Not everybody has access to one of those broadband packages that come with a wireless router to enable over 5 devices connect to the internet.
Mobile hotspot devices called MiFi have stepped in to alleviate this problem but they can be somewhat expensive and in most cases they only allow a maximum of 10 devices to be connected at a time.
Getting a MiFi device will set you back N20,000 to N30,000 ($120 – $185) but did you know that you can easily create a wi-fi hotspot using your wireless enabled PC and your good ol’ regular Huawei USB Internet modem?
Connectify Pro makes creating Wi-fi hotspots a breeze using your LAN, Wi-Fi or 3G/4G internet connection.
The free version of Connectify Pro only supports conversion of LAN and Wi-Fi internet connections into Wi-Fi hotspots. For 3G/4G modems, you would need to pay $39.99 only.
You can check out and compare the features of the Lite and Pro versions here.
How To Setup Wi-Fi Hotspot With 3G/4G USB Internet Modems
Simply purchase and install Connectify Pro. (Non-US residents can purchase it directly from the Connectify site. I used my First Bank Nigeria Naira MasterCard without a hitch)
Plug in your USB modem, start the connection and then run Connectify Pro
Choose a name and password for your Wi-Fi hotspot and set Internet to share to Automatic or your USB internet connection.
Under Advanced Settings, set Share Over to Wi-Fi and Sharing Mode to Wi-Fi Access Point, Encrypted.
Under Firewall, tick Allow Internet Access and Allow Local Network Access
Hit the Start Hotspot button and wait for Connectify Pro to start the Wi-Fi hotspot.
Once the hotspot starts, you can start connecting other devices to the network. As you can see from the screen capture below, under the Clients tab, my BlackBerry and Android phone are connected to the Hotspot.
The $39.99 Connectify Pro fee covers the license for life and 1 year of support plus free updates. After 1 year, you stop getting updates but your PRO version will remain active.
Unfortunately I couldn’t get a list of supported USB modems but if memory serves me right, most usb modems in the market are supported. I also haven’t been able to verify how many devices can be connected to the Connectify hotspot at a time.
That’s all folks. If you experience drops in connection, you might need to update your wireless card driver or check to make sure your network’s internet service isn’t fluctuating as is the case most times.
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Please rate & share this article to help others. Thanks
For some reason it seems like my android phone wants to connect and even says its connected but it can not send whatsapp messages or go to the net so it makes no sense to me.
@Ben: try these alternatives and see if that helps: https://www.patchworkoftips.com/free-version-connectify-pro-alternative/2154/
I can connect my Glo 3g card succesfully, but it seems impossible to open a google search, as well as other sites. Facebook and some other sites open fast and without hassles, but google isn’t opening, and my skype isn’t connecting. What could be the problem please?
Thanks a lot dear host. It worked eventually. I guess my internet network was rather unstable then.
I was able to connect a laptop, a BB phone and playbook though with frequent interruptions.I think this still has to do with my internet- glo 3G.
Thanks a lot, u have been of immense help.
Thanks for sticking around and having the patience to make it work. I do experience interruptions too cos Airtel’s 3G tends to fluctuate like no man’s bizness. I’ll try the office Wi-Fi today to see if that works better than the modem.
Do have a great week sir :D
I downloaded, paid and got a licence for PRO on my XP operating system and my glo modem was recognized and Hotspot started. My blackberry phone and BB playbook however did not find this hotspot when I scanned. I have been trying this for hours now.what have I done wrong? I named the HOTSPOT, set the password, exit and restarted.
Under Sharing Mode what did you put? I’m using WPA2 mode and it’s working for all my devices
wi-fi Ad-Hoc, encrypted (WEP)
Change to Wi-Fi Access Point, WPA2. That’s what I’m using to connect my devices. Lemme know if it solves the problem
unfortunately, that option is not available under xp. can i still use my licence for my win 7 system? read form the site that that option is available on win 7
I wasn’t aware of that. Yes you can use your license on another system. Simply install and use your email and license code and you’re good to go. Awaiting your feedback sir :)
i did that, it worked, both BB phone and playbook recognized the hotspot but timed out consistently while trying to connect. i tried that for over 1 hour.
Story therefore still the same but at least, i am in a better state now.
Sorry sir, when you say timed out consistently, you mean they keep trying to connect without success right?
If that’s the case, can you please try rebooting all three devices to see if that should fix the problem?
Also do please check to see if other wi-fi enabled devices available to you can connect to the wi-fi hotspot or not.
Bro i’d like to know the charges you incur using your mastercard to shop online.
And as regards the wireless hotspot thing, Virtual Router is a free replacement for connectify
Like a little over $1 equivalent unlike $2 with Zenith Visa Prepaid. Unfortunately Virtual Router doesn’t work for most peeps. I tried a bunch of them before I settled for Connectify :D
Hi…
its very nice of you to post this tutorial for others to use… i have been using connnnectify for over a year now and it performs great wonders… it can network 5devices simultaneously.
i have the licence key which i can give out for free..but dont know if i can post it here for the pleasure of others???
Thanks for the feedback. I didn’t have enough devices to connect to the hotspot so I couldn’t verify the cap on total amount of devices allowed.
Unfortunately you can’t paste your license here as Google is fighting a war against piracy and I’m not allowed to publish hack related stuffs on my sites
Thanks for dropping in :)
ok…..i understand your reasons and shall abide by them, all the same thanks for the information,, will be helpful to tons of other people… keep up the good work bro
Thanks for understanding as well as the words of encouragement. I’ll continue to do my test with the whole tip sharing thingy. Lol