Galaxy S II: The Missing Manual

Chapter 8. Getting Online: Wi-Fi, 3G, and Mobile Hot Spots

THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S II is filled with plenty of cool features, but it really comes to life when you take it online. With it, you’ve got the whole Internet in your hand—and on a screen larger than on other smartphones. Whether you need to search, get maps and directions, watch YouTube videos, or do pretty much anything else on the Internet, the Galaxy S II lets you do it.

But first, of course, you need to get connected. You’ll get the rundown on how to do that in this chapter, along with learning about one of the Galaxy S II’s more amazing capabilities—the ability to turn into a Wi-Fi hotspot to give computers and other devices an Internet connection.

How the Galaxy S II Gets Online

WHENEVER IT’S POWERED ON, the Galaxy S II is ready to hop onto the Internet. Whenever your carrier’s state-of-the-art third-generation network or high-speed 4G is available, the phone uses it—you can tell by the symbol in the status bar. The 3G and 4G networks were built for data and the Internet, so you can quickly send and receive good-sized email attachments, download music, watch YouTube videos…pretty much everything Internet.

With your carrier’s 3G ...