How to Share Hotel Wi-Fi With Multiple Devices.
Have you ever checked into a messy hotel that only gives out one Wi-Fi account per room and charges additional fees if you ask for separate credentials? More often than not, Wi-Fi is blocked behind a dynamic intercept portal and cannot be used on multiple devices. Luckily, there are some easy ways to share your hotel Wi-Fi connection that don’t require cracking the Wi-Fi password. You can achieve this with Windows, Mac, or even an Android smartphone. Let’s see how.
How to share hotel Wi-Fi network with multiple devices
1. Windows
If you are using Windows 10 on your computer, this process takes only one step. Windows natively lets you create a hotspot and share the Wi-Fi connection you just got from the front desk. This works because most Windows laptops have two separate Wi-Fi bands, one used to access the Wi-Fi and the other to create it. To share hotel Wi-Fi, connect your Windows laptop to the hotel Wi-Fi. Then go to Settings Network & Internet Mobile Hotspot Share Wi-Fi Connection Sharing Wi-Fi Connection. Turn it on and you’re done.
By default, it selects the SSID such as Desktop- followed by a random alphanumeric number. If you want to change this, click the Change button, enter any network name and password you want to use, such as “Enhanced Hotel Wi-Fi†or something like that, and then click OK.
Related: How do you know what people are doing on your Wi-Fi network?
If you are using an older version of Windows like 8.1, 8 or 7, you can use any popular Wi-Fi sharing software like Connectify.me, Maryfi, My Public Wi-Fi, etc.
2. Mac
Unlike Windows, you cannot create a Wi-Fi hotspot and connect using Wi-Fi at the same time. However, macOS offers other easy solutions if you’re trying to share your Mac’s Internet connection with your iPhone. You can do this by connecting a Lightning cable between your iPhone and Mac, or share the Internet via Bluetooth. USB is faster, but Bluetooth works wirelessly. Go to System Preferences Sharing Internet Sharing Share Your Connection From: Wi-Fi To Computers With: Bluetooth & iPhone USB.
On the subject: How to disconnect people from your Wi-Fi
If you don’t have an iPhone or want to use an internet connection for multiple devices, you should purchase a cheap Wi-Fi adapter for future travel. You can get it on Amazon for as little as $ 8. I tried it with the TP-Link TL-WN722N Wi-Fi adapter, but in theory it should work with any Wi-Fi adapter.
To share Wi-Fi, connect to the hotel’s Wi-Fi from the Wi-Fi Adapter app. Go to System Preferences Sharing Internet Sharing. Share your connection with a Wi-Fi adapter (listed as 802.11n NIC or something) To computers using: Wi-Fi. Configure the hotspot by clicking Wi-Fi options and edit the hotspot name and password.
Just connect your devices to the newly created hotspot and enjoy Wi-Fi on all devices.
3. Android
If you have flagship Android devices like Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy Note 9, etc., then just like in Windows, you can use the hotel’s Wi-Fi directly. To share Wi-Fi, go to Settings Wireless Mobile Hotspot Settings. Turn it on and connect all devices to your mobile hotspot.
If your phone doesn’t have this option, you can still do it using third-party apps like Netshare No Root Tethering. The only requirement is that your smartphone must have a dual band Wi-Fi adapter. A quick Google search will tell you if your phone is supported or not. If so, just launch the app and share the internet using the app.
We have prepared a detailed article on how to share Android Wi-Fi via hotspot using Netshare No Root app, you can read about it here.
Read:Â which wifi is better 2.4ghz or 5ghz
4. Carry a wireless repeater
If you travel frequently and don’t want to use your existing devices as a Wi-Fi repeater, you might want to consider buying a cheap wireless repeater.
Most WiFi repeaters work in 3 modes; Ethernet, WPS, and regular password protected network. So, if the hotel you visit often has the option, you can buy a cheap Wi-Fi repeater. However, the Wi-Fi repeater does not work if the Wi-Fi is open Wi-Fi or if the network has a hidden entrance. In such cases, it is better to restore the above parameters.
Read:Â 10 Ways To Boost a Weak WiFi Signal
Final Words
So these were some of the ways to share the same Wi-Fi connection in a hotel. Things will get easier, especially if you plan a little ahead of time. Alternatively, you can ask the front desk to update their Wi-Fi devices, most of them do it for free if you ask them politely. At the same time, if the hotel requires all the services from you, it may be time to change the hotel. Or, if you have a decent data plan, you can always use your data modem to share your smartphone’s data connection with other devices. What do you think of these methods, let me know in the comments below?
How to Share Hotel Wi-Fi With Multiple Devices