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Need an internet connection for your PC or laptop, but don't have access to public Wi-Fi? The solution is simple: connect your smartphone's mobile internet connection to your PC. This process is known as tethering. While tethering with your laptop or tablet may be faster than the public network in your favorite cafe, it can have its own problems. Here's what you need to know about tethering with Android and how to connect your mobile internet to your PC. What Is Tethering?Tethering is the term for connecting your mobile device to your computer, so your PC can get online via your phone's mobile data connection. It works via USB, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi. In the pre-iPhone days, this meant using an old-style feature phone to call a number that gave internet access anywhere. Some cell phones could share their internet connection, enabling you to get online via the device network's APN. Following the release of the iPhone in 2007, many cell phone networks began charging extra for tethering plans. Fortunately, this money-grabbing practice has since been phased out almost completely—these days, tethering is usually free aside from using your data allowance. Android Mobile Tethering Options ExplainedAndroid owners have three tethering options to share a mobile internet connection with their laptop, tablet, or even desktop PC:
Below we'll look at each of these to discover which method will drain your battery quickest, and which transfers data fastest. Before proceeding, make sure you have enabled mobile internet on your phone. It's important to note that mobile signal strength will impact your connection speed. Using tethering can also result in your phone's battery level decreasing quickly; wireless tethering is particularly power-intensive. We provide speed results from speedtest.net for comparison. The actual speeds you get will depend on various factors, including what phone you're using and the speed of the mobile network you're connected to. We were on 4G. 5G will obviously be a lot faster. 1. How to Connect Mobile Internet to a PC With a USB CableMobile phones have long had a modem feature, allowing you to hook up the device to your computer using USB tethering. This lets you share the mobile internet connection over a wired connection with your laptop or other devices. It's easy to do when you're using Windows. Connect the USB cable that you use for charging your phone to your computer, then plug it into the phone's USB port. Next, follow these steps to configure your Android device for sharing mobile internet. Some of the menus may be slightly different depending on the device and Android version you're using, but the general instructions are the same on all models.
2 Images Close A notification icon should appear to confirm that tethering is active. In testing, we found the following results:
If your computer is running on its battery, your phone will potentially drain the computer's battery, rather than its own. 2. Use Bluetooth Tethering With Mobile InternetWant to know how to connect mobile internet to a PC without a USB cable? The answer is to use Bluetooth. The short-range wireless technology has enough bandwidth to route data to and from your phone and a paired device. Start by pairing your phone with your computer:
2 Images Close Once the phone is paired with your computer, you can share the mobile internet connection:
Your phone should then display a notification that Bluetooth tethering is active. Our testing found:
3. How to Connect Your Mobile Internet to a PC WirelesslyCombining the wireless benefits of Bluetooth with the speed of USB, connecting your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot is perhaps the most popular tethering option. Using your mobile internet and Wi-Fi connection, your phone creates a private network to connect your devices with a secure password. It's definitely the most convenient choice. To set up Wi-Fi tethering:
3 Images Close Then, on your Windows PC:
Here are the results we found from this option:
Once you've set up wireless tethering for the first time, it's easy to activate again. Open the Quick Settings panel on your phone by swiping down from the top twice. Tap the Hotspot button, then wait for your computer to connect. As long as you don't change the network name or password, it should reconnect automatically. The big advantage to using Wi-Fi for tethering is that it works with any device. Once you've set up the wireless hotspot on your Android phone, you can connect a Mac, a Chromebook, an iPad, or anything else. Just connect to it in the same way you'd connect to any other wireless network. How to Connect an iPhone Mobile Hotspot to a PCNot using Android? Need to borrow a phone to connect your PC to the internet and only have an iPhone available? iPhones have a hotspot mode that you can enable at Settings > Personal Hotspot. This is a Wi-Fi hotspot that any wireless-enabled device can connect to. For further compatibility, iOS also supports Bluetooth and USB tethering, just like Android. For full details on how to connect the mobile internet from an iPhone to your computer, check out how to use the hotspot feature on your iPhone. Mobile Tethering? Use USB for Best Battery LifeNow you know how to connect mobile internet to your computer, using Wi-Fi, USB, or Bluetooth. But which is best? Our tests show that USB tethering is the option that drains your phone's battery the slowest. Meanwhile, Bluetooth offers the worst speeds. Thanks to improvements in Bluetooth technology, though, its impact on battery is acceptable. It's Easy to Link Your Mobile Internet Connection to a ComputerStuck choosing between a Wi-Fi hotspot and USB tethering? Well, USB isn't the fastest at everything, making Wi-Fi the best all-around option. But if Wi-Fi isn't available, relying on USB tethering is your best alternative. How do I connect my laptop to my mobile hotspot?On the other device, open that device's list of Wi-Fi options. Pick your phone's hotspot name. Enter your phone's hotspot password. Click Connect.. Swipe down from the top of the screen.. Touch and hold Hotspot. .. Under 'Security', tap None.. Why is my laptop not connecting to my phone hotspot?Quick fixes if your computer won't connect to a hotspot
Turn Bluetooth® off on your PC. Turn your PC's Wi-Fi off and on. Make sure you are inside your cellular carrier's network. If you're using your phone as a hotspot, make sure it's properly set up to provide a signal.
How do I connect my Dell laptop to my mobile hotspot?to Settings > Network & Internet and then tap Hotspot & Tethering > WiFi Hotspot. router, to go online. You can also tether your computer to your smartphone via Bluetooth and connect to the internet.
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