trail of the light
the truth is out there

Recently I was looking for a tool for Windows 7, which could share the Internet connection from a desktop PC, therefore turning it into a hot-spot. I reminded myself of a Connectify - a fantastic tool which some time ago had become a salvation for me.

The catch.

Windows 7 itself is able to share the Internet through a wireless Wi-Fi. It performs this task in a form of a so-called Ad-Hoc network. For no apparent reason, however, Android devices have (or had) trouble connecting with this kind of network...

Connectify used to solve this issue, because it had been able to share the Internet in a more traditional, therefore “comprehensive” way (regarding Android devices).

Unfortunately, the app which initially had been completely free, lightweight and relatively fast - over the time has become significantly worse: it became “heavier”, slower, and on top of that its developer has stopped releasing it for free - forcing users to pay for the app’s important features.

A good comment on this case I’ve found here:

“Connectify is a wonderful concept and it was a great hit. So much, that the developers have restricted the capabilities of the free-version of the software with every new release.”

As a result I’ve lost my will to come back to Connectify - I begun to search for alternatives. Unfortunately, once I’ve tested a few apps I gave up - they all haven’t been working properly on my PC, or they were generating another Ad-hoc network, which was pointless.

Finally I decided to look for the older Connectify releases, as the last hope. It hadn’t been present within www.oldversion.com (a website with archived app versions) which was definitely a bad omen. After a while, however, I’ve found the proper ver. - on the genobz blog quoted a moment ago, where I also realized that I am not the only one disgusted by the Connectify developer’s approach.

I find very interesting that the app in one of its early releases could be fast, lightweight and functional - and even could be installed without a need to reboot Windows - whereas over the time of its “development” the reboot became necessary, while the app itself became less convenient to use. Instead of the original neat and useful idea - we’ve received a “free” app, which - for example:

• disconnects You on each hour (to display a message reminding You to buy its paid version),
• does not allow 3G/4G connection sharing,
• it’s frustratingly slow;

I’ve found a great relief to install the older Connectify - quickly, no reboot, and with the hotspot set up via a few simple steps taken during the installation process, thanks to which the whole thing has become instantaneously up and running.

You can download the older Connectify from here »