Yes, I use my work iPhone as a hot spot whenever I need a connection on my laptop. It's quick and no issues.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
I think it just gets slowed down when you hit 10 GB, I don't think you get charged if you go over that.

Slowed down to the point it becomes unusable, even SIGforum won't load in 5 minutes. My experience with Verizon has been they switch you to 3g.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
Been doing it for years... best to have unlimited data on your phone though....

Apparently they treat phone data separately from hotspot data. Phone data is unlimited, hotspot is 10GB/month.

I think it just gets slowed down when you hit 10 GB, I don't think you get charged if you go over that.

I’m sure it depends on your plan and carrier.

Mine is treated separately and I get 25gb of hotspot data. After that I’m told it might slow down during peak use times but I’ve gone over and not noticed a difference. I also have options to buy more chunks of data.

 
Suggestion, plug your iPhone into the computer with the USB cable. Then select USB connection when connecting to the phone's hotspot. This eliminates the vagaries and security issues associated with a wireless connection. And the phone stays charged off the computer's battery. Hopefully you have a powered connection for the computer, but even if not, you are running down only one battery, the stronger one.

Have you tried it without telling the phone company? Under iPhone Settings, I can turn on the Personal Hotspot function ...

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
Been doing it for years... best to have unlimited data on your phone though....

Apparently they treat phone data separately from hotspot data. Phone data is unlimited, hotspot is 10GB/month.

How much data is included with the hotspot $15 plan??
If you use a lot of data the extra $5 a month may be worth it data wise and not constantly draining your phone battery.

I use the phone as a hotspot frequently for the data on one vehicle headunit and for the rear entertainment center for the other.
Works just fine.

Keep your iphone on a charger. Hotspot eats battery.

My exwife's house has crappy slow internet. Whenever my son needs to download something large, I will stop by and turn my hotpot on and he can download it.

One night someone was trying to download something on the station's wifi and it said 79 mins. They called me back for my hotspot and did the download in 2 minutes.

I'm on firstnet with the unlimited hotspot. never been throttled.

We donit here for travel. It is included with my plan. Works great.

quote:

Originally posted by Woodman:

Under iPhone Settings, I can turn on the Personal Hotspot function

That option might or might not be there.

It depends on the carrier and the service plan.

Using the same iPhone with different service providers, I have seen the option for Personal Hotspot with some, and not with others.

Also, if the option is present, some service providers charge a monthly hit if you turn it on, others just charge for the data that you use (if you are not on an unlimited data plan).

Be careful to check your plan too.

It worked pretty well for me on my iPhone, but I just lost it recently as I went to an unlimited data plan and they took away the hotspot feature.

Had it previously with a 20 GB data bucket AT&T plan and it’s very easy to burn through that quickly.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
When the hotel wifi is shit, my hotspot fills-in just fine.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
 
Suggestion, plug your iPhone into the computer with the USB cable. Then select USB connection when connecting to the phone's hotspot. This eliminates the vagaries and security issues associated with a wireless connection. And the phone stays charged off the computer's battery. Hopefully you have a powered connection for the computer, but even if not, you are running down only one battery, the stronger one.

Brilliant!

This is an awesome discussion

As soon as this virus pandemic is over, I have to relocate to Bismarck ND for a new job with the Govt.

I also have to switch carriers from T-mobile since it has crappy coverage in the area. I was told Verizon and AT+T are the two major providers.

I have been doing research on this very topic since I am entering into an arena that I know nothing about.

This discussion has provided a lot of useful information especially for a rookie like myself.

I frequently use my iPhone 8 as a hotspot, especially when my internet connection is stupid slow. It works perfectly, I've often considered dropping my internet provider and going hotspot only but have never pulled the trigger. I run Netflix on it all them time and it works fine.

Verizon plans can include a hotspot with each phone on the plan, ATT charges extra, found that out when we moved to ATT from Verizon since we got a better deal to move than stay

Overall the Verizon coverage was far superior to the ATT coverage area.

I run my house off a hotspot and a grandfathered, truly unlimited cellphone contract. Not an iPhone, but the concept is the same.

One thing that happens, though, when your mobile phone becomes part of your computing infrastructure.....it's not always in your pocket! Connected to the computer (if tethered) or needing to be within the phone's hotspot range (if hotspotting) .... and if you aren't near enough to the computer/phone when calls and texts come in, you miss them.

I'm a curmudgeon and don't really care about that. But if I was in a business, and needed to always be reachable by phone, I'd prioritize that, and either get a dedicated beastie, or keep the phone in the pocket and only tether/hotspot when I happen to be near the computer.

I use my iPhone hotspot when my Spectrum goes down or when I am out and about... works great!!

I do it often when I travel for work. I've got unlimited data and tethering with no throttling as part of my work plan and it works much better for me than hotel wifi.

quote:

Originally posted by copaup:
and it works much better for me than hotel wifi.

Oftentimes much safer too from a security standpoint. I’m very leery of a lot of the “free” hotel WiFi out there.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
I think it just gets slowed down when you hit 10 GB, I don't think you get charged if you go over that.

Slowed down to the point it becomes unusable, even SIGforum won't load in 5 minutes. My experience with Verizon has been they switch you to 3g.

It depends on the PLAN you have with Verizon where the cutoff is, I have the upper level unlimited plan because it gives you 5 free travel pass days a month for $10 extra over the middle unlimited plan, BUT each plan has a different level of hi=speed hotspot data before it throttles you down. All unlimited is 4G LTE with Verizon, then they give you so many GIGS of Premium data (whatever that is).

https://www.verizonwireless.com/plans/unlimited/

I do it all the time with my Iphone X. Works with my VPN connection as well. Safer than using a public Wi-FI.