Preliminary information
Before we delve into the heart of this guide and actually see how to use a smartphone as a modem, my golden seed fornirti alcune preliminary information that will certainly help you.
The first thing I want to tell you is that the price of tethering depends exclusively on your operator and on the data plan active on your line. Generally, it should not present additional costs compared to browsing online from smartphones, but it is not excluded that some operators may limit tethering and apply a surcharge to all traffic generated when using the smartphone as a modem.
To avoid nasty surprises, therefore, I recommend that you get in touch with your telephone provider and make sure that your plan does not provide for limits and / or extra costs to take advantage of the 3G / 4G data connection on other devices.
After making sure you can use the hotspot function without limitations and without having to pay any additional costs, all you have to do is activate it on your smartphone, and then connect with your PC or other devices in your possession to the network generated by your mobile. Below you will find explained in detail how to do this on both Android and iPhone smartphones.
How to use an Android smartphone as a modem
use an Android smartphone as a modem, you must go to the settings of your mobile phone dedicated to connectivity, enable the data connection and the hotspot function. Let me explain in more detail how to act.
First, go to the menu of Settings (the icon ofgear located on the screen with the list of all the apps installed on the device), go to More> Tethering / portable hotspot> Wi-Fi hotspot and then move up ON the lever at the top right, in the screen that opens, to generate a wireless network to which you can connect your laptop, tablet or any other device that requires an active Internet connection.
To change the properties of the network to be generated, such as its name, its access key, the band to use (2.4GHz or 5GHz) and the maximum number of users that can be connected to it, presses on the voice Configure Wi-Fi hotspot. If, on the other hand, you want to set the number of minutes after which the network must turn off in case of inactivity, "tap" on the item Keep Wi-Fi hotspot active.
On older versions of Android, the steps to take are slightly different. Go to the Settings and select the item Other located in the box Wireless and ret. Then go up Tethering / portable hotspot and move up ON the relative levetta all'opzione Portable Wi-Fi hotspot,
If you want, you can also take advantage of USB tethering by physically connecting your smartphone to your computer. In this case, however, you have to go to the menu Settings> Wireless and networks> More of Android and move on ON the relative levetta all'opzione USB tethering instead of the one for the Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot.
Another option available is that relating to tethering via Bluetooth, which allows you to share the data connection of your smartphone with devices that support Bluetooth, have this feature active and are within the range of the phone. To activate tethering via Bluetooth, go to the menu Settings> Wireless and networks> More of Android and move on ON the relative levetta all'opzione Bluetooth tethering.
In case you are unable to activate tethering on your Android smartphone or navigation is too slow, go to the menu Settings> Wireless and networks> More> Cellular networks and make sure the option Network type is set to 3G / 4G.
Please note: some passages and the names of some words may vary slightly from one device to another, depending on the version of Android installed on it.
How to use iPhone as a modem
You have a iPhone? No problem, even iOS includes the hotspot function, which allows you to use your smartphone as a modem. To enable the function in question, what you need to do is go to the menu Settings> Personal Hotspot I will post your ON the relative levetta all'opzione Allow others to log in.
A wireless network will be created instantly to which computers, tablets, and any other device capable of taking advantage of Wi-Fi networks can connect. To change the access key to the wireless network, select the item Wi-Fi Password from the menu Settings> Personal Hotspot, type the key you want to use in the screen that opens and tap on the item end located at the top right.
If you want to take advantage of tethering via USB and Bluetooth, activate the Personal Hotspot function as explained above and connect the iPhone via USB or Bluetooth to the device on which you want to use the Internet connection.
It should be noted that all the latest Mac and iPad models are able to use the iPhone in tethering without the Personal Hotspot feature being activated. As long as your smartphone is within range of these devices, its name will automatically appear in the list of available Wi-Fi connections. To take advantage of the automatic connection you need to use a Mac after 2012 with macOS Yosemite or higher and an iPhone / iPad with iOS 8.1 or higher.
In case you are unable to activate tethering on your iPhone or navigation is too slow, go to the menu Settings> Cellular, make sure the option Cellular data is active and that in Cellular Data Options> Voice and Data the option relative to the 4G (or 3G, if your rate plan doesn't include 4G).
How to use smartphone as a modem
