One of the most common questions asked about mobile computing is how to connect a cell phone to a laptop for Internet access. Although tethering isn't very difficult to accomplish, the answer is a bit tricky because wireless carriers have different rules and plans for allowing (or not allowing) tethering, and cell phone models also have different limitations. When in doubt, it's always best to refer to your service provider and handset manufacturer for instructions ... but here's some information just to get you started.
What You Need
To use your cell phone as a modem, you need the following:
- The device you want to be able to go online with (i.e., your laptop or PDA)
- A data-capable cell phone (i.e., the cell phone should be able to go online on its own).
- A data plan for the phone from your wireless provider. Most cellular providers these days require you to have a data plan for your smartphone anyway, but regular (or feature) phones may also be web-capable and therefore can also act as modems for your laptop. You'll need to have a data plan for the phone, whether it's a cell phone or smartphone.
- Either no restrictions in your contract for using your phone as a modem, or a separate, additional data plan that allows tethering
Tether Your Computer Using an App
There are several mobile apps for tethering Android and other smartphones; while the full versions of these apps cost between $10 and $30, for that price you get an easy way to connect your laptop to your smartphone over USB or bluetooth and use your smartphone's data service on your computer, bypassing carrier tethering fees perhaps. PdaNet is a popular tethering app for most platforms, and we have step-by-step instructions for tethering your Android phone to your laptop, but for the official tethering instructions and costs for your wireless carrier, see the directions below.
Tethering Instructions by Wireless Carrier
Find your provider below to get information on whether they allow tethering and how much it costs. If you're in the market for new cell phone service, read through all the profiles to find out which cell phone company is the most flexible when it comes to tethering.
