How do I use Wi-Fi Repeater Mode?

Connectify Hotspot MAX is the only virtual router software that gives you a real Wi-Fi Repeater, so you can extend the range of your home or office Wi-Fi.

Check out the tutorial showing you how to set up Repeater Mode here.

What you need

• Connectify Hotspot MAX. On other editions, Wi-Fi repeater shows a MAX badge.
• A Wi-Fi adapter that supports repeater mode.
• The network you want to extend must be one Windows has already connected to and saved the password for. Connectify Hotspot can only repeat WPA or WPA2 encrypted Wi-Fi networks that Windows has connected to.

Open networks with no password can't be repeated. Many hotel, airport and café networks are open, so a repeater usually won't work there. To share a network like that, create a Wi-Fi hotspot instead; see How can I share a hotel's single Wi-Fi connection with all my devices?

How to set it up

On the Hotspot screen, under Create a, click Wi-Fi repeater. Choose the network under Wi-Fi network to repeat and click Start hotspot. It's that easy!

If the list says "No saved Wi-Fi networks", connect this PC to the network you want to extend first, with its password, and then try again.

How it works

Hotspot will broadcast an access point with the same SSID and password as the original network. Devices that connect are bridged directly onto the original network: they appear on it as if connected directly, each with its own address from the original network's router. So a network that limits or charges per device sees each of them separately.

Because the devices are on the original network, Connectify Hotspot's own router features don't apply in repeater mode: Internet to share and Network access aren't shown, and Block ads and the DNS server choice say "Not available in repeater mode."

If this PC loses its connection to the network being repeated, the repeater shows Paused and starts again by itself when the connection is back.

You can learn more about bridging mode here.