How to use a VPN with a mobile hotspot

Want to know how to use a VPN with a mobile hotspot? If you need to secure a device that won’t support a VPN app, or you want an easy way to share your VPN with others, this guide has you covered.

A hotspot VPN connection allows you to share your VPN over a temporary Wi-Fi network. You can protect smart TVs, game consoles, and other devices that do not allow you to install a VPN app directly.

Using a VPN with a mobile hotspot is much easier than setting up a VPN router. So let’s dive into how you can extend online privacy and data encryption to your entire home.

What is a VPN-protected hotspot?

If you are new to the world of VPNs, you may wonder: What is a VPN-protected hotspot? This is a good question, and understanding it can help resolve many common VPN-related connectivity issues you may have experienced at home.

A VPN-protected hotspot is a temporary Wi-Fi network that routes all traffic through a computer running a VPN. When you connect a computer to a VPN and create a hotspot, any device that joins your hotspot is automatically protected by that VPN tunnel. This gives any home internet user a simple and effective way to share a VPN with other devices on their network. This opens up a world of VPN possibilities.

Why use a VPN with a mobile hotspot?

A VPN hotspot routes all your internet traffic through the VPN hosted on a Windows, Mac, or Linux machine. As a result, all traffic from every device benefits from the VPN’s encryption, preventing your ISP, local networks, government surveillance, or hackers on public wifi from tracking your activities.

A VPN also masks your IP address, making it appear as though every connected device is in the same virtual location. This is ideal for families on vacation who want to access home TV, or expats who have moved abroad but want an easy way to make their internet behave as if they were back home.

A VPN hotspot is also useful for:

• Protecting smart TVs that won’t let you install a VPN app directly, gaming consoles without access to popular app stores, and smart home devices or Internet of Things devices that can’t host a VPN directly.
• Allowing friends and family to use your home’s VPN without needing to install and use the VPN app themselves.
• People who want to share a VPN connection but don’t have (or can’t afford) a VPN-compatible router.
• People who want to create a VPN-protected hotspot for public wifi while traveling.
• Bypassing bandwidth throttling without installing a VPN on individual devices.
• Increasing your simultaneous connection allowance. Many VPNs allow subscribers to connect between 5 and 10 devices. But if you set up a VPN-protected wifi hotspot from a computer, it only counts as a single connection, regardless of how many devices you connect to that hotspot.

A VPN hotspot is by far the easiest way to extend VPN protection to your entire home without setting up a full VPN router. All you need is a VPN that supports connection sharing, the right VPN protocol (like OpenVPN), and a computer with a working wifi adapter.

VPN hotspot setup: Device comparison

How to set up a VPN with a mobile hotspot on Windows

Setting up a VPN-protected hotspot on Windows is surprisingly simple. That’s why we recommend this method over all other ways of sharing a VPN connection: It’s ideal for beginners, budget-conscious users, and anyone who finds VPN routers too technical.

The only caveat is that you must have a VPN that supports the OpenVPN protocol and is fast enough to deal with all your traffic without causing slowdowns. Below, we have listed all the necessary steps, including which VPNs represent the best value for setting up a VPN with a mobile hotspot.

1. Subscribe to a VPN that supports OpenVPN: We recommend NordVPN for its fast speeds, OpenVPN support, and reliable access to Netflix US and dozens of other platforms. Surfshark is another top pick. It supports OpenVPN, works well for streaming, and includes unlimited connections for just $2 per month. (Use our link to buy either VPN to gain an exclusive coupon code that will be added automatically.
2. Launch the VPN app and ensure it is set to OpenVPN: Many VPNs nowadays are set up to connect using the WireGuard protocol by default. For a smooth VPN mobile hotspot, you must switch to the OpenVPN protocol. OpenVPN UDP or TCP will both work, but we recommend UDP for any tasks that require faster speeds.
3. Open Windows Settings and choose Network & Internet.
4. Select Mobile Hotspot:  In the left-hand menu, select Mobile Hotspot.                             
5. Set Share my internet connection from to Wi-Fi. Also, be sure that the hotspot is turned On. You need the virtual wifi hotspot to be active to complete all the steps.                  
6. Go to Network Connections: You can navigate there faster by pressing Windows+R and then typing ncpa.cpl
7. Right-click your VPN adapter (often labeled “TAP” or named after your VPN) and select Properties.
8. Click the Sharing tab in the window that opens.
9. Check the box that says “Allow other network users to connect…” and choose your hotspot from the drop-down list. On my computer, the hotspot appears as “Local Area Connection #2.” This may differ on your device. If you are having trouble identifying your wifi hotspot, try turning it off and on to see which entry disappears/reappears.
   
10. Click OK to save your settings.

That’s it! Your Windows Mobile Hotspot is now set up to share your VPN connection. The only thing left to do is connect a device to your hotspot to check that it is receiving the correct VPN IP address. I have explained how to check your IP address below.

• Click here for a detailed guide that explains how to set up a VPN-protected hotspot on Windows. 
• Click here for a guide that explains how to set up a VPN-protected hotspot on a Mac.

How to run an IP test / IP address checker

Once you have set up your VPN protected wifi hotspot, you will need to verify that the devices you connect to the hotspot are being routed through the VPN. If the hotspot is working correctly, the test will show you an IP address at the VPN location.

Here are the steps you need to test that your VPN hotspot is working properly:

1. Ensure that your mobile hotspot is on and your VPN is connected to a server location (make a note of the location)
2. Connect any mobile device to the wifi hotspot you created on your PC.
3. Launch your browser and navigate to our IP checking tool.
4. Check that the IP address is the same as the location of the VPN server you selected.

As you can see, the VPN IP address was confirmed by my IP address check. This confirms your mobile device is successfully using the VPN hotspot, with all traffic routed through the encrypted VPN tunnel.

Now that you’ve confirmed that the VPN mobile hotspot is working, you can connect any device in your home to the hotspot, including:

• Xbox
• PlayStation
• Steam Deck
• Quest 2 or Quest 3 headset
• Apple TV
• Smart TV
• Roku
• Chromecast
• Amazon Fire Stick
• NAS drive
• Smart home devices
• Wi-Fi-enabled printers or security cameras
• Set-top boxes (Sky Q, TiVo, etc.)
• Projectors with built-in streaming

How to fix “Internet disabled” when sharing VPN on Windows

If you’ve followed the steps in this guide, you should be successfully using a VPN with your mobile hotspot. However, some users encounter the “Internet disabled” error when sharing a VPN on Windows. If you have encountered this problem, use the troubleshooting tips below to get everything working properly.

What to do if you’re losing internet access after enabling VPN sharing:

1. Make sure your hotspot is turned on first. If you don’t activate the mobile hotspot before sharing the VPN adapter, you will not be able to select the correct connection from the drop-down list.
2. Double-check that your VPN is using OpenVPN. Other protocols (like WireGuard or IKEv2) won’t create the required TAP adapter needed for sharing. Make sure your VPN is connected using OpenVPN TCP or UDP.
3. Select the correct adapter in the Sharing tab. If you accidentally choose the wrong one (like “Ethernet” instead of “Local Area Connection #2”), the VPN traffic won’t reach your hotspot. Try toggling the hotspot off and back on to identify the name of your hotspot.
4. Restart your TAP adapter. Go to Network Connections, right-click your VPN network, and disable/enable it to restart the TAP driver. Then reconnect your VPN.
5. Ensure your VPN and hotspot adapters are set to Private in their Network Profile settings. If one is marked Public and the other Private, traffic between them may be blocked.
6. Try TCP instead of UDP (or vice versa). Some users may find that they have more success when switching between OpenVPN protocol types. If your VPN allows you to change the MTU packet size, try setting it to 1500,1460, or 1472 to see if this helps.

How to set both the VPN and hotspot adapters to “Private” networks:

Windows has a security feature that blocks device communication between adapters set to “Public” and others set to “Private”. This mismatch between public and private adapters can prevent the hotspot from routing traffic to the VPN properly.

Below, we’ve detailed the steps needed to set both to Private.

1. Open Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi (or Ethernet), depending on the adapter type.
2. Click on the network you’re currently connected to.
3. Under Network profile, select Private.
4. Repeat this process for both:
   • Your active VPN adapter (often labeled TAP or your VPN’s name)
   • Your mobile hotspot adapter (labeled something like “Local Area Connection #2” or similar in Network Connections)

If you cannot find the Network profile setting on your version of Windows, you will need to use a few commands in PowerShell instead. This is slightly more technical, but only takes a couple of commands that you can copy and paste. Here are the steps you need to check that the adapters are both set to private.

1. Ensure that your VPN is connected using OpenVPN and launch your wifi hotspot
2. Connect at least 1 device to your mobile hotspot to make it become active
3. Right-click the Start button (or press Windows + X)
4. Select Windows PowerShell (Admin)              
5. Copy this command to the PowerShell and press Enter to run it: Get-NetConnectionProfile  
6. You will now see your wifi network and the VPN connection listed. Make a note of the name listed under the entry Alias
7. Run the following command, but replace the words within the quotation marks with the exact name you made a note of in step 5. The command will look something like this when done correctly: Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceAlias “OpenVPN Data Channel Offload for Surfshark” -NetworkCategory Private
8. Press Enter to run the command, and then run the following command again: Get-NetConnectionProfile  

That is it! Your VPN connection adapter should now show as private. Repeat this process for the hotspot (if it is set to public).

Additional VPN Mobile Hotspot Troubleshooting Tips

• Disable IPv6 on both your VPN adapter and wifi hotspot (in ncpa.cpl > Properties) if traffic isn’t routing properly.
• Check for firewall conflicts. Windows Defender Firewall or third-party firewalls can sometimes block shared traffic, so try disabling the firewall temporarily to test for conflicts.
• Try another VPN server location. Sometimes, specific VPN servers block traffic forwarding.
• Temporarily disable antivirus software. Some antivirus programs block network adapter bridging or VPN TAP activity.

How to share a VPN connection on macOS

Want to set up a VPN-protected wifi hotspot on your Mac? macOS doesn’t support VPN sharing via Wi-Fi out of the box, but you can still share your VPN with other devices using an Ethernet cable and Internet Sharing.

Here is a quick step-by-step guide:

• Subscribe to a VPN that supports IKEv2 or OpenVPN: We recommend NordVPN, though Surfshark is another top pick, great for the budget-conscious.
• Plug your second device into your Mac via Ethernet (or use a USB-to-Ethernet adapter).
• Go to System Settings > General > Sharing > Internet Sharing.
• Share your VPN connection from Wi-Fi (or the active interface) to Ethernet.
• Enable Internet Sharing and connect your second device.

This method works great for sharing your VPN connection from a Mac to another computer, game console, or streaming device. Want step-by-step instructions with screenshots? Click here for our full VPN hotspot for Mac guide. 

How to share a VPN connection from Linux (Two-Network Adapter Setup)

Linux users can also create a VPN-protected mobile hotspot, allowing any connected devices to benefit from encrypted traffic and a remote IP address.

The only caveat is that sharing a VPN over a mobile hotspot on Linux requires two network adapters: one for the VPN connection and one for the hotspot. This setup allows you to forward traffic from one adapter through the VPN and out to each connected device.

Here is an overview of the steps needed. Please bear in mind that the steps might be slightly different depending on your Linux distro version.

1. Connect to your VPN (we recommend NordVPN) using OpenVPN (or WireGuard, depending on distro support).
2. Identify your interfaces using: ip addr – Note the interface name for your VPN (like tun0) and the one for your hotspot (like wlan0).
3. Enable IP forwarding by running: sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1
4. Create a NAT rule to share the VPN connection: sudo iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o tun0 -j MASQUERADE
5. Start your hotspot using nmcli, hostapd, or your preferred method.

Bear in mind that this NAT rule won’t persist after a reboot unless saved using iptables-save. You will also want to ensure your firewall allows forwarding between interfaces to ensure that the mobile hotspot works with the VPN.

How to share a VPN connection via Android/iOS hotspot

Don’t have a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer? You may ask: Can you share a VPN connection via hotspot from Android or iOS? It’s a common question, and while it works fine on desktop systems, creating a VPN-protected hotspot on Android or iPhone isn’t easy.

The process ought to be simple enough… If your Android smartphone or tablet is connected to your VPN, launching a wifi hotspot should share your VPN with any devices that join the network, right?  This is a solid theory! And that is how it works on Windows and Mac computers.

Unfortunately, this method doesn’t work on mobile devices. 

Android and iOS don’t route VPN traffic through the mobile hotspot by default, and there’s no easy way to enable it in Android or iOS settings. As a result, the VPN tunnel only protects traffic from apps on your phone; it doesn’t extend to the wifi hotspot. Any devices using the hotspot bypass the VPN and use your regular internet connection (outside the VPN tunnel).

Is it possible to set up a VPN hotspot from a mobile device?

The only way to share a VPN over a hotspot from a mobile device is to root your Android phone or jailbreak your iPhone. Unfortunately, this is not something we recommend due to the serious privacy and security risks it creates.

A rooted mobile device is exponentially more vulnerable to malware infections and hacking. These threats make it extremely dangerous to root smartphones and tablets. If VPN sharing is important to you, we strongly recommend using a desktop or laptop computer to create a secure VPN hotspot instead.

How to use a VPN with a mobile hotspot: FAQs