Windows 11 PCs could soon get the ability to set up much faster Wi-Fi hotspots to share their internet with other devices

3 weeks ago 9

A laptop with the Windows 11 desktop on screen, glowing, while on a work desk

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Ham patipak)

Windows 11 received support for Wi-Fi 7 in the recent 24H2 update, but Microsoft is working to extend functionality with wireless connections further in allowing users to establish 6GHz Wi-Fi hotspots.

Currently, Windows 11 lets you set up a hotspot – to allow other devices to connect to your PC on the Wi-Fi network, and use its internet connection – on the 5GHz or 2.4GHz bands.

But as spotted by leaker PhantomOfEarth on X, there’s now the ability to set up such a hotspot over 6GHz – as brought in with Wi-Fi 6E – albeit this isn’t live in testing yet, not for everyone.

To enable support for 6 GHz mobile hotspot connections on devices with the right hardware and drivers in the latest Dev CUs (started rolling out in .1912), run:vivetool /enable /id:40466470 pic.twitter.com/K5A5bmElA2October 7, 2024

The feature is currently rolling out in the most recent preview builds in the Dev channel, so some testers may have it, and others may not. In the latter case, Windows 11 testers can enable 6GHz support using a Windows configuration utility (ViVeTool), as the leaker mentions.

Connecting to Wi-Fi hotspot on a mobile phone

Support is required across the board with your hardware

Note that to use this feature when it arrives in Windows 11, you will of course need a PC that supports Wi-Fi 6E, and a router that supports the standard too – plus your connecting devices will need 6GHz support.

The 6GHz band offers benefits above the traditional 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands (in Wi-Fi 6) including faster Wi-Fi speeds and more bandwidth, with less potential for interference in crowded environments (like apartment blocks).

We wouldn’t recommend diving in to install a test build of Windows 11 just to see this feature, mind. While 6GHz support might still be in the early stages of preview, given that not all testers in the Dev channel even have it yet, hopefully it won’t be too long before support debuts in the full version of Windows 11.

Via Neowin

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Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

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