Windows 7 To Feature Virtual Wi-Fi

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: May 18, 2009 04:51PM
Author: jammin

A little while ago now, Microsoft conducted some research into the idea of the virtualized WiFi adapter, but the results of the project never really found their way into something consumers could use. This has apparently changed with Windows 7, which will allow the creation of a virtual WiFi adapter, meaning that when one hardware device is installed, the OS will also be able to put second virtual device to use. The idea is similar to that of virtualized operating systems, where multiple instances can make use of the same underlying hardware.

What may be slightly surprising is that all of this is already included in the Windows 7 release candidate, but as yet hasn't been enabled because of the need for driver support. Once that does come along, a virtual device will pop up in the network connections folder, which should enable a few potentially useful functions. The advantages of multiple adapters include those such as being able to connect to multiple access points, to set up an ad-hoc connection with the secondary adapter, or even to turn every client connected to a network into a repeater and thereby growing the network as more clients connect. There is a diagram that describes how the virtualization process works as well as links to related MS resources over at istartedsomething. Whether it is something most users will really need is one thing, but it is nice to see that Windows 7 will be bringing some more interesting features to the table.