Wifi hotspot is an access point through which you can access wireless network and internet. But Do you know that you can use your smartphone as a wifi hotspot as well? Smartphones are indeed getting smarter. Once you enable wifi hotspot feature, your smartphone acts as a wireless router. And then you can allow your wifi enabled gadgets to access the internet using the wireless network provisioned by wifi hotspot of your smartphone. Let’s see how to use phone as hotspot.
It is quite secure, supports same encryption protocol like WPA2 as any other wireless network and very convenient to use. It is available to you wherever cellular network signal is available.
Configuring Wifi hotspot on your cell phone is very easy. This can help connect multiple devices to the internet in no time. The whole process involves enabling wifi hotspot feature in your cell, put up a password for security reasons and Bingo!! You have a portable and handy wifi network available.
You can use it to connect multiple devices be it a laptop, cellphones and what not.
Why do you need one?
You would be familiar with Wifi hotspot at the airport, your favorite coffee shop, RV parks, department stores, etc. They come in the category of the public hotspot.
The one provided through cellphone is called private hotspot which is precisely similar to public one but apparently at a lower scale.
Once you enabled wifi hotspot on your cell phone, it acts as a wifi router. This functions similar to your wifi router at home. You connect to wireless network in the same way as the one you would at home or office.
Go to your network settings, select wireless network, choose the right one provisioned by your smartphone and enter the password. That’s all, and you are in.
It is to be noted that there are several portable wifi hotspot devices in the market as well which you can buy and use. They are quite affordable, and you will find most of them for less than $50.
But then using your cell phone itself to provide wifi is so convenient. First of all you need not carry any extra device, and secondly, you need not pay any extra penny in buying another device.
So, how it works?
These days every cellphone has access to the internet through its cellular network. I can not imagine any cellular connection without any data plan. It is this data plan that your cell phone uses to tether wifi. So, make sure when you use phone as hotspot, you are aware of your data plans.
There are wireless service providers, like Verizon, who gives hotspot feature for free. But some companies charge separate data plan for the hotspot. Also, you can use other methods, such as tethering apps, etc., to enable wifi hotspot on your phone.
Once you enable your hotspot, your smartphone becomes a router transmitting wireless network. And when any wifi enabled device connects to this wifi network, they got access to the internet.
It internally uses cellular network’s data plan to connect to the internet. Depending on the smartphone, your setting and options to enable hotspot could be different. We will shortly be discussing how should you navigate and configure it.
But, in general, just enable this setting and provide a strong security passcode and the wireless network is ready to use. It is not mandatory to provide a password but strongly recommended for security reasons.
The downside when you use phone as hotspot
There is no strong downside of using your cell phone for this purpose. But your smartphone may get overheated, or its battery will drain quickly.
Remember that your smartphone is not only transferring data to the internet but also it is transferring to the connected devices. And in case you are downloading a huge file or accessing heavy pages, it is further straining the battery.
In case, you are planning to use hotspot heavily you can buy one portable hotspot device as mentioned earlier. After all, you may not like to have a reduced battery and smartphone life!!
One of the smart ways of using smartphone wifi hotspot would be to enable it only when it is needed.
Security
Wireless network security is always of prime concern as they are quite prone to be hacked. But with advancement in technologies and new security protocols, wireless networks are getting more and more secure.
Security embedded into your smartphone wireless network is similar to any wireless network that you access either at home or office. It is encrypted with latest WPA or WPA2 encryption protocol.
That ensures all data communicated through the network is secure and can not be easily deciphered by an intruder. Besides, it is always recommended to set up a strong passcode or passphrase for connecting to the network.
How to use phone as hotspot?
The process of enabling wifi hotspot is more or less same for all sort of smartphones. But it may vary in terms of exact menu options which leads to it. Lets quickly review few of them.
Apple iOS
Apple products like iPhone have a menu option called “Personal Hotspot.” Steps to enable hotspot would be:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on Personal Hotspot.
- Tap the button to turn your personal hotspot on.
- Key in the Wi-Fi password which will be used by devices to connect to your network.
Android
Exact instructions could be different depending on the version and the make of the smartphone. In general, following steps should suffice.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on Wireless and Networks.
- Tap Tethering & Portable Hotspot.
- Key in the Wi-Fi password which will be used by devices to connect to your network.
Windows Phone 8.1
Like Android phones, exact instructions could be different depending on the make of the of the windows phones.
Choose All Settings.
- Go all the way down to Internet Sharing.
- Make a note of the Wi-Fi network name and password.
- Tap the slider to on state.
BlackBerry 10.3
- Swipe down from the top and tap on Settings.
- Choose Networks and Connections.
- Click on Mobile Hotspot.
- Follow instructions as stated on screen. The hotspot will automatically turn on. Make sure to turn it off when you’re done.
The hotspot screen conveniently keeps track of how much data you’ve used.
Over to you on how to use phone as hotspot
Using a cell phone for wifi hotspot is a very convenient way of enabling internet access to your laptop, tablet and other devices. It is available to you wherever cellular network signal is available. So, if you are stuck in traffic and wants to connect your laptop to the internet, you can look forward to your smartphone. It is very convenient and very portable.