Unfinished Windows 7 feature turns laptops into Wi-Fi..

[Night Hawk]

Unfinished Windows 7 feature turns laptops into Wi-Fi hotspots

Free app lets iPhones, other devices connect to Internet via software-based router

By Gregg Keizer
October 29, 2009 06:22 PM ET

Computerworld - A Philadelphia developer has rooted out an unfinished feature of Windows 7 that turns any laptop into a wireless access point, allowing other Wi-Fi-enabled devices to share the connection without special software.

Nomadio, which specializes in military network consulting and development, used the new "Virtual Wi-Fi" feature in Windows 7 to create Connectify, a free application that it released as a beta last Friday.

Virtual Wi-Fi was crafted in Microsoft's research group as a way to "virtualize" one wireless card as several separate adapters. The project was discontinued in 2006, but the work made its way into Windows 7 as "Native 802.11 Virtual Wireless Fidelity (Virtual Wi-Fi) object identifiers (OIDs)".

"A year ago, Microsoft talked a lot about this as a big feature in Windows 7," said Alex Gizis, the CEO of Nomadio. "But driver support didn't get finished. The low-level code is in there, but the driver-level stuff isn't. And there's no app or setting in Windows to turn it on."

Explaining that the feature was "half there" in Windows 7, Gizis said his company realized "we have the rest of the software here, in our networking work."

More at: Unfinished Windows 7 feature turns laptops into Wi-Fi hotspots

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
I might be a bit obtuse (it's early in the morning and had a few beers last night) but what's the difference between this and "bog standard" Internet sharing through a computer. You could even set this up in XP without any problems - or have I missed the whole point. I probably have because I've read the article again (drinking tea and eating a lovely hot greasy "bacon Buttie" before the veggie police arive at work) and can't really see how this is different from "Allow other devices and computers to share your Internet connection".

Cheers

jimbo

 

[torrentg]

Normally a wireless adapter like on a laptop can only connect to one other device at any given time.

So, if laptop (without wires) wants to receive internet from router, router is the one other device. Nothing else could connect to laptop as there's nothing available.

I think what the OP is about is that under the above condition, the laptop can now serve to other devices while it itself receives internet.

Multiple connections on one adapter, flying around all directions, when before there could one be 1.

But this doesn't make sense to me. For the laptop to get internet in the first place it needs a router. Why not just connect all other devices to that router too, instead of laptop?

Maybe I'm missing something too? Seems interesting though.

 

[bassfisher6522]

Sounds like to me that this is set up for those who want to sneak (hack) a wi-fi connection by bypassing the router security all together with the virtual wi-fi in windows seven. Thus circumventing all security measures taken by the wi-fi client. Which in theory would make any mobile PC running seven a potential liability. Scary thought really.

 

[Night Hawk]

Actually you don't even need any WiFi router to connect a laptop online with some of the new wireless options ISPs provide. The environment acts like an antenna for those using satelite internet.

A large company like Verizon also sees the "go anywhere" service available. The card added into the laptop acts as a transceiver being a form of wireless nic card. The problem the article addresses however is not even needing a paid acount with any ISP to exploit someone else active service through wireless means with other devices like IPhones.

A wireless router you set up for your own account can be used for other devices there. The program you can download can also serve the same purpose only without any router.