Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter: How to Download and Install It on Your PC
Download Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter
Have you ever wanted to connect your Windows 10 device to another device without using a router or a cable? Or maybe you want to create a wireless hotspot for other devices to use your internet connection? Or perhaps you want to mirror your screen to a bigger display or a projector? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might need Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter.
download microsoft wi-fi direct virtual adapter
Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter is a driver that enables Wi-Fi Direct functionality on Windows 10 devices. Wi-Fi Direct is a standard that allows direct peer-to-peer connections between devices using Wi-Fi radio frequencies. In this article, we will explain what Wi-Fi Direct is, why you might need it, how to check if your device supports it, how to download and install the driver, and how to use it for various purposes.
What is Wi-Fi Direct?
Wi-Fi Direct is a standard that allows the use of Wi-Fi radio frequencies (typically 2.4GHz and 5GHz) to make direct, peer-to-peer connections with other devices. You dont need an existing Wi-Fi network to connect to, as the connection is made directly between two devices.
Wi-Fi Direct works by enabling a software-generated access point on the host device, creating a temporary Wi-Fi network in the process. Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) is then used to authenticate, with a push button or PIN code used to establish a connection. This allows for a seamless (yet secure) connection between the devices.
Like Bluetooth, you can use it to send files, share your screen with other devices, play games directly, share your internet connection, and more. It also plays a central part in other systems and communication standards, such as near field communication. Other Wi-Fi-specific brands, such as Miracast, also use Wi-Fi Direct to communicate.
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Why do you need Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter?
Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter is mainly used to create wireless hotspot and let other devices use internet through your computer. This technology will virtualize your Wireless network adapter much in the same way VMWare/VirtualBox virtualizes your entire operating system.
Once it has been virtualized, you can convert one physical wireless adapter into two virtual ones. This lets you to then connect one virtual wireless adapter to your regular wireless network and use the other virtual adapter to connect to another network such as an WiFi hotspot and let others to connect to your Windows machine wirelessly like they would connect to a normal AP.
You can do this from both GUI and cmd.
How to check if your device supports Wi-Fi Direct?
If you want to use Wi-Fi Direct as an alternative to Bluetooth, then youll be best served using a Windows 10 PC or laptop. Windows 10 offers full support for the Wi-Fi Direct standard, but your internal Wi-Fi chip (or external WiFi device) will need to support it as well.
To check if your device supports Wi-Fi Direct, you can use Windows PowerShell to run a command that lists the available network adapters and their capabilities. Here are the steps to do that:
Open Windows PowerShell by typing "powershell" in the search box and clicking on the app.
Type or paste the following command and press Enter: Get-NetAdapter Select Name, NdisVersion
Look for the adapter that has the name "Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter" and check its NdisVersion. If it is 6.3 or higher, then it supports Wi-Fi Direct.
If you don't see the adapter, then it means that either your device doesn't support Wi-Fi Direct, or the driver is not installed or enabled.
How to download Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter?
If you don't have Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter on your device, or if it is not working properly, you can try to download and install the driver from one of these sources:
Device Manager: Open Device Manager by typing "devmgmt.msc" in the search box and clicking on the app. Expand the "Network adapters" category and look for "Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter". If you see it, right-click on it and select "Update driver". If you don't see it, click on "Action" and select "Scan for hardware changes". If it still doesn't appear, click on "Action" again and select "Add legacy hardware". Follow the wizard to install the driver.
Windows Update: Open Windows Update by typing "update" in the search box and clicking on the app. Click on "Check for updates" and wait for Windows to scan for available updates. If there is an update for Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter, it will be listed under "Optional updates". Click on "Download and install" to install the update.
Microsoft website: Go to [this link] and download the latest version of Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter driver. Save the file to your device and run it as an administrator. Follow the instructions to install the driver.
How to use Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter?
Once you have Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter installed and enabled on your device, you can use it for various purposes, such as connecting to another device using Wi-Fi Direct, creating a wireless hotspot, or using Miracast to mirror your screen. Here are some examples of how to do that:
Connect to another device using Wi-Fi Direct: On your device, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi. Click on "Show available networks" and look for the device you want to connect to. It should have a Wi-Fi Direct icon next to its name. Click on it and enter the PIN or press the button to connect.
Create a wireless hotspot: On your device, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile hotspot. Turn on the switch for "Share my Internet connection with other devices". Choose a network name and password for your hotspot. You can also select which connection you want to share (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or Cellular). Your device will create a virtual network using Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter and other devices can join it using Wi-Fi.
Use Miracast to mirror your screen: On your device, go to Settings > System > Display. Click on "Connect to a wireless display" and look for the display you want to mirror to. It should have a Miracast icon next to its name. Click on it and wait for the connection to be established. Your device will use Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter to send your screen content to the display wirelessly.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explained what Wi-Fi Direct is, why you might need Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter, how to check if your device supports i