How To Set Up Your Smart Phone as a Broadband Modem

When you really need to connect to the internet you can almost guarantee that there won’t be an available WiFi signal in range, and even when there is, sods law saws it will be too weak or go down when you need it most. So what’s the answer? Well, if you have a smartphone and your contract includes a decent data plan, you could set up you mobile to use as a broadband modem.

Setting up your smartphone, or other mobile device to be used as a broadband modem, is known as ‘tethering’. Sharing your smartphone’s Internet connection can be done by wireless connection, via Bluetooth or by physically connecting to the device using a cable. Many of today’s phones come with tethering software already installed and doing so removes the need for a separate USB dongle.

How to Set Up Tethering on an iPhone

1. Go to the Settings menu and select Personal Hotspot.
2. In the Settings menu, select General and then select Network.
3. On the Network settings, click on ‘Set Up Personal Hotspot’. (If don’t have the Personal Hotspot service included in your iPhone’s data plan you will need to add this first by contacting your network provider.)
4. Slide the Personal Hotspot slider to On.
5. The password shown is the one you will need to connect to your Personal Hotspot using WiFi. You can change that password by tapping the password field.
6. Personal Hotspot is set to allow you to connect via Wi-Fi or USB by default. A pop up message will ask if you want to enable Bluetooth connection too.
7. That’s it! You can now share your iPhone’s internet connection with up to 5 devices at the same time via Wi-Fi.

How to Set Up Tethering on Your Android Smartphone

The Personal Hotspot feature is supported from Android version 2.2, also known as Froyo.

1. Go to the Settings menu.
2. In the Settings menu and select Wireless and Network
3. Next select Tethering and Portable Hotspot and turn on the Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot option.
4. Although Bluetooth and USB connectivity is already secure it is advisable to improve the security of your WiFi connection, by adding an 8-character password in the Settings menu.
5. That’s it! You can now share your Android mobile’s internet connection with other wireless devices.

How to Set Up Tethering on Your BlackBerry Smartphone

1. Connect your BlackBerry to your laptop using a USB cable.
2. Install BlackBerry Desktop Manager software. (BlackBerry Desktop is the software that coordinates the link between your smartphone and your PC)
3. Select the IP Modem option and connect your BlackBerry as a tethered modem by following the on screen instructions.

So there you have it, a simple step by step guide to setting up your smartphone to use as a broadband modem. Do remember though that your connection speed will depend on the strength of your smartphone’s strength.

If you have any problems whilst setting up your smartphone, the best idea is to give your network provider a call, who with be able with more specific instructions on how to tether your particular device.

This guest post has been provided by www.broadbandchoices.co.uk; helping you to save on broadband deals.