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How to Create WiFi Hotspot in Ubuntu 16.04 (Android is Supported)

Last updated: April 25, 2016

wifi hotspot

The default network manager in Ubuntu 16.04 now supports to create WiFi hotspot for Android devices.

You can create a Wireless access point in Ubuntu 14.04 using Unity’s default network manager, but a little hack on the configuration file is required.

In Ubuntu 16.04, there’s a Hotspot mode in the WiFi connection editings page that works directly for Android devices. Here’s the step by step how to guide:

1. First disable WiFi and connect your laptop to a wired network, so your network menu looks like:

2. Click Edit Connections on the menu shown in above picture. Then click Add to add a new connection:

3. Choose WiFi from the drop-down box in the next window and click Create button.

4. When the editing window popup, do:

  • Type in connection name, SSID, select Hotspot mode.
  • In Wifi Security tab, select WPA & WPA2 Personal and type in a password.
  • In IPv4 Settings tab, select mode “Share to other computers”

5. After clicked the save button, enable WiFi and click Connect to Hidden Wi-Fi network and select connect to the connection you just created.

6. Your network menu now looks like:

Finally connect to this hotspot from your Android device and enjoy!

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    23 responses to How to Create WiFi Hotspot in Ubuntu 16.04 (Android is Supported)

    1. JJ May 2, 2016 at 8:56 pm

      Hi Ji,

      Thanks for the tutorial , I am following your instructions but I am getting the following error after attempting to connect to the hidden wifi (point 5):

      (2) Connection ‘MyAP’ is not available on the device wlp3s0 at this time.

      Do you know what might be wrong here .

      Thanks!

      • JJ May 2, 2016 at 9:08 pm

        I was able to fix the issue by changing the mode in the file located under:

        /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/MyAP

        first It was

        mode=ap

        Then I moved to:

        mode=ad-hoc

        Then It connected fine. Then since I want AP mode, I modified the file back to “ap” mode and reconnect . Now it didnt throw me the error. Its kind of buggy for me since its depending on the order of operations

        JJ

      • Alan May 13, 2016 at 3:58 pm

        Addicional drivers –> Don’t use Broadcom Corporation Proprietary Wireless Network Adapter, Chosse (Do not use the device) —-> Apply Changes. —> Restart and try again.

        • Ayush July 31, 2016 at 7:47 am

          Now there is no driver for my Wi-Fi card. Why is that supposed to work??

        • Heru Sutanto September 15, 2016 at 5:32 pm

          how i can create hotspot using 1 connection with wifi connection

        • Gerson October 3, 2016 at 7:42 pm

          This did the job. So the tutorial could have to begin with something like “WARNING: Check that you don’t have a broadcom propietary driver. This tutorial won’t work if you are using it.”

      • Michael October 19, 2016 at 11:33 am

        This problem may be occur because driver of your wi-fi card does not support the AP (Access Point) mode. You should use another wi-fi card driver with AP mode support to avoid this error.

        Are you using the broadband wi-fi card ?

    2. ameyCU May 28, 2016 at 5:58 am

      Hey, Thanks !! but can you tell how to set a password for the hotspot .

    3. Manuel July 4, 2016 at 10:49 pm

      i dont have a wired network, only wifi, because the modem is in other room.. so, how i do?..

    4. nikhil July 6, 2016 at 6:58 pm

      thank u bro!!!
      i had tried several answers on askubuntu etc but none worked.
      but your detailed solution has done.

      • Gray October 6, 2016 at 11:17 pm

        Is it possible to create a hotspot when the Ubuntu device does NOT have any internet connectivity? That probably sounds weird, but my goal is *not* to share an internet connection. My goal is to share files, over wifi, in a CAR, with the Ubuntu device acting as the hotspot + file server. The devices will be various iOS and Android phones and tablets. I’d like for up to 5 devices to be able to stream video files from the Ubuntu device, while we are traveling.

    5. zek August 5, 2016 at 2:08 am

      I’m using a thinkpad. Your tutorial works and now my thinkpad can be a hotspot ap.
      Previously I thouht it only works on windows.
      Tqvm!

    6. mat August 8, 2016 at 9:34 am

      On my laptop (Acer Aspire 5750) it doesn’t work:

      I can configure it allright, but when I connect to the hidden network it disables my wifi completely and it doesn’t restart unless I reboot. No connection whatsoever. Tried even with ad-hoc instead of Hotspot, but no difference

    7. Anoop M August 11, 2016 at 7:16 pm

      thanks for your support….. its a great tutorial for normal user

    8. Shirish K August 26, 2016 at 3:42 pm

      Good tutorial, worked for me on my Inspiron-7447. But i’m having this small issue with the wifi icon indicator, keeps showing the loading icon. regardless, the hotspot works fine.

      wifi indicator error:
      https://s13.postimg.org/45k4v8slj/wifi_icon.png

    9. jay September 24, 2016 at 3:49 pm

      It works on my lenovoSL300/ ubuntu 16.04 & HTC M8. Thanks a lot~~~

    10. Mariano Marini October 6, 2016 at 9:55 am

      How can I change the AP IP address?

    11. Harsh October 13, 2016 at 5:15 pm

      How to remove the hotspot connection permanenty

    12. Barnabas October 27, 2016 at 7:36 am

      10Q! for everything! … “(2) Connection ‘Wi-Fi Hostpot’ is not available on the device wlp12s0 at this time. ” How to solve this idea ?

    13. philip b February 9, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      I would like to use 2 wifi adaptors – connect my laptop to the internet with one wifi adaptor, then share a wifi connection with the other wifi. Do you think your setup will work for this?

      ISP…….(wireless adaptor1)(computer)(wireless adaptor2)…….another computer