HT204023: iOS: Understanding Personal Hotspot

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rjl918
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Why only cellular data through a hotspot?

Why do the devices connected to my iphone use only cellular data?  Why not tether them to another wifi?  It seems like this rule's only purpose is to make a less functional product.

Posted on Nov 2, 2015 7:02 PM

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rjl918

Q: Why only cellular data through a hotspot?

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  • by stedman1,

    stedman1 stedman1 Nov 2, 2015 7:05 PM in response to rjl918
    Level 9 (73,375 points)
    Apple Watch
    Nov 2, 2015 7:05 PM in response to rjl918

    Yes, that is the EXACT definition of a hotspot connection.

  • by Meg St._Clair,Helpful

    Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair Nov 2, 2015 7:39 PM in response to rjl918
    Level 9 (58,449 points)
    iPhone
    Nov 2, 2015 7:39 PM in response to rjl918

    Think about this logically. if there is already WiFi available, you don't need the personal hotspot on the phone. You just connect to the existing WiFi.

  • by Phil0124,Helpful

    Phil0124 Phil0124 Nov 2, 2015 7:39 PM in response to rjl918
    Level 7 (26,990 points)
    iPhone
    Nov 2, 2015 7:39 PM in response to rjl918

    Think about it for a second, it makes absolutely no sense to share out a Wifi connection that is already readily available.

     

    The Hotspot's entire purpose it share an internet connection when no Wifi is available.

     

    If Wifi is available to the iPhone to share out, then its available to any other device that would want to use it in the same location as the iPhone.

     

    What would then be gained by sharing a Wifi network that is already available to be used?

  • by rjl918,

    rjl918 rjl918 Nov 2, 2015 7:45 PM in response to rjl918
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2015 7:45 PM in response to rjl918

    So what I should have asked was, can it be done?  Because logically, 99.9% of the time you would not do this.

     

    My scenario is my laptop wifi is broken, so I wanted to pair with the iphone using USB and connect that route.  I could see this also being helpful if your iphone remembers the username and password to the network but you do not.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Nov 2, 2015 7:47 PM in response to rjl918
    Level 9 (50,282 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 2, 2015 7:47 PM in response to rjl918

    You can't do that via Bluetooth (or USB) you need WiFi either way.

  • by Phil0124,

    Phil0124 Phil0124 Nov 2, 2015 7:50 PM in response to rjl918
    Level 7 (26,990 points)
    iPhone
    Nov 2, 2015 7:50 PM in response to rjl918

    rjl918 wrote:

     

    So what I should have asked was, can it be done?  Because logically, 99.9% of the time you would not do this.

     

    My scenario is my laptop wifi is broken, so I wanted to pair with the iphone using USB and connect that route.  I could see this also being helpful if your iphone remembers the username and password to the network but you do not.

    No. You can only ever share the Cell connection. No way to share the wifi one.

     

    However, there are hundreds very cheap Wifi dongles available. Much easier option.

     

    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=usb +wifi+dongle