If you are an employee of or own a business where you send bucket loads of e-mails and work on a computer every day, then chances are you will have to travel from place to place at some point during your role. No,w whether your business trip is to meet a new potential client, give a monthly progress report, or sign a multi-million-pound contract does not matter; however, being connected to the online world does, and there is only so much that your smartphone or tablet computer can handle productivity-wise. Sure, these mobile devices are great to send quick e-mails or perhaps catch up on the latest news; however, for real heavy-duty work, you need a laptop computer on the move.
Tether and Travel Smart
This creates a problem for a lot of people, though, as a wide majority of laptops do not feature 3G to keep you connected when away or out of range of a WiFi hotspot. If you have a laptop like this, then chances are you get fed up of not being able to fully update a document, spreadsheet, or presentation just before an all-important meeting. Thankfully, then, whilst your smartphone or tablet isn’t a powerhouse of a work machine, it does sport an amazing feature: tethering.
Business Travel Made Seamless
When Android 2.2 Froyo was released, Google made a couple of key updates to its tethering feature and made it simpler to use and simpler for anybody to access. Now in 2012, tethering on an Android smartphone is a simple case of flipping an on switch, inputting a PIN, and hey-presto! You are surfing online through a device that otherwise would not be connected. If you are sharing your smartphone or tablet’s 3G signal with a laptop, though, there are a few things to consider:
Namely, some carriers charge for tethering. On some smartphones with a network provider, you will be able to tether to other devices (such as my HTC One X on Vodafone) fast and easy, without a single extra charge incurred. On others, however, you will need an add-on sserviceboor lt-onnn. Charges will occur when your tier exceeds your monthly data subscription.
Work on the Go Without Wi-Fi Worries
For those out there who have an unlimited data plan or a couple of GB allowance every month, tethering is a breeze, though. Here is how to do it:
Firstly, you need to go to your settings – it could be on the home screen or it could be hidden in between your apps, depending on which version of Android you’re running and what phone you have. Then simply tap Wireless & Networks and check the box next to Portable Wi-Fi hotspot. This turns on your phone’s wireless hotspot feature.
You’ll then need to go into Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot settings to find the SSID (name) and password that’s been set for the network. You can then connect to this wireless network from your PC or tablet – simply tap the network name in your networks list and then enter the password that you found on your Android phone. Now, your other device is connected to the internet!
Smartphone Tethering for Smarter Trips
Tethering an Android smartphone to a laptop is a fantastic way for business professionals to carry out work on a long commute. It is a great feature for students, too, who may regularly catch trains with a laptop and smartphone in their bag.