Did you know you can turn your smartphone into a mobile hotspot? A hotspot allows you to connect a laptop or tablet to the internet when you’re away from home or not close to a location with Wi-Fi service. Once you enable a mobile hotspot on a smartphone, it uses the cellular network to send out a Wi-Fi signal so other devices can connect.
When you use a mobile hotspot on your phone, the data comes out of your cellular phone plan. Since your phone will need to connect to a 3G or 4G cellular network, if you’re in an area with weak signal strength you’ll be better off using a traditional Wi-Fi network.
Why Use a Mobile Hotspot?
A mobile hotspot can be the perfect solution for those who work outdoors, travel short or long distances, or need access to the internet in remote areas. With a strong, steady cellular signal, you can easily connect your other devices to the internet to send and receive the information you need. It’s convenient, quick, and can save you time. You won’t have to deal with the hassle of waiting until you’re back indoors or at a location with public Wi-Fi.
Things to Know
When you turn your phone into a mobile hotspot, you’re probably going to use more data than normal. Check your data plan to see if mobile hotspot or tethering options are available, and what range of speeds you can expect.
Viaero offers several hotspot options, from 1GB to 3GB of high-speed data per day. While you’re using your phone as a hotspot, you might also want to set your apps to limit data usage so you don’t reach the upper limits of your plan. Some browser and synching apps, such as DropBox, have metered connection settings to limit data usage while the phone’s hotspot feature is enabled.
While you’re using your phone as a hotspot, you can expect your battery life to be around four hours. This can vary depending upon the amount of charge the battery has, the strength of the wireless network signal, and how much data you’re sending and receiving. You’ll want to fully charge your battery beforehand and limit your calls while your phone is a hotspot. You might want to consider carrying an external battery if you expect to use your phone as a hotspot for more than four hours.
Setup and Security
On most smartphones, you’ll need to go into the settings menu to turn on the hotspot feature. Keep in mind you’ll also need to have an active tethering option with your data plan for the feature to work. It is highly recommended you set up a password with your hotspot to prevent unauthorized use. Your phone will display the hotspot’s network name and password during the setup process.
Have you used your phone as a mobile hotspot? Share your experience with us!