Connectify Hotspot

Connectify Lite is a piece of software that will transform your desktop computer into a hotspot for WiFi access. This will allow tablets, smartphones, or other computers with wireless technology to take advantage of your wired internet connection.

When you install and launch Connectify, the software automatically examines your PC to find out if you have an appropriate wireless card that supports hotspot technology. If there is a compatible card, the software automatically sets up the hotspot with a random password and network label. To make your new hotspot accessible, you then simply click the 'Start Hotspot' button. Once active, any devices within range can connect to your PC and use the internet connection, assuming they have the correct password. Inside the software, you can see a list of all the devices using your hotspot at any given moment in the Clients tab.

If you don't want to hassle with changing any settings, the software will perform its task with almost no input from the user. Of course, if you want to customize the configuration of your system, you can easily do so. The full paid version of the software gives you the ability to change the name of your network, and all versions allow you to set your own password.

After the software has been successfully configured, it can be used to track devices that have been connected in the past, and it can track your peers through the connection management functionality of the software.

Many people might claim that Connectify Lite is a bit unnecessary, and in some sense that's a true statement. Since all devices involved have to have WiFi functionality, it's unlikely that a wireless router wouldn't be an option in the same circumstance. Of course, if you don't have a wireless router and only use a wired connection, the software is quite helpful. In some ways, managing your wireless network is easier through Connectify than it would be with a physical router.

Interestingly, one of the most secretly useful functions in the app is one that doesn't get a lot of attention. All devices connected to the wireless network, including the PC producing the network, can share folders and files between them with ease. Using a basic drag and drop UI, the software allows you to transfer files and folders of just about any size through the shared network connection. Few other hotspot tools offer that same functionality.

If you do have a need for Connectify Lite, you won't have to worry about the software failing you. It performs its tasks as perfectly as possible, but many might find its functionality unnecessary. However, if you do need to create a WiFi hotspot with your PC from a wired internet connection, there are few options more efficient and intuitive than Connectify Lite.