How To Connect a Hotspot to a Laptop

WiFi is just about as essential as electricity, in the sense that you only realize its absence when it isn't working. Then comes the panic. You don't need to be anxious if you find yourself in this circumstance, most likely due to your WiFi connection that keeps on disconnecting, your laptop being unable to connect, or the network disappearing totally. There's a solution to this problem.

Connecting a hotspot to your, such as your smartphone, and sharing the connection, is one of the quickest solutions. In this scenario, your phone serves as a router by establishing a hotspot, however, you will be using mobile data. While there are various risks to connecting to a mobile phone for internet access, there are instances when you need to connect to the internet right away, which is when a mobile hotspot comes in useful.

How To Use a Phone as a Hotspot for a Laptop

If you're in a scenario where you need a Wi-Fi network but can't get it anyplace else, odds are your smartphone can help. You can transform your smartphone into a Wi-Fi or USB hotspot that laptops can use to connect to the internet by configuring it as a hotspot.

It may seem tricky, but with only a few clicks, you can transform your smartphone into an internet connection source for your laptop. Most phone companies provide tethering capabilities, but your ability to set up a Wi-Fi hotspot is limited by your subscription plan and data allowance.

Here's how to use your phone as a hotspot for your laptop.

iPhone

• Tethering is simple to set up on your iPhone. Here's how it works:
• Navigate to "Settings" and choose "Personal Hotspot," or click Cellular" and then "Personal Hotspot."
• Create a Wi-Fi password and choose "Allow Others to Join."
• Once active, you may connect to your iPhone from another device like your laptop by searching for your iPhone's name in the Wi-Fi interface and entering the passcode you created.

Android

It's very easy to set up tethering on an Android phone, although the exact steps vary depending on your phone model. Here's what you need to do:

• Navigate to" Settings" and then tap "Network and Internet" (or Connections on other Android phones).
• To see your options, click on "Hotspot and Tethering."
• You'll then see "Wi-Fi or Mobile Hotspot." Click the toggle to "On" and create your hotspot name and passcode.
• Once it's switched on, you can connect your laptop by searching for the mobile hotspot name and inputting the password, just like any other Wi-Fi network.

How To Connect a Mobile Hotspot to a Laptop

Because of the integrated WiFi data-sharing feature, your smartphone may be used as a WiFi hotspot, and the connection can be shared wirelessly with numerous other devices, including your laptop. You could also use Bluetooth or USB to transmit your cellular data. Keep in mind that the steps may differ depending on the brand and model of your smartphone.

Here's how to connect to a mobile hotspot on an Android device:

• Go to "Settings" and choose "Connections" to activate the WiFi hotspot.
• Scroll to the bottom and choose "Mobile Hotspot and Tethering."
• Toggle the switch to the right of "Mobile Hotspot" on the next screen.
• You can now connect your laptop to your Android phone's hotspot in the same way that you would any other WiFi router. To acquire the hotspot name and password, click the Mobile Hotspot notification.

You may also connect to the internet by tethering your laptop to your smartphone over Bluetooth. Pair both devices, and then configure your laptop to use Bluetooth to join the network. Take note that the instructions may differ depending on the device.

• Open "Settings" on your phone.
• Choose "Connections," then "Mobile Hotspot and Tethering."
• Finally, press the "Bluetooth Tethering" button. You're ready to go.

A USB cable may be used to connect the phone to a Windows laptop. Here's how:

• Access "Settings" on your phone after the two devices are linked.
• Select "Mobile Hotspot and Tethering" from the "Connections" menu.
• Select "USB tethering."

Connecting your laptop to your smartphone will drain the phone's battery, so make sure both devices are hooked into a power outlet and switch off the connections when not in use.

Why Won’t My Laptop Connect to My Hotspot?

When you're traveling and need internet access to get some work done or manage your business, mobile hotspots could come in handy. However, there isn't much you can do if your laptop just won't connect. Don't freak out. If your laptop isn't connecting to your hotspot, try these quick fixes first.

• Restart your mobile hotspot. 
• Reboot your laptop.
• Turn off Bluetooth on your laptop, and then turn it back on.
• Switch the Wi-Fi on and off on your laptop.
• Verify that your laptop is connecting to the correct network.
• Make sure your phone is correctly configured to provide a signal.

How To Use a Hotspot on a Laptop

In a perfect world, you'd link all of your gadgets to one Wi-Fi and be connected to the internet, but this isn't always a possibility. Perhaps you're traveling and the hotel or airline's Wi-Fi costs you for every device you connect, and you'd like to spend just once for both your laptop and phone. In some cases, you'll need a way to share internet access with another device. If you don't have a mobile hotspot and can't turn your phone into a hotspot, you could share your laptop's internet connection instead.

Here's how to use your laptop as a hotspot:

• Navigate to "Network & Internet" in Windows 10's settings.
• Click "Mobile Hotspot."  The box labeled "Share my Internet connection from" should be set to the network adapter that is presently connected to the internet.
• Pick "Share over Wi-Fi" and then tap the "Edit" button to give your new network a name and passcode. When you're ready, toggle the Mobile Hotspot switch at the top of the settings to the "On" position.
• You can now use your laptop as a hotspot. Simply connect any device to your laptop using the credentials you set.

Hidden inside almost every smartphone is a feature that few people use but should rely on more - the capability to transform the phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot. So if you find yourself in a bind and need to quickly connect your laptop to the internet but don't have a Wi-Fi network, turning your smartphone into a hotspot can be a lifesaver.