Tethering

[Mesqueunclub]

Hi guys,
For my sins I have a BB Z10 with internet tethering as part of my plan (very happy with as I have the best of both worlds) yet when I try to "tether" my iPad to it, it sometimes won't connect. It takes ages or not at all yet my BB shows "successfully connected". Puzzling and a little frustrated so I tend to use "mobile hotspot" and always have a connection. What the difference is I have no idea.
Any views/advice appreciated
Mike

 

[Mesqueunclub]

Guess there's no answer on here to this, or is it because I have mentioned the dreaded Blackberry

 

[J. A.]

Guess there's no answer on here to this, or is it because I have mentioned the dreaded Blackberry

Let me add my Samsung Galaxy S 3 to make this thread even more dreadful.

There are only technical differences between tethering and mobile hotspot. Many providers treat it the same way.

Tethering uses the cellular signal from a phone, converts it and and allows one device to access the internet through this connection. The phone serves as modem.

Some mobile phones can create a hotspot (thus "mobile hotspot") which allows more than one device to connect to the internet. The cellular signal is converted into a signal that every Wi-Fi enabled device can use to access the web. Your mobile phone turns into a sort of mobile router.

 

[willerz2]

Blackberries and Samsung? What is this heresy!!!

I haven't used a Blackberry in years, but I think PDAnet is still usable on the newer BB models, which is a one-stop-shop solution that I've used in the past, and it wasn't problematic or aggravating to use if you want to use Bluetooth tethering, but don't take my word for it since I don't have a Blackberry to try If you're looking to jailbreak your device, you can probably check this thread out for Bluetooth Tethering rather than Mobile Hotspot.

Mobile Hotspot is supported by the iOS. Tethering generally revolves around a hardwired connection or Bluetooth for connectivity.

 

[twerppoet]

I'm not sure what method you are using for tethering, but chances are you are better off just using the hotspot feature. It's better supported and probably faster.

Be sure you password protect the hotspot, since the channel will be visible to those in your area.

 

[Mesqueunclub]

Thanks everyone, very interesting and some of this I admit I knew when I posted but I cannot understand why mobile devices use two platforms as mine does. How confusing! And, Twerpoet, I take on board what you said re. using mobile hotspot (I am in fact doing so at the moment) in fact, when you mentioned password protect I immediately checked and I had done so. Good job because I do not remember what the password was and was able to check by pressing the little eye at the side which revealed the password. Now saved in a safe place.
The main reason I asked about tethering is that my plan includes unlimited tethering whereas my mobile hotspot is limited to 2gb per month
Once again, you guys have come good. Brilliant!
Mike

 

[Mesqueunclub]

Sorry, Twerpoet, I forgot to add that I use Bluetooth to connect with my B... Oops, I mean mobile phone by tethering. Willerz2 suggested a hard wired connection if using Bluetooth but I do not not if a cable which could connect my phone to my beloved iPad.

 

[Mesqueunclub]

Blackberries and Samsung? What is this heresy!!!

I haven't used a Blackberry in years, but I think PDAnet is still usable on the newer BB models, which is a one-stop-shop solution that I've used in the past, and it wasn't problematic or aggravating to use if you want to use Bluetooth tethering, but don't take my word for it since I don't have a Blackberry to try If you're looking to jailbreak your device, you can probably check this thread out for Bluetooth Tethering rather than Mobile Hotspot.

Mobile Hotspot is supported by the iOS. Tethering generally revolves around a hardwired connection or Bluetooth for connectivity.

Thanks but way too complicated for me. However, my mobile phone has all the software for tethering and mobile hotspot. Just that when I use tethering, it some times connects or takes ages. That is of course using Bluetooth and I am aware that iPad and BB are not really compatible when it comes to Bluetooth so thereby may lie the problem. As I pointed out I would prefer to be able to use tethering as I have unlimited in my plan whereas with mobile hotspot I am limited to 2gb per month.

 

[willerz2]

Thanks but way too complicated for me. However, my mobile phone has all the software for tethering and mobile hotspot. Just that when I use tethering, it some times connects or takes ages. That is of course using Bluetooth and I am aware that iPad and BB are not really compatible when it comes to Bluetooth so thereby may lie the problem. As I pointed out I would prefer to be able to use tethering as I have unlimited in my plan whereas with mobile hotspot I am limited to 2gb per month.

That is a problem :/ I'm not sure about Blackberry, but on the Galaxy/Nexus and iPhone series, there are apps or tweaks that can convert(?) the connectivity type from one to another, i.e. mobile hotspotting can become tethering, or tethering can become mobile hotspotting. Not sure how it works per say, but apparently it's worked before. The one downside to Apple products is that it has locked-in-a-vault-with-the-key-thrown-away kind of operating system for security purposes. I get that security is a huge issue for them, but sometimes something like Bluetooth tethering on an iPad is something that's not of a major security concern.

 

[twerppoet]

Odd that tethering and hotspot are using two different data plan allotments. Verizon makes no distinction on the iPhone (that I've noticed). Internet data is internet data. It is possible to pair an iPhone and iPad for data tethering. It's just too much trouble to bother with unless you have an older, much older, model iPhone that can not use the hotspot feature.

I suspect that your bluetooth tethering is unlimited because the bandwidth on Bluetooth is slow. Trying to stream video or even audio over bluetooth is likely to be a painful experience. You'd be hard pressed to use up 2 GB a month that way.

 

[Mesqueunclub]

Everything said on here is totally relevant and I very much appreciate the input. That said, does anyone know where I can obtain a cable which would link my mobile to my iPad so I could hardwire so to speak for tethering purposes?

 

[J. A.]

Everything said on here is totally relevant and I very much appreciate the input. That said, does anyone know where I can obtain a cable which would link my mobile to my iPad so I could hardwire so to speak for tethering purposes?

I don't think that's possible. This is what I get when I connect my Samsung Galaxy to my iPad Air:




I can only use it to transfer photos to the iPad. I think willerz2 spoke of a jailbroken device where it's possible to do this.

 

[willerz2]

Odd that tethering and hotspot are using two different data plan allotments. Verizon makes no distinction on the iPhone (that I've noticed). Internet data is internet data. It is possible to pair an iPhone and iPad for data tethering. It's just too much trouble to bother with unless you have an older, much older, model iPhone that can not use the hotspot feature.

I suspect that your bluetooth tethering is unlimited because the bandwidth on Bluetooth is slow. Trying to stream video or even audio over bluetooth is likely to be a painful experience. You'd be hard pressed to use up 2 GB a month that way.

Agreed TP. All US carriers no longer differentiates tethering and mobile hotspots with the introduction of 4G several years ago, but I guess that's not the same for European carriers and probably other carriers around the world. TIL.

 

[Mesqueunclub]

I don't think that's possible. This is what I get when I connect my Samsung Galaxy to my iPad Air:


View attachment 54994

I can only use it to transfer photos to the iPad. I think willerz2 spoke of a jailbroken device where it's possible to do this.

My iPad instincts told me that it would not be possible, J. A., but I had to ask the question. Makes for an interesting thread, anyway.
Thanks for everything.
Mike

 

[willerz2]

My iPad instincts told me that it would not be possible, J. A., but I had to ask the question. Makes for an interesting thread, anyway.
Thanks for everything.
Mike

Agreed. Never such thing as stupid questions, only stupid answers If there's nothing up for discussion, we wouldn't have forums