, and select Run as administrator
- Run the following command:
net start SharedAccess- Return to Mobile Hotspot settings and check whether the option is selectable again
Other Devices Can’t Find or Connect to the Hotspot
- Confirm the Mobile Hotspot toggle is actually turned on, not just configured
- Double-check the password entered on the connecting device matches exactly, including capitalization
- Move the connecting device closer to the host PC, since a weak signal can prevent the network from appearing reliably in a WiFi list
- Restart the host PC’s WiFi adapter by turning it off and back on in Settings > Network & internet > WiFi
Devices Connect but Have No Internet Access
- Confirm the host PC itself still has a working internet connection, since Mobile Hotspot only shares what’s already there
- Reselect the correct source connection under Share my internet connection from, in case it defaulted to the wrong adapter
- Restart the Mobile Hotspot toggle — turn it off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on
Mobile Hotspot Turns Off on Its Own
This is usually the Power saving setting doing exactly what it’s designed to do — turning off the hotspot automatically when no devices are connected for a period of time. Turning that option off, found near the Mobile Hotspot toggle, keeps it broadcasting continuously instead.
ICS Sharing Doesn’t Work Between Two PCs
- Confirm the Ethernet cable is fully seated at both ends, and try a different cable if you have one available
- Recheck that the correct Ethernet adapter was selected in the Sharing tab dropdown, since selecting the wrong one is a common setup mistake
- On the receiving PC, confirm its network adapter is set to obtain an IP address automatically, under its own adapter’s IPv4 properties
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I share my internet connection in Windows 11? Go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile hotspot, choose the connection to share, select WiFi or Bluetooth under Share over, set a network name and password, and turn on the Mobile hotspot toggle. Other devices connect the same way they would to any WiFi network.
Can I share my WiFi connection using the same WiFi adapter that’s receiving it? Generally, no. Most Windows PCs can’t share a WiFi connection over the same adapter that’s connected to that network. Sharing over Bluetooth, or connecting your PC via Ethernet so WiFi is free to broadcast the hotspot, are the usual workarounds.
Why is “Share my internet connection from” greyed out in Mobile Hotspot settings? This typically means the SharedAccess network service isn’t running. Opening Command Prompt as administrator and running “net start SharedAccess” usually resolves it, after which the option becomes selectable again.
Does sharing my internet connection use more data? Sharing itself doesn’t add extra data usage beyond what the connected devices actually use. If you’re sharing a cellular connection specifically, all data used by connected devices counts against that same data plan, just as it would on the host device alone.
Can I share a VPN connection with other devices through my PC? Yes. Set up Mobile Hotspot first, then enable connection sharing for your VPN adapter specifically under Network Connections > [VPN adapter] > Properties > Sharing, selecting your hotspot network as the destination. Connected devices will then route through the same VPN tunnel.
Why do connected devices show no internet access even though the hotspot is on? This usually means the host PC’s own internet connection dropped, or the wrong source connection was selected under “Share my internet connection from.” Confirming the host PC has working internet, then reselecting the correct source, resolves most cases.
What’s the difference between Mobile Hotspot and Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)? Mobile Hotspot shares your connection wirelessly over WiFi or Bluetooth and is the simpler, faster option for most situations. ICS is generally used for a direct, wired Ethernet connection between two PCs and requires a bit more manual network configuration.
Sharing your connection securely is worth pairing with the rest of your network setup. If you’re routing traffic through a VPN as part of sharing, our guide on setting up a secure VPN connection in Windows covers the full setup from scratch. And if devices on your shared network need remote access to your PC as well, see our guide on connecting to your PC remotely on Windows for related settings worth knowing.