WHAT IS INTERNET SHARING?

Internet sharing, also known as tethering, allows you to create a network between your cell phone and any other device such as computer, laptop, tablet, etc. So, if you are having a good data plan on one device and poor or no internet connection on the other, you can access the internet on both the devices. What it actually does is turns your mobile phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot that acts as a modem for the other device. So, when you enable internet sharing on your phone, what it does is create a Wi-Fi enabled area around your device. All the other devices falling in this range can connect to the network but will require a password, depending upon your choice as whether you have allowed anybody to connect to your network or requested a password first. However, the former choice is not recommended in any case, especially when you have a limited data plan.

Wi-Fi INTERNET SHARING ON YOUR NOKIA LUMIA DEVICE:

To connect using a Wi-Fi network, this is how the process follows:

Wireless Carrier:

First, you need a tethering enabled data plan. Most of the wireless providers like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile offer separate tethering data plans that charge some extra cost for tethering compatibility. All the carriers have different plans and flexibility. Select the one that best suits you depending upon your requirements. So, once you are subscribed to one such plan, you can connect to a device on a Wi-Fi network as explained below:

First thing you need to do is update your Nokia Lumia to the latest software available because this feature of internet sharing might not be available in an old version. However, the feature comes preloaded with all the windows smartphone devices like Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820.

For updating your software, plug in your Nokia Lumia device to your PC using a USB cable connector. Then, open the Zune software on your PC and it will automatically check for the updates available. When all the updates are installed, you are good to check for the latest features.

Here is step by step detailed procedure on how to set up an Internet sharing connection on your Nokia Lumia device:

Remember that the device sharing the internet connection should be data enabled.

• On the home screen, tap the back button and go to the apps list.
• Navigate to Settings and scroll down to Internet Sharing.
• Tap on the sharing button to turn it On.
• A maximum of 5 devices can connect through your internet connection.
• To turn off the internet sharing, just flick the switch again.
• If it is the first time for you to enable the option, you will be given a broadcaster name that you can customize and change as well. This is the name that people will see when connecting to your network. Also, a password will be assigned to you. This is the password that is required by any other device to connect to your network. You can’t see who’s connected to your network. So, keep your password secret and don’t reveal it to anybody until he/she is trustable not to leak it.
• There is a setup button on the bottom of the page and you can customize all the fields. For example, you can change the security type to ‘public’ to allow anybody to connect to your network without your permission. But it is not recommended as the data being downloaded on other devices will be counted in your data plan. So, if your data plan is limited and someone is downloading high-definition movies, you are just screwed up.

INTERNET SHARING USING APPS FROM MARKETPLACE:

If you don’t want to pay that extra fee for tethering, there are many apps in the marketplace that you can rely on. While some of them are free, some cost around $10 to $30 and allow you to connect your laptop or PC easily with your phone using a USB cable or Bluetooth. Some of the popular apps are PdaNet that is being used to connect instantly without any fees. Here are the two methods explained:

Bluetooth:

Make sure that your both the devices are Bluetooth enables and Bluetooth is switched on.
Search for the device you want to connect with and once found, tap it to initiate the pairing.
Then, a password key will be required to proceed. Put any key such as ‘1234’ and once entered, both the devices will be paired.
Now, you can use the internet connection of first device on your PC.

USB:

You can also connect your laptop/PC to your phone using a USB cable connector. Once the syncing is done, just open the app and after a small setup, you are ready to browse the web.

NOTE: You can use the internet connection of your Lumia device on your PC/laptop but the reverse is not true. If you are having a data plan on your PC/laptop and want to share it on your Nokia Lumia, it is called Reverse Tethering, a totally different concept and requires different compatibility conditions to be fulfilled.