INTERACT FORUM
Devices => Androids and other portables => Topic started by: JimH on July 03, 2010, 07:42:10 am
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Yesterday morning my Google Nexus One phone updated itself to Android 2.2. One of the features is something called "tethering". It offers two ways to use a phone to connect your PC to the Internet.
1. USB Tethering -- Connect your PC to the phone with a USB cable and your PC is ready to surf.
What's even better is:
2. WiFi Portable Hotspot -- Your phone becomes a wireless access point for several devices.
Both were trivial to set up and were working within 5 minutes. The USB connection just caused the PC to install a driver. The wireless connection required setting up a password on both phone and PC to complete.
Both worked OK as an Internet connection, but may have been a little slow. I need to use it more to find out what it feels like. Time of day may have been a factor.
Using the phone as a wireless hotspot caused the phone to heat up and discharge farily quickly. I did use it for an hour and a half to stream music from our Performer service so it worked pretty well.
I suspect this will work even better in the next release. For now, it's great to have an "on board" Internet connection. I can leave my cell modem at home now.
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The speed issue may be related to the fact that I have an early Google Nexus phone and that it only makes an Edge connecton to AT&T. No 3G.
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For reference number one is available in Android 2.1
I'm awaiting 2.2 for number 2. It's a nice function to have.
I used joikuspot for the same thing on my Nokia and it was so useful when away from home with a laptop!
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I'm awaiting 2.2 for number 2. It's a nice function to have.
if you can gain root access on your current Android device, you can have wireless tethering with 2.1 eclair right now. it's in the marketplace, v2.0.5b I think.
I answered Jim's thread about this on the EVO here...
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=58393.msg395664#msg395664