Issue 42.12
I admit this is an especially geeky topic, but I have been asked about it often repeatedly.
If you have a “smart” phone, you may have used it to access the internet and check out websites while away from home. The problem is that it is a pain to have to resize every screen so you can navigate or read the small print. Newer smart phones have a feature that is very cool if you also travel with your laptop. It is called tethering and makes it possible to use your phone as a wireless access point and broadcast an internet SSID (service set identification) that you can connect your laptop to and get internet access as you normally would. You can also connect your computer through a USB or bluetooth connection. A USB connection is the best if you don’t want to use up your phone battery power pretty quickly.
In the Apple world, the phone must be a 3GS, 4 or 5 series for this feature to be available and you have to add a tethering plan from your service provider (Verizon, AT&T, etc.) These plans usually cost $20 per month which does not include any additional data you access. Most of the cellular companies data plans run around $50 for a base amount of data accessed and then charges for each additional Gigabyte of data downloaded. If you are just checking the news, weather, email or facebook, your data usage is not too much of an issue. If you are downloading or streaming movies or other video content, you can run through a Gigabyte of data in an hour or so.
The same plans are available on many Android based smart phones and if you are on Verizon, you have the additional benefits of a recent court decision that allows you to use third party apps (applications) that tether your phone to your computer without charging you a monthly fee. In most cases you will still be charged for the additional data usage however. Most of the newest Android based phones have the tethering option but you may need to check your user’s manual to set it up correctly.
If you do use the wireless hotspot option you need to remember to set up passwords that restrict access. Otherwise your network is open to anyone within range (usually 50 to 100 feet) and someone may log into your network and could possibly gain access to your computer or watch your internet activity including what you type. As we mentioned in the articles on wireless networking, that can lead to some nasty consequences.
So, be sure any wireless networked is locked and password protected – and always make sure you have a back up of anything important.
Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 30 years, 20 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or through his website at www.bitsnbytescomputers.com.