Share a VPN Connection Over Wi-Fi in Windows 11

A Step-by-Step Guide:

In today’s digital world, privacy and security are more important than ever. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) helps encrypt your internet traffic and change your virtual location, protecting you from prying eyes. But what if you need to share your VPN connection with other devices? Windows 11 allows you to turn your PC into a Wi-Fi hotspot, enabling other devices to connect through your secure VPN tunnel. This setup is especially useful for devices that don’t support VPNs natively, like gaming consoles, smart TVs, or even another laptop. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps to share your VPN connection over Wi-Fi in Windows 11, ensuring all connected devices benefit from the same privacy and security.

1: Enable Mobile Hotspot on Windows 11

Your desktop will act as a Wi-Fi access point (AP).

Open Settings (Win + I).
Go to Network & internet > Mobile hotspot.
Under Share my internet connection from, select Wi-Fi or Ethernet (whichever your desktop uses).
Click Edit and set:
– Network name: Choose a Wi-Fi name.
– Network password: Set a strong password.
Toggle Mobile hotspot to On.

2: Enable Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)

Now, you need to share the Windscribe VPN connection.

Open Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections (Win + R, type ncpa.cpl, hit Enter).
Find the Windscribe VPN adapter (usually named Windscribe or something similar) OR any other VPN you are using.
Right-click on the VPN adapter and select Properties.
Go to the Sharing tab.
Check Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection.
Under Home networking connection, select the Wi-Fi hotspot adapter (e.g., “Local Area Connection* 13” or something similar).
Click OK.

3: Connect to Windscribe VPN Or any VPN you use

Open Windscribe VPN client or the VPN you use on your desktop.
Connect to a Remote server.

4: Connect Your Laptop to the Windows Hotspot

On your laptop, go to Wi-Fi settings.
Find the hotspot you created in Step 1.
Enter the password and connect.

5: Verify the VPN Connection on the Laptop

Open a browser on your laptop.
Go to https://whatismyipaddress.com/ or https://iplocation.net/.
It should show your location as Remote location as you choose in Step 3.

Troubleshooting

If the laptop still shows the Indian location, try restarting the VPN and reconnecting the laptop.
Ensure the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) is properly configured.
If ICS doesn’t work, consider using a Virtual Router software like Connectify or HostedNetworkStarter to share the VPN connection.

Check my other posts as well: Blog posts.