Why my laptop is not detecting my mobile hotspot

by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

Aleksandar's main passion is technology. With a solid writing background, he is determined to bring the bleeding edge to the common user. With a keen eye, he always... read more

Updated on November 3, 2021

• Is your laptop not connecting to the hotspot? There are many many causes of this problem.
• Use a specialized app instead of the default one to create a network with your phone.
• Running the Windows connection troubleshooter might also get rid of the issue.
• Change the network to an open one instead of an encrypted one from the settings.

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A lot of users who are constantly on the move frequently use their smartphones as Wi-Fi hotspots to access the internet on their laptops and other devices.

Internet access is a necessity and this is a great way to utilize smartphone features, especially since the 4G and other mobile data technologies are these days as efficient as DSL.

However, some users have had a hard time connecting to an Android Hotspot with their Windows-powered laptops. This isn’t a novelty, but there’s a solution to this problem. Multiple solutions, if you like.

So, if you’re unable to connect to a mobile hotspot or the hotspot is not showing up on your laptop, make sure to check the steps we enlisted below.

How do I connect my computer to my Android Hotspot?

1. Run the Connection Troubleshooter
2. Restart your devices and allow access for all devices
3. Use an open network instead of an encrypted one
4. Change the Wi-Fi frequency
5. Reset the Android network settings

1. Run the Connection Troubleshooter

1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings.
2. Choose Update & Security.
3. Select the Troubleshoot from the left pane.
4. Select the Internet Connections Troubleshooter and expand it.
5. Click on the ”Run this troubleshooter” button.

Let’s start with the PC troubleshooting. If your PC can’t connect to a network, we’ll need to find out why. Along the way, this might help resolve the problem, but the focus is on determining what’s the cause of the issue at hand.

Of course, this implies you can connect to other Wi-Fi networks just fine and that the problem is only with the Android Hotspot connection.

If the problem is universal, we suggest checking the Wi-Fi driver. Updating or even reinstalling should help you address this. Also, if there’s a physical switch, make sure to turn the Wi-Fi on.

2. Restart your devices and allow access for all devices

Even though it’s as generic as it seems, rebooting your devices can solve a lot of issues. The Android Hotspot is just like any other shared Wi-Fi network and it should be simple utilizing your handset as the Wi-Fi router.

Therefore, a reboot should do you good most of the time. The Mobile Data network you’re using to create the hotspot needs to be stable, as well, so make sure that the network coverage is on an acceptable level.

However, if you’re still stuck with the error at hand, there are a few things more you can try. One of the most common solutions we found online is to allow access to your hotspot for all devices.

Some PC issues are hard to tackle, especially when it comes to corrupted repositories or missing Windows files. If you are having troubles fixing an error, your system may be partially broken.
We recommend installing Restoro, a tool that will scan your machine and identify what the fault is.
Click here to download and start repairing.

This setting is usually disabled and the access is limited to devices with a certain MAC address. So, what you’ll need to do is to change it in order to avoid possible authentication issues.

This is enabled by default on newer versions of Android, but not on the older ones.

3. Use an open network instead of an encrypted one

1. Open Settings.
2. Choose Network & internet.
3. Select Hotspot & tethering.
4. Tap on the Set up Wi-Fi hotspot option.
5. Under the Security section, select None.
6. Confirm changes and try connecting again.

Besides the open access, we’ll suggest disabling the WAP encryption, as well. This might cause the connection problem as well, even though you can confirm you’ve entered the proper password.

There are multiple reasons why this might fail, especially on older iterations of Windows. Follow the aforementioned steps to remove the encryption from your Android Hotspot.

4. Change the Wi-Fi frequency

1. Open Settings.
2. Choose Network & Internet.
3. Select Hotspot & tethering.
4. Tap on the Setup Wi-Fi hotspot option.
5. Under the Select AP Band section, choose 2.4 GHz and save changes.

The Wi-Fi frequency might be another reason why you’re unable to connect your laptop to an Android Hotspot.

If your handset shares the Wi-Fi over the 5.0 GHz band and your Wi-Fi card don’t support it, you won’t be able to connect.

That’s why we suggest, if the option is available, to switch from 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz band and give it a go, by following the steps above.

5. Reset the Android network settings

1. Open Settings.
2. Choose Network & Internet.
3. Tap on the 3-dot menu and select Reset Wi-Fi, mobile, & Bluetooth.
   
4. Confirm the selection and reset Network settings.
5. After that, reconfigure the hotspot with the previously suggested settings and try connecting again.

Finally, we can only suggest a few Android-related solutions. The first one is to make sure your OS firmware is up-to-date. The second requires resetting Network settings to their default values.

Have in mind that this will erase all saved ISSDs you have, Mobile Data settings, and Bluetooth paired devices. But, it should also resolve all bugs concerning network connectivity.

Are you still having connection issues? Your Firewall might be to blame. Here’s a guide dedicated to stopping the Windows Firewall from blocking your internet connection.

With that said, we can conclude this article. In case you have anything to add or take, feel free to tell us in the comments section below.

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