How to Turn Your Smartphone into A WiFi Hotspot

If you are like me and use the Internet on a daily basis, then you need a good strong reliable connection.  But what if you are out and about with your laptop/tablet and there is no WiFi connection?  How do you get online?   Don’t panic, as no doubt you will have your phone with you. The standard mobile phone contract that most people receive with their handset comprises of Talk-time, SMS allowance and Data.  It is this data allowance and the ability to connect to either a 3G or 4G network that is going to help get you online when no WiFi is available.

You can set up your smartphone as a WiFi hotspot quite easily.  The ability to do this is available on ‘most’ contracted phones.  That goes for if you are using an Android phone, an iPhone, a Windows smartphone or a BlackBerry.

All you need to do is look into the settings on your particular device, then set up tethering/personal hotspot.  Once this has been done, then just pair and connect your laptop (or other device) to that connection.  Got it?  No. Then allow me to break things down for you.

If you are using an iPhone, just look for Personal Hotspot in your settings while Android users can find a Tethering or Portable Hotspot in their settings. Windows smartphones use the feature, Internet Sharing.  BlackBerry has a Mobile Hotspot Connections option in the network settings.

For the purpose of explanation, I’ll use a connection with an iPhone to elaborate on, but in reality all the basics are pretty much the same. Once your device is in the wi-fi hotspot mode it will then create a network, which can be seen in the list of available networks by the wireless device you’re trying to connect, i.e. your laptop.

iPhone: Settings, Cellular, Personal Hotspot, if Bluetooth isn’t on, iPhone will inform you that Personal Hotspot will only be available over WiFi and USB.  It will then ask you if you also want to enable it over Bluetooth as well.  You need to connect via Bluetooth or USB cable, as you are not near a WiFi signal.  Once you agree to turn on Bluetooth, Personal Hotspot is now discoverable.  iPhone will ask you to provide a password of 8 characters.  Once you have done this you will now be able to connect with your iPhone, as it will be visible as a network from your laptop.  All you need to do is find the network that your phone is called and provide the password you have just created and then connect to the network and use the 3G/4G signal to connect to the Internet.  It really is that simple. *Note: If you are an Android user, after you select your phone in this list you will be asked for a password if you have set up password protection. This password will be generated by the smartphone in the hotspot settings.

There are notable advantages and disadvantages to using tethering. The advantages are; It’s convenient and you can use your smartphone anywhere you have a cellular connection. And you can take advantage of the speeds 4G provide, if you have a 4G contract.

The disadvantages are; tethering a device to your smartphone drains your battery a lot faster. There is a risk that you might exceed your monthly data allowance limit if you are not careful.  If you have poor signal on your smartphone you will have a poor data signal too.

So there you have it, a quick guide to connecting another device to your smartphone and using it as an Internet connection.

As always, if you would like to leave a sensible comment regarding this how to, then please do so in the comments section below.

[Image via 4urmobiles.blogspot]

SOURCE: http://www.techguide.com.au/guides/1447-turn-your-smartphone-into-a-wi-fi-hotspot