Galaxy S II: The Missing Manual

Turning Your Galaxy S II into a Wi-Fi Hot Spot or Tethering It

THE GALAXY S II can do more than just connect you to a hot spot. It can create its own hot spot, so that other computers, cellphones, and devices can connect to the Internet through it. That means, for example, that if you’ve got a computer that you want to connect to the Internet, but there’s no Wi-Fi hot spot or Internet service nearby, you can still connect to the Internet using your Galaxy S II. So from now on, wherever you are, you’ve got Internet access as long as you’ve got your Galaxy S II with you. The Galaxy S II calls this setting up a portable hotspot.

Doing this, you can provide Internet access not just for one PC, but for up to five—that’s right, count them, five—devices.

Not only that, but a related feature lets you share your Internet connection by simply connecting a USB cable between your computer and your Galaxy S II. That’s called tethering.

Note

If you don’t have a 3G or 4G connection, you won’t be able to set up a mobile hot spot. So try doing this only when you see the 3G or 4G signal in the status bar.

To perform this magic, the Galaxy S II connects to a 3G or 4G network as it normally does, using its 3G or 4G radio. Then it uses its Wi-Fi radio to set up a Wi-Fi hot spot, and lets up to five computers, phones, and other devices connect to it as well. They connect to it as they would connect to any other hot spot, and share its single 3G or 4G connection. So don’t expect blazing speed if several people ...