All,

Without actually previously researching always was aware there must be a way to connect your phone to a laptop/tablet to use it as a modem but looks like in the coming months such a use of the technology might be worth while.

So, with a bit of research it appears this combination of technology is called tethering.

Anyone on here do it? Work well? Pitfalls?

Ta for any input

S2 works perfectly as a wifi hotspot and I’ve had no issues, not exactly the same as tethering but not far off.
EDIT: Unlimited on 3.

Yes, I do it a lot.

I use an iPhone 4 on the 3 network, connected to either my MacBook Pro or iPad via Bluetooth.

It’s just a case of pairing them together and then connecting them when I want to use the internet.

Oh – and ‘Personal Hotspot’ needs to be switched on at the iPhone.

Really quick and, because I use 3, not expensive.

Rachel

I do when I absolutely have to as with T Mobile it means extra costs on my “everything included, unlimited” tariff – money sucking vampires

As far as I know only 3 allow you to teather without incurring “out of plan” charges. I do it with a HTC Sensation and it’s quicker than our broadband!

3’s also super-cheap and unlimited in terms of usage. HOWEVER, their customer service is shocking and they basically refuse to deal with complaints. I post my experiences on here for suggested courses of action if you can be bothered to search for it, essentially the victim of one of their scams.

My advice would be get a sim only plan off them, I’d rather buy a handset outright and pay the few hundred quid than be bound to 3 in any way, shape or form. But like I said, I think they’re the only one who allow it as part of their plans.

HTH

Didn’t immediately work with my phone, the laptop identified the connection but said there was no internet. downloaded pdanet app onto the phone and downloaded software from their website onto laptop, works well now.

works perfectly on my work htc desire s using the wifi hotspot function. my contract covers it with no extra cost.

As far as I know only 3 allow you to teather without incurring “out of plan” charges. I do it with a HTC Sensation and it’s quicker than our broadband!

I can happily tether on O2 (same phone) without any random charges at all. Only downside is, it eats into your phone’s allowance, so not really ideal as a broadband replacement but great in a pinch.

On O2 with the iPhone, there’s a separate ‘with tethering’ account you have to be on. Same price, but they need to enable it at their end basically.

(Based on anecdotal experiences over the last couple of years, may have changed)

I do this a lot with my iphon

So, with a bit of research it appears this combination of technology is called tethering.

It ain’t new, I was doing it at least 10 years ago, if not earlier.

I do it with my HTC Desire HD on Vodafone and afaik it’s cheaper than using the Vodafone dongle I had – exactly the same principle.

Use it when away from the home/office, works perfectly well and an absolute doddle to set up.

Laptop with HTC Wildfire on T-Mobile if it helps.

Android, turn on the wi-fi hotspot, bosh. Currently tethering on giffgaff, before that I was on T-Mobile. Check the contract details, not all contracts will allow you to do it, but you should be able to get a tetherable service on most if not all networks somehow.

Yep I do it with my HTC Desire. Will have to check when I renew as currently its included in my 3gb T Mobile allowance, of which I use about half…sounds like thats not the case anymore 🙁

Its very easy, one button press and its on, then lappy/tablet connects automatically. My only complaint is I can’t seem to change the default 1234567890 access code, so technically anyone who uses their Desire can ‘accidentally’ connect to my phone, and vice versa. But its only on when I’m using it and you can limit the number of connections to 1 or 2 devices at any one time.

When my works Toughbook has a tantrum and won’t connect using its own modem, it will connect to my phone too, and the VPN works as well.

I do my Iphone and Ipad on T-mobile. I haven’t had any extra charges on the fully monty package

Ive got a defy on giffgaff, I tried it out to see and it worked, but its not allowed. If I did use it once in a while would they be able to tell?

Cougar you are right but they were clever – they managed to get me off my ancient unlimited internet contract by refusing to enable tethering for my ipad.

Rarely go over 500meg now that i can leach wifi at the office for radio and listening to the pro tour 🙂

I also use it on a T-mobile. I have a sim only contract. Unlimited data and have never been charged any extra for using it to connect my iPad when working away from home.

“Ive got a defy on giffgaff, I tried it out to see and it worked, but its not allowed.“

You need a Gigabag, that’s all.

The networks can only ‘stop’ you from tethering by setting up the phone to connect to different access points / servers when you make a tethered connection.

You just need to change the settings. How easy or hard that is depends on what phone you have and whether or not you know what you are doing.

I suppose they could also disable the feature in the phone’s os, but there are ways around that too, and they don’t tend to do that as then they can’t sell you a tethering package.

Is “tethering” the reason why a caller’s voice started coming out of my laptop and scared me to death recently?

Depends on your mobile and your network.

Orange don’t charge for tethering, but others do. My old HTC Desire could do it but my new Windows Phone cant.

I really cant see why networks charge more for it, or are allowed to.

As far as I know only 3 allow you to teather without incurring “out of plan” charges. I do it with a HTC Sensation and it’s quicker than our broadband!

No charges when I tether my T-Mobile Unlimited Data contract.

Even streams video fine at quiet times of the day.

Orange don’t charge for tethering, but others do.

Which others?

I really cant see why networks charge more for it,

Assuming any do, “why” should be readily obvious. They’re a business trying to maximise profit.

I really cant see why networks charge more for it,

They’re adding value, until everyone does it forcing pricing structures to change.
Secondly and more importantly, because enough people value the added service and will pay for it.

Surely it just uses your ‘usual’ 3g data allowance?? How would the companies know you were ‘sending’ data to an iPad etc, as opposed to looking at grot on your phone??

I rarely do it, but when I do, setting up the HTC Desire as a wi-fi hotspot is just a case of pressing a button, and connecting…

DrP

my new Windows Phone cant.

If it’s a lumia 800 plug it in and check for updates. The tethering update landed 2 weeks ago (a carrier locked version may see a bit of a delay).

Nokia N8 tethered either by USB or as a WiFi hotspot. Works a treat. Orange network, within data allowance (as it should-it’s my data, i’ve paid for it!)

yes. iphone4, macbookpro, T-mobile.
sim only, use it a lot either as wireless hotspot for others or tethered. think it might be 1gb limit? or 3gb? anyway never had their ‘fair use’ warning. think you have to pay for it as a compulsory add-on with an iphone.
it only cost me £10 a month for the whole 600min plan so a good deal.

How do you actually do it?

I tried to link my MBP and iphone once but they don’t “just work”

HTC Desire on O2 (nobbers), works well, but don’t do abroad as you’ll get stung – like my work did (not my fault there was no Wifi around and they asked me to work) 🙂

Surely it just uses your ‘usual’ 3g data allowance?? How would the companies know you were ‘sending’ data to an iPad etc, as opposed to looking at grot on your phone??

They don’t, but I’m guessing that the average laptop session (fnar!) uses a fair bit more data than a similar amount of time on a phone, and if you’ve got an unlimited allowance that could end up costing the phone company money…

To the OP: I use my phone (HTC Nexus One) occasionally for tethering, like Cougar I’ve got a limited allowance so only use it when strictly necessary.

DrP – Member
Surely it just uses your ‘usual’ 3g data allowance?? How would the companies know you were ‘sending’ data to an iPad etc?

I guess the networks could tell with deep packet inspection and looking at the user-agent string but that can easily be spoofed on a phone anyway so they’d have a hard time *proving* it.

I agree if you’re paying for a certain amount of data on my phone contract it shouldn’t matter what device you ultimately use it on, but the phone companies want to avoid going down that route for as long as possible. Far better and more profitable to stay as super-sexy premium technology lifestyle enablers/content providers etc. rather than get relegated to low margin utility providers (“dumb pipes”). This is why they desperately try all that other stuff like Orange Wednesdays, “exclusive” discount apps and lots of expensive branding to stop you switching networks the same way you would with your electricity provider.

FWIW I use wifi hotspot on Android for my laptop now and then through my 3 mobile connection (1Gb allowance) and have had no problems. Did the same with O2 previously as well.

To repeat some of the above, I tether (iPad/netbook to iPhone) on O2.
Old contract didn’t allow it, but I changed contracts and it is now included in my normal 1GB allowance.

How do you actually do it?

I tried to link my MBP and iphone once but they don’t “just work”

If you’ve not used it before then on your iPhone go to:
Settings->General->Network->Personal Hotspot and turn it on.

You can tether via Wifi, Bluetooth or USB.
(After you’ve done this once then “Personal Hotspot” appears in the top-level of Settings to save you faffing about).

iOS: Understanding Personal Hotspot (Apple Support)