Using a cell phone as a wifi router

We do it with our Motorola Razr Smart Phone and Verizon service. This avoids the problem with campground WiFi. HOWEVER, if you camp in the boonies where there is no cell phone service it doesn't work!

dons2346 wrote:
Use it all the time. VZ service with an app called "PDANet" and I don't have to pay the extra $$ and it doesn't register data used on the phone

Same here. Been using PDAnet for a couple years now and it works great.

I normally use my iPhone 5 as a hot spot for my iPad2 when I am away from home. The iPad connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth/wifi. I normally buy no data plan for the iPad and just use the iPhone data allotment. When I travel for long periods and the iPhone data plan allotment will not be enough, I purchase a large one month data plan for the iPad. This is the perfect cost efficient method for me. I pay nothing extra for the hotspot capability in my iPhone.

My wife and I both end up working while traveling. We use AT&T 'internet sharing' all the time. We have a shared 4 gig data plan and typically our college age son is the data hog. Had a Virgin MiFi, but have had much better throughput with the phones. Use a Wilson Sleek booster on occasion but have had very good luck with reception. Other than camping inside the Smokies, I have yet to not have at least a 3G connection. We never use open WiFi at parks. We don't download movies or typically any kind of streaming at all. If you watch movies, you'll need a much larger data plan and at least a 4G connection.

yes mine is a WiFi 'ACCESS' point
no it is not a 'router'

yes i can get internet with my laptop, two pads, and my sony media player

no i can not do wifi to the printer or between devices

it does mot act as home network router

Just a nit to pick... Just because you have cell service does not mean you have internet access and even if you do it may not be very effective. You may be in an area that will support LTE, or 4G, or 3G, or "Slow G", or nothing.

Having said that, I use my IPhone to access the internet, not as a hotspot but by itself and it works great. I'd have to sign up for a more expensive plan to do the wifi bit and I see no need. (For me)

In my opinion, it works well if you don't need to use it all the time. If I was going to do it all the time, I would still pick up a dedicated mobile hotspot. I use mine about once a month when I need to use my tablet on the road, maybe a bit more in the summer when I travel and camp more.

Use it all the time. VZ service with an app called "PDANet" and I don't have to pay the extra $$ and it doesn't register data used on the phone

Yes. Someone else can explain it. Many, many posts on this forum.

Here's one