Using A Smartphone As A Modem

Smartphones have surpassed the limit of common mobile phones and they can do more than you can imagine. There is no doubt that their capacity has passed the limit of normality. And because most smartphones these days have Wi-Fi, possibility of using smartphones as a modem is possible. This means that you can connect to the internet from your laptop, where there are no hot-spots and you can manage your tasks like you are using internet on its own. You can connect the phone to the computer via USB or Bluetooth and share the internet connection. This process is also known as “tethering”. Everything can be done easily and following the steps below, you will be able to do it yourself. In some cases you have to contact your carrier to get a phone as a modem plan, while others offer this service for free.

First of all, you need to find software for sharing connection. Usually, on some phones it comes pre-installed, but it may also happen that carriers block it or phones don’t have the capability of tether. But as every operating system has its own App Store, you can easily get some applications to manage this connection. Some service providers, such as AT&T or Verizon do charge for this specific service and while they are among the most popular and successful service providers, you will need to get some money out of your pocket. Now it is time to connect your smartphone; most of them use USB cable, but newer models can share wireless internet via Bluetooth. If you are using Bluetooth, enable it on your computer and allow it to search for your mobile phone. run the sharing software and initiate the connection. In some cases it might take a while until the connection is successful, this depending as well on the type of mobile phone you have.

When you succeed, complete the connection on the computer. If you have Windows installed on your laptop, in the lower right corner it will appear the connection, just like it happens when you use other wireless internet connectivity. If you have the MacBook, then the connection appears separately, under the Network Preferences Menu, but the process should complete automatically, as long as you go to the setting and click on the connect button. Furthermore, monitor the network performance, because the signal strength might not be as powerful as when using Wi-Fi hot-spot. But this is one good solution where there is no Wi-Fi connection and you just need it urgent for some computer tasks. It is true that most smartphones can do whatever a laptop does: browse the internet, manage e-mails, play online games, download attachments from e-mails and more.

Finally, you should be aware that the battery on your phone will drop seriously while you keep it connected to your laptop. Enabling wireless on your phone will always drain the battery faster, so make sure you check the status as well, in case you still need to make some calls or send some text messages. There is the possibility to buy additional batteries and replace them when in need. If you are heading on a long trip, they will come in handy for sure.