Mobile Hotspot 2022: What is it and How Does it Work?

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 29 April 2022, 09:04 am

Mobile hotspots provide a convenient way to share internet access with several devices. But how do they work? And do you need to pay for them? Here is everything that you need to know about a mobile hotspot.

Providing Portable Internet Connection

A mobile hotspot, also called a portable hotspot or a personal hotspot, is a wireless access point normally created by a dedicated piece of hardware or software on your smartphone, according to HowtoGeek.

Whereas the home network's connection comes from your ISP, a hotspot shares internet access with nearby devices using its own cellular data connection.

Mobile hotspots take either a 3G, 4G, or 5G connection and convert it into a Wi-Fi signal for other devices, according to Intel.

They are useful when you are traveling or spending time outdoors and don't have access to regular Wi-Fi. It can also come in handy for sharing internet access among friends and family members if they do not have a data connection of their own.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge Let You Share Wi-Fi Connection With Other Mobile Devices

How to Use a Mobile Hotspot

There are two ways different that you can set up a mobile hotspot. You can either use the personal hotspot feature on your smartphone or purchase a dedicated mobile hotspot device, according to TechTarget.

Your smartphone's built-in personal hotspot feature is usually the easiest way to get a mobile hotspot up and running. All modern smartphones come with the personal hotspot feature unless you use a carrier-locked smartphone and your carrier has disabled it.

You can check if the feature is available on your iPhone by navigating to Settings. The Personal Hotspot option is listed below the Mobile Data option. On Android, you will find the Wi-Fi hotspot option under "Hotspot & tethering" in the "Network & Internet" settings.

When you enable the personal hotspot feature on your smartphone, it creates an ad-hoc wireless network that is then used to share the your smartphone's data connection with other devices. The process of sharing this data connection is also called tethering.

Aside from your smartphone, you can also use a mobile hotspot device, sometimes referred to as a MiFi which is short for My Wi-Fi device, to set up a wireless access point. These hotspot devices are small, battery-powered, and use a SIM card to connect to a cellular network.

Both carriers and device manufacturers sell the MiFi devices but the carrier versions are usually locked and come bundled with a SIM card and a plan, whereas you can get SIM-free and unlocked versions from device manufacturers.

Enable the Portable Hotspot on Your Smartphone

It is simple to activate the mobile hotspot feature on your smartphone. If you have an iPhone and want to use it as a hotspot for another Apple device using the same iCloud account, you do not have to do anything on your phone.

Just look for your iPhone under Personal Hotspot in wireless networks on your other Apple device and connect to it.

But if you want to offer access to non-Apple devices or Apple devices with a different iCloud account, go to Settings, then click Personal Hotspot and enable "Allow Others to Join."

In 2020, Amazon distributed mobile hotspots for tourists.

In early April, Tesla added mobile hotspots in its vehicles.