How to turn your smartphone into your own wifi hotspot.
Published on 08/07/2016 in Be inspired
Suppose you’re visiting a customer and you’d like to show a presentation, or you’re on the road and you’d like to check some files. But….there’s no (free) wifi hanging about for your tablet or laptop. Did you know you can use your Android smartphone or iPhone to create your own wifi-network? You’ll be using the mobile network and your mobile subscription to surf on your laptop or tablet. Let’s see how it’s done.
On Android
1. On your smartphone, tap ‘Settings > More > Tethering and mobile hotspot.’ The actual names might be different on your phone.
2. Create a hotspot by clicking ‘Mobile Hotspot.’ Choose a name for your network and set a password or passphrase, unless you want the whole neighbourhood to surf on your subscription.
3. Choose a strong password or passphrase by combining capitals and regular letters, numbers and symbols.
4. When you’ve activated the hotspot, you’ll see an extra icon in your notifications. This means the wifi hotspot is active and you can start surfing the internet.
5. Activate wifi on your tablet or laptop. Find the wifi network you just created, make the connection and you’re set to go.
On iPhone
1. Tap ‘Settings > Mobile Network’ on your iPhone
2. Tap ‘Personal Hotspot’, enable the option and choose your password or passphrase. You can still disable the hotspot or change your password afterwards.
3. Choose a strong password or passphrase by combining capitals and regular letters, numbers and symbols.
4. You have two wireless options to connect your Macbook or iPad to your private hotspot:
a. Wifi: open the wifi menu and look for your private network.
b. Bluetooth: go to ‘Settings > Bluetooth’ to connect your devices
c. If you want to disconnect a devices you simply swith off your hotspot or your bluetooth connection.
Tip: If you’re using iOS 8 or higher, you can use ‘Instant Hotspot’ to share your network without having to enable your ‘Personal Hotspot’ first.
Keep an eye on your data
If you use your mobile hotspot to surf with your laptop or tablet, you use up the data in your mobile subscription. Remember that all mobile subscriptions have data limits. Via ‘Settings > Data Usage’ on Android or ‘Mobile Data’ on your iPhone, you can check how much data you’ve been consuming. But don’t take these figures at face value because they usually vary from your actual use as recorded by your provider. In any case, it’s wise to set a data limit on your smartphone. That will automatically keep you advised if you’re approaching your limits.
And don’t forget to check your MyProximus app. This tells you (among other things) how much data you have left.
Want to know more?
- Manage your subscriptions (and much more) with the MyProximus app
- Need more data? Our subscriptions cater to ever need. Choose and compare.
Prefer to have your own mobile router? Choose one of these top models and you’ll never be without a network again.
Proximus Bizz team
A team of more than 40 experts bringing independent entrepreneurs and small companies the best ideas and solutions for their needs.