Years ago, only one in 10 households had an internet connection and it was wired. After several years of development we have reached a time when it is essential for most people to be connected to the internet twenty-four hours a day. Currently, access has changed and it is possible to surf the network wirelessly from any WiFi device, which has made many more people able to connect .
A few years ago began to develop mobile phones with the ability to broadcast Wi-Fi as if it were a router . This ability to share the internet with telephone data has significantly changed the way we communicate, making it possible for us to access the web from anywhere while we have a smartphone with us.
In this article we will show you how to use this function of your mobile so that you can also enjoy the convenience of sharing internet from your iOS or Android . You will also know the most important things to consider when using this tool and the most common problems with which you can find their respective solutions.
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Each mobile is different, but having the same operating system the possibilities and functions are mostly the same, so it does not matter the brand or model of your cell phone. All Android 4.5 or higher devices have the ability to become a portable router and offer a shared data connection to navigate, whether to tablets, other mobiles, laptops or desktops.
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To share browsing data on an Android device there are two main ways, the main one is to create a WiFi hotspot, or via Bluetooth . Both work, you just have to choose the most suitable for what you require. Below you will find more information about each one
With Tethering WiFi
Tethering or Wi-Fi hotspot literally allows you to turn your mobile device into a router so that two or more computers can connect and make use of free internet data . To access this function in each mobile model is a bit different, but basically the process is the following steps
- Go to “ Settings ” and in the “ Wireless Connections and Networks ” section select the option “ More “.
- Enter “ Network and WIFI Zone Anchorage” and then on “ Access Point ” there you just have to activate the switch and that’s it.
From Bluetooth
Another way to share the data is through the Bluetooth connection , for this we only need two computers that have the function and develop the following process
- Open the « Bluetooth» from the devices to use and pair them, for this you must activate the function in both and « Search for devices» , when the options on the screen, in one of them you must touch the name of the other and so a message will appear to confirm the pairing and be able to start sharing files or data.
- Now, go back to the configuration menu and search for « Shared connection » or « Share connection » or « Bluetooth modem » or an option with a similar name, when found, touch it to access
- Inside you just have to activate the « Bluetooth Modem » to share with the linked and nearby devices.
Remember that you must keep the function on, so it is advisable to do so when you have access to a connector because the battery is used up very quickly when doing this.
With USB tethering
The third option you have is share internet connection with USB tethering , which allows your device to function as a modem. The only detail is that with this you can only connect a desktop device . The steps to activate it are as follows:
- Connect your mobile to the computer and go to “ Settings “. Then in the section of “ Wireless Connections and Networks ” select the option “ More ”.
- Enter “ Network and WiFi zone anchorage ” and then “ USB anchor ”, as can be seen in the following image.
- Turn on the switch and go , you can perform this function without problem, to deactivate it, follow the same steps and disconnect the same option
Steps to share the internet connection between iPhone or iPad phones
iPhone phones also have the ability to share internet to other devices regardless of whether they are Apple or not. There are three ways to activate it and we’ll show you step by step below.
As WiFi router
As in Android phones, in the iOS operating system we can connect the data through a Wi-Fi router option. To do this follow the steps below:
- On the device screen, go to “ Settings ”.
- Scroll down until you get the option “ Share Internet ” and choose it.
- You will see a switch next to it, just touch it and it will change to green and the router will be activated automatically.
Some of the possible options to configure your router on your mobile is change security and set a password , although it is also possible to see who connects , disconnect them and make the network invisible so that only those who have it saved can access.
With Bluetooth
A safer option when you are going to share the network with a single device is use the Bluetooth function built into the device, to do so just follow the instructions below
- To start, you must match the teams; the one that provides the internet and the one that will use it. To do this, go to “ Settings ” and choose “ Bluetooth ”, turn it on and choose “ Search ” while keeping the other device visible. When you’ve found it, select it and confirm that you want to link them.
- After pairing your device, go to the settings screen and look for the option of “ Internet Sharing ” by selecting the method of “ Bluetooth ”, just below the WiFi one.
Via a USB cable
This option is ideal if the router stopped working or for some reason is slow and you must finish a job or browse the WWW on your computer for anything. It is important that use the original USB cable , supplied when purchasing the equipment and follow the following guidelines to the letter:
- Install the latest version of iTunes , on your computer regardless of Mac, Windows or other operating system.
- Connect your iPhone smartphone or iPad tablet.
- Say “ Yes ” in the message that will appear on the device screen saying that if you want to trust that PC.
- Verify that iTunes recognizes the device; for this, open the application and in the summary interface you will find the connected and recognized devices. If you do not recognize it, the problem can be found in the USB cable, which may be defective, disconnect it and reconnect it, if the error continues, change it.
- On your mobile, go to “ Settings ”and then choose“ Internet Sharing ”. This time you must activate the switch and go down to the bottom of the screen to choose “ Connect with USB ”, you may ask for a confirmation and advise you by taking a few steps, but everything will be ready.
Tips to keep a secure connection when you share WiFi from your mobile
Having Wi-Fi and sharing it from a Smartphone has its risks. In fact many people have the option as the last resort, using it only when there is no other method to connect . That is why we recommend that you follow these tips so that when you do you protect yourself from a bad experience.
Reduce data consumption
An extra device that connects to your network is also an extra consumption for your mobile data , so it is convenient that the devices that connect to it activate the reduced data consumption. One way to do this is from the Google Chome browser in your Android or iOS version . You just have to follow these steps:
- Open the application and touch the three overlapping points located in the upper right corner of the interface and then select “ Settings ”.
- Scroll down until you find the “ Reduce data ” option, enter and activate it.
Change the password and the name of the WiFi connection
The Wi-Fi zone of your mobile phone works just like a router, which means you can adjust the network settings as you prefer. This includes being able to rename it and set a custom password with strong encryption .
It is important to do it because usually the factory setting of this function is with the mobile name and without a password. To change this, simply follow these steps:
- Go to “ Settings ” and in the “ Wireless Connections and Networks ” section select the option “ More “.
- Enter “ Network and Wi-Fi zone anchorage ” and then “ WiFi access point ”.
- Search for “ Configure WiFi zone ” and change the sections “ SSID ” and “ Password ”.
Limit access to a certain number of devices
Android devices have the ability to determine a limit of mobiles and devices that can be connected at the same time and even be able to eject them whenever we want. It is convenient that you always keep this active limit to prevent a third party from taking advantage of your signal and stealing your data. To do this, the steps to follow are:
- Go to “ Settings ” and in the section of “ Wireless and networks ” tap on “ More ” .
- Search for the option “ USB tethering or WiFi zone ”, select it and touch it on “ WiFi hotspot ”.
- Now select “ Configure WiFi zone ” and scroll down until you find the section “ Maximum number of connections ”. Select the number of devices to be connected and go.
What to do if the Wi-Fi zone does not emit internet or Don’t let it connect?
When you use the WiFi zone some bad things can be done that do not allow it to work properly . Luckily there is nothing that has no solution, so we mention the main problems and their easiest solutions.
When there is no internet
There are several factors that may be affecting your mobile connection, which directly affects the operation of the shared network. The most common causes are usually:
- Mobile data deactivated : if the mobile data is deactivated, the network you share will not have it either, so you have to make sure they are turned on.
- You do not have good coverage : this may cause the mobile internet to not work, and neither does the wireless signal.
- Expired data plan : if you don’t have data in your plan you won’t be able to share. Recharge at an authorized point, restart your mobile and try again.