Network sharing

Question

I have been trying to share my pc network to phones, but it always displays connected without internet even after trying to change its band from 2GHz to 5GHz and my pc is still new, what could be the solution?

Answer 1

Hi Arshford Jumbah,

From your description and testing, it seems like your phone can connect to the PC’s hotspot, but Windows is not routing internet traffic correctly. This usually means Internet Connection Sharing or NAT routing is broken or blocked on the PC. Besides all what the Q&A Assist has suggested, please check out:

1 - Disable IPv6 on the shared internet adapter to test

• Press Win + R > type ncpa.cpl > press Enter
• Right‑click the adapter that has internet (Wi‑Fi/Ethernet)
• Select Properties > Uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)
• Click OK > Restart the PC > Turn Mobile Hotspot back ON and test the connection.

2 - Check Internet Connection Sharing is enabled on the correct adapter

• Go back to the *Properties *window above
• Open Sharing and make sure:
  • Allow other network users to connect… is checked
  • The Mobile Hotspot / Local Area Connection adapter is selected.

3 - Recheck Windows services required for hotspot

• Press Win + R > type services.msc > press Enter
• Ensure these are Running and Automatic:
  • Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)
  • Windows Connection Manager
  • Network List Service
• If they’re already Running, right-click > select Restart.

4 - Try sharing hotspot over Bluetooth to check

• Open Settings > Network & internet > Mobile hotspot
• Share my internet connection from > Ethernet/Wi-Fi
• Share over > choose Bluetooth from the dropdown.

5 - Other possible interferences

• Even when disabled, VPN drivers can block routing. So temporarily uninstall if you have any VPN apps, firewalls, network filtering software, and so on.
• Windows hotspot works best when with Ethernet. Sharing Wi‑Fi to Wi‑Fi is supported, but less reliable. If you’re using Wi-Fi, try with Ethernet to check.

Finally, it’s also worth noting that if your device is running a Windows Insider Preview build (as tagged), this may be a build‑specific networking issue. Consider reporting this via Feedback Hub (press Win + F) if the issue persists or/and move to a stable release build to see if the situation improves.

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Answer 2

When phones show “Connected, no internet” to a Windows hotspot, treat it as a normal “Wi‑Fi connected but no internet” issue on the PC, because the PC is the upstream connection for the phones.

Try these steps on the Windows PC that is sharing the connection:

1. Confirm the PC itself has full internet

• Open a browser on the PC and verify that websites, email, and streaming all work.
• If the PC shows it is connected to Wi‑Fi but has No Internet, fix that first using the steps below.

2. Reset the PC’s network connection
3. Turn Wi‑Fi off and on again on the PC, then reconnect to the main network (not the hotspot).
4. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
   • ipconfig /release
   • ipconfig /renew
5. In the same Command Prompt, run:
   • ipconfig /flushdns
6. Check proxy and IP configuration
7. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy and turn off any manual proxy settings.
8. Check the PC’s IP address on the main network. If it looks like 169.254.x.x, Windows is not getting a valid IP from the router; enable DHCP on the router and reconnect the PC.
9. Restart modem/router

• Power off the router (and modem, if separate) for at least 30 seconds, then power them back on and wait a few minutes.
• Reconnect the PC to Wi‑Fi, confirm full internet, then re‑enable the mobile hotspot and reconnect the phones.

5. Try different Wi‑Fi band and network

• If the router offers both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, connect the PC to the other band and test again.
• If possible, connect the PC to a different trusted Wi‑Fi network or use Ethernet to see if the issue is specific to the original network.

6. Check adapter and drivers (if no networks or unstable)

• Ensure Wi‑Fi is turned on in Settings > Network & internet > Wi‑Fi.
• If the adapter is recognized but finds no networks, verify the adapter supports the band the router uses and that its Wireless Mode/Band setting in Device Manager allows that frequency.
• If Wi‑Fi is missing or unstable during setup, reinstall the Wi‑Fi adapter drivers from the manufacturer.

After confirming the PC has a stable, unrestricted internet connection and correct IP/DNS settings, the phones should get internet through the shared connection. If they still show “no internet,” test with another device (e.g., another PC) to see if the problem is specific to the phones or to the hotspot.

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References:

• Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows
• Get connected when setting up your Windows device