Smartphones bring the world to your fingertips via internet. Mobile data and Wi-Fi are two common ways you can use your smartphone to connect to Internet. However, not many people know that there are various other methods. Here are possible ways you can use to access the internet with your smartphones.
Related: Learn how to fix slow Android phone.
8 Ways to Access the Internet with Your Smartphones
- Mobile data
- Wi-Fi connection
- Mobile hotspot
- Bluetooth
- OTG cable
- LAN adapter
- Hotspot from laptop
- USB cable
1. Mobile Data
It is the basic and probably the most common way to connect to Internet. Network carriers don’t only provide voice calls and text messaging, but also Internet connection through 4G/5G technology. In some countries, the cost of mobile data can be expensive, so people rely mostly on Wi-Fi networks.
2. Wi-Fi Networks
Wi-Fi networks are also very common ways to get Internet access for your smartphone. The houses in most of the developed countries have LAN ports from where you can use broadband connection to the router. From the router, you can configure all devices on your house to connect to internet through Wi-Fi. In general, you should pay monthly-prepaid amount for your broadband connection to the service provider.
On other hand, nowadays it is very easy to get free Wi-Fi connection in public area like Airport or coffee shops. You can access the public Wi-Fi by verifying your identity using the phone number or other ways like WeChat or WhatsApp. Public Wi-Fi networks may not require password, making it more vulnerable to security attacks. Unless, needed do not connect to public network. Also when connected to public network, try to avoid doing financial transactions.
3. Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot
Sometimes you may travel to a new place and get struck in a meeting room without having internet access. The best ways is to check whether any of the friends or colleagues in the room have unlimited mobile data plan. If yes, you can ask him / her to create a mobile hotspot and share the password with you. You can connect to internet through Wi-Fi / Bluetooth or USB cable with the password. However, remember, you will consume the mobile data from your friend’s smartphone. You can setup mobile hotspot by following the below instructions:
- Android smartphones – go to “Settings > More > Tethering & Portable Hotspot” or look for similar option under “Cellular” section.
- iPhone – go to “Settings > Personal Hotspot”.
4. Bluetooth Tethering
If you think that portable Wi-Fi hotspot is instable, then you can consider using Bluetooth. Bluetooth usually has shorter range than portable Wi-Fi and most people won’t expect that you are transferring mobile data through Bluetooth. The first step is to enable Bluetooth on both devices and get them paired. After paired, you can share the internet from the device that will share mobile data.
5. OTG Cable
Some smartphone devices support OTG or On-The-Go feature. It will allow you to use OTG cable to connect the smartphone with a data card or USB modem. Most of the time, you can access the Internet immediately with little or no configuration settings.
6. LAN Adapter
Before Wi-Fi connection became popular, people use physical network cable for directly connecting the LAN port with the PC / laptop. Computer’s Ethernet adapter will help to connect to internet. If you have legacy wired LAN in your area, you can connect it with your smartphone also. What you need is a connector like RJ 45 to micro USB in order to get the Internet access on the phone. It may be less flexible and convenient, as you cannot take the phone away from the length of the cable.
7. Laptop as a Wi-Fi Hotspot
Similar to mobile hotspot, you can also create hotspot from the laptop to share internet connection. Especially, when you have stable internet access on the laptop, then you can turn it into a hotspot. For example, in Windows 10, you can go to “Settings > Mobile Hotspot” to enable the option. You can use the network name and password to connect to internet through your phone.
8. Use USB Cable
The last option is to share internet access of your laptop using a USB cable. If your smartphone support USB connection then you can configure the connection generally under USB settings. You may also need to check and share the connection properly from your PC or laptop so that you can connect successfully.
Conclusion
Internet is an essential part of life for most of us. However, you always do not need to rely on mobile data paying big bill to service provider. The best option is to have a broadband connection and share the internet across all your devices in the same place. You can also use one of the supported methods to connect your computer and mobile if required to share the connection.
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