To me, the definition of hotspotting is sort of like this:
a. Your phone has access to have cellular data via a tower connection
b. You make your phone an access point
c. Any number of Wi-Fi clients can access that cellular data through it
To me, the definition of tethering might be sort of something like this.
a. Your phone has access to have cellular data via a tower connection
b. You connect your phone by cable to a PC (USB-C to USB-A for example)
c. A single PC can access that cellular data through that wired connection
However, while I've hotspotted at times, I have never tethered.
I do not know if tethering requires anything special on the (Windows) PC.
Does it?
Wally J wrote:
To me, the definition of hotspotting is sort of like this:
a. Your phone has access to have cellular data via a tower connection
b. You make your phone an access point
c. Any number of Wi-Fi clients can access that cellular data through it
yep, though "any" will have an upper limit.
To me, the definition of tethering might be sort of something like this.
a. Your phone has access to have cellular data via a tower connection
b. You connect your phone by cable to a PC (USB-C to USB-A for example)
c. A single PC can access that cellular data through that wired connection
possibly bluetooth instead of USB (in the old days IrDA)
However, while I've hotspotted at times, I have never tethered.
I do not know if tethering requires anything special on the (Windows) PC.
Does it?
Generally a driver to make a virtual ethernet device appear over the USB >connection (in the old days a virtual COM port and emulated modem with
"AT" commands).
Wally J wrote:
To me, the definition of hotspotting is sort of like this:
a. Your phone has access to have cellular data via a tower connection
b. You make your phone an access point
c. Any number of Wi-Fi clients can access that cellular data through it
yep, though "any" will have an upper limit.
To me, the definition of tethering might be sort of something like this.
a. Your phone has access to have cellular data via a tower connection
b. You connect your phone by cable to a PC (USB-C to USB-A for example)
c. A single PC can access that cellular data through that wired connection
possibly bluetooth instead of USB (in the old days IrDA)
However, while I've hotspotted at times, I have never tethered.
I do not know if tethering requires anything special on the (Windows) PC.
Does it?
Generally a driver to make a virtual ethernet device appear over the USB connection (in the old days a virtual COM port and emulated modem with
"AT" commands).
The _only_ reason I lump hotspotting & tethering is that T-Mobile does.
The limitations for each are combined and therefore treated the same.
To me, the definition of hotspotting is sort of like this:
a. Your phone has access to have cellular data via a tower connection
b. You make your phone an access point
c. Any number of Wi-Fi clients can access that cellular data through it
To me, the definition of tethering might be sort of something like this.
a. Your phone has access to have cellular data via a tower connection
b. You connect your phone by cable to a PC (USB-C to USB-A for example)
c. A single PC can access that cellular data through that wired connection
However, while I've hotspotted at times, I have never tethered.
I do not know if tethering requires anything special on the (Windows) PC.
Does it?
Generally a driver to make a virtual ethernet device appear over the USB connection (in the old days a virtual COM port and emulated modem with
"AT" commands).
Ten years later, when not at work, Bluetooth or USB. On my first tablet, a Zaurus C860 running Linux, I had to run scripts which issued the AT
commands to set up the GPRS connection. I also had a very long USB cable
so that if necessary I could hoist the phone up into my boat's rigging to
get a better signal.
Thanks Dave & Andy & others for the advice on tethering which seems to be
a. Bluetooth (nowadays)
b. USB (nowadays)
c. IrDA (olden days)
I wonder if "ad hoc Wi-Fi" is considered either tethering or hotspotting? >(Probably tethering perhaps as it's not the same as access-point Wi-Fi.)
It has been a long time since I've issued AT commands (into a US Robotics >modem tied to the serial port of a PC) so let's hope things have improved.
What seems most significantly different between hotspotting & tethering is
A. One to multiple (hotspotting) versus one to one (tethering)
B. Wi-Fi Access Point (hotspotting) versus irDA/USB/Bluetooth (tethering)
The open question is whether the virtual Ethernet device Andy spoke about >happens automagically on Windows or if it has to be installed specifically.
Googling, I found these instructions for Windows 10 and 11.
<https://www.lifewire.com/enable-usb-tethering-windows-11-5196403> <https://www.lifewire.com/set-up-usb-tethering-windows-10-4584419>
Which seem to claim the software setup happens automagically on Windows 10. >1. Connect your Android or iPhone to your PC with a USB cable.
2. Turn on USB Tethering (Android) or Personal Hotspot (iPhone).
3. Open Windows Network and Internet settings to verify the connection. >Paradoxically with a different procedure on Windows 11.
1. Turn off Windows 11 Wi-Fi & connect your smartphone via a USB cable.
2. iPhone Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot > Allow Others to Join. >Android Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering > USB tethering.
Does it work was pretty much what I was wondering as hotspotting seems more >intuitive if the PC has Wi-Fi (which most Windows laptops will have).
On an older desktop, there may only be the USB connection (mine are
all bridged using an old spare router) so tethering might be needed.
It has been a long time since I've issued AT commands (into a US Robotics modem tied to the serial port of a PC) so let's hope things have improved.
On 2023-12-18 00:44, Wally J wrote:
The _only_ reason I lump hotspotting & tethering is that T-Mobile does.
The limitations for each are combined and therefore treated the same.
To me, the definition of hotspotting is sort of like this:
a. Your phone has access to have cellular data via a tower connection
b. You make your phone an access point
c. Any number of Wi-Fi clients can access that cellular data through it
To me, the definition of tethering might be sort of something like this.
a. Your phone has access to have cellular data via a tower connection
b. You connect your phone by cable to a PC (USB-C to USB-A for example)
c. A single PC can access that cellular data through that wired connection
However, while I've hotspotted at times, I have never tethered.
I do not know if tethering requires anything special on the (Windows) PC.
Does it?
Both methods I call tethering.
Wally J wrote:
It has been a long time since I've issued AT commands (into a US Robotics
modem tied to the serial port of a PC) so let's hope things have improved.
they got quite convoluted with GPRS modems pretending to "dial"
e.g.
AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","internet"
ATD*99***1
Wally J wrote:[...]
However, while I've hotspotted at times, I have never tethered.
I do not know if tethering requires anything special on the (Windows) PC.
Does it?
Generally a driver to make a virtual ethernet device appear over the USB connection (in the old days a virtual COM port and emulated modem with
"AT" commands).
Andy Burns, 2023-12-18 05:29:
Wally J wrote:[...]
However, while I've hotspotted at times, I have never tethered.
I do not know if tethering requires anything special on the (Windows) PC. >>>
Does it?
Generally a driver to make a virtual ethernet device appear over the USB
connection (in the old days a virtual COM port and emulated modem with
"AT" commands).
Windows 10/11 should recognize the provided internet connection via USB tethering as network similar to a WiFi hotspot or ethernet router. So
there should not be any need to emulate a modem.
For Smartphone which are already connected there is no need to "dial" anything at all when using them for internet access via USB, WiFi or Bluetooth.
On 2023-12-20 02:10, Arno Welzel wrote:
Andy Burns, 2023-12-18 05:29:
Wally J wrote:[...]
However, while I've hotspotted at times, I have never tethered.
I do not know if tethering requires anything special on the (Windows) PC. >>>>
Does it?
Generally a driver to make a virtual ethernet device appear over the USB >>> connection (in the old days a virtual COM port and emulated modem with
"AT" commands).
Windows 10/11 should recognize the provided internet connection via USB
tethering as network similar to a WiFi hotspot or ethernet router. So
there should not be any need to emulate a modem.
The decision is not Windows to take.
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