How to Setup a Raspberry Pi Wireless Access Point
Most users will be looking to use the on-board Wi-Fi to connect a Raspberry Pi to existing wireless networks. If you’re out and about, however, you might prefer to turn your Pi into a portable router without needing any additional hardware.
From a VPN travel router that you can use to safely connect to wireless hotspots on the go, to a portable access point that lets you tether and share your mobile data with multiple devices, there are a number of uses for your Pi's on-board Wi-Fi beyond simply connecting to a network. You could even make a Raspberry Pi WiFi extender to boost connectivity around your home.
This is easily done, as the Wi-Fi chip inside a Raspberry Pi can work in one of two modes. The default is client mode, where the Pi connects as a client to an existing wireless network. The other is AP mode, which stands for Access Point.
Setting your Raspberry Pi Wi-Fi to AP mode allows you to create and manage your own wireless network, allowing other devices to connect through it. If you want to create a Raspberry Pi wireless access point, here's what you'll need to do.
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