Ok, so this is a cool option for getting Internet access for your PC through your 3G/4G/LTE phone or Tablet that is known as tethering. I hadn’t tried it out much before, but now that I have, it’s really useful. Note that this may come with charges depending on your phone’s Data Plan, so keep an eye on your data once you are tethered.
You can tether either wirelessly or wired. If you don’t have wireless on your PC then you will need to use a wired connection between your computer and your phone, which is what I’ve been using and is what I’ll explain step-by-step below.
In my case, I have a Samsung tablet running Android 5.0.2. Because my PC does not have a wireless card I use my tablet’s micro-USB cable to plug my tablet directly into my PC. Below are the steps I take to get Internet access for my PC. If you are running an OS other than Android, I expect the steps to be different, but the concept similar:
For starters, connect your phone to your PC via a micro-USB cable.
- Go to the ‘Settings’ for managing my tablet’s settings.
- Then under the default ‘Connections’ tab, locate the Tethering and Mobile Hotspot option.
- When you click on ‘Tethering and Mobile Hotspot’, you’ll see two options: ‘Mobile Hotspot’ and ‘USB tethering’.
- Select the ‘USB tethering’ option so it shows in green
As soon as you enable USB tethering, your PC should detect a new network connection and you should gain Internet access. Keep an eye on your data usage to make sure you don’t pay excess data charges!
Being able to tether like this is a real life-saver, if you are on the move and want to have your PC internet-connected, or if your regular Internet goes down. Doing work from your tablet is worlds more difficult than doing work from your PC, so tethering your connection is a good last-ditch way to get back online and productive.
Justin Cooney 