On Windows 11/10, turning on "mobile hotspot" requires you to connect to another WIFI. The current way I start a mobile hotspot on my computer is: turn on "hotspot" (on my phone) connect my computer to the hotspot of my phone start hotspot (computer) turn off the hotspot (phone) and leave the hotspot (computer) running Are there any options like android to start a local hotspot without any internet? Using a phone as something like "bootstrap" is not only inconvenient but also impossible at times. And what's really interesting is: windows 11/10 do have the capability to KEEP a local hotspot RUNNING without any internet, but are there any ways to ALLOW a local hotspot STARTED/INITIATED, that "ditch" any external assistant(like a hotspot of phone or another's WIFI), and -- just rely on the computer alone? It seems that some developers suffer from some assumptions that go horribly wrong... while the present version of Windows 11/10 says "there's nothing to share via a local hotspot when WIFI is absent, ..." it's just fine (and just PERFECT) for me that starting and running a standalone local hotspot without any additional dependencies like an external network. Thank you :)

Completely agree. Absolutely stupid Microsoft doesn't have this inbuilt.

Have you been able to solve this problem using third-party app?

C:\Windows\System32>netsh wlan show drivers Look if it says Hosted network supported: Yes (otherwise this option doesnt work)

Try using Proximity Sharing: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/share-things-with-nearby-devices-in-windows-0efbfe40-e3e2-581b-13f4-1a0e9936c2d9#WindowsVersion=Windows_10

Turn on mobile hotspot WITHOUT ANY internet to start a PURE local hotspot

H2O_2Ag__2Hg_A2O 41

On Windows 11/10, turning on "mobile hotspot" requires you to connect to another WIFI.
The current way I start a mobile hotspot on my computer is:

turn on "hotspot" (on my phone)
connect my computer to the hotspot of my phone
start hotspot (computer)
turn off the hotspot (phone) and leave the hotspot (computer) running
Are there any options like android to start a local hotspot without any internet? Using a phone as something like "bootstrap" is not only inconvenient but also impossible at times.
And what's really interesting is: windows 11/10 do have the capability to KEEP a local hotspot RUNNING without any internet, but are there any ways to ALLOW a local hotspot STARTED/INITIATED, that "ditch" any external assistant(like a hotspot of phone or another's WIFI), and -- just rely on the computer alone?
It seems that some developers suffer from some assumptions that go horribly wrong... while the present version of Windows 11/10 says "there's nothing to share via a local hotspot when WIFI is absent, ..." it's just fine (and just PERFECT) for me that starting and running a standalone local hotspot without any additional dependencies like an external network.
Thank you :)

Tom Wu 5 Reputation points

2023-07-06T12:48:40.93+00:00

Completely agree. Absolutely stupid Microsoft doesn't have this inbuilt.

Younes Ammari 0

I found this script, and it's working without any problem (it opens the mobile hotspot even without connection)

Copy it in a ps1 file "enable_hotspot" and run it with the powershell

# https://superuser.com/a/1434648

Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Runtime.WindowsRuntime
$asTaskGeneric = ([System.WindowsRuntimeSystemExtensions].GetMethods() | ? { $_.Name -eq 'AsTask' -and $_.GetParameters().Count -eq 1 -and $_.GetParameters()[0].ParameterType.Name -eq 'IAsyncOperation`1' })[0]

Function Await($WinRtTask, $ResultType) {
    $asTask = $asTaskGeneric.MakeGenericMethod($ResultType)
    $netTask = $asTask.Invoke($null, @($WinRtTask))
    $netTask.Wait(-1) | Out-Null
    $netTask.Result
}

Function AwaitAction($WinRtAction) {
    $asTask = ([System.WindowsRuntimeSystemExtensions].GetMethods() | ? { $_.Name -eq 'AsTask' -and $_.GetParameters().Count -eq 1 -and !$_.IsGenericMethod })[0]
    $netTask = $asTask.Invoke($null, @($WinRtAction))
    $netTask.Wait(-1) | Out-Null
}

Function SetHotspot($Enable) {
    $connectionProfile = [Windows.Networking.Connectivity.NetworkInformation,Windows.Networking.Connectivity,ContentType=WindowsRuntime]::GetInternetConnectionProfile()
    $tetheringManager = [Windows.Networking.NetworkOperators.NetworkOperatorTetheringManager,Windows.Networking.NetworkOperators,ContentType=WindowsRuntime]::CreateFromConnectionProfile($connectionProfile)

    if ($Enable -eq 1) {
        if ($tetheringManager.TetheringOperationalState -eq 1)
        {
            "Hotspot is already On!"
        }
        else{
            "Hotspot is off! Turning it on"
            Await ($tetheringManager.StartTetheringAsync()) ([Windows.Networking.NetworkOperators.NetworkOperatorTetheringOperationResult])
        }
    }
    else {
        if ($tetheringManager.TetheringOperationalState -eq 0)
        {
            "Hotspot is already Off!"
        }
        else{
            "Hotspot is on! Turning it off"
            Await ($tetheringManager.StopTetheringAsync()) ([Windows.Networking.NetworkOperators.NetworkOperatorTetheringOperationResult])
        }
    }
}

Function ToggleHotspot($Delay) {
    SetHotspot(1)
    sleep -seconds $Delay
    SetHotspot(0)
    sleep -seconds $Delay
    SetHotspot(1)
}

ToggleHotspot(3)

Martynovskyy, Vladimir 5 Reputation points

2024-08-20T13:40:30.61+00:00

Its not working without active network connection, GetInternetConnectionProfile returns null:

Exception calling "CreateFromConnectionProfile" with "1" argument(s): "Invalid pointer

The given connnection profile is invalid."

At C:\Programs\hotspot.ps1:20 char:5

4 answers

George Millington 16 Reputation points

2022-07-24T03:24:50.383+00:00

Completely agree. Absolutely stupid Microsoft doesn't have this inbuilt.
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Veljko Petrovic 1 Reputation point

2022-08-09T06:47:55.567+00:00

Have you been able to solve this problem using third-party app?
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Glarki 1 Reputation point

2022-11-23T09:06:23.187+00:00

C:\Windows\System32>netsh wlan show drivers

Look if it says Hosted network supported: Yes (otherwise this option doesnt work)
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franco d'esaro 286 Reputation points

2022-11-24T20:45:25.64+00:00

The Hosted Network has nothing to do with the built-in Mobile Hotspot feature of Windows 10/11.
The Mobile Hotspot still works even if the Hosted Network is not supported.

Glarki 1 Reputation point

2022-11-25T13:23:44.577+00:00

The hotspot will work with out this function, that is true, but ''Turn on mobile hotspot WITHOUT ANY internet to start a PURE local hotspot'' which was asked does not work without.
At least, it does not work for a HoloLens that needs to make contact to a python client using the wifi. In other words the 2 devices (laptop and HoloLens or android phone) cannot interact with each other if I follow the solution given in this post.

It is possible to setup your own local wifi (without internet) but Hosted Network Supported is needed.

Third party software claim they can do it without, but me as a simple nerd is not capable of achieving this. If you have a solution or method that works, please let me know, I'd love to use it and be most grateful.
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franco d'esaro 286 Reputation points

2022-11-26T17:48:45.74+00:00

Try using Proximity Sharing:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/share-things-with-nearby-devices-in-windows-0efbfe40-e3e2-581b-13f4-1a0e9936c2d9#WindowsVersion=Windows_10
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Glarki 1 Reputation point

2022-11-27T10:33:54.957+00:00

Thank you for thinking out loud :-)
However, this does not answer the question above since both devices need to be on the same wifi for this to work, proximity sharing, shares data over a Wifi connection, proximity sharing does not create a wifi on its own and is dependant on the available wifi, or you need Hosted network supported.

If I click on your link it says the following: If the PC you're sharing from is running the latest version of Windows 11, you can share over Wi-Fi if the Windows 10/11 PC you’re sharing to is connected to the same private Wi-Fi network. Otherwise, you can share over Bluetooth.

I could do it over Bluetooth, but a) then I need to recode everything and b) the data transfer potential is lower which does not allow my app to share the 3D data between mij PC and HoloLens.

Strangely some paid apps claim they can still accomplish a wifi, but only the paid versions and not even on trial versions.

franco d'esaro 286 Reputation points

2022-11-29T15:47:07.01+00:00

Hi,
If you have a USB WiFi Dongle, you can check if it supports Hosted Network and then use this instead of the internal wifi adapter.
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Turn on mobile hotspot WITHOUT ANY internet to start a PURE local hotspot

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