Despite the immense amount of Wi-Fi connections found in busy areas, as well as the nationwide access to 3/4G networks, there are times when we have our laptop and our smartphone, and all that’s available is an Ethernet cord.  Access to the internet may be needed from your smartphone, and since there’s no Ethernet port in your iPhone, you’re probably worried about missing your connection.  Luckily, if you’re using Windows Vista or 7 (See Mac Instructions at the bottom), you can share your connection with the rest of your devices! All you need is a working connection, and a JRE (Java Runtime Environment).

Step 1:

Open your browser of choice and head to www.virtualaccesspoint.com. (NOTE: THIS PAGE WILL BE NEEDED TO KEEP YOUR CONNECTION. DO NOT CLOSE THE WINDOW)

Step 2:

Upon the page load, a small window will open asking for permission to run an app. This is normal, and you’ll need to grant it permission to run.

Step 3:

Enter the name for your access point, as well as the desired security key. Click on Turn On Soft AP to create your access point.

Step 4:

Right-click on the network icon in your System Tray. Click Open Network and Sharing Center.

Step 5:

A new network will appear in your list of active networks with the name you chose in Step 3. Click on the link next to Connections.

Step 6:

Click Properties in the window that appears.

• Click on the Sharing tab, and check the box labeled Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection.  Select Local Area Connection (LAN) from the drop down box and click OK.
• You should be able to connect to this new access point with just about any device that supports wireless. Once you’re done with the connection, simply press the Turn Off Soft AP button on the VirtualAccessPoint page.

Or, for our Mac Users out there:

Step 1:

Open System Preferences.

Step 2:

Click “Sharing”

Step 3:

Enable “Internet Sharing”

Step 4 (Optional)

Change the name and password if desired