Mobile Hotspot Not Working on Windows 11 25H2 (OS Build 26200.6901) - MediaTek MT7921 Adapter

[Asdf810]

Hello,

I am experiencing a persistent issue with the Mobile Hotspot feature on my HP Victus 16 (e-1005n) laptop immediately after updating to Windows 11, version 25H2 (OS Build 26200.6901).

System Details:

OS: Windows 11 Pro

Version: 25H2 (OS Build 26200.6901)

OS Build: 26200.6901 (Initially 26200, updated with KB5070773)

Wi-Fi Adapter: MediaTek MT7921 Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax PCIe Adapter

The Problem:

The "Mobile Hotspot" feature can be turned on in the Windows Settings. However, no device (phone, other laptop) can successfully connect to it. The devices see the network, attempt to connect, but fail every time. This functionality was working perfectly fine before the 25H2 (OS Build 26200.6901) update.

When I run netsh wlan show drivers in PowerShell, the output states:

"Hosted network supported : No"

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Summary of Troubleshooting Steps Taken (All Failed):

I have tried every recommended solution but the problem persists. This appears to be a deep driver or OS-level bug introduced with 25H2 (OS Build 26200.6901).

1. Driver Management:

Roll Back Driver: The option was grayed out.

Manufacturer Driver: Uninstalled the device and installed the latest official driver from the HP support website (Version 3.5.0.33, dated Oct 2023). This did not fix it.

Latest 25H2 (OS Build 26200.6901)-Specific Driver: I manually downloaded and installed the absolute latest driver from the Microsoft Update Catalog (Version: 25.40.2.582, dated Aug 7, 2025, specifically listed for "Windows 11 Client, version 24H2 and later"). The driver installed successfully, but the hotspot still fails to connect.

2. Windows Updates:

I have installed all available Windows Updates, including the latest out-of-band update KB5070773, which brought my build to 26200.6901. This update did not resolve the issue.

3. Network Configuration and Services:

Hotspot Band: Changed the Mobile Hotspot network band in Settings from "Any available" to "2.4 GHz" and also tried "5 GHz". Neither worked.

Windows Services: Checked services.msc and confirmed that "Windows Mobile Hotspot Service" (icssvc) and "Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)" (SharedAccess) are set to "Automatic" and are "Running". I have also tried restarting them.

Network Reset: Performed a full "Network reset" from the Advanced network settings and restarted the PC. This did not fix the issue.

Power Management: In Device Manager, unchecked "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" for the MediaTek adapter.

Conclusion:

The issue is not a simple misconfiguration or an outdated driver. I am running the latest available OS build (26200.6901) and the latest 25H2 (OS Build 26200.6901)-compatible driver (25.40.2.582) for my hardware, and the feature remains broken.

This seems to be a significant bug in the Windows 11 25H2 (OS Build 26200.6901) networking stack or its interaction with the MediaTek MT7921 driver.

Is this a known issue, and is there any other potential fix or workaround available?

Thank you.

[Garp_senchau]

@5CD309187M, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

Enable Hosted Network (in PowerShell)

Run PowerShell as Administrator and type this:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow

This will attempt to enable the Mobile Hotspot feature. If it doesn't work, try setting it to "disallow" first and then back to "allow".

Roll Back or Reinstall Wi-Fi Driver

Try reinstalling your Wi-Fi driver:

Go to Device Manager > Network Adapters > Right-click your MediaTek adapter > Uninstall device (check the box to delete the driver).

Restart your PC and install the latest driver from HP's website or the MediaTek website.

Check for Windows 11 Updates

Look for any new updates in Settings > Windows Update. Microsoft might release a fix for this issue in future updates.

Rollback Windows Update

If the issue started after the 25H2 update, consider rolling back to the previous version of Windows 11:

Go to Settings > System > Recovery > Go back (only available within 10 days of the update).

Try a Clean Driver Installation

Uninstall the driver from Device Manager, reboot your PC, and reinstall the latest driver. This ensures no old drivers are causing problems.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

[Asdf810]

Hi Garp_Senchau,

Thank you for your reply and the list of standard troubleshooting steps.

I am writing to inform you that this is not a simple configuration issue, and I have already exhausted every solution you mentioned, plus many more advanced diagnostics.

To be clear, this issue has been under intense troubleshooting for weeks.

• Driver Reinstalls (Failed): I have already uninstalled/reinstalled drivers from the HP website, the Microsoft Update Catalog (the latest 25H2-specific driver, 25.40.2.582), and tried older versions. This does not fix the issue.
• netsh wlan set hostednetwork (Failed): This command is irrelevant. As confirmed by netsh wlan show drivers, the MediaTek adapter reports "Hosted network supported: No". The problem is with the modern Wi-Fi Direct-based hotspot, not the legacy netsh feature.
  
  
• Rollback Windows Update (Not Possible): Your final suggestion is the only one that would have worked, but it is no longer available. It has been over a month since I received the 25H2 (Build 26200) update, and the 10-day "Go back" window has long since closed. I am now stuck on this broken OS build.

The core of the problem, which I have proven through extensive testing, is a fundamental bug in the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service of Windows 11 Build 26200.

The hotspot's DHCP server fails to assign IP addresses.

Even when I set a Static IP on a device (e.g., 192.168.137.50), the device "connects" but gets no internet. Windows fails to route packets from my Ethernet source to the virtual hotspot adapter.

System files are confirmed as "not corrupt" by sfc /scannow and Dism /RestoreHealth.

I was attempting to resolve this directly with Microsoft engineers on the Microsoft Q&A forum, but my account was suspended for "violating community guidelines" (presumably for reporting a bug on a pre-release build). As an individual customer, Microsoft has effectively shut me down and is not taking this issue seriously.

This is where I need HP's help.

This is a bug affecting your product (HP Victus) equipped with the hardware you chose (MediaTek MT7921) on a new Windows build. As a major corporate partner, HP has the influence and the escalation channels that I, as a single customer, do not.

I am asking HP to please formally escalate this technical bug report to your corporate contacts at both Microsoft and MediaTek. This problem cannot be fixed by me. It requires an official patch from the OS or driver development teams.

Thank you for your time and for escalating this critical issue.

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @Asdf810, 

Thanks for reaching out! Since the issue remains unresolved, I suggest contacting our phone/chat support team for personalized assistance. They can provide one-on-one help and may even be able to work their remote assistance magic to fix the problem.

Note: There might be a nominal charge for the service they provide.

Regards,