Nowadays, access to the internet has become increasingly necessary, and unfortunately at times we cannot count on free Wi-Fi points or even problems with the home connection, which calls for an alternative solution.
And one of these solutions is sharing your smartphone’s internet, also known as tethering. This feature allows you to turn your cell phone into a portable router, providing internet access to other devices, such as laptops, tablets or even other smartphones.
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What is tethering and how does it work?
Tethering is the practice of sharing your smartphone’s mobile data connection with other devices. In this case, the smartphone will use your 3G, 4G or 5G connection to provide internet through three main methods.
The first is the most used in these cases, which is the Wi-Fi Hotspot, where you can use your smartphone as a type of traditional router. There is also the option of using a cable to share, which brings more stability, being the USB connection method. And, finally, you can also make a Bluetooth connection, which is generally less used mainly because of speed.
How to set up internet sharing
- Sharing via Wi-Fi Hotspot
As already mentioned, the Wi-Fi hotspot is the most popular and easiest to use method. It turns your smartphone into a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing other devices to connect wirelessly.
To do this, you need to follow some steps that may change slightly depending on the model and OS used.
No Android:
- Access your smartphone’s settings and look for “Network and Internet” or “Connections”.
- Select “Hotspot and tethering” (names may vary between models and brands).
- Tap “Wi-Fi Hotspot” and activate the function.
- Customize the network name (SSID) and password if you want.
- Connect the other device to the created Wi-Fi network, entering the configured password.
No iPhone:
- Go to “Settings” and select “Personal Access”.
- Enable the “Allow Others to Connect” option.
- Set the password if necessary.
- On the other device, search for the iPhone’s name in the list of Wi-Fi networks and enter the password.
- USB sharing
Connecting via USB is an excellent choice when you need a stable and fast connection, especially for computer use.
To use, you can follow these steps:
No Android:
- Connect your smartphone to your computer using a USB cable.
- On your smartphone, go to “Settings” > “Hotspot and tethering” > “Tethering via USB”.
- Activate the option.
- On your computer, the connection will automatically be detected as a wired network.
No iPhone:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer with a Lightning cable.
- On iPhone, activate “Personal Hotspot” in “Settings”.
- On the computer, the connection will be established automatically.
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Bluetooth sharing
Tethering via Bluetooth is a good option when you don’t have a USB cable on hand and need to save your smartphone’s battery, but the connection is not as stable.
No Android:
- Activate Bluetooth on your smartphone and on the device that will receive the connection.
- Pair the devices in the Bluetooth settings.
- Go to “Hotspot and tethering” on Android and activate “Bluetooth tethering”.
- On the other device, configure internet use via Bluetooth.
No iPhone:
- Activate Bluetooth on both devices.
- Pair the devices.
- Turn on “Personal Hotspot” on your iPhone.
- On the other device, select iPhone as the Bluetooth hotspot.
Advantages and disadvantages of internet sharing
This practice of tethering can be very useful in several situations, bringing convenience so that the user can access the internet anywhere as long as there is a data signal. Furthermore, it is compatible with different devices and connection methods, such as notebooks.
But it is also not advisable for it to replace the day-to-day connection on devices like these, as this will quickly end up consuming your data plan. Furthermore, the internet speed is not the same. Finally, it can also end up being quite expensive, as some operators may restrict or charge additional fees for using more of this data.
Another disadvantage is that it quickly consumes the smartphone’s battery, and even using Bluetooth it can still become a problem.
In the end, it can be useful in specific situations such as when traveling, when there is no Wi-Fi signal, or when there is a problem with the home internet and even in places where the connection is more limited.
If you are going to use this technique, you also need to keep an eye on some details to avoid problems. First, always keep an eye on your plan’s data limit to avoid extra charges. It is also interesting to always add a password for the Wi-Fi hotspot to prevent other people from having unauthorized access.
Source: https://www.hardware.com.br/artigos/como-compartilhar-a-internet-do-seu-smartphone-com-outro-aparelho/
