Today I have brought something which could help you increasing the Wi-Fi functionality of your smart devices. We have seen that number of tablets are increasing which are equipped only with a wireless interface for Internet access (Wi-Fi). Away from the hotspots, these devices, along with e-books, laptops and consoles to lose much of their functionality. However, this can be avoided by using almost any modern smartphone, migrated to the Wi-Fi access point with the help of special software.
For such a transformation is necessary to perform only one major challenge. Your phone will become a gateway between 3G and Wi-Fi Internet access, allowing devices to connect to standard World Wide Web through the channel, which they do not support natively.
Before you go directly to the program, note that to configure the software, except for a few exotic cases in which no software will be needed for your phone. On devices that connect to set up such an access point, there you will not need any applications to install. You can use your phone as a normal wireless router, which transmits to the Internet after you enter the username and password.
Encompass on all of the available mobile platforms in the same tutorial would be difficult, so focus only on the main: Android, iOS, Windows Mobile and Nokia. As I have possibly selected only free software for making your phone or tablet into a Wi-Fi access. Please read below for more details
Android
As is clear from the title, this program requires access Root, but it pays the features available and easy to use. Switched on and off as you can do tethering of the application itself or via a widget on the home screen. Since the program requires the use of two wireless interfaces, its activity can quickly put the battery. To prevent this from happening in the WiFi Tether provides an option that turns off the wireless modules, after a certain period of inactivity, that is without receiving requests from other devices. This should also solve the problem of overheating, because the temperature of the wireless module when working can grow as fast as the processor. To further control this parameter, the temperature of the battery was taken directly to the window.
Directly across the interface can block any connected clients, see the data traffic (separate for upload and download), as well as the current transmission rate.
By default, the Wi-Fi Tether launches wireless access point in an open mode (so that it can connect without a password) therefore, before using the program select the best encryption protocol, and specify the key for the connection.
Wi-Fi HotSpot has far fewer options compared to the WiFi Tether, but compensates for this by the fact that the phone without the need for “rutovat.”
This features does not end, the developers have added to it is another nice bonus – USB Tethering. This feature allows you to use your phone as a wireless modem when connected via USB to your computer. In other words, the PC will have access to the Internet through a bunch of USB – 3G. This feature is only activated manually, so after you connect your phone to the USB-port (and before that option will be disabled in the settings), you must independently check the box next USB Tethering.
This is another program with a basic set of features and a new kind of tethering. In addition to Wi-Fi teteringa, the application supports the transmission of traffic over Bluetooth, which further broadens its scope. However, in this case would have to make concessions in terms of speed, since Bluetooth is much slower than Wi-Fi and may already be a bottleneck for fast connections. The positive side of this method of transmission is that Bluetooth also uses far less energy than c Wi-Fi, and therefore, this module is best used on slower connections (2G), where high speed and so is not available.
The application requires permission Root.
Another program with standard features and teteringom via Wi-Fi / Bluetooth. Does not require root, and has an interesting feature – add FoxFi. For our realities, it is not very important, because the local mobile operators do not charge additional fees to use tethering on the phone. Elsewhere, however, is often used, and FoxFi created just for getting around this limitation and not to pay the operators for the use of mobile data traffic to other devices.
The program is designed exclusively tethering via USB. Unlike Wi-Fi tethering, in this case you will need a little extra configuration on the computer. Step by step instructions for Windows / Mac / Linux can be viewed directly in the program.
In principle, USB supported natively tethering OS Android, starting with version 2.2, but each time to enable this function, you need to go into system settings, and the use of additional program overrides these mundane activities.
In the Lite-version is not supported by https, messaging protocols and connection of games consoles. Full version without all these restrictions would cost $ 10.
In fact, this is a simple widget, not a full application, so the possibility tethering must be maintained at the level of the smartphone, which the program is running. Icons for the home screen can individually enable / disable USB and Wi-Fi tetering.
Programs with the possibility of transmission of the Internet on a PC at the same time through USB or Bluetooth in the survey had not yet met. PdaNet allows you to select any one of these interfaces, and, according to developers, the use of USB allows you to receive a zero delay and the maximum speed on any channel, whether it’s 4G or Wi-Fi 100 Mb / s.
SMS Agent feature gives a nice bonus in the form of sending text messages from your computer. However, it was not without surprises: the presence of a paid version of PdaNet has pushed developers to the idea of limiting the functionality of Lite-version, so it does not work with secure sites (protocol https). However, the restrictions are not as rigid as in the case of Easy Tether Lite, where, in addition, does not work chat and connect consoles.
As mentioned above, USB tethering possible means, and operating system Android, but the inclusion of this treatment procedure is quite uncomfortable, especially if you frequently use it. That’s for when your smartphone is often connected to a PC / laptop as a modem, and a program was developed so called Auto USB Tethering. It monitors the connection and automatically starts tethering as soon as the USB-cable connects your phone and PC (optionally you can display a confirmation dialog).
On Windows and Linux, this method of Internet connection is working without problems, and on Mac OS X you will need to install additional drivers, links to which can be found on the website of the program in the section FAQ .
Using Auto USB Tethering and connect to your phone modem via USB, but not on Wi-Fi is preferred for the following reasons: a connection via USB, as a rule, more stable and is installed with fewer problems, transfer speed over USB above phone battery is not discharged On the contrary, charging.
Additional tools for Android
In some cases, you may want to perform reverse tethering. If you access the Internet via Wi-Fi or 3G is not possible, but you can connect the computer to the Internet via Ethernet, you can call ReverseTether go to the World Network after connecting to the USB port on your PC.
Since the low-cost mobile Internet in our country is still a fantastic genre, you will need to closely monitor its consumption. More on savings and monitoring of traffic can be found in the material Android: Save bandwidth and cost optimization, and briefly, in the majority of cases will be sufficient utilities 3G Watchdog.
The program constantly displays the traffic spent on the status bar (if you pull it down), and most importantly, completely takes control of its flow. If a pre-set limits in the settings, after overcoming a certain point, for example 90% 3G Watchdog first warn of approaching the limit, but after the second turn (99%) will block the mobile Internet and thus cannot give to spend an extra data.
Software for the remaining mobile platforms looks more briefly, since these systems are available for much less tethering programs. In some cases this is due to a small number of applications for specific operating systems, in some perhaps to the fact that developers have deliberately made it difficult to use this feature, and some on the contrary, the fact that tethering provided by the system.
Nokia
List of supported phones can be found here. If your device is listed there, you can proceed to the next, and to think about, is there enough light version of the functionality of the program, or better put € 9 for a premium edition.
Restrictions on the JoikuSpot Light Edition are serious: the access point is open, you have to connect to it does not need to enter a password, and then anyone will be able to connect. It supports only HTTP-protocol, and, accordingly, will be blocked IM clients, email programs and some other applications and services.
In the premium version, these restrictions have been removed, but no additional features will be there. At the same time, there is another edition, JoikuSpot 2012 Edition, which, in essence, is the modified version of the premium with a few additional features. For example, it is possible to set a quota for data and different restrictions for users, and view statistics on data expended.
iOS
Basic features for setting up a hot-spot is already built into iOS, however, by using MyWi can get a lot more features. Unlike Android, similar programs for iOS are much less common, and even worse is the situation with the presence of free counterparts.
The application can turn iPhone into a modem and the iPad, but for it your Apple device must first be unlocked.
Other devices can connect to the modem through all available channels of communication: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB. The program has good monitoring capabilities, and in some cases are monitored very unusual settings. For example, the rate of battery discharge (in mA). In addition, any time you can get the number of connected users to the access point, as well as the flow of data (this information is available for viewing, even on the lock screen).
To extend the autonomy of the settings can reduce the signal strength. It is even recommended to do if the receiving device is located in close proximity to the modem. Also, to save battery power, in the absence of active requests for 10 minutes (by default), the program will automatically disable tethering.
If for some reason the connection fails or becomes unstable, the MyWi can select a different channel to avoid situations with poor reception associated with the active use of a specific frequency.
You can try MyWi for free for three days, the full version costs around $ 20.
Windows Phone
In the first version of Windows Phone was not possible to include tethering, but in Windows Phone 7.5 this option comes into the system itself. Depending on the particular phone model, it can be locked, and find a way to activate it on the Internet for each device separately. With the active tethering connect to an access point running Windows Phone 7.5 can be no more than 5 other devices.
Cross-platform web service
This service should be mentioned separately because it supports just three mobile platforms: Android, iOS and BlackBerry.
Apply Tether.com only on PCs and laptops, as it requires the installation of additional software that is available only for Windows and Mac. After you run these applications on your smartphone and your computer is only necessary that they “found” each other, and then pour the mobile Internet from your mobile device to the desktop.
Tether.com works by subscription, annual service fee is $ 30.
Windows
In some cases, as a makeshift modem can be used not only to the phone, and laptop with a 3G-module or a PC with access to the network via Ethernet.
All popular programs have such advantage of the opportunities the OS, so for tethering need, as a rule, Windows Vista or 7, although in some cases, it fits for Windows XP.
Connectify
It all started a few years ago with this program, and at that time it was the only way to quickly and easily turn any laptop into a full access point. On the wave of popularity, even the developers were going to change the status on the distribution of Connectify shareware, but fortunately this has not happened since, just the program was split into two versions: regular and premium. At the same time to create a hot-spot will be enough of a lightweight version.
Program settings so few, and the process of creating an access point is so simple that there is no reason to paint it here. After installation, the user need only specify a password and start tethering.
Alternatively, you can go for the following programs: MaryFi, Mhotspot, Virtual Router, Wi-Fi Virtual Router.
