Creation of a computer network. Free virtual router for distributing wi-fi from any computer Installing, enabling and configuring Virtual WiFi
Virtual router manager is designed to help if you do not have a real one wi-fi router, but it needs to be distributed. Its main task is to simulate a wi-fi router, so you can forget about any wires and inconveniences. The program is reliable and licensed, there are no viruses in it, and you can download virtual router manager completely free of charge. The program is compatible with the operating system Microsoft Windows XP, Seven and above.
What devices is the program compatible with?
The key condition for the correct operation of the program is the presence of wi-fi on the distributing and receiving devices. Receiving devices can be: iPhone, iPod touch, netbooks, laptops, audio devices, wireless multifunctional devices, smartphones, phones with Android or Zune and others. The distribution device (usually a computer) on which the program is installed must have a wi-fi adapter.Where can I download Virtual Router?
You can download virtual router manager on the official website or on torrents. Please note that the file must only have the extension ".exe" or ".msi". Anyone can set up the program, even without reading the instructions. Using the program is even easier than installing it.How to get started with virtual router manager?
To distribute wifi on Windows you will need to perform the simplest manipulations:- indicate the name of your network correctly;
- enter password;
- Click on the “Start” button.
Entering a password is necessary for the security of the transmitted data, so that another person cannot unauthorizedly connect to your virtual distribution. All devices that you connect via virtual wifi will be displayed in the program window. If necessary, you can even find out the IP and MAC addresses of each device by looking at them in the program window.
Working with the program
Essentially a virtual router Russian manager the version is a shell, that is, it is able to perform all the settings for you. To gain access via wifi, just launch the program and then minimize it to tray. With these actions, every time you turn on the computer, it will automatically start.
Setting up the program
The setting comes down to filling or selecting in 4 lines:- to create a wifi network, you need to come up with any name for it in the top field;
- in the next field we come up with a password consisting of at least 8 characters;
- in the “Shared Connection” drop-down menu, select the connection through which the computer connects to the Internet;
- in the bottom drop-down menu select desired type connections.
How to choose the right connection type?
In order to competently create a wifi network, you need to select the desired type of connection - this is important! There are two modes: access point or ad hoc.- Ad hoc. This mode provides a point-to-point connection. Translated into simple language, only one device can be connected to a virtual router.
- access point. This mode will allow you to connect to an “access point” (distributing wi-fi device) a large number of receiving devices. Possible problems and their elimination
In order to distribute the Internet via wi-fi, you need a router - special device. But in most cases, especially at home, you can not even buy it, but turn any computer into a router. All you need for this is a computer with built-in or external wi-fi adapter and a small program Virtual Router Plus - free virtual router.
Thanks to a virtual router, you can distribute wi-fi to all devices in the immediate area - computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, anything that can receive a signal.
Virtual Router Plus – free virtual router
Virtual Router Plus is a free virtual router in Russian. Thanks to it, any computer with a Wi-Fi adapter can distribute the Internet to other devices that can receive a Wi-Fi signal.
Virtual Router Plus is lightweight, easy to use, has a clear interface, stability, and does not load the system. This is one of the simplest and most intuitive programs for creating wi-fi points on the computer.
Virtual Router Plus Interface When you run this program, a window will open in front of you. You need to fill in the following information:
- Network name (SSID). Write down what yours will be called wi-fi network. I do not recommend using Cyrillic.
- Password. Create a password to prevent your neighbors from stealing your Internet.
- General connection. Select the Internet connection from the list that you want to distribute through this virtual router. If the required connection is not in the list, then click the “Update” button next to it.
When all the data is filled in, click on the “Run” button virtual router plus". When Wi-Fi starts to work, you will see a message in the system tray. After this, you can try to connect to the Internet using a variety of devices.
Utility Virtual WiFi Router It features simple controls and the ability to transform your computer into a wireless network access point. This feature will allow you to use the device to transmit information via the Internet over a certain distance. The program has an exclusively English-language interface.
IN Virtual Wi-Fi Router There aren't any supernatural options, and there aren't that many of them. Each user can only set the parameters of the access point: name, login password and the maximum number of devices that can connect to it. The working window of the program displays a list of active this moment connections and brief information about them. Having done everything necessary settings, the application can be minimized, thereby freeing up space on the device’s desktop. However, it will not stop functioning, but will continue to work in the background.
You can download the Virtual WiFi Router program from our website using the link below, the official website of the program is virtualwifirouter.com.
Features of Virtual WiFi Router for Windows 7, 10:
- Free download and installation;
- Quickly configure an access point on a computer;
- Providing information about all devices currently connected to the access point;
- Work in the background;
- Simple and convenient controls.
Disadvantages of the program:
- Lack of interface in Russian;
- Compatible only with Windows 7, 10 x64/x86;
Over the course of their existence, wireless networks (Wireless Local Area Network-WLAN) have gone through many changes that affected security, range and speed, but the basic principles of operation have remained unchanged.
Wireless networks can operate in two modes: when two or more devices are connected directly to each other - point-to-point, or when they are connected through an access point (Access Point-AP). In the first case, they talk about a simple network (ad-hoc mode). The use of this operating mode is quite rare and is used mainly for data exchange when it is not possible to use an access point. The second mode, using an access point, is called infrastructure mode and in most cases is used in conjunction with a wireless router that is connected to the Internet. But using two operating modes simultaneously on one physical wireless adapter is not provided for by the Wi-Fi concept itself.
Looking for new uses wireless networks, the concept of virtualization was proposed, which removes certain restrictions on the use of such networks and thereby expands their capabilities. This approach the use of wireless adapters has been implemented by several companies with corresponding technology names. At Intel, it's Intel My WiFi, and at Microsoft, it's Virtual WiFi.
Virtual Wi-Fi is a software layer that abstracts the wireless network card and creates multiple virtual adapters. Each virtual adapter can be separately configured to connect to different wireless networks, but they will all use the resources of only one physical wireless adapter.
What can this technology be useful for? For example, creating a personal network (Wireless Personal Area Network - WPAN) in which you can quickly connect a PDA, phone, printer, camera, laptop and other device with a wireless adapter for simple exchange information; use a laptop as a hotspot to provide access to the Internet wireless devices using an Internet connection on a laptop, be it Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 3G or WiMax. Another example would be when the radio signal is not stable enough or does not cover the required distance between the access point and wireless devices. In this case, a computer or laptop with Virtual Wi-Fi technology can act as a repeater, thereby improving the radio coverage of the wireless network.
In Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2, Virtual WiFi technology was included in the system and implemented at the kernel level, in addition, work was done on a simple implementation of a Software Access Point (SoftAP), while from wireless device manufacturers, Now you only need to implement SoftAP support in your drivers. In this regard, in the current implementation of Virtual WiFi in Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2, it is possible to create only one virtual adapter that will only work in access point mode, while providing WPA2-PSK-AES encryption.
By the way, support for Virtual WiFi in drivers is a mandatory requirement for certification of wireless adapters for compatibility with Windows 7.
Virtual WiFi is designated as Wireless Hosted Network, in Russian designation as Hosted Network. In connection with the introduction of Virtual WiFi into new operating systems from Microsoft, new commands have been included in the network shell for managing a distributed network. Here are some of them:
- netsh wlan set hostednetwork allowed|disallowed - Allow or deny use of the network.
- netsh wlan set hostednetwork<идентификатор_SSID> <парольная_фраза>persistent|temporary - Configuring network parameters, where SSID is an identifier Network SSID; Key - User security key used by the network; keyUsage indicates the security key is permanent or temporary
- netsh wlan show settings – Shows the network property and its status.
- netsh wlan show hostednetwork settings=security – Displays the security settings of the hosted network. (Shows, including the password specified in key when setting up netsh wlan set hostednetwork)
- netsh wlan start hostednetwork - Start hosted network.
- netsh wlan stop hostednetwork - Stop network hosting.
What does setting up Virtual Wi-Fi look like in practice: we need a laptop or a regular Personal Computer with wireless devices, Windows 7 and a driver supporting Virtual WiFi.
If the above described criteria are met, then call the command line with administrator rights and run the following command in it:
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid="MS Virtual Wi-Fi" key="Pass for virtual wifi" keyUsage=persistent
IN in this example"MS Virtual Wi-Fi" is the name of the wireless network, "Pass for virtual wifi" is the password to access this network. You can set these values at your discretion.
After executing this command, the system will find new equipment and a new one will appear in the device manager network adapter, or rather virtual – Microsoft Virtual WiFi miniport adapter. But again, this virtual adapter will only appear if our wireless adapter driver supports Virtual WiFi.
By going to Control Panel - Network and Sharing Center and shared access- change the adapter parameters, we will see a new connection Wireless Network Connection 2, which will show the status - no connection. Therefore, the next step will be to launch the network. To do this, in a command prompt run with administrator rights, run the following command:
netsh wlan start hostednetwork.
After this, the network will start and the software access point (SoftAP) will work. You can verify this by going to Control Panel - Network and Sharing Center. Since we use a Wi-Fi Internet connection, we found that Windows 7 was connected to several wireless networks at the same time. Now other wireless devices can connect to our access point.
If we want to provide access to the Internet to other wireless devices that are connected to our software access point, that is, to organize a Hotspot, then we need to go to the Control Panel tab - Network and Sharing Center - changing adapter parameters and connection properties , which is connected to the Internet (in our case, this is a Wi-Fi connection, but it can be anything: ethernet, 3G, WiMax, etc.). On the Access tab, check the box Allow other network users to use the Internet connection of this computer, and in Connection home network indicate which network adapter to provide (share) the Internet to, in our case, it will be Wireless Network Connection 2, which refers to the virtual wireless adapter.
On the client side, you can see several wireless networks, and when connecting to our organized access point, the client will automatically receive an IP address from the internal DHCP server and will be separated from the external network by NAT (Network address translation).
The convenience of using Virtual Wi-Fi is obvious, but using the command line to configure and start the network (and you need to start the hosted network every time after rebooting the computer with administrator rights) is not entirely convenient. And, unfortunately, there is no built-in graphical shell for setting up Virtual WiFi. Therefore, it is not surprising that third-party utilities appear that perform the function of this very shell. Now there are several such utilities - Connectify and Virtual Router Manager. Their configuration is kept to a minimum - you need to specify the SSID and password for access. They are loaded along with the system and immediately enable the distributed network and are able to display all connections to our distributed network.
Connectify
Currently, wireless networks are becoming increasingly widespread: they work at train stations, airports, and enterprises, and for many users at home. In Windows 7, an option appeared called “virtual WiFi” - a software layer that creates a wireless network installed on the computer network card several virtual adapters. But first, a little theory.
Wireless networks can operate in two modes:
The devices are connected directly to each other. It turns out simple network(ad-hoc mode). This mode is called "point-to-point". This mode is used quite rarely and mainly for data exchange in cases where it is not possible to use an access point.
Devices are connected via an access point (Access Point-AP).
This mode is called Infrastructure Mode and is usually used in conjunction with a wireless router connected to the Internet.
It should be noted that the simultaneous use of two modes of wireless network operation on one physical wireless adapter is not provided for by the WiFi concept itself, and this is where the virtualization technology used in Windows 7, which expands the capabilities of adapters, comes to the rescue.
What is Virtual WiFi technology
Without going into technical details: in Windows 7, one physical wireless adapter can be turned into several virtual ones, and - attention! - Each of these virtual adapters can be configured to connect to different wireless networks.
What is it for
Hmm... The question is, of course, interesting.
Example one: the radio signal from an existing access point does not cover the required distance between it and wireless devices. In this case, a computer or laptop with Virtual WiFi can act as a repeater (repeater), expanding the coverage area of the wireless network.
Example two: creating a personal network (Wireless Personal Area Network), to which you can very quickly connect a phone, camera, printer, laptop or any other device with a wireless adapter for simple information exchange.
Example three: existing wireless network - with static IP addresses devices, but sometimes you need to quickly connect new devices, without any adjustments or adjustments (this can be done if the mode for allocating dynamic IP addresses was enabled. But alas).
How Virtual WiFi is implemented in Windows 7
By the way: Virtual WiFi technology is included not only in Windows 7, but also in Windows 2008 R2.
Virtual WiFi is implemented in the operating system at the kernel level and allows for a very simple implementation of a software access point (SoftAP), while the only thing required from wireless adapter manufacturers is to implement SoftAP support in their drivers (many, by the way, have already done this).
So far - in the current implementation - Virtual WiFi has the following limitations: it is allowed to create only one virtual adapter, operating only in access point mode and only with WPA2-PSK/AES encryption.
By the way, Virtual WiFi technology allows you to connect up to 100 clients to an access point versus 8 clients in the My WiFi technology promoted by Intel.
Installing, enabling and configuring Virtual WiFi
Testing the operation of Virtual WiFi - installing, turning on and configuring a wireless network - was carried out on an ASUS eeePC 1000H netbook with a built-in Ralink WiFi adapter.
So, first you have to play around a little - call the command prompt with administrator rights and enter the following command:
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid="MS Virtual WiFi" key="softodrom" keyUsage=persistent
"MS Virtual WiFi" here is the name (SSID) of the created virtual network, and "softodrom" is the password for accessing the network. Of course, both of these parameters can be changed at your own discretion.
The last parameter - keyUsage=persistent - determines that the password will be saved and will not have to be specified every time you need to start a virtual network.
After running this command, the system will detect the new hardware and a new network adapter will appear in Device Manager called "Microsoft Virtual WiFi miniport adapter".
As a clarification: naturally, a virtual adapter will appear in the Device Manager only if the driver of the wireless adapter you have installed supports Virtual WiFi technology.
To be more reliable, let’s look at Control Panel –> Network and Sharing Center –> Change adapter settings:
As you can see, a new connection “Wireless” has appeared here. network connection 2" with the status "No connection" (it is already there in the picture. More on that below).
Let's move on to launching the network. In a command prompt running with administrator rights, run the following command:
netsh wlan start hostednetwork
After this, a) the network will start (Microsoft called it “Hosted Network”) and b) the software access point will work, which you can verify by going to Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center.
As we can see, the computer is connected to several wireless networks simultaneously, and now other wireless devices can connect to our newly created software access point.
To provide Internet access to other wireless devices that will connect to our software access point, go to the Control Panel tab -> Network and Sharing Center -> Change adapter settings and in the properties of the adapter through which the computer - in our case eeePC netbook - gets access to the Internet (we have a WiFi connection, but it can be any of the available ones - Ethernet, WiMax, 3G, etc.) in the "access" tab, check the box "Allow other network users to use the Internet connection this computer."
In addition, in "Connecting a home network" you need to indicate which network adapter - in our case it is "Wireless" network connection 2" - Internet must be provided.
Finally, about the client. From the client side, several wireless networks will be visible, and when connecting to an organized access point (previously we assigned it SSID = MS Virtual WiFi), the client will automatically receive an IP address from the internal DHCP server, gain access to the Internet and at the same time be separated from the external NAT (Network Address Translation) networks.
The clients used in the test were a laptop and mobile phone WiFi enabled; in both cases, access to the Internet via virtual WiFi network did not cause any difficulties.
Simplifying virtual WiFi network management
Despite the obvious advantages of Virtual WiFi, using the command line to configure and start a network for Windows users who are accustomed to pressing buttons is not convenient and familiar, especially since they will have to start the network every time after rebooting the computer, as well as waking it up from sleep or standby mode.
Built-in GUI for Virtual WiFi in the operating system, alas, no, but to the rescue, as always, similar cases, third-party developers came and released graphical shells for Virtual WiFi - Connectify and Virtual Router Manager. We recommend using the first one (Connectify), since its developer is constantly working to improve it and regularly releases new versions, and the development of Virtual Router Manager is still in the beta stage, with the last beta version dating back to 2009.
The principle of using both utilities is very simple: in the appropriate fields you need to indicate the network SSID and password for access and click on the Start button, after which the program will load along with the launch operating system, ensuring the launch of the virtual network. In addition, both utilities, Connectify and Virtual Router Manager, show current connections to the virtual network.
Commands for Managing a Hosted Network
Finally for connoisseurs command line- new commands for managing a hosted network introduced in Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2:
netsh wlan set hostednetwork allowed/disallowed – allow or deny network use
netsh wlan set hostednetwork persistent/temporary - setting up network parameters, where SSID is the SSID of the network; key - security key (password) used by the network; keyUsage – indicates whether the security key is permanent or temporary
netsh wlan show settings – shows network properties and its status
netsh wlan show hostednetwork settings=security – displays the security settings of the hosted network, including the password specified in key when configuring netsh wlan set hostednetwork
netsh wlan start hostednetwork - start a hosted network
netsh wlan stop hostednetwork - stop the hosted network.