Why Can’t I Turn on WiFi Hotspot on Ubuntu 20.04 ThinkPad?

If you’re using Ubuntu 20.04 on a ThinkPad and find that you’re unable to turn on the WiFi hotspot, you’re not alone. This issue is often due to a system policy restriction, which can be frustrating to deal with. In this article, we’ll delve into the reasons behind this problem and provide you with some potential solutions.

Understanding the Issue

The problem typically manifests itself when the “Turn on WiFi hotspot…” option is grayed out and the message “System Policy prohibits use as a hotspot” appears. This suggests that a system policy is preventing the user from enabling the WiFi hotspot feature.

Potential Solutions

While the root cause of this issue is still under investigation, there are a few workarounds that have been found to be effective for some users.

Switching Settings Panels

One of the simplest workarounds involves switching to another settings panel (e.g., “Network”) and then back again. This has been reported to enable the WiFi hotspot option for some users. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the settings panel.
2. Click on the “Network” option in the left pane.
3. Go back to the WiFi settings.

After following these steps, you might find that the option to create a WiFi hotspot is now available.

Disabling and Re-enabling the Network Connection

Another workaround involves periodically disabling and re-enabling the network connection. This can be done by clicking on the “Network” option in the left pane of the settings, ensuring that the operating system recognizes the network connection. Then, go back to the WiFi settings, and the option to create a WiFi hotspot should become available.

Using the nm-connection-editor Command

In some cases, creating a hotspot network and connecting via a hidden network can enable the hotspot functionality. This workaround involves using the nm-connection-editor command to access the WiFi settings window. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Terminal.
2. Type nm-connection-editor and press Enter. This command opens the Network Connections editor.
3. Click on the “Add” button to create a new connection.
4. In the “Mode” dropdown, select “Hotspot”.
5. Set the SSID as desired.
6. Save the settings.

After saving the settings, open the WiFi settings again, select the network you created, and click “Connect to hidden network.” This method has been reported to work, but the “Turn on WiFi hotspot…” option may still remain grayed out.

Conclusion

While these solutions are workarounds and may not address the underlying issue, they have been found to be effective for some users. However, these methods only provide temporary fixes and the “Turn on WiFi hotspot…” option may become grayed out again after some time. This suggests that there may be a bug in Ubuntu causing this behavior.

Keep an eye out for updates or bug fixes from Ubuntu that may address this issue. In the meantime, we hope these workarounds help you to get your WiFi hotspot up and running.