Sharing the Internet connection with the mobile by creating an access point is nowadays very easy. In this way, you can share your data by creating a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or wired connection, but what if you want to share Wi-Fi by creating another Wi-Fi with the mobile?
Although it may sound like a redundancy, use the mobile as a Wi-Fi repeater It can get you out of various troubles. The good news is that, while in the past you needed to have root access and specific hardware, today it is somewhat easier if you use the appropriate applications.
What is the use of using the mobile as a Wi-Fi repeater
That the mobile connects to a Wi-Fi network and broadcasts another Wi-Fi at first glance does not seem very useful: why doesn’t the other device connect directly to the same Wi-Fi as the mobile? However the Wi-Fi tethering has several advantages for specific uses such as the following:
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When Wi-Fi coverage is very bad, using a mobile as a repeater to get it to go a little further.
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When you are connected to a Wi-Fi that only allows you one device, as in a hotel or airport.
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When the available Wi-Fi connection is 5 GHz but your device can only connect to 2.4 GHz networks.
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When you are using a VPN or similar and you want another device to use it as well (and you cannot install or configure it on it for some reason).
What apps can you use
Wi-Fi Repeater y NetShare Android doesn’t allow you to create a Wi-Fi hotspot when you’re already connected to a Wi-Fi network (as soon as you do, it disconnects), but luckily there are applications available on Google Play with which you can do it.
The oldest of the place may remember fqrouter2, one of the pioneers in this of Wi-Fi tethering. The app is no longer available on Google Play, although you can find it on UpToDown. It has not been updated for years, but it is a good alternative if you have an old mobile (like with Android 4.4) and want to give it a new life as a Wi-Fi repeater. You need root.
For current mobiles, NetShare, which has a version of its application for root users and another that does not need root is a good option, although it is a paid application. You can use it for free for a few minutes, but then you will have to make a single payment of 8.49 euros.
NetShare works fine, but if you don’t want to pay, a great alternative is Wi-Fi Repeteater, which is free, allows you to do the same and is compatible with both rooted and non-rooted mobiles, from Android 4.2.2 onwards. It is the one that we will use in our tutorial, although the process is similar with other similar apps.
NetShare – no-root-tethering
How to extend Wi-Fi with an Android mobile
After installing Wi-Fi Repeater, the first step is to create the Wi-Fi connection on the mobile that is going to share it. To do it, tap on the Wi-Fi network icon and agree that the application has access to the location. This is necessary for the operation of the application.
If everything went well, a QR code is displayed at the top of the application that you can use to connect to Wi-Fi directly with another mobile. If your other device doesn’t have the function, you can also manually connect to the network shown, including the password below.
Of course, it is important that you do not simply connect with the username and password, as there will be no connectivity. Instead, you should adjust advanced settings and change the section Proxy a manual. In the form, put what appears in Ip Address and Wi-Fi Repeater and Proxy host name, and what it puts in Http Port in Puerto Proxy.
If you connected to the network using the QR code, then the configuration is automatic. In this case, you must go to the Wi-Fi configuration in the mobile settings and change the proxy afterwards. As soon as you do, you will have connectivity on the mobile or other device you have connected.
This connection created by the mobile is relatively short range, so it is useful more than anything for emergencies or isolated cases, but the truth is that it works relatively well. From Wi-Fi Repeater you can also see the list with the devices that are connected at that moment.