How to use Mac as hotspot?

[donawalt]

Hi all, I was trying to set up my Mac as a hot spot, but I am unable to. I went to System Preferences/Sharing. As you can see by the image below, there is no port selection on the right side "WiFi" so that computers using wifi can see my Mac as a hotspot. As the message states I cannot select "Internet Sharing" on the left side because of this. (This is how it seems it is supposed to work.) I have not found anything to help me with this, what am I doing wrong?

 

[mikzn]

did you try and select one of the options? USB and LAN are wired connections

 

[Brookzy]

You have to share via a different connection method to what you're connecting to the internet with. So, for example, you could share from USB to Wi-Fi, or from Wi-Fi to Ethernet, but not from Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi.

 

[donawalt]

Yes I can select those, but I don't need them - I want computers to access via their WiFi yet that entry does not show up like it seems to in the instructions on how to set this up. Something must be preventing it as an option.
[doublepost=1531698821][/doublepost]

You have to share via a different connection method to what you're connecting to the internet with. So, for example, you could share from USB to Wi-Fi, or from Wi-Fi to Ethernet, but not from Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi.

That's not what this shows:
https://www.imore.com/how-turn-your...-hotspot-internet-sharing?passport=1531696771

 

[Brookzy]

Yes I can select those, but I don't need them - I want computers to access via their WiFi yet that entry does not show up like it seems to in the instructions on how to set this up. Something must be preventing it as an option.
[doublepost=1531698821][/doublepost]

That's not what this shows:
https://www.imore.com/how-turn-your...-hotspot-internet-sharing?passport=1531696771

That link shows sharing an internet connection from an iPhone's cellular connection to Wi-Fi. Not Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi.

 

[donawalt]

That link shows sharing an internet connection from an iPhone's cellular connection to Wi-Fi. Not Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi.

Really? I am referring to this screen, it is on a Mac not an iPhone - I do not see the WiFi entry on the right side:

 

[Brookzy]

Really? I am referring to this screen, it is on a Mac not an iPhone - I do not see the WiFi entry on the right side:
View attachment 770809

 

[chabig]

Yes really. Look again at that picture. It says, “Share your connection from iPhone USB to computers using WiFi.”

 

[donawalt]

Ah. OK, thanks.

 

[Brookzy]

I assume you're trying to share a particular Wi-Fi connection with other devices via Wi-Fi. If so, there is another way, if you have an iPhone:

• Connect the iPhone to the Wi-Fi network (i.e. instead of your Mac).
• Turn on Personal Hotspot.
• Connect your iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable.
• In Network settings on your Mac, select your iPhone as your preferred network.
  • Now, your Mac is connecting to the internet via your iPhone's Wi-Fi connection.
• Then go to the internet sharing screen and set it up as per the screenshots, i.e. share from iPhone USB to other devices via Wi-Fi.

Voila, you now have a Wi-Fi hotspot from your Mac that is extending another Wi-Fi connection.

I often do this when staying in hotels or other places that require you to log in to their Wi-Fi systems and/or limit you to one device at a time.