There are different occasions in life. For example, imagine - you are with friends in a cafe or some other good place. You have an Android smartphone or tablet with 3G connection. But friends do not have 3G connected, but they really want to use the Internet. Or you just urgently need to go from your laptop to the Internet, but there is nothing at hand except a smartphone with 3G. What to do? It turns out - everything is very simple. Not everyone knows that any smartphone or tablet based on the Android operating system can be turned into a 3G router in a couple of moves. About how to do this - I will tell you now.
The first step is to enable WiFi on the smartphone or tablet itself. To do this, go to "Settings" and set the "Wi-Fi" switch to the "ON" position.
Then select the menu item "Modem Mode":
In some cases, the item "Modem mode" may not be - then click on the item "More" and select the item " Wi-Fi access point»:
Now you need to check the box "Wi-Fi access point", and then click on the button "Access point settings":
Here you need to enter the wireless network identifier - SSID. You can, as an option, leave the default one - AndroidAP:
The security certificate type is "WPA2-PSK". It remains only to enter in the "Password" field - the security key of the network being created. The WiFi password can be any word, a set of characters in the English layout, or a number no shorter than 8 characters. Press the "Save" button. Now your Android device will appear in the list of wireless networks. It remains only to connect to it.
The need to distribute the Internet from a phone to a laptop or other devices is quite common. For example, in those places (in the country or in remote areas) where there is network coverage, but the prospects for a wired connection are not observed even in the foreseeable future. In such cases, the problem could be solved by connecting your PC to the Internet via a smartphone. But how to distribute Wi-Fi from Android? We will talk about this now.
In fact, there are several possible ways by which you can ensure that your computer is connected to the network using. The cost of the service, the amount of traffic, and settings can be obtained from your telecom operator.
This method is the easiest to set up and is suitable for any combination of devices that we want to connect. Its essence lies in the fact that the mobile gadget will be used as a wireless router, which is especially important when you need to connect several devices to the Internet at the same time.
So, we put the smartphone into Wi-Fi modem mode:
Having opened the settings, we find the "More" line, from there we go to the "Tethering mode" window and put a tick in front of the "Wi-Fi access point" line (on some devices this may be a virtual switch that needs to be set to the "on" position), and click "Access Point Settings":
In the settings window that opens, enter the network name (arbitrarily), then the protection method (the most optimal WPA2PSK), it remains to set a password and save the settings:
How to share internet from android via usb
After our Android device is connected, as in the previous method, through the "Settings" go to the item "Wireless networks", click "More" and get into the advanced settings. Select "Modem mode" and check the box "USB modem". If your device model has a “Save” button, then click it:
Now a new connection should appear on our laptop (netbook, PC). To activate it, open a window with, right-click on the item " Local area network connection", And in the drop-down context menu, select the "Enable" item:
How to connect Android to a computer as a Bluetooth modem
To create this connection, we repeat the path described above: "Settings", then, "More ..." and "Tethering mode". Only this time we select "Bluetooth modem". In the Bluetooth settings on our smartphone, we must make sure that our Android device is visible to other devices.
Now we need to check the activity of the Bluetooth interface in Windows. To do this, we need to open the “Control Panel”, and in the window that pops up, click on “Add a device”. This will start searching for devices that are currently available for connection via Bluetooth.
After our phone is detected, its icon should appear in this window, by clicking on which we will open a window with a code, and a request will be displayed on the smartphone, click the “Pairing” button, and then it remains to allow the phone to be used as a Bluetooth modem (click on the "OK" button):
After completing this procedure, right-click on the icon of our smartphone in the "Devices and Printers" window. It remains to select "Connect via" - "Access point" in the context menu:
The test results showed a significant superiority in the speed of the Wi-Fi connection, however, in an environment where there is no electricity, it is preferable to choose the USB connection as the most energy efficient.
Android has built-in tools for distributing mobile traffic through a Wi-Fi adapter. Setting them up is easy, so you don't need any special skills or apps to share Wi-Fi from an Android phone or Android tablet.
Tethering mode setting
If you know how to distribute the Internet from a PC to Android, then you will quickly understand the technology by which it becomes possible to distribute the Internet from Android to other devices. In the case of a computer, a router is used to which the cable is connected. After a short setup, the router starts to spread Wi-Fi indoors, so that a laptop, a personal computer (with a wireless adapter), a tablet and a phone can access the Internet without a wired connection.
In the case of distributing the Internet from a tablet or Android phone, a router is not needed. Its functions are performed by the built-in Wi-Fi adapter, which, after turning on the modem mode, begins to give out mobile traffic. To understand how to distribute WiFi from Android to a laptop and other devices, let's see how to enable tethering using Samsung's TouchWiz shell as an example:
Please note: when you turn on the tethering mode, the smartphone cannot use Wi-Fi to access the Internet. The adapter starts to work as a router, and access to the network can only be obtained through mobile traffic. After turning on mobile traffic, we can assume that the Wi-Fi network is distributed throughout the room. To connect to it from any device that has a Wi-Fi adapter (tablet, laptop, PC):
In the settings of the phone from which Wi-Fi is distributed, a notification will appear about who is connected to the network. If you see that another device that you did not connect yourself is using the hotspot, block access for it and change the password in the network settings. To stop the distribution of traffic, just turn off the modem mode or turn off the mobile Internet on your phone.
Other ways to distribute mobile traffic
Information on how to distribute Wi-Fi from an Android phone will not help only if the other device does not have a wireless network adapter. First of all, this applies to PCs, which are usually connected to the router with a wired connection. There are two ways to fix this shortcoming:
- Buy an external adapter, and then information on how to distribute WiFi will become relevant again.
- Use a different connection type.
The second method is supported by the fact that the Android settings have the necessary tools to establish a different type of connection - a Bluetooth modem and a UBS modem. When using the first technology, you need a Bluetooth adapter on your PC, and for a USB modem to work, you only need a cable and a free USB port.
There are no major differences in setting up a connection from distributing Wi-Fi. To establish a connection via Bluetooth:
- Turn on mobile internet on your phone.
- Open the settings, go to the "More" ("Other networks") section.
- Select "Modem mode". Click on "Bluetooth Tethering".
To connect to the Internet on a PC, you must enable search and add a new device via Bluetooth. When the phone is found, a window with an 8-digit passcode will appear on the screen, and Android OS will prompt you to pair the devices. After pairing, open the "Devices and Printers" settings on your computer, right-click on the phone icon and select connect via hotspot.
The Bluetooth tethering shows the lowest data transfer rate, so it is recommended to use a USB connection instead.
- Turn on mobile traffic on Android.
- Go to the network settings and select the "USB tethering" mode.
- Connect your phone to PC via USB.
- Go to the control panel and find the local area connection in the list of connections. Right click on it and select Enable.
When connected via USB, the speed will be slightly lower than when distributing Wi-Fi from Android, however, as an alternative to accessing the Internet from a computer without this method, this method is perfect.
Difficulties in order to establish the distribution of the Internet via Wi-Fi from a tablet, today an experienced user should not have. To do this, you just need to turn on the Internet connection on the tablet, and then make an access point out of the gadget.
How to connect to the Internet on the tablet
First of all, you need to remember that with this method of organizing connections, connecting the tablet to another WiFi network with the Internet will not work. Thus, it is necessary that the tablet has a suitable slot for a SIM card, which will allow you to set up a connection to the mobile Internet of the telecom operator. Another way is to use an external USB modem that can connect to 2G or 3G networks. In this case, you will need to find out from the operator mobile Internet settings, and then activate data transfer in the settings menu. This function, depending on the model of the tablet, may be called differently, but most often this menu item is called "Mobile networks".We start distributing the Internet via WiFi
At this stage, we need to turn our mobile device into a WiFi modem. First of all, activate in the Wi-Fi settings menu. Further, the settings we need are hidden in the "Data transfer" item. There you need to tap on "More", and then enter the "Modem Mode" by clicking on this inscription.
At the next stage, select the "Wi-Fi access point" sub-item.
By moving the slider on the line "Wi-Fi access point" to the "on" position, we activate the modem mode.
So, the modem mode is active, now the finishing touch remains - setting up the access point. You need to go to the settings section "Wi-Fi access point settings". A window will appear on the screen where you should enter the name of the wireless network (the "SSID Network Name" field) at your discretion, using the Latin alphabet. In the second field "Password" you need to set a password for accessing the network, by entering which you can use the Internet on the connected device. This password should not be shared with neighbors, as this will allow them to easily use your Internet connection.
Then you can connect to our "access point" by simply running Wi-Fi on your smartphone or computer. The list will display a new network with the name we have set in advance. Select this network, enter the password and click on "Connect".
A prerequisite for the devices described below is WiFi support.
Available:
1) a smartphone, tablet, or other device with the Android operating system and GSM support (hereinafter in the article, such a device will be conventionally called an Android device). Unlimited Internet is connected to the Android device.
2) a laptop, computer, netbook, or other device (hereinafter in the article we will conventionally call such a device a laptop).
It is required to connect a laptop to the Internet via WiFi using an Android device as a modem (router).
Everything described below has been tested on a KENEKSI beta smartphone with
The necessary situation to distribute the Internet from the phone to other gadgets happens quite often, especially in those areas where there is a special coverage of 3G, 4G, but there is no wired connection. For example, a person went somewhere outside the city, where Internet providers simply have not yet installed cables, and connection to the World Wide Web is required at the moment. In such a case, it is possible to connect your own tablet to the Internet via your phone.
There are several main methods for connecting a phone and tablet to access the Internet: using a cable, via a Bluetooth output, or via Wi-Fi. The last method will work well for any combination of connected gadgets, and the first two can be disassembled using the example of an ordinary connection to a device that is on Windows.
Internet using Wi-Fi
This is the easiest Internet distribution variation to set up using an Android gadget. It consists in using a phone in the form of a router, which can be useful in a situation where a person needs to connect a pair of devices at the same time, for example, a laptop and a tablet.
To transfer to a Wi-Fi modem, you need to open the settings and in the "Wireless networks" select the "More" item. Then go to "Modem" and select "Access Point".
After that, first you need to turn on the Wi-Fi modem using the switch on top. After that, in the settings you need to set the protection method (recommended WPA2 PSK) and password.
So you can connect not only a laptop or tablet, but also another device that has a Wi-Fi module. The main thing at the same time is to make sure that the person also has the wireless interface turned on. A fresh network with the given name should appear in the list of available networks. You need to select it, enter the password and click "Next".
Phone as a USB modem
To implement this method, connect the device with a cable to one of the USB ports on a tablet running Windows. In many situations, the necessary drivers will be detected and installed by the system itself, but if this does not happen, a person will need to download them on the device manufacturer's page and install them on their own. It should be noted that it is better to use a complete cable, because its quality can indirectly affect the connection speed.
After connecting the phone, you need to open its settings and select "More" in "Wireless networks". A section of extra settings will open there, where a person should be interested in the “Modem” item.
Here you should check the box next to the "USB modem" item. As a result, a fresh connection will appear on the computer. To activate it, open the network connections window, then right-click on the "Network Connection" icon and select the desired "Enable" item in the context menu that appears.
In this article, step-by-step instructions on how to distribute the Internet from Android. This article describes setting up a WiFi hotspot on Android 6.0, but it's the same on Android 5. And even on the version of Android 4 in general the same way.
Similar articles for other operating systems:
What you need to distribute the Internet from Android
In order to distribute Wi-Fi from Android, you need a device running Android OS. And this device must have two network interfaces - a cellular 3G or 4G module and a WiFi module. It can be a phone (smartphone) or a tablet. But not any phone (smartphone) or tablet will do.
There are phones without a WiFi module. There are tablets without a 3G-4G module.
In 2016, there are probably no such smartphones that do not have a WiFi module, but there are tablets without a 3G-4G module. So, if you have a tablet, check if it has a 3G or 4G module.
Term hint
- Tap, tap- short touch with your finger on the touch screen. Similar to left clicking on a computer.
- Long tap- Touch with finger hold. Similar to right clicking on a computer.
- Swipe- movement of a finger (or several) on the touch screen. Swipe, for example, scrolls the contents of the screen on mobile devices. Or the output of additional control panels (swipe from the top or from the side edge of the screen).
android wifi hotspot
The article is written on the example of a custom version of Android 6, called Freeme OS, version 3.08. But on other custom releases, everything will be the same.
Need to open" Settings", and there to find a group " Wireless networks". In this group, find the item " More"and tap on it:
In the screen that opens More"you need to tap on the item" Modem Mode":
On screen" Modem Mode"you need to tap on the item" WiFi hotspot":
Full path: " Settings - Wireless networks - More - Tethering mode".
And already in this screen information about the current state of the access point is shown. There is also a switch and access to the access point settings. To change the name, password or encryption type, you need to tap on the item " Setting up a Wi-Fi hotspot"::
In the settings screen, you can change the name of the access point. Encryption type. Password. Set a limit on the number of connected clients. In some smartphone models, you can also change the operating frequency of the access point.
Most importantly, after making changes, do not forget to tap on the "Save" button at the bottom of the screen:
When the hotspot is working, " WiFi hotspot", a list of connected clients is shown:
Note. Option " Save hotspot" controls the automatic shutdown of the access point when it is not in use. This option sets the period of inactivity after which the access point will be turned off.
If you will be connecting multiple devices, you can specify a speed limit for each connection. So that one of the connected clients does not pull out all the available speed. This is done via the "Bandwidth Usage" option (previous illustration), tapping this option will open a new screen:
This figure is the speed limit for each connection.
What number to indicate? Example:
- The device receives the Internet (via 4G or 3G modem) at a speed of 15 Mbps.
- 3 clients will be connected to the access point.
- If you set a limit of 5 Mbps, this means that each of the three clients at the same time will be able to receive the Internet at this speed.
Hotspot Management Android
It is most convenient to turn the access point on and off not through the screen in the settings, but through the Quick Actions curtain:
This curtain opens with a swipe two fingers from the top of the screen.
Or two successive swipes with one finger. The first swipe opens the notification curtain, the second swipe opens the action curtain.
Note: Of course, put the password more complicated than 12345678. And do not forget that the minimum password length for WPA2 is 8 characters.
Note 2: If a Windows XP SP2 computer will be connected to this access point, then the "WPA" security protocol must be installed. Since Windows XP SP2 does not know how to work with the "WPA2" protocol! However, not all devices have a large selection of encryption methods!
Note 3: In the future, you will not need to re-configure the access point, it will be enough just to turn it on.
Phone or tablet as a WiFi hotspot
Using your phone or tablet as a WiFi hotspot is very convenient. It turns out in the truest sense of the word a mobile access point. And more practical than WiFi routers that are sold by mobile operators. You can use such a router only as an access point. And on the phone you can also make calls, from the tablet you can view websites, write letters by e-mail and so on.
Of course, there are not many settings for the access point on Android, much less than on a specialized WiFi router. However, this is much more than available, for example, on Windows 10 Mobile - only the username and password can be changed there.
WiFi network protection
Ivan Sukhov, 2016
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The need to distribute the Internet from a smartphone to other devices arises quite often, especially in those regions where there is 3G, 4G (LTE) coverage, but there is no wired connection. For example, you went to the dacha, where providers will not lay out cables for a very long time, and you need to connect to the network today. In this case, you can connect your laptop to the Internet via a smartphone, especially if your tariff plan allows you not to worry too much about the amount of traffic.
There are several ways to connect a smartphone and a laptop for the latter to access the network: using a USB cable, via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The latter method is suitable for any combination of connected devices, and we will analyze the first two using the example of connecting to a computer running .
How to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi
This is one of the easiest to set up options for distributing the Internet from an Android device. It consists in using your smartphone as a wireless router, which can be useful if you need to connect several devices to the Internet at once, such as a computer and a tablet.
To put your smartphone into Wi-Fi modem mode, open the settings and in the wireless networks section, tap on the “More” item. Then go to the "Tethering Mode" window and tap "Wi-Fi Hotspot".
A new Wi-Fi hotspot window will open. First of all, activate the Wi-Fi tethering using the switch at the top. After that, in the access point settings, set the security method (WPA2 PSK recommended) and password.
Thus, you can connect not only a computer, but also any device that has a Wi-Fi module. The main thing is to make sure that your wireless interface is enabled. A new network with the name you specified should appear in the list of available networks. Click on it with the mouse, enter the password and click the "Next" button.
How to connect your smartphone as a USB modem
To implement this method, you need to connect your smartphone with a cable to one of the USB ports on a computer running. In most cases, the system will detect and install the necessary drivers on its own, but if this does not happen, you will have to download them from the website of the gadget manufacturer and install them manually. Please note that it is best to use the bundled cable, as its quality can indirectly affect the connection speed.
After connecting the smartphone, open its settings and in the "Wireless networks" section, select "More". You will see a section of additional settings, where we are interested in the item "Modem mode".
Here you need to check the box next to the "USB modem" item. As a result, a new connection will appear on your computer. To activate it, open the network connections window, right-click on the "Local Area Connection" icon and select "Enable" in the context menu that appears.
How to connect your smartphone as a Bluetooth modem
To create this connection, you need to open the smartphone settings in the same way as described in the previous section and go to the modem mode selection, which is located at "Settings" - "More ..." - "Modem mode". Only this time you need to check the "Bluetooth modem" item. Please note that your gadget must be visible to other devices. Be sure to check this option in the Bluetooth settings of your smartphone.
Don't forget to make sure the Bluetooth interface is active in Windows. Open the "Devices and Printers" window in the "Control Panel", in which we click on the link "Add a device". It will start searching for devices that are currently available for connection via Bluetooth. When your phone is detected, its icon will appear in this window. We click on it and a window with an 8-digit code will appear. After that, your phone will ask you to pair devices, and then you will be asked to give permission to use your smartphone as a Bluetooth modem.
After performing these operations, right-click on the smartphone icon in the "Devices and Printers" window and select "Connect via" - "Access Point" in the context menu.
In the process of writing this article, the data transfer speed was tested for each of the connection methods using the Speedtest service. As a result, it was the Wi-Fi connection that showed the best speed, USB was in second place, and Bluetooth fell behind by a wide gap. Therefore, if you have an outlet in the immediate vicinity, then you must use the Wi-Fi modem method. But if you are in the field, where there is not even electricity, then you should choose a USB connection as the most energy efficient.
Have you ever used a smartphone under control to distribute the Internet to a computer or laptop? Which of the available options is the most preferable, in your opinion?
The need to distribute the Internet from a smartphone to other devices arises quite often, especially in those regions where there is 3G, 4G (LTE) coverage, but there is no wired connection. For example, you went to the dacha, where providers will not lay out cables for a very long time, and you need to connect to the network today. In this case, you can connect your laptop to the Internet via a smartphone, especially if your tariff plan allows you not to worry too much about the amount of traffic.
There are several ways to connect a smartphone and a laptop for the latter to access the network: using a USB cable, via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The last method is suitable for any combination of connected devices, and we will analyze the first two using the example of connecting to a computer running Windows.
How to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi
This is one of the easiest to set up options for distributing the Internet from an Android device. It consists in using your smartphone as a wireless router, which can be useful if you need to connect several devices to the Internet at once, such as a computer and a tablet.
To put your smartphone into Wi-Fi tethering mode, open Android settings and in the wireless networks section, tap on “More”. Then go to the "Tethering Mode" window and tap "Wi-Fi Hotspot".
A new Wi-Fi hotspot window will open. First of all, activate the Wi-Fi tethering using the switch at the top. After that, in the access point settings, set the security method (WPA2 PSK recommended) and password.
Thus, you can connect not only a computer, but also any device that has a Wi-Fi module. The main thing is to make sure that your wireless interface is enabled. A new network with the name you specified should appear in the list of available networks. Click on it with the mouse, enter the password and click the "Next" button.
How to connect your smartphone as a USB modem
To implement this method, you need to connect your smartphone with a cable to one of the USB ports on a computer running Windows. In most cases, the system will detect and install the necessary drivers on its own, but if this does not happen, you will have to download them from the website of the gadget manufacturer and install them manually. Please note that it is best to use the bundled cable, as its quality can indirectly affect the connection speed.
After connecting the smartphone, open its settings and in the "Wireless networks" section, select "More". You will see a section of additional settings, where we are interested in the item "Modem mode".
Here you need to check the box next to the "USB modem" item. As a result, a new connection will appear on your computer. To activate it, open the network connections window, right-click on the "Local Area Connection" icon and select "Enable" in the context menu that appears.
How to connect your smartphone as a Bluetooth modem
To create this connection, you need to open the smartphone settings in the same way as described in the previous section and go to the modem mode selection, which is located at "Settings" - "More ..." - "Modem mode". Only this time you need to check the "Bluetooth modem" item. Please note that your gadget must be visible to other devices. Be sure to check this option in the Bluetooth settings of your smartphone.
Don't forget to make sure the Bluetooth interface is active in Windows. Open the "Devices and Printers" window in the "Control Panel", in which we click on the link "Add a device". It will start searching for devices that are currently available for connection via Bluetooth. When your phone is detected, its icon will appear in this window. We click on it and a window with an 8-digit code will appear. After that, your phone will ask you to pair devices, and then you will be asked to give permission to use your smartphone as a Bluetooth modem.
After performing these operations, right-click on the smartphone icon in the "Devices and Printers" window and select "Connect via" - "Access Point" in the context menu.
In the process of writing this article, the data transfer speed was tested for each of the connection methods using the Speedtest service. As a result, it was the Wi-Fi connection that showed the best speed, USB was in second place, and Bluetooth fell behind by a wide gap. Therefore, if you have an outlet in the immediate vicinity, then you must use the Wi-Fi modem method. But if you are in the field, where there is not even electricity, then you should choose a USB connection as the most energy efficient.
Have you ever used an Android smartphone to distribute the Internet to a computer or laptop? Which of the available options is the most preferable, in your opinion?
