If you’re having trouble getting your Windows device to connect via a mobile hotspot, don’t worry - this guide will help you troubleshoot and resolve the issue.
What Causes My Mobile Hotspot to Stop Working?
If you find that your mobile hotspot is not working, it could be due to a number of reasons. The most common cause of a non-functioning mobile hotspot is an outdated network adapter driver.
If the network adapter driver does not have the latest updates, the connection may become unstable or even disconnect unexpectedly. To ensure that your mobile hotspot functions correctly, make sure that all drivers are updated regularly.
1. Troubleshoot Network Adapter
If you are having mobile hotspot problems in Windows 11, the first step should always be to run the Network Adapter Troubleshooter. This built-in utility can easily identify and resolve a variety of network connection issues that may be causing your mobile hotspot not to work properly.
To access this tool, follow these steps:
Press Win + I on your keyboard to open the Settings menu. From there, navigate to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. On the next page, scroll down to Network Adapter. Finally, click the Run button to begin the process.
The troubleshooter will scan for any potential issues and then provide some advice on how to resolve them. It may even automatically fix some of these problems if possible, which could potentially save you time over manually trying to diagnose them yourself.
2. Update Your Network Adapter
When running the Network Adapter Troubleshooter does not resolve the issue, you should then check your Wi-Fi driver. If it’s out of date, updating it may solve the problem. To do this, follow these steps:
Right-click on Start and select Device Manager. In Device Manager, expand Network adapters. Right-click on your Wi-Fi driver and choose Update driver. On the next screen, select Search automatically for drivers.
After that, wait for the process to finish then restart your computer.
Sometimes, Device Manager has some issues finding the most recent drivers. If Windows finds nothing and you want a second opinion, check out the best driver updaters for Windows for some other tools you can try.
3. Modify the Adapter Settings
Another tactic is to configure the settings of your wireless adapter to ensure that it is working optimally with your mobile hotspot. Here’s how to do this:
Right-click on Start and select Settings. You can also press Win + I on your keyboard to open the tool directly. Click Network & internet on the left panel of Settings. On the right, select Advanced network settings. Under Related settings, click More network adapter options. This will open the classic Network Connections window. Right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and select Properties from the context menu In the Properties window, switch to the Sharing tab. Then check the box next to Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection. Click OK to save the changes.
After performing the above steps, see whether you can now use the hotspot feature on your Windows device.
4. Tweak Registry Editor
If you’re still having problems connecting to your Windows mobile hotspot, it’s likely that some changes need to be made to the registry on your computer.
The Registry Editor contains information about user settings, hardware configurations, software programs, file types, as well as other critical parts of the Windows operating system. Making a tweak to your registry can help fix this issue with the mobile hotspot.
To get started, go through these steps:
Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. You can also use one of the other ways to open Run on Windows. Type “regedit” into the text box and hit Enter. In the Registry Editor, go to the following location. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WlanSvc\Parameters\HostedNetworkSettings\ On the right pane, right-click HostedNetworkSettings and select Delete. The confirmation window will appear on the screen. Click Yes to continue.
The next thing you need to do is restart your computer and then try using your mobile hotspot again.
5. Reset Network Settings
If you have tried all the solutions above but are still experiencing issues, it’s time to reset the network settings. Resetting your network settings can help restore connectivity if any configuration problems have occurred.
Open System Settings (see how to open System Settings on Windows for more information). From the left pane, select the Network & internet tab. Then click Advanced network settings on the right. Under the More settings section, click on Network reset. Next, click Reset now next to Network reset. Click Yes in the confirmation window when it appears.
Restart your computer after you have reset the network, and check if the problem has been resolved.
6. Troubleshoot the Problem in a Clean Boot State
Chances are you have third-party software installed on your computer that interferes with your hotspot. In such a case, you may need to perform a clean boot, leaving only essential services running. In this way, you won’t have to worry about non-essential services interfering with your device’s normal operation.
Press the Win + R keyboard shortcut to start the Run program. Type “msconfig” in the dialog box, then press Enter. In the System Configuration window, click the General tab. Put a checkmark next to Selective startup. Uncheck the Load startup items box. Go to the Services tab now. Select Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all. To save the changes, click the Apply button. Switch to the Startup tab and select Open Task Manager. On the Startup tab, right-click each service and disable it. Click OK when you’re done editing System Configuration.
Once done, check if the mobile hotspot is working properly and then enable one service at a time until it causes the same issue again.
Get Your Mobile Hotspot Up and Running
There are quite a few things you can do in order to fix your mobile hotspot not working in Windows 11. The solutions provided here can help you diagnose and fix any problems that may be preventing your mobile hotspot from connecting.
However, you should always restart your computer and check for updates before trying to troubleshoot a problem.
