Making Android phone hotspot, need help

[tomkaren13]

Have 8.1 on PC and an Android phone LG version 5.0 can not figure out how to use phone as a hotspot.

Used to have Pdanet and used with an older phone.

Willing to try as USB hookup or Bluetooth. Do not know if Pda,Foxfi or another program/app is needed. Do not want to buy a MiFi as we do not need the hotspot very often.

[sigman]

I have unlimited with Verizon and use Foxfi. Never have used more than 1 to 1.5 gigs when I needed to use it on a monthly basis. With the WiFi being sporadic where I have the rig parked, it does come in very handy.

[Hank_MI]

LG G3, T-Mobile, click the hotspot button in settings, works great with my WIndows 7 laptop and my wife's 8.1 laptop.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

I use an android phone as a hotspot, too. The one irritation is that when I turn my computer off, the phone will, after a few minutes, shut down the hotspot. Other than that, I have no issues.

The hotspot is turned off after awhile when there is no active connection to keep the battery from running down. wifi hotpost uses a lot of battery power. My old phone had a aetting for how long to keep the hotspot up after all connections were closed.

[rjsurfer]

larry barnhart wrote:
after reading all of the above I turned on my mobile hotspot on my HTC incredible 4 G phone and at this time using the cell to power the computer. I have used the pda net and used some gigabytes up to the 2 we paid for each month. No information about a charge might be added like when I have seen the others times I was playing with the phone. ?????

chevman

Your OK, its the unlimited users on Verizon that have to pay the $30 per month charge.

Ron W.

[larry_barnhart]

I now know my data is being used just like the pdanet. Hot spot works great for 2 laptops. It will be used for the times we need it because my wife can be online to check emails when we are on the road. Wifi can suck at rc parks at times.

chevman

[larry_barnhart]

after reading all of the above I turned on my mobile hotspot on my HTC incredible 4 G phone and at this time using the cell to power the computer. I have used the pda net and used some gigabytes up to the 2 we paid for each month. No information about a charge might be added like when I have seen the others times I was playing with the phone. ?????

chevman

[Campfire_Time]

Well this was an education. I'll stick with US Cellular!

[rjsurfer]

I too have unlimited with Verizon and FoxFi works great on
galaxy S5.

Just be aware that FoxFi doesn't work with all of Verizon's phones and Android versions. Go to the FoxFi website and read the list of acceptable phones.

For example the Droid Turbo cannot be used as a PdaNet/FoxFi hotspot.

Its a good thing I investigated that, I was all set to buy a Turbo when I read a discussion on that, had I purchased it I would be paying $30 bucks a month.

Ron W.

[strollin]

docj wrote:

strollin wrote:
I have an LG G2 running Android 5.0.2 on Verizon with an unlimited data plan so Verizon won't allow the built-in Hotspot to work.

No, Verizon will let your built-in hotspot work if you pay the $30/mo fee. The FCC decision of several years ago said that people with grandfathered unlimited plans do not have the automatic right to tethering and hotspot use that customers with the "share everything" plans do.

Personally, it is worth it to me to play by Verizon's rules in order to ensure that I can keep my unlimited plan as long as possible. Therefore, I pay the $30 and use the built-in hotspot. If you do not, that is your choice, but recognize that you are doing something which Verizon could use as a basis for ending your unlimited plan.

Prior to the FCC decision, PDANet would not work for me to create a Hotspot on my LG G2 phone, I had to tether via USB. Immediately after the FCC decision came down, my phone received an update and, ever since, PDANet has worked on my phone to create a Hotspot.

[MrWizard]

pconroy328 wrote:

strollin wrote:
I have an LG G2 running Android 5.0.2 on Verizon with an unlimited data plan so Verizon won't allow the built-in Hotspot to work.

When we flipped on Hotspot, we had to tell (and pay ATT) extra. Sounds like that's what these apps avoid.

yes..thats what the phone companies wanted
until consumers yelled foul and took it to court
the court ruled the telcos could charge, and you agree to pay
but how you use it is up to you, and charging extra just so you could hot spot your tablet etc.. was "too much"

now they are all offering share your data plans, free hotspot share data on your account with other phones on the account etc..

but they give you less data as the basic allotment, encourage you to share it, and BUY more data

[wa8yxm]

I do not do LG (Lousy Goods) Phones because I have used several LG devices in the past including my Dometic Microwave and not one of them worked properly out of the box.. Most were trashed,, One tried to set the office on fire (I did not buy these) and I fixed the microwave (used a GE part, better than the LG one).

However on my T-Mobile phone.. All I do is touch the HOT SPOT icon.

Your provider has a lot to do with this.... Some,like Verizon, do not want you to Hot-Spot the phone...PDAnt and Fox-FI were designed to allow you to do it without them knowing it. (I mean you paid for the data how you use it is your decision)

Thankfully the FCC said.. almost word for word, what I put in Prens as my (And their it seems) opinion.. Verison got fined.. But they still double dip.

[docj]

strollin wrote:
I have an LG G2 running Android 5.0.2 on Verizon with an unlimited data plan so Verizon won't allow the built-in Hotspot to work.

No, Verizon will let your built-in hotspot work if you pay the $30/mo fee. The FCC decision of several years ago said that people with grandfathered unlimited plans do not have the automatic right to tethering and hotspot use that customers with the "share everything" plans do.

Personally, it is worth it to me to play by Verizon's rules in order to ensure that I can keep my unlimited plan as long as possible. Therefore, I pay the $30 and use the built-in hotspot. If you do not, that is your choice, but recognize that you are doing something which Verizon could use as a basis for ending your unlimited plan.

[Campfire_Time]

kgragert wrote:
With my Samsung SIII and Verizon.
In Settings> More Settings> Mobile Hotspot, is all I need.
No additional app required.

Same for my Wife's Galaxy S5 and my Motorola Moto G. Easy peasy.

pconroy328 wrote:


When we flipped on Hotspot, we had to tell (and pay ATT) extra. Sounds like that's what these apps avoid.

There's a good reason to avoid AT&T! Honestly I've never heard of that. Just turn on the hotspot and the data is the same whether you're using it as a hotspot or just data for the phone itself.

[pconroy328]

strollin wrote:
I have an LG G2 running Android 5.0.2 on Verizon with an unlimited data plan so Verizon won't allow the built-in Hotspot to work.

When we flipped on Hotspot, we had to tell (and pay ATT) extra. Sounds like that's what these apps avoid.

[strollin]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

I use an android phone as a hotspot, too. The one irritation is that when I turn my computer off, the phone will, after a few minutes, shut down the hotspot. Other than that, I have no issues.

Is this using the built-in Hotspot? If so, my guess is that it shuts down the Hotspot to avoid extra data charges. There may be an option that you could configure to prevent it doing that.

I use PDANet on my phone with multiple devices (laptop, tablet, Smart TV, Roku, travel router) and each can connect/disconnect without affecting the Hotspot or each other.