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For a long time now, we’ve all been using USB Tethering, or WiFi hotspots on our mobile phones to share cellular data with other devices. However, contrary to what you may think you know, mobiles are not the only devices that are capable of doing this. Windows has had this capability – in the form of a cmd command – for quite some time now, and in a better manner than mobiles. However, not every one likes using the Command Prompt for obvious reasons; it’s not user friendly. That’s where Connectify Hotspot (Free, paid plans start from $34.98, you can get coupons for discounted pricing from the website itself) comes in. Connectify is a Windows app that allows users to quickly and easily create hotspots on their computers. Not just that Connectify can do a whole lot of things to help you improve your experience on a wireless network. So, if you’re looking for a solution to creating hotspots on your Windows PC, here is our review of Connectify Hotspot:
Interface: Decidedly FunctionalThat’s not all that the app is hiding though. The “Start Hotspot” button is at the very bottom, and above that are the various options that really go to show how customisable this application is. Not in terms of UI, or theming, but in terms of the way it handles sharing your network, and everything else connected to it. Everything is labelled properly – something that I really like in apps. It goes to show that the developers and designers didn’t just assume that everything will be obvious to everyone. They took their time to label things, and properly label them, ensuring that even new users will be able to understand what the different options are for.
Features: So Many Good Things!
Connectify Hotspot makes it incredibly easy to create WiFi hotspots on your Windows PC. However, if you’re having trouble understanding some of the options that the app offers, you’ll be glad to know that there’s an In-app Tutorial available from the help menu.
This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating a WiFi hotspot with Connectify, as well as handling the client devices connected to it.
The app is feature rich, and contains a plethora of options for you to customise your hotspot in just the way you want. It is divided into two main tabs:
1. SettingsWhile I was using Connectify Hotspot, I found myself inside the “Settings” tab for the most part, which is not really a bad thing. Most of the things that Connectify lets you do happen inside the Settings tab, so that’s where I spent most of my time. The app allows for three different modes of operation, each one extremely useful according to the situation you may find yourself in.
Create WiFi Hotspot
Internet to Share: this is the name of the network interface that you want to share over the WiFi hotspot. Usually this will be the name of the WiFi network your PC is connected to.
Network Access: There are two types of Network Access you can set up, including “Routed”, and “Bridged”. Bridged networks make it appear as if you’re connected directly to the network source (your router, usually), whereas “Routed” means that all the devices connected to the hotspot will appear to be connected to the PC itself, and not to the router.
Hotspot Name: The name of the WiFi hotspot as it will appear on devices searching for WiFi networks. Oh, one awesome thing, Connectify Hotspot allows using emojis in the Hotspot Name, like I’ve done in the screenshot below. It’s awesome!
Password: The security key for the WiFi hotspot, to prevent unauthorised users from connecting to your network.
Wired Router is basically creating a kind of hotspot on your PC, except that the network will be shared over a wired interface (Ethernet), instead of WiFi. Again, you’ll normally not need to tweak these settings, but if you need to, the options are all right there. All of the settings are the same as the “Create WiFi Hotspot”, except for one:
WiFi Repeater
One feature of Connectify Hotspot that I really loved (after WiFi Hotspots, obviously), is the ability to make your PC act as a WiFi repeater, allowing you to increase your network’s coverage area. Obviously this isn’t a viable permanent solution; but for temporary uses, using your computer as a repeater can actually come in very handy.
Firewall
One feature that is common to every single feature that Connectify Hotspot offers, is the Firewall. You can control various aspects about how Connectify shares your network over a hotspot, Ethernet or even as a repeater thanks to the Firewall options built right inside the app. You can choose whether you want to allow users connecting to your hotspot to be able to access the internet, the local network, and whether the AdBlocker should be enabled or not.
2. ClientsThe Clients tab in Connectify Hotspot is there for exactly what the name suggests. Here, you will be able to see every user connected to your WiFi hotspot, and you can perform a lot of different actions on their devices, including kicking them off the network. You can also disable local access, or internet access, set a static IP address, and a lot more in the Clients tab.
Performance and Reliability: Simply Amazing
When it comes to performance and reliability, Connectify doesn’t disappoint at all. The app works flawlessly, and coupled with the ease of use, it’s just a perfect fit for any situation. I tried creating a hotspot on a PC at work, running Windows 10, and I could easily connect all my devices to the network being shared by the PC, and they all just worked. Not that I was expecting anything less.
I didn’t really use the Wired Router functionality, because I myself am using a MacBook Air, and it doesn’t have any Ethernet ports, but I did check out the WiFi Repeater functionality, and that works very well too. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about that one, but it does work quite well. There were no network drops, or sudden disconnections, and everything worked just fine.
Language Support: Multiple Languages!Connectify Hotspot obviously understands that not everyone in the world uses English as their primary computer language, and as of now, the app supports 10 languages (including English). The Connectify Knowledge Base promises that more languages will be added with time, which is definitely a great thing. As of now, Connectify Hotspot supports the following languages:
English
Arabic
German
Spanish
French
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Turkish
Chinese (Simplified, PRC)
That’s definitely a lot of languages to support anyway, and it’s amazing that Connectify is planning on adding support for even more.
Verdict: Pricey but GoodAll in all, Connectify Hotspot (Free, paid plans start from $34.98, you can get coupons for discounted pricing from the website) is definitely one of the best software you can use for creating a WiFi hotspot on your Windows PC. Not just that, the app can even let you share internet over Ethernet, or use your computer as a WiFi Repeater to increase the range of your router.
Note: Connectify.me is running a 70% deal right now, with which the Connectify Hotspot license starts at $5.99 (Pro plan).
The app does come in a little pricey, with licenses starting at $34.98 (Pro plan, discount coupons available on the website), and if you want the WiFi Repeater functionality as well (available in the MAX plan), you’ll have to shell out $49.98 which is asking a little too much.However, if you’re only interested in sharing your WiFi network with other devices, you can easily use the free version of Connectify, which comes with restrictions like the inability to share 3G/4G networks.
Bottom line is that if you find yourself looking for quick, easy to use, and reliable methods to share your WiFi network using a hotspot on your PC, Connectify Hotspot is definitely the way to go. It’s easy, hassle-free, and gets the job done quickly and reliably.
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How To Create Hotspot In Windows 11
If you have a laptop computer, Windows 11 tablet, or desktop computer with a wireless WiFi adapter, you can set up a Hotspot on the device to share your internet connection with other devices via WiFi. This guide will show you how to quickly create a mobile hotspot in Windows 11.
In the past, hotspot is usually used on mobile devices to share their mobile data internet connection with other computers or devices via WiFi. In Windows 11, you can share your internet connection regardless of whether it’s from mobile data or from another WiFi network.
For example, if you have a laptop connected to a WiFi network that provides you internet connection, you can set up a hotspot on that laptop to share the internet connection to other devices through WiFi as well. In other words, you can connect to a WiFi network (which supplies you internet connection) and create a hotspot at the same time.
How to set up mobile hotspot in Windows 11To create a hotspot on your Windows 11 computer or device, your device needs to have a wireless adapter. Most laptops have a built-in wireless adapter which allow you to connect to a WiFi network or create a hotspot. For desktop computer, however, you may need an external wireless adapter such as a USB WiFi dongle, in order to share your internet connection from a Ethernet or WiFi network through hotspot.
To turn on mobile hotspot in Windows 11, follow the steps below.
To configure the mobile hotspot properties such as the WiFi name and password that will be created, see below.
Configure hotspot network settings in Windows 11From there, you can change the network name and password for the hotspot’s WiFi network.
The “Devices connected” will show you how many computers and devices are currently connected to the hotspot. Generally, hotspot created on a Windows 11 device allows up to 8 devices connected to the hotspot network at the same time.
The “Share my internet connection from” option will automatically select your default internet connection. However, if you have multiple sources of internet connections, for instance, mobile data, Ethernet and WiFi at the same time, you may want to select which internet connection you would like to share from for the hotspot. Note that if your device only has one source of internet connection, the option will be greyed out.
Optional – Power saving option for Mobile hotspotWhen the power saving option is turned on, Windows 11 will always detect if there is any device connected to the mobile hotspot. When there is no device connected to the hotspot, Windows will automatically turn off the mobile hotspot to save power.
This option can come in handy when you are running a Windows 11 laptop or tablet on battery. However, after Windows turned off the mobile network, you will have to manually turn it back on again if you are to use the hotspot again.
If you don’t care about power consumption, you would want to turn off the power saving option to keep the mobile hotspot always on even when there is no device connected to it.
How To Easily Create Abstract Wallpaper In Gimp
Just about everyone loves a good looking abstract desktop background, but not everyone agrees on exactly what defines “good looking”. There are dozens of websites that specialize in these types of images, but you have to sift through hundreds, sometimes thousands, to find one you really like. Sometimes, after all the searching, the one you like is not in the right size or has a huge watermark or other such problems. Wouldn’t it be great if you could quickly and easily create your own image, with your own color scheme, at whatever size you choose, all in about 5 minutes? You can, and as usual, it’s Gimp to the rescue.
BackgroundIf you wish, you may also choose the Advanced Options and set the background fill to Foreground Color. This will fill it with black so that we do not have to use the bucket fill later.
If you do not want a black background, you can hit OK for now and then use the Bucket tool to pour in the background color of your choice.
Choosing Color SchemeThere are multiple ways to set the colors our our abstract effect, but the simplest is to choose them even before we create the image. In short, we’ll be creating a gimp flame that will be composed of the colors you choose as foreground and background colors.
If you know you want a very blue-ish end result, choose whatever blue shades you think are appropriate for the normal Foreground and Background colors. For the best results, choose one that’s somewhat dark, and another that’s somewhat light.
Creating the FlameThe first thing you’ll want to do is move over to the Camera tab, and increase the Zoom level so that the flame occupies most of the preview screen. Don’t worry about getting it too exact, as we are about to create an entirely new custom flame.
In the top of that window, choose the Edit button, which will let us make out own custom flame.
You’ll be taken back to the main flame settings, where you can make any other adjustments you see fit. These settings can be adjusted at will, however I would recommend increasing the Density option to give a better end result. This will, however, increase the rendering time significantly.
TouchupThere are times that the rendered output doesn’t perfectly match the preview. If this happens, you can either redo the flame or adjust the color settings with any of the tools in the Colors menu to tweak brightness, saturation, and other settings.
Additionally, you can create multiple layers with multiple flames to give your image more depth and color. Gimp provides several rending tools to add other elements such as clouds and lighting effects to further increase the complexity of your image. As always with Gimp, just toy around and have fun. You can always hit “undo”.
Joshua Price
Josh Price is a senior MakeTechEasier writer and owner of Rain Dog Software
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Top 4 Ways To Find Or See Wifi Password On Windows 11
Lost WiFi passwords can be a pain especially if you are in a hurry. They can also cause you to reset your router in the worst-case scenarios in case you have forgotten your administrator password as well. It would surely help if you could view your saved WiFi passwords on Windows 11 but is this possible? Let’s find out!
Finding WiFi password on Windows 11: Is it easily possible?
Yes, you can easily view your saved WiFi passwords in Windows 11 by using either one of the methods mentioned below. You will need administrator access to view the saved WiFi passwords on a particular device. Additionally, devices paired with the router using WPS might not show a decrypted password in some cases.
Related: How to Stop Pop Ups on Windows 11
How to see your WiFi passwords on Windows 11 on 4 easy ways
Here’s how you can view your saved WiFi passwords in Windows 11. Follow either of the methods below depending on your preference and requirements.
Method 1: See WiFi password using Control Panel
You can view all your passwords using the Control Panel. Follow the guide below to help you along with the process.
Press Windows + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
Type in the following and press Enter on your keyboard.
ncpa.cpl
You will find that your password is hidden. Check the box for Show characters below it.
You will now be able to view your password.
Related: 4 Easy Ways to Customize and Change Icons in Windows 11
Method 2: See WiFi password using PowerShell
Use the commands below to help you source your saved WiFi passwords using PowerShell in Windows 11.
Press Windows + R on your keyboard to launch the Run dialog box.
PowerShell will now open on your screen. Type in the following command and press Enter on your keyboard to execute it.
netsh wlan show profiles
You will now be shown all the wireless network user profiles stored on your PC. Choose the profile for which you wish to view the password and enter the following command given below. Ensure that you replace Name with the name of your chosen WIFI profile. Hit Enter on your keyboard once you are done.
Note: Do not remove the double quotes, instead replace only Name with the name of your chosen wireless profile.
netsh wlan show profiles "Name" key=clear
You will find the password for the selected profile beside key content.
You will now have sourced your WIFI password using PowerShell.
Related: How to Find Computer Model on Windows 11 PC in 10 Easy Ways
Method 3: See WiFi password using Command Prompt (CMD)
You can use the Command Prompt to either view one of your saved WiFi passwords, or to view all your saved passwords. Use either of the commands below depending on your preference to help you along with the process.
Press Windows + R, type in the following, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter on your keyboard.
Now type in and execute the following command within CMD. Replace NAME with the SSID of your WiFi.
netsh wlan show profile name="NAME" key=clear
You will now be shown all the details about the selected WiFi network. You can find the password under Security Settings besides Key Content as shown below.
And that’s it! You will now have revealed your password using CMD in Windows 11.
Method 4: See WiFi password using a .bat script file
You can also use a batch script to view all your saved WIFI passwords on Windows 11. Follow the guide below to get you started.
You will now get a list of all your stored networks in a CMD window along with their passwords. Simply snap a screenshot once your password is revealed and you can use the same to view your saved password whenever you wish.
And that’s it! You will now have sourced your stored WIFI password via a batch file.
How to secure your WiFi passwords
There are many ways via which an unauthorized user can use your WiFi password for unrestricted access to the internet. Hence, we have discussed some ways below that can help you to secure your network from such hackers.
Never broadcast the details of your router- Make sure that you change your SSID (Service Set Identifier) when you first set up your router. Most SSIDs have a default value named after their manufacturer which becomes quite easy to target when it is being broadcast publically.
Try updating your firmware- Router firmware receives regular updates to keep up to date with security flaws, bugs, and exploits found in routers. Hence it is of paramount importance that you always keep your router updated to the latest possible version.
Opt for an alternate DNS- Instead of the ISP default, you can also opt for an alternate DNS which can help secure your network. There are many free public DNS providers out there with maximum security and the top choices seem to be Cloudflare and Google DNS. Changing your DNS will re-route your traffic through the desired DNS servers which will help protect your data based on the policies of the new server and most importantly, help hide your traffic from your ISP.
Disable WPS- Just by pressing a button or by entering a PIN, the WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) establishes a strong bond between the device that is responsible for supporting the protocol and your router. Disabling this option will break will prevent malicious users from gaining access to your network with the simple push of a button.
FAQs
Here are a few commonly asked questions about viewing saved WiFi passwords that should help you get up to speed with the latest available information.
Is it safe to use third-party apps to view saved passwords?
We do not recommend using third-party apps on Windows 11 as it is now much easier to view your saved WiFi passwords using native methods. Third-party apps tend to collect and share data which can put your privacy at risk. Additionally, most WiFi passwords reveal tools are outdated that is only compatible with older versions of Windows.
Will my passwords be vulnerable on my PC once viewed?
No, your passwords will be encrypted and hidden again once you have viewed them.
How often should you change your WiFi password?
This depends on your current use case scenario, but as a rule of thumb, you should change your WiFi password every 6 months.
Additionally, if you have a communal network or access point used by temporary users regularly or used by a lot of people, then we recommend you change your password every 3 months.
You can also opt for Random password generators that change your password daily and automatically share it with approved users.
Related:
Easily Create Dvd Videos With Winx Dvd Author (Free Download)
[Windows only] As part of the WinX DVD range of product, Winx DVD Author is a cool tool that allows you to author and create your own DVD easily. For those who are looking for a professional, yet easy to use DVD authoring software, WinX DVD Author could be the one for you.
At MakeTechEasier, we don’t usually review paid software as we are great believers of free and open source software. However, the WinX DVD team decided to give away a free 1 year license (scroll down for the download link), which makes it compelling for us to give this DVD authoring software a second look. And yes, we are not disappointed. Read on for the full review.
One good feature about WinX DVD Author is that it supports a wide variety of video formats such as AVI, ASF, MPEG, MKV, MP4, MOV, RM, RMVB, XIVD, DVIX, H264, OGG, QT (quick time), FLV, etc. Being an authoring tool, you are also able to add subtitle files, create DVD menu, clip video segment and many other useful features.
On the main screen, you can find the various options to manipulate your video files.
You can either:
Choose the DVD Author option and run through the wizard to create a DVD from your video file.
Convert the Video to Vob format and store it for later use
Convert existing Vob to DVD
and finally, burn the file to DVD.
Authoring DVDAt the DVD Author page, you can see a variety of options to edit your video files.
Change the start/end timeframe of the video.
DVD title & chapter menu editingAuthoring the DVD Title & chapter menu is quite cool. Select background pictures, music and add texts that you may need to customize your DVD menu.
Burning DVD Suggestions for improvement: Add text/tooltips to button Specifying supported video formatsIt will be great if the developers can specify the individual supported file formats rather than just listing a Supported Formatted Files in the selection dropdown.
Add support for SWFNot sure if this is too much to ask for, but it will be great if it can support SWF file.
Ability to create ISO imagesISO format? No?
Download linkAs I mentioned above, this software costs $29.95, but is free to download until 31st Oct 2009. You can grab it at this link. This is the fully functional and licensed version, not the trial copy, so grab it while it is available.
The WinX DVD Author works in Windows XP, Vista and 7.
Thanks to Viola for sharing with us this promotion.
Download WinX DVD Author
Damien
Damien Oh started writing tech articles since 2007 and has over 10 years of experience in the tech industry. He is proficient in Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iOS, and worked as a part time WordPress Developer. He is currently the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Make Tech Easier.
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Hotspot Shield Vpn For Iphone, Android, Mac, And Windows
Every other day we read news stating Instagram was hacked, or hackers stole user data from Facebook. The Internet revolution is great, but it certainly comes with a lot of risks. At the same time, we cannot cut off our ties from the internet; it is part of our lives now. Whenever you connect to the internet, you are vulnerable to cyber attacks, and a VPN like Hotspot Shield can help you a lot.
Even if you don’t visit any website, but keep your Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android connected to the internet, you are exposing your data to hackers. That’s because when you connect to the internet, you broadcast your IP address, and hackers can use it to penetrate your device and get what they want.
Maybe I am a little too excited here; it’s not that easy to hack your device with just IP address, and also hackers don’t target average users. Also, iPhone, Mac, Windows, and Android have enough security to withstand most of such cyber attacks. It will take special efforts to penetrate your device.
It’s not just about hacking, data mining is also a big business, and that’s no secret. You visit a lot of websites on the internet, and they do collect a lot of information about your buying preference, browsing preference, etc. With a VPN like Hotspot shield, this can be eliminated. If this has got your attention by now, stay with me throughout this post, and you’ll understand the importance of having a VPN.
Hotspot Shield VPN – Review 1. Encryption and No-Log policyWhatever information you broadcast over the internet is vulnerable to attack. If that’s not encrypted, you are likely to lose that data to some mischievous Nigerian prince. For this reason, it is better to have a decent VPN that encrypts all your data, no matter what you do on the internet.
Now you may already wonder that if VPN protects you from search engines, then obviously the VPN has your data. That’s correct, but Hotspot Shield has No-Log policy. That means the information you provide isn’t stored anywhere on the company’s server. It is used only for real-time processing purpose.
2. Bypass Geo-restrictionsIn such a situation, Hotspot Shield VPN can let you access any geo-restricted content without any issue. That is possible because the company has thousands of servers worldwide, you need to select the country from the list inside the app, and you can access that content without any trouble.
3. Unlimited BandwidthOne of the common misconceptions about VPN is that they reduce the internet speeds. But that’s not the case with Hotspot Shield VPN. They have optimized servers to give you the best possible speed. On top of that, there’s no cap attached to your account. Some VPN providers allow you a full speed for few MBs or GBs, but then the speed is next to dead.
Hotspot Shield VPN gives you unmetered bandwidth all the time. Having tried it personally, I can say that you won’t even notice the slightest difference in speed. But again, it all depends mostly on your native internet speed. If you have a metered bandwidth, no VPN can give you full-speed, because, in the end, it is your internet connection that is slow.
4. Let’s talk numbersHotspot Shield has 2500 servers in 25 different countries. That means 100 servers per country. What does this mean to you? This means no matter what country you connect to; you will receive full-speed without any lag. Besides that, the company has over 30 patents for optimizing VPN speeds.
When it comes to security, the company has patented a VPN protocol that is used by 70% of the world’s largest security companies. In terms of performance and security, the company claims to be number one on the list.
Talking about popularity, the Hotspot Shield VPN user base consists of 200 different countries, totaling 650 million users over Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Chrome. That is a remarkable figure.
PricingHotspot Shield VPN is available for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Chrome browser. There’s a free version as well available for the platforms mentioned above, but with limited functionality or for a limited time. If you decide to subscribe, below are the available plans:
Monthly subscription – $12.99
Yearly Subscription – $5.99/month
3 Year Subscription – $2.99/month
Buy now
Hotspot Shield VPN is available for business as well that allows you to secure your office, and their pricing is mentioned below:
One month subscription – $39.99
Six months subscription – $29.99/month
One year subscription – $19.99/month
Buy now
That’s all for now!
Wrapping up…
Having tried several VPN apps on different platforms, Hotspot Shield VPN is credible and delivers as promised. On top of that, their support is quick and they know how to solve the problem. This is what get me glued to their services. The only thing is that they do not have any native app for Ubuntu.
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Jignesh Padhiyar is the co-founder of chúng tôi who has a keen eye for news, rumors, and all the unusual stuff around Apple products. During his tight schedule, Jignesh finds some moments of respite to share side-splitting content on social media.
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