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BT broadband has outages in my area according to my Internet provider which is Zen. Zen tells me that connections will be restored on Friday. How can I use the mobile signal from my iPhone to set up an iPhone personal hotspot. Then how does my PC running Windows connect to the personal hotspot using WiFi? Do I need to turn off the router which normally connects to the BT network?
iPhone 15, iOS 17
Hotspot is a feature that allows your phone's connection to your carrier's cellular network to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal to allow other devices to connect to the Wi-Fi and get an Internet connection.
You won't have to turn off your BT router if you set up a Hotspot on the phone, you just won't be using it.
But....if you don't have a connection to your phone from your carrier's cellular network, then the Hotspot will not work correctly.
To see if your carrier provides a Hotspot option.....not all carrier's do......tap Settings > Cellular and look for Hotspot.
When you have a Hotspot set up, your Wi-Fi devices connect to the Hotspot's signal.
This Apple Support document provides the details:
How to set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
First: Your carrier must support WiFi hotspots (sometimes still referred-to as “tethering”) AND it needs to be provisioned on your account.
Then simply setup the hotspot in your phone.
It then becomes a WiFi access point on your carrier’s network … then you simply set your PC to use your newly established WiFi access point.
How to set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
Thanks for the useful comments.
Thank goodness I was finally able to use my iPhone to connect my Windows 11 laptop to the Internet.
I think that the sequence was
Yes, in fact I have created the Hotspot on the iPhone ok. And even managed to connect the laptop to the hotspot. But only once unfortunately.
There is a minor problem with the router. If it is switched on and I attempt to connect to the Hotspot my laptop immediately connects to the router and won’t let me connect to the Hotspot. I can get round this by switching the router off but was wondering if I could avoid the necessity.
Otherwise, it appears that a USB connection gets selected when I create the Hotspot.How can I change this?
I have created the Hotspot ok but the page on the iPhone that includes the password tells me that a usb connection is selected i.e. Not wi-fi.
My question is
How can I change the transmission medium to WiFi?
DO turn “off” your fixed home/office Router/WiFi. (if your phone is connected to it, it CAN’T also establish it’s own WiFi network)
Unfortunately I’m at a loss to help you further as I don’t see the same page and options as you.
This is likely because Hotspot is a carrier-provisioned service …
… so each carrier tailors the iPhone interface screen to their own requirements.
Perhaps your carrier doesn’t allow WiFi access ???
(While unusual in my experience in 2024, it’s still within their “sandbox” nonetheless)
Sorry. Hopefully turning “off” your WiFi/Router does the “trick.”
On your Mac laptop........click on the Wi-Fi "Bars" at the top of the screen and look for an option to connect to the name of the Hotspot signal.
Then click on the name of Hotspot signal to connect and enter the password if required.
Other Wi-Fi devices would connect the same way......choose the Hotspot signal and then enter the password if required.
Sorry, I intended to say the mobile signal used by my iPhone that connects to the Internet.
Glad you got it working. 👍
Mentally file it away for future reference.
Use hotspot - home when BT fails?
