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Windows 10 tip: Turn your paid Wi-Fi connection into a shared hotspot

If your Windows 10 PC has a network connection, you can share it with up to eight nearby devices using the Mobile Hotspot feature.
Written by Ed Bott, Senior Contributing Editor
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Flip this switch to turn your Windows 10 PC into a mobile hotspot.

If you've ever flown on an airline or stayed at a hotel that offers paid Wi-Fi access, you know the unpleasant decision you have to make when you first connect: Do I enter my credit card details for this exorbitantly priced, excruciatingly slow connection on my laptop or on my mobile phone?

With a PC running Windows 10, you no longer have to make that choice. As long as your device has a network connection, you can share that connection securely with up to eight other devices.

You'll find all the options you need by going to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Hotspot. There are four settings to pay attention to here.

  1. To begin sharing your network connection, flip the Mobile Hotspot switch to the On position.
  2. Choose which connection you want to share. In the screenshot shown here, Wi-Fi is the only option, but you might find yourself in a location where you have multiple connections: wired, Wi-Fi, or even mobile data.
  3. Choose how to share your connection: over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
  4. Change the connection name, replace the default random password with one of your own choosing, and customize the type of connection.

With those steps out of the way, you can connect to your Windows 10 PC as if it were any other access point.

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