Virtual WIFI

You may have found yourself on more than one occasion unable to connect your phone or portable computer to the Internet, despite it being available on a PC, but only through a cable.

The solution to such a problem consists of setting up a wireless hotspot and turning the device with web access into a virtual router. For such purposes, there are a number of software utilities that you can resort to, and one of them is Virtual WIFI.

Simple and intuitive both in appearance and usage, the application is accessible and easy to handle, even if you are not particularly tech savvy, as most of its functions are quite self-explanatory.

The main window of Virtual WIFI features a tabbed interface, one enabling you to configure the preferences of your hotspot while the other allows you to view connected users.

After launching the program, you can define the ‘Network Name (SSID)’ and a password, so your hotspot will not be accessible for every device that detects it, but only to those you permit.

Virtual WIFI can automatically identify the connection being used and employ it for sharing with other devices, yet you do have the option of selecting a different one from a drop-down menu if several are available.

Clicking on ‘Start’ will turn the host computer into a virtual router, enabling other devices to connect to it. These will then be listed in the ‘Users’ tab, along with their MAC address and hostname, information which you can copy to the Clipboard.

However, you have no way of limiting the number of users or disconnecting them. Similarly, the permitted traffic amount cannot be restricted, nor do you have the possibility of laying down rules for ensuring no one abuses your Internet connection, which can sometimes come in handy.

As a conclusion, Virtual WIFI is a practical and easy to understand tool that you can rely on for quickly setting up a wireless network and sharing your web connection with other devices, entailing a minimal level of configuration from start to finish.