The internet has become a core part of how we work and play, to the point where some internet-connected devices can share their connection with other gadgets. Apart from your smartphone, your Windows 10 device can also be a mobile hotspot and share its internet connection with other computers.

The Windows mobile hotspot feature is convenient and often easy to use. However, sometimes your Windows 10 hotspot will stop working or prevent other devices from connecting to it. If you are experiencing problems with your mobile hotspot in Windows 10, below are some fixes you can try.

How to Troubleshoot Your Mobile Hotspot in Windows 10

Before you try any of the fixes below, you should check whether the problem is happening only on a specific device or with all of them. If it is only happening on a single device, the device is likely the problem and not your hotspot. Also, double-check that your internet connection is working well.

If you’ve established that the problem is with your computer, follow the fixes below.

1. Try Creating a New Connection

If you are experiencing mobile hotspot issues, delete the current connection your devices have and connect to the hotspot again. In most cases, a new connection can get rid of the authentication error and solve the issue.

2. Temporarily Turn Off Firewalls and Antivirus

Your system’s firewall, antivirus, or malware program can sometimes block your mobile hotspot. To determine whether this is the cause of the issue or not, turn off these apps and connect to your hotspot. If you can connect to it, turn on these apps and see which is causing the issue. If you still can’t, turn the programs on right away to keep your system protected.

3. Disable Bluetooth on Windows

Your computer's Bluetooth connection can sometimes interfere with your mobile hotspot. Disabling it can sometimes fix the issue. Here’s how:

  1. Open Settings on your Windows 10 computer by pressing and holding Win + X. Then, choose Settings on the menu.
    bluetooth and other devices section in the Windows Settings menu
  2. In Settings, choose Devices > Bluetooth & other devices. Then, set it as Off.

Connect to your hotspot and see if it works. If it doesn’t, move to the next fix.

4. Check Your Wi-Fi Adapter

In some cases, you may have a Wi-Fi adapter that doesn’t support the Windows mobile hotspot feature. Here's how to check your adapter can support this feature:

  1. Press Win + S to open Windows Search.
  2. Next, type CMD. Right-click on the Command Prompt search result and click Run as administrator.
  3. A popup box will appear. Click Yes.
  4. In the Command Prompt, type in "NETSH WLAN show drivers" and hit Enter. Check for the line that says Hosted network supported and see if it says yes or no.
  5. If it says no, your Wi-Fi adapter doesn’t support the mobile hotspot feature. Unfortunately, the only fix for this is to change your adapter. However, if it says yes and devices still can’t connect to your hotspot, follow the next fix.
execution of the command NETSH WLAN show drivers in the CMD

5. Update All Essential Drivers

Downloading a free driver updater for Windows will quickly update all the essential drivers on your computer. However, if you don't want to install third-party software on your computer, you can update them using Windows Update settings. Here’s how:

  1. Open Settings in your Windows 10 computer by pressing Win + X keys and choosing Settings on the menu.
  2. Next, click Update & Security > Windows Update.
  3. Then, click Check for updates.
  4. Click the View optional updates option if it’s available. Then, click the Driver updates tab. Next, select the driver you want to update and click Download and install.
"Restart now" button in the windows update settings menu

If there are no optional updates available, your essential drivers are up-to-date. Go on to the next fix.

6. Troubleshoot the Network Adapter

Windows 10 has built-in troubleshooting tools that help find and fix issues in your device. You can use this tool to fix any problems your network adapter has. Follow the steps below:

  1. Press Win + S to open Windows Search.
  2. Type Troubleshoot and select Troubleshoot settings from the result.
  3. On the Troubleshoot page, click Additional troubleshooters.
  4. Under the Find and fix other problems settings, select Network Adapter. Then click Run the troubleshooter. This will start the detection process.
  5. On the dialogue box, you will be asked what network adapter to diagnose. Choose All network adapters and click Next.
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions to fix your computer’s hotspot.
Network Adapter troubleshooter in additional troubleshooters settings

If the troubleshooter finds an issue with your network adapter, it will either propose a fix or automatically deal with it. If it can’t find any problem, do the next step.

Another fix for this issue is linking your internet to your hotspot adapter. Again, you will have to launch the Windows Settings for this. To do this, follow the steps below:

  1. Open Settings by pressing Win + X keys and choosing Settings on the menu.
  2. In Settings, go to Network & Internet > Mobile hotspot.
    change adapter options under the mobile hotspot section
  3. Make sure that your mobile hotspot is on. Then, click Change adapter options under the Related Settings.
  4. Right-click on the adapter that is connected to the internet. This could be your Wi-Fi or your Local Area Network (LAN). Then, click Properties.
  5. Next, click the Sharing tab. Uncheck the option that says Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection, and click OK. (Skip this step if it is already unchecked.)
  6. Then, right-click on your mobile hotspot’s adapter. Click Properties.
  7. Under the Sharing tab, check the option that says Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection.
  8. A popup box will appear. Click OK.
  9. Under the Home networking connection, select your mobile hotspot adapter.
  10. Lastly, click OK.

Connect to your mobile hotspot again and see if it is working now. Otherwise, try the next solution.

8. Perform a Clean Boot

Your startup apps can sometimes cause conflicts with other Windows services. Disabling them can fix the hotspot issue. To do this, you can take the help of a Windows feature called "clean boot." Here’s how you can perform a clean boot:

  1. Press Win + R to open Run.
  2. Next, type "msconfig" and click OK.
  3. Click the Service tab, and select the Hide all Microsoft services box. Then click Disable all.
    Services tab in the system configuration section
  4. Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
  5. Under Startup in the Task Manager, click each program and select Disable. Make sure to do this for all the apps in this tab.
  6. Close the Task Manager to return to the System Configuration window and click OK.
  7. Reboot your computer.

A clean boot can reduce software-related conflicts that can be the root cause of your mobile hotspot issue. These conflicts are caused by apps and services that run in the background whenever you start your computer. Once they’re disabled, your mobile hotspot should normally work again.

9. Reset Network Settings on Your PC

Did you recently update your Windows? Or perhaps you installed some apps that made the necessary changes to your network settings. If so, it’s very likely that your Network settings were disrupted (or maybe you changed them yourself), eventually leading to errors in your mobile hotspot on Windows 10.

Getting back to your previous settings, therefore, will probably require you to reset these network settings. Here’s how you can do that:

  1. Head to the Start menu search bar, type in ‘cmd,’ and launch the Command prompt as an administrator.
  2. Type in the following commands in the cmd, and hit Enter:
            netsh int ip reset
    netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset command in the cmd

That’s it—your network settings will be reset as soon as you are done with the above command. While the above method makes use of the cmd, you can also reset your Windows network settings through Settings.

So if you try out your mobile hotspot after the Windows reset again, you should be able to get it working without any problems.

Getting Reconnected With Your Windows 10 Mobile Hotspot

The mobile hotspot feature of Windows 10 is a great tool. However, if you can’t connect to it when you need to, this feature is useless. By following the fixes above, your hotspot will be up and running again. If the issue persists, using third-party software may be the solution.