Use Your Ubuntu-MATE 16.04 Laptop As A Wi-Fi Hotspot

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Maybe you have an old computer and want to convert it into a virtual router that you can control. Maybe you just need a Wi-Fi hotspot for your tablet and mobile phone in a conference hotel room where the wired network is fine but the hotel-provided Wi-Fi is crap. This tutorial will help you configure your Ubuntu MATE 10.06 laptop as a Wi-Fi access point or hotspot.

  1. Ensure that your computer has two network connections and that you have disabled its Wi-Fi. Most laptops these days come with a Wi-Fi connection, and many still have a wired connection as well. If you only have one, you will need to install a second connection or use a USB adapter. At lease one of these two devices must be Wi-Fi.
  2. Right-click on the network icon in the system tray and select Edit Connections, or select Network Connections from the Control Center
  3. If the Wi-Fi hardware you want to use is already in the list, select it and click Edit. Otherwise, click Add.
  4. Enter the SSID (name) you want to give to your hotspot.
  5. Choose "Hotspot" as the Mode.
  6. Choose "Automatic" as the Band.
  7. The Channel should already be set to "default".
  8. Select your Wi-Fi card or adapter from the Device list.
  9. Click the Wi-Fi Security tab and choose "WPA & WPA2 Personal" for the Security selection.
  10. Enter the Wi-Fi password for your new hotspot.
  11. Click the IPv4 Settings and ensure that Method is set to "Shared to other computers"
  12. Save your settings.

Now you can re-enable your laptop's Wi-Fi. You should not have to re-start your computer. The network connection you did not configure should connect to the network/Internet as normal. The Wi-Fi connection that you did configure will be broadcasting its SSID, ready for your tablet, mobile phone or other device to connect. From your mobile device, search for your new Wi-Fi access point using the name (SSID) you chose in the setup. Connect as you would to any Wi-Fi router or hotspot. (Note: I have NOT tested connecting to the hotspot with more than one device, but I believe it should work.)

Edit: You may need to verify that your wifi card supports master mode. Thanks to @ugnvs who provided this link in another post: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/MasterMode#Test_an_adapter_for_.22master_mode.22

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is great to know you can do this with your laptop, thanks Goinglinux,

regards…

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