The laptop is a portable device that we all know. But having an internet connection is not possible wherever we go. In that case, we use a mobile hotspot to connect to our laptop. The mobile hotspot has some unique advantages along with drawbacks. We will see the complete information about connecting the mobile hotspot to the laptop.
Just because I mentioned ‘laptop’ in the title doesn’t mean this process won’t work for desktop computers. Just because laptops are carryable devices, they need the mobile hotspot very much. But in the case of desktop computers, the high-speed internet connection from the router via ethernet cable is suggestible.
When you are using an ethernet cable, you don’t need any external devices like a Wi-Fi adapter.
What is a Mobile Hotspot?
Let me highlight a feature of Android phones. Back in the early stage, mobiles didn’t have many features. But now, we can do a lot of things on mobile only. In fact, now we don’t need a computer for small work like downloading files, casual image editing, relaxing, entertaining, etc.
The mobile hotspot is an internet-sharing feature and by this, we can connect and use mobile data on other electronic devices like computers, mobiles, tabs, laptops, etc. We can protect the network with a password, block devices, restrict data sharing, and more. The hotspot consumes more battery on mobiles.
In most cases, the hotspot password would be like ‘12345678’ or ‘9876543210’. These passwords are easy to guess by a random person. So, I do not recommend that approach.
Of course, mobile internet sharing is not a big deal when some random guy types the password in a flow and can connect with your network. But remember, all electronic devices and their functions need to be in your control. If they can’t, then it would become a problem.
Difference Between Mobile Hotspots and Wi-Fi
The mobile hotspot is a feature in mobile by which we can make the mobile a source or node to a network. Wi-Fi is also a feature that helps the device connect to the node or internet. A device can have both Wi-Fi and hotspot features, but it can’t connect to its own network.
| Mobile Hotspot | Wi-Fi |
| A feature in mobile that helps in mobile data sharing | Any device with Wi-Fi can connect to the hotspot network |
| Only one device can act as a source in the network | Multiple devices can connect to the network |
| Data sharing is limited | Data receiving is unlimited |
| Highly useful for mobiles and laptops | Very much useful for all devices |
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Steps Involved to Connect Mobile Hotspot to Laptop
Now you know the meaning of Wi-Fi and hotspot and their differences. Let’s see how to connect the mobile hotspot to a laptop in a step-by-step manner.
Turn ON the ‘Mobile data’ on Your Phone
The ‘Mobile data’ is nothing but the internet connection on your mobile. It is represented with a symbol of arrows.
On your Android mobile, just swipe down on your home screen – the notification panel will display a lot of features which include the mobile data and the mobile hotspot.
Click on the mobile data icon to turn it ON.
Turn ON the ‘Mobile Hotspot’ on Your Phone
After turning ON the mobile data, click on the hotspot icon on the notification panel.
A few seconds later, the mobile hotspot will turn ON and a new notification will come by showing the number of devices connected to that network.
Set Password to Your Hotspot
To set the password to your mobile hotspot, long-press the hotspot option on the notification panel for 1 or 2 seconds. The portable hotspot settings will open.
Click on ‘Set up portable hotspot‘
Then click on ‘Security‘ and choose ‘WPA2-Personal‘. Now you can set the password under the password section and save it.
Click on the ‘Internet Access’ on Your Computer
At the bottom right of your Windows computer screen, you can find the ‘Internet Access‘ option. Click on it.
Find Your Device Name & Click on it
Here, the list of available networks for your computer will be shown. Remember, the available networks will be shown only if your laptop has built-in Wi-Fi. If your laptop or desktop computer doesn’t have this feature, then you need to use an external device called a USB Wi-Fi adapter. To find out whether your PC needs a Wi-Fi adapter or not, click here.
If your computer has in-built Wi-Fi or after you install the Wi-Fi adapter, your computer will show the list of available networks like this.
Find your mobile device name among them and click on it.
Enter Password if Required
If the network is protected with a password, then you need to enter the right password to connect. Here you can enter the password that you set up a few minutes back.
And then click on the ‘connect‘ button.
Your PC is Now Connected to The Internet
Sometimes, you may face Wi-Fi connection issues. The link will get you through all the steps to fix them. Also, mobile data is very limited. What do you do when your PC consumes more data? Don’t worry, here you can find multiple ways to fix a PC consuming more data.
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Conclusion
Now you know how to connect your mobile phone’s hotspot to your laptop and desktop computers. You can find more controls with this feature like data usage limit, device limit, blocking controls, etc.
You can change the hotspot’s password whenever you want and add and remove the connected devices based on your requirements.
Hope the information on this page will help you to connect your mobile hotspot to your laptop. If you have anything to ask, feel free to make a comment. I’m happy to reply. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our channel on YouTube. We’ll discuss helpful how-to guides, product reviews, etc.