Mobile internet on your laptop? That’s how you do that!

Mobile Internet on your laptop: how does it work?

Any modern laptop can do it: wirelessly connect to the internet via WiFi. But what if there is no WiFi network available and you still want to go online? Then you can turn your smartphone into a hotspot. Your phone is then the Wi-Fi network that your laptop connects to. That way you are online with your laptop via mobile internet.

How do I create a hotspot?

Any smartphone can do it: create a hotspot. That is sharing your mobile internet connection with other devices. The way you do that?

That differs per operating system. Below you can read how to create a hotspot with Android phones and iPhones.

Create a hotspot with Android

1. Open the settings menu.
2. Press ‘Network and Internet’.
3. Press ‘Hotspot and tethering’.
4. Press ‘Set up WiFi hotspot’.
5. You can now give the hotspot a name and password.
6. Turn on the hot spot. It is now visible via the WiFi menu of your laptop under the name you gave it in the settings menu.

Good to know: every Android phone is different. Perhaps setting it up on your smartphone works slightly differently.

Create a hotspot with iPhone

1. Open the settings menu.
2. Press ‘Personal Hotspot’.
3. Slide the slider next to “Allow others to connect” to the right.
4. Set a password to secure the hotspot connection
5. The hotspot is now visible through your laptop’s WiFi menu.

Mobile internet on laptop: safer than public WiFi networks

Even if public Wi-Fi networks are available, it is sometimes smart to still use the internet via a hotspot. Public Wi-Fi networks are often unsecured.

This means that other people are also online via this network. Fine if you just want to read the news, but something personal like Internet banking is better done via a secure network. Would you still like to use the mobile internet on your laptop, but as securely as possible?

Secure your personal hotspot with a password. You can then safely share your WiFi with your laptop. Ideal for having internet on your laptop everywhere. On the road or at another location. Or at home with your PC if the Wi-Fi falters.

Data usage and other things to watch out for

With a hotspot, you can use the internet on your laptop via mobile internet. Did you know that 4G and 5G faster are most wifi networks?

So it’s a great way to work on location on your laptop or to stream a movie. Good to pay attention to data usage. A laptop generally uses more data than a telephone.

This is partly because desktop sites use more data than mobile sites. In addition, many laptops are connected to cloud services that synchronize in real-time. For example, a backup is automatically uploaded to the cloud and can use a lot of data.

Certainly, with a smaller internet bundle, you can do this better via WiFi. Do you have unlimited from T mobile? Then you’re always right. Don’t you have this yet and do you often work via mobile internet on your laptop? Good reason to switch to Unlimited!

Something else to take into account if you use the internet on your laptop via a hotspot: the battery of your phone will drain faster.

Do you work outside the door? Then it is smart to bring your phone charger or an external battery.