How to Fix Windows 11 Mobile Hotspot Not Working: Driver, Adapter, and Sharing Fixes

Windows 11’s Mobile Hotspot feature turns your PC into a wireless access point so phones, tablets, and other devices can share your internet connection. When it breaks — the toggle is greyed out, the hotspot starts but no device can connect, or connected devices have no internet — diagnosing the problem can feel like guesswork. This guide walks you through every reliable fix in order, from the quickest one-click solutions to deeper driver and service repairs.

Why Windows 11 Mobile Hotspot Stops Working

Mobile Hotspot depends on three things working together: a WiFi adapter that supports hosted-network mode, the Windows Mobile Hotspot and WLAN AutoConfig services running correctly, and Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) properly routing traffic from your internet-connected adapter to the virtual hotspot adapter. Any one of these can break after a Windows Update, driver change, or accidental settings change.

A particularly widespread issue appeared with Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 (OS Build 26200.6901) where certain MediaTek MT7921 and Intel WiFi 6E adapters lost hosted-network capability after an in-place upgrade. If your hotspot worked before a recent Windows Update and is now broken, a driver rollback or reinstall is likely the fastest fix.

Fix 1: Run the Network Adapter Troubleshooter

Before touching drivers or services, let Windows diagnose the problem automatically.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Go to System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters.
3. Find Network Adapter and click Run.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts and apply any suggested fixes.

The troubleshooter often catches misconfigured ICS bindings or disabled virtual adapters that are invisible in normal settings. Apply the fix, restart your PC, and try the hotspot again before moving on.

Fix 2: Restart the Windows Mobile Hotspot Service

The hotspot relies on a background service. If it crashed or is set to start manually, the toggle will remain greyed out.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Scroll down to Windows Mobile Hotspot Service.
3. Right-click it and choose Restart (or Start if it’s stopped).
4. Double-click the service, set Startup type to Automatic, then click Apply.

While in Services, also check WLAN AutoConfig. It must be running and set to Automatic. Without it, Windows cannot manage wireless profiles or host a virtual access point.

Fix 3: Verify Internet Connection Sharing Is Enabled

Mobile Hotspot needs to share your internet-facing adapter (your wired Ethernet or cellular connection) with the virtual hotspot adapter. If this sharing link is broken, devices connect to your hotspot but show “No Internet.”

1. Open Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings.
2. Click More network adapter options under Related settings.
3. Right-click the adapter that provides your internet (e.g., Ethernet or your SIM adapter) and choose Properties.
4. Go to the Sharing tab.
5. Check Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection.
6. In the dropdown, select the hotspot’s virtual adapter (usually named Local Area Connection* X or Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter).
7. Click OK, then toggle Mobile Hotspot off and back on.

Fix 4: Update or Reinstall Your WiFi Adapter Driver

This is the most common fix for hotspots that broke after a Windows Update, especially on laptops with MediaTek, Realtek, or Intel WiFi 6E chips.

Update the Driver

1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Network adapters and right-click your WiFi adapter.
3. Choose Update driver → Search automatically for drivers.

If Windows says the driver is up to date but the hotspot still fails, visit your laptop manufacturer’s support page (HP, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS) and download the latest WiFi driver directly — these are often newer than what Windows Update provides.

Reinstall the Driver (Best Fix for 25H2 Regressions)

1. In Device Manager, right-click your WiFi adapter and choose Uninstall device.
2. Check Attempt to remove the driver for this device before confirming.
3. Restart your PC — Windows will reinstall a clean driver automatically.
4. If the auto-installed driver does not restore hotspot functionality, install the version downloaded from your manufacturer’s support site.

Fix 5: Check That Your Adapter Supports Hosted Network Mode

Some older or low-cost WiFi adapters do not support the virtual access point capability Windows requires. You can verify this quickly:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator (search for cmd, right-click, Run as administrator).
2. Run: netsh wlan show drivers
3. Look for the line Hosted network supported: Yes.

If it says No, your adapter (or its current driver) does not support Mobile Hotspot. Try reinstalling the driver first; if it still says No, you will need a USB WiFi adapter that supports hosted networks — see our guide to the best WiFi USB adapters for options.

Fix 6: Reset Network Settings

If none of the above fixes work, a full network reset wipes misconfigured TCP/IP stacks, DNS settings, and adapter bindings that can silently block the hotspot.

1. Open Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings.
2. Scroll to Network reset and click it.
3. Click Reset now and confirm. Your PC will restart.
4. After restart, reconfigure your WiFi connections and try the hotspot again.

Note: Network reset will remove all saved WiFi passwords and VPN configurations. Have your WiFi password ready before proceeding.

Quick Checklist

• Run the Network Adapter Troubleshooter in Settings
• Restart Windows Mobile Hotspot Service and set to Automatic
• Confirm WLAN AutoConfig is running and set to Automatic
• Enable Internet Connection Sharing on your internet-facing adapter
• Update or reinstall the WiFi adapter driver from the manufacturer’s site
• Confirm hosted network support via netsh wlan show drivers
• As a last resort, perform a Network Reset and reconfigure

Once your hotspot is working, run a speed test on the connected device to confirm it is receiving a usable share of your internet connection. If speeds are lower than expected on the shared connection, see our guide on why WiFi speed varies between devices for further tuning tips.