One of the most-awaited features on the recently released version of the iPhone, the iPhone 4S, is the ability to use the phone as a wireless modem for accessing the Internet via your computer or tablet. This concept is known as tethering. The availability of this feature ensures that you don’t need a Wi-Fi hotspot or a mobile broadband modem to access the Internet on the go, but can use your network’s 3G data service to connect to the net. Previously, tethering used to be the domain of executives having corporate mobile data plans enabled on their devices, but the decreasing costs of 3G data coupled with the increasing popularity of smartphones have ensured that tethering is now a more commonly used feature, appealing to students, office workers, as well as travelers.
To use your iPhone 4S as a Wi-Fi modem via tethering, simply ensure that it is connected to your notebook or tablet PC via a USB cable or via a wireless Bluetooth connection. Before attempting tethering, please ensure that the iPhone partner whose network plan you’re currently using supports tethering. Also ensure that the Personal Hotspot feature is enabled on your cellular plan once you’ve established that your carrier supports tethering. Now, follow these steps to enable the feature:
1. Update your software
Before using tethering, please ensure that you have the latest version of the iPhone software as well as the carrier software. To check this, plug your iPhone into your computer, open iTunes, and click ‘Check for updates’ on the iPhone screen on iTunes.
2. Activate tethering
In the iPhone’s Settings menu, tap General -> Network -> Internet Tethering, and slide the Internet Tethering switch to On.
3. Use either a USB cable or a wireless Bluetooth connection for connecting to the net
To tether via USB, first connect your phone to your computer via a cable. For Windows users, browse to your computer’s Network services settings from the Control Panel and choose iPhone. For Mac users running Mac OS X 10.5.7 or later, a pop-up window will automatically appear, stating ‘A new network interface has been detected’. Click Network Preferences, configure the network settings for iPhone, and click Apply.
Too tether using a Bluetooth connection, in the iPhone’s Settings menu, tap General -> Bluetooth, and slide the Bluetooth switch on. Now use your computer’s Bluetooth menu to pair and connect the iPhone to your computer.
4. Browse the web
When your iPhone has been successfully tethered, a blue bar appears at the top of the phone screen with the message ‘Internet Tethering’. You can conveniently continue to make and receive calls and messages even when tethering is enabled.
Please ensure that you have a large amount of data quota at your disposal while using tethering, as it uses much more data than browsing the net on your iPhone does. If you are a regular tethering user, please have a data allowance of at least 1GB per month on your mobile Internet plan.