HC Spot Hotspot Software

Installation

Requirements

• A PC connected to Internet.
• 2 Network (Ethernet) cards. Both of them can be wireless or ethernet cards.
• OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8.

Preparation

• Assume that you already have 2 routers in your network. We will call them as NIC-1 and NIC-2.
• Connect NIC-1 to the router which has Internet access.
• Connect NIC-2 to your local network router.
• Both connections can be made via wireless or ethernet card.
• Open Network and Sharing Center.
• Click on NIC-2.
• Click Details button.
• Write down following values: IPv4 Address, IPv4 Subnet Mask, IPv4 Default Gateway (ex. 10.0.0.10, 255.255.255.0, 10.0.0.1).
• Click Close and Close again.
• Open your web browser and navigate to your NIC-2's homepage (IPv4 Default Gateway IP) (ex. http://10.0.0.1/ or http://192.168.1.1/ and etc.).
• Login to your router using your username and password (Please refer to your router's manual).
• If you don't have a password yet or didn't change it, PLEASE do it now!
• Find your Wireless settings page and disable Security (You may need to login again after this step).
• PS: If you choose to not to disable security for WLAN, you will need to share your Wireless password with your customers/users.
• Find the options page for DHCP and disable DHCP (This is important).
• Save settings and reboot the router.
• You will not ba able to connect to this page again for now.

Setup Network & Enable Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)

• Open Network and Sharing Center.
• Click on NIC-1 connection.
• Click Properties.
• Click Sharing tab.
• Click and check "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection".
• Under "Home networking connection" select your NIC-2 if you can see it in the list.
• Click OK and click Close.
• Now click on NIC-2 to confirm if everything is fine.
• Click Details button.
• If you are using Windows 7 you can see that, IPv4 address is changed to 192.168.137.1 (or this can be 192.168.1.1).
• Please do not change anything. Click Close and Close again.

Setup is completed. You can Run Hotspot.

Troubleshooting

If you need to connect to your router:

• Open Network and Sharing Center.
• Click on NIC-1 connection.
• Click Properties.
• Click Sharing tab.
• Click and uncheck "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection".
• Click OK and click Close.
• Open your web browser and navigate to your NIC-2's homepage (IPv4 Default Gateway IP) (ex. http://10.0.0.1/ or http://192.168.1.1/ and etc.).

If you still can not connect to your router:

• Open Network and Sharing Center.
• Click on NIC-2.
• Click Properties.
• Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)".
• Click Properties.
• Click and check "Use the following IP address:" and enter following values.
• IP address: Enter your old IPv4 address here "we have noted that".
• Subnet mask: Enter your old Sunet mask here.
• Default gateway: Enter your old default gateway here.
• Click and check "Use the following DNS server address:".
• You can leave these fields empty. Because this router is connected to your Local Network, which is not connected to Internet.
• Click OK and OK again. And click Close.
• Open your web browser and navigate to your NIC-2's homepage (IPv4 Default Gateway IP) (ex. http://10.0.0.1/ or http://192.168.1.1/ and etc.).

When you need to enable ICS again, please follow steps under "Installation -> Setup Network & Enable Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)"

BETA Error Messages

Error: Beta version can not connect to our servers or expired. Application will now quit.
Solution: Because you are using our BETA version, your computer must be connected to the Internet in order to use our BETA version. If you are already connected to internet, please run Hotspot Software again. If problem still exists, please check our website to be sure that BETA edition is not expired.

Error: Beta version is expired or out-of-date. Please check our website for more information.
Solution: Please check our website and update your HC Spot Hotspot software.