Using phone BB on laptop

Logo

A friend gets a few GB of data when he tops up phone credit each month. However it is never used because the phone screen is too small to browse the web. Is it possible to connect his phone to his laptop for light use (general browsing, emailing etc)?
Thanks

igCorcaigh

Logo wrote: »

A friend gets a few GB of data when he tops up phone credit each month. However it is never used because the phone screen is too small to browse the web. Is it possible to connect his phone to his laptop for light use (general browsing, emailing etc)?
Thanks

Sure. You can setup your phone as a WiFi hotspot. The exact steps to take depend on your type of phone. You should be able to choose a name and password for your hotspot, then connect to the hotspot using the laptop WiFi, specifying the same password.

TomOnBoard

Logo wrote: »

A friend gets a few GB of data when he tops up phone credit each month. However it is never used because the phone screen is too small to browse the web. Is it possible to connect his phone to his laptop for light use (general browsing, emailing etc)?
Thanks

Like igC said...

It does depend on your phone and your provider, although I think most of the providers allow it. Also, the phone needs to be getting a good, fast connection or it'll be a pain in the asre to use on the laptop.

Look for a setting on the phone (Tethering @ Mobile Hotspot on Android) and give it a whirl...

igCorcaigh

Also, when using the laptop on the mobile data, be careful that the laptop isn't performing data intensive tasks in the background, eg. Windows updates.

Logo

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Sure. You can setup your phone as a WiFi hotspot. The exact steps to take depend on your type of phone. You should be able to choose a name and password for your hotspot, then connect to the hotspot using the laptop WiFi, specifying the same password.

Thanks for the reply. The phone is an android (Vodafone Smart 4). Do I set up his phone as a wireless hotspot through the 'settings' menu on phone or can I simply connect a wire from his phone to the laptop. Apologies but I'm not tech savvy...

igCorcaigh

Logo wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. The phone is an android (Vodafone Smart 4). Do I set up his phone as a wireless hotspot through the 'settings' menu on phone or can I simply connect a wire from his phone to the laptop. Apologies but I'm not tech savvy...

The first way, wireless hotspot. Be aware that this may drain the phone's battery.

Logo

OK. Found Tethering & portable hotspot menu. The options are portable wifi hotspot/ setup wifi hotspot or bluetooth tethering. I assume it's the 2nd one?

igCorcaigh

Logo wrote: »

OK. Found Tethering & portable hotspot menu. The options are portable wifi hotspot/ setup wifi hotspot or bluetooth tethering. I assume it's the 2nd one?

I would go with the first one. WiFi hotspot, not Bluetooth.

pizzahead77

Logo wrote: »

OK. Found Tethering & portable hotspot menu. The options are portable wifi hotspot/ setup wifi hotspot or bluetooth tethering. I assume it's the 2nd one?

Its the first one - wifi hotspot

igCorcaigh

You should also be able to keep an eye on data usage on the phone.

Logo

So do I just click the wifi hotspot? How do select a name & password?
Thanks

igCorcaigh

Logo wrote: »

So do I just click the wifi hotspot? How do select a name & password?
Thanks

Yes. You should get prompted to choose a name and password.

Ten Pin

Check that it's using the live APN and NOT the hs APN.
Settings>More>Mobile Networks>Access Point Names

You can use USB tethering (instead of hotspot) by plugging in a data cable from the phone to the USB port on the laptop. This will also charge the battery but be careful not to 'cook' the battery by prolonged charging this way if the battery is full. You may need to install a driver for the laptop to allow USB tethering.

Logo

Thanks and apologies to have to ask more questions but I’m going round in circles here. Firstly, under phone settings, I’m turning wifi ON. Then I’m pressing on 'wifi', and I'm given a list of secured options (HorizonWi-Free, WMED4ACF3, UPC… etc), but I’m pressing the ‘+’ to add network. Then I'm asked for ‘Network SSID’ (is this my wifi name I make up e.g. Logo?) and then ‘Security’ (assume this a password selected by me?).
But when I try to select an internet access point on the laptop, Logo is not an option. Tired & confused here. Would it be easier to connect a cable from the phone to the laptop or is that complicated too...

igCorcaigh

Logo wrote: »

Thanks and apologies to have to ask more questions but I’m going round in circles here. Firstly, under phone settings, I’m turning wifi ON. Then I’m pressing on 'wifi', and I'm given a list of secured options (HorizonWi-Free, WMED4ACF3, UPC… etc), but I’m pressing the ‘+’ to add network. Then I'm asked for ‘Network SSID’ (is this my wifi name I make up e.g. Logo?) and then ‘Security’ (assume this a password selected by me?).
But when I try to select an internet access point on the laptop, Logo is not an option. Tired & confused here. Would it be easier to connect a cable from the phone to the laptop...

No, you don't do it that way.

You need to go to hotspot settings. Try Settings > Networks > Other > Mobile network sharing

the whole year inn

Logo wrote: »

Thanks and apologies to have to ask more questions but I’m going round in circles here. Firstly, under phone settings, I’m turning wifi ON. Then I’m pressing on 'wifi', and I'm given a list of secured options (HorizonWi-Free, WMED4ACF3, UPC… etc), but I’m pressing the ‘+’ to add network. Then I'm asked for ‘Network SSID’ (is this my wifi name I make up e.g. Logo?) and then ‘Security’ (assume this a password selected by me?).
But when I try to select an internet access point on the laptop, Logo is not an option. Tired & confused here. Would it be easier to connect a cable from the phone to the laptop or is that complicated too...

It's a simple process, what your doing is wrong your are turning on the WiFi and add a private network to the WiFi.
Go into the WiFi hot spot settings and turn on from there, you change the WiFi hotspot name but it will be usually the model of the phone and you get the password which you have to enter on the laptop.
When you have the hotspot turned, go to the laptop - WiFi setting and select the phone hotspot (usually the make of the phone unless you changed it) and enter the password

igCorcaigh

You should see an option for Mobile WiFi Hotspot, or something similar.

the whole year inn

If you can get to the WiFi hotspot settings and take a pic or the very least post what it says in the menu we can get ya set up.

TomOnBoard

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Also, when using the laptop on the mobile data, be careful that the laptop isn't performing data intensive tasks in the background, eg. Windows updates.

A crucial point! Any cloud- based syncing should also be disabled such as Google Drive, Dropbox etc.

igCorcaigh

igCorcaigh wrote: »

You should see an option for Mobile WiFi Hotspot, or something similar.

This is what the screen looks like on my phone.

the whole year inn

igCorcaigh wrote: »

This is what the screen looks like on my phone.

Tap the off on the top right to on

Logo

Under settings I'm just getting Wifi, Bluetooth, Data usage/ More... Tethering& portable hotspot > USB tethering/ portable wifi hotspot/ set up wifi hotspot/ bluetooth tethering.

igCorcaigh

the whole year inn wrote: »

Tap the off on the top right to on

I'm not op. Just showing an example screen.
I think op is not finding where in settings this screen is.

the whole year inn

Logo wrote: »

Under settings I'm just getting Wifi, Bluetooth, Data usage/ More... Tethering& portable hotspot > USB tethering/ portable wifi hotspot/ set up wifi hotspot/ bluetooth tethering.

Set up WiFi hot spot

the whole year inn

igCorcaigh wrote: »

I'm not op. Just showing an example screen.
I think op is not finding where in settings this screen is.

Sorry wasn't looking at usernames

igCorcaigh

the whole year inn wrote: »

Set up WiFi hot spot

You found it at this stage OP.

Logo

It's actually working now - thanks guys for all the info. However I didn't need a password on the laptop to use it. So how do I turn it off on my phone when not needed, and how do I password protect it? Thanks

igCorcaigh

Logo wrote: »

It's actually working now - thanks guys for all the info. However I didn't need a password on the laptop to use it. So how do I turn it off on my phone when not needed, and how do I password protect it? Thanks

Great! You should be able to disable the hotspot from within the quick settings panel. Just pull down the notification area.. and you should see a hotspot icon.

igCorcaigh

And you can password protect your connection in the hotspot settings screen.

igCorcaigh

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Great! You should be able to disable the hotspot from within the quick settings panel. Just pull down the notification area.. and you should see a hotspot icon.

See how on my notification area, hotspot is turned off, centre bottom icon.

Edit : the hotspot icon may not be visible to you unless you customise it. Don't worry, you can still access hotspot settings through the Settings menu.

Logo

Sorry again but I can't disable the hotspot. Where are the quick settings or how do I password protect in the hotspot setting screen? Please talk slowly...

igCorcaigh

Logo wrote: »

Sorry again but I can't disable the hotspot. Where are the quick settings or how do I password protect in the hotspot setting screen? Please talk slowly...

The quick settings can be found by pulling down the notification area. However, like I said, you may not see a hotspot icon there.

Even so, you can modify the hotspot settings by accessing it via the main settings menu.

Now, each android phone can be different on how you access this hotspot settings screen, but you have managed to set it up, so just luck around in settings, and you will be able to find the hotspot screen there.

Try settings, then networks, then other...


Edit : it'll be in your recent screens.

Ultimanemo

It depends on your phone service provider, I did it with Vodafone in PAYG sim card and my credit was sucked out
They say if you buy your own router you can do it with Three PAYG sim card

igCorcaigh

Hope OP got it sorted by now
If not, feel free to check back!