Whether you are working from home or traveling for an important meeting, the most important thing is to have a fast, uninterrupted Wi-Fi or mobile connection that allows you to get things done within the timeline.
You can complete an important email or a presentation right on time, irrespective of your ability. In this scenario, you can use your mobile phone as a hotspot and share mobile data within seconds to complete all your tasks hassle-free.
Let’s delve deep into the concept of mobile tethering and understand how it helps us in many ways. Here are our top 5 problems-
- What is tethering?
- How to share mobile data with a laptop on Android and iOS?
- What are the things you should remember while sharing your internet?
- What are the common issues that hinder hotspots?
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
What is Tethering?
Tethering or hotspot is a means to connect your mobile to another device, which provides an internet connection. In tethering, your mobile device broadcasts a signal as a Wi-Fi connection, detected by another device nearby, that needs an Internet connection. This connection can be made wirelessly or using a USB cable or Bluetooth. To be precise, there are three types of tethering –
Wi-Fi Tethering
In this type of tethering, your phone becomes a Wi-Fi hotspot, which is then used by other devices (more than one) to use the internet. This is one of the most common ways to use a hotspot.
Bluetooth Tethering
In this process, two devices share the internet using the Bluetooth feature of the device. This is an easy and less power-consuming process, but the only limitation is that it is slower.
USB Tethering
USB tethering is one of the most straightforward processes of sharing mobile data. In this case, the connection is made using a USB cable. The best thing about this is that the connection is strong and stable, and the device is being charged simultaneously.
If you have a smartphone, tethering is very easy as the device has immense capabilities and can be connected in different ways. A smartphone can have a superfast 5G connection with Monthly and Pay you Go Plans, or Pay Monthly SIM-only deals that allow you to connect most easily! Your device can become a modem, which can be used anytime and anywhere.
Here are some amazing benefits of tethering.
Benefits
- Easy Access: The best thing about tethering is that you can set up an internet connection anywhere in no time. You can use mobile devices as modems and offer internet connection to another device, be it a laptop or a mobile phone.
- Highly Reliable: Hotspot connections are highly reliable as you can connect to the internet even at places where your 4G connection isn’t working. If you have an affordable, superfast, 5G mobile plan with the widest network coverage, mobile tethering is a great option.
- High Security: Tethering is more secure than a public Wi-Fi network as a private connection is made between two devices. Also, the risk of security threats like hacking and malware is limited.
- Cost-efficient: Using a mobile hotspot is highly cost-efficient as you don’t have to shell extra money to buy a mobile data plan or use a public Wi-Fi network as you can share your data with mobile tethering.
- Full Flexibility: Through mobile tethering, you have immense opportunities to choose the mode of connection anytime and anywhere! You can choose Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB tethering and select the one that suits your timings and settings.
Disadvantages
- Speed: Although the ease of connection is perfectly fine when you use a hotspot, the speed may be less! If you use a Bluetooth connection, the speed and quality of the internet connection is low. In the case of a USB connection, the speed is better; however, it should be noted that the quality of the internet connection will be low as compared to a regular mobile broadband connection.
- Battery Usage: The battery usage is comparatively high if you share mobile data using a hotspot. This is not the case if you use your 5G mobile data only for your device. This means that mobile tethering can be a great solution when you don’t have Wi-Fi but if you are planning to use a hotspot often, be prepared for a drained battery.
Hotspot Setup – A Complete Guide
Once you’ve understood the pros and cons of tethering, you must know how to set up tethering on your device to make the most of it. Setting up a hotspot on Android and iPhone is almost the same; however, a few steps may differ depending on the model.
Here are some simple steps you must follow –
Android Phones
If you have an Android phone,
Go to ‘Settings’> find and select ‘Wireless and Networks’/ ‘Connections’> choose ‘Mobile Network Sharing’/ ‘Tethering’/ ‘Portable Hotspot’/ ‘Mobile Hotspot and Tethering’. Here, you can find different tethering options like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, or USB.
Once you choose the method, you can set a password for additional security.
iPhone Method
When you want to connect your iPhone, here are the main steps-
Go to ‘Setting’ > choose ‘Cellular’ > tap on ‘Personal Hotspot/Settings’, now verify the name and password of Wi-Fi and share mobile data easily. You should ensure that your Bluetooth is on so that the connection can be made easily.
5G Hotspots
With the advancement of technology, 5G hotspots have become the ‘thing’ in today’s time! With blistering fast data, uninterrupted communication and seamless process, 5G hotspot is the easiest feature for anyone who wants to use the internet anywhere, anytime. It is important to remember that these are designed to work on a 5G cellular network. 5G hotspots also need a smartphone with great network capabilities so that a good 5G cellular plan with unlimited data can be used to its full potential when using a 5G hotspot.
How to Connect?
There are different ways you can connect to a hotspot. These include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB. Depending on your requirements you can use any of these methods to share
Connect Using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
Using a Wi-Fi network with a 3G, 4G, or 5G connection, you can share your mobile data as your device works as a server. This is one of the simplest methods of tethering. You have to enable Wi-Fi mode and detect the available networks. You can also connect using Bluetooth; this connection is great and works efficiently while transferring data, however, the speed is low.
Connect to Your Laptop Using Bluetooth
If you want to know how to tether phone to laptop, the process is quick and simple. Go to ‘Windows’ and right-click to choose from the options. Select Bluetooth and enable it so that the device is easily discoverable. Select ‘Manage Bluetooth Devices’ and choose the device you want to connect to.
Connecting to Bluetooth Printer
For this, you have to turn on your Bluetooth printer. Select ‘Windows’, go to ‘Settings’, choose ‘Bluetooth Device’, go to ‘Printers & Scanners’, add device, and voila!
Connect Using USB Cable
Connect your tablet, Android phone, or iPhone using a USB cable. Now, go to ‘Settings’, enable ‘USB Tethering’ (Android) and ‘Personal Hotspot’ (iPhone). Go to the ‘Network and Internet Settings’ and check the connection.
Difference Between USB and Mobile Tethering
The two popular ways of mobile tethering, i.e., USB tethering and mobile tethering are very efficient in their own ways, however,
Things to Remember While Sharing Your Internet
While sharing mobile data through tethering is one of the safest options, it is important to keep a few things in mind to make this experience the best. Here is the checklist.
- Password Strength & Protection: It is imperative to keep your data password protected and set a strong password to avoid threats like rainbow table attacks and brute force cracking. Ensure that your password includes a mix of numbers and symbols to elevate the complexity.
- Keep a Tab on The Usage: If you are sharing your mobile data, make sure to keep a check on the amount of data usage. If you have a superfast 5G mobile data plan, you can offer a generous amount of mobile data to your friends and family; however, if you have a strict monthly plan, it is important to keep a tab.
- Disconnect While Not in Use: Sometimes, when you are done sharing your mobile data, you forget to disconnect the hotspot, this could literally drain your phone’s battery and eat up your mobile data unnecessarily. Hence, as soon as you are done, disconnect or disable your tethering option.
Why is My Hotspot Not Working – Common Issues
If you are trying to share your mobile data through hotspot and it is still not working despite following all the steps, the reason could be many –
Out of Data: If you have a fixed mobile data plan and are already out of data, you cannot share your mobile data. Hence, it is essential to have a Monthly or Pay As you Go 5G mobile plan, which ensures ample data that lets you do different things in addition to sharing your data.
Wi-Fi Not Working: Check whether the Wi-Fi of the device you are trying to connect is working. You can check this by connecting it to some other device. If all is good, there is an issue with the device’s Wi-Fi.
Disable Battery/Low Powe Saver Mode: Certain features on your phone may be restricted, when the battery saver mode is on. This might cause issues in connecting to a new device. Rectify this feature by turning off the low-power mode. Once done, check if it is connected to the device or not!
USB cable is Damaged: If you are trying to share mobile data via USB cable and you are facing issues while connecting to the device, there are chances that the USB cable is damaged. Because of this, the connection is not made. You can replace the cable and try to connect the device again.
Ending Notes
It is surprising how technology gives us immense benefits in terms of communication and connectivity. We can share anything with our loved ones anytime, anywhere. This privilege goes to another level when you share your own mobile data with someone else using tethering or hotspot! Through tethering, your device becomes like a modem and can share your data with another device using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or a USB charger.
Almost all smartphones have this feature; the process involves simple steps that allow you to make the most of the mobile tethering process. If you are wondering how to share mobile data with a laptop, the process is simple; go to ‘Windows’, find and select ‘Bluetooth’, go to ‘Manage Bluetooth Devices’, and select the device you want to connect to!
The best thing about mobile tethering is that it is easily accessible, highly reliable and offers you full security as the connection is made between two devices, which are trustworthy, hence, the chances of threats like brute force cracking and rainbow table attacks are less. However, it is imperative to understand that while mobile tethering makes it easy to share data, the speed may be compromised when you are using a hotspot. Also, it is important to ensure that the USB cable being used is in the right condition.
