Hotspot on iPhone

[Seanog]

Broadband is down, so we're trying to Hotspot. I have an iPhone SE 2020, my wife the old SE. I can see my iPhone on my Computer but not hers. She can see hers on her Laptop but not mine. We are in the same room. What's going on?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello,

Sorry for the late reply. Are you still having the issue?

Di you try the steps here: How to set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad?

C

 

[Seanog]

Hello Cory, strange goings on here. We have had these working as Hotspots last year. My Wife's MacBook can see her iPhone but cannot connect. It cannot see my iphone, Desktop or MacBook Air. My 2015 MacBook air can hotspot Ok with my Iphone, so can my Desktop. A friend had a new 2020 Maxbook air, it could see my phone but not the wife's, but could not connect. Our Wifi has been down 2 weeks now Because of these problems we have been using an expensive BT Wifi hotspot. We always have problems connecting to it(Atmospherics?) but an Amazon Fire stick plugged into the TV connects every time. Our living room is small, and everything is in there

 

[Seanog]

I have managed to sort the Wifi hotspot problem

 

[Cory Cooper]

Good, glad you resolved it.

Be well,

C

 

[Nukeban]

Here's something I've been curious about for awhile. If iPhones and iPads can established cellular connections, why can't Macs?

Or is my information out of date, clearly a possibility for a guy who is always bragging about how old his computers are.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hi,

Macs cannot establish cellular connections, because they don't have the cellular network hardware/SIM slots built-in like iPhones and iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) models.

You can create share your Mac's Internet connection from Ethernet > Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi to Ethernet however in System Preferences > Sharing.

C

 

[Nukeban]

Hi,

Macs cannot establish cellular connections, because they don't have the cellular network hardware/SIM slots built-in like iPhones and iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) models.

Right, I get that much. I should have been clearer and asked why this is so. Do you understand the reasoning for why this technology is in ipads and iphones, but not Mac laptops?

You can create share your Mac's Internet connection from Ethernet > Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi to Ethernet however in System Preferences > Sharing.

Thanks, you are educational as usual. I see that now, but not sure of the circumstances in which I would use it. Could you share an example usage perhaps?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hi,

The industry as a whole never moved to cellular in laptops, probably because it was a phone communication protocol originally, cost was very prohibitive, and cellular data speeds were extremely slow by comparison (similar to satellite Internet). Now, we are starting to see other devices like tablets and even vehicles adopting cellular data technology. And speeds are improving, especially over the last 5 years or so with 4G/5G. Who knows if the industry will ever move to cellular in laptops.

An example of how Internet Sharing can be used is if you don't have Wi-Fi in a location, but have access to Ethernet connectivity. You can create a Wi-Fi network through your Mac that other wireless devices can connect to. Or, you can use your Mac's Wi-Fi connection to share Internet to older devices that don't have Wi-Fi, by connecting them to the Ethernet port of your Mac. Not may people use that feature at all, but it is there.

C

 

[Nukeban]

The industry as a whole never moved to cellular in laptops, probably because it was a phone communication protocol originally, cost was very prohibitive, and cellular data speeds were extremely slow by comparison

Why were these factors an obstacle for laptops, but not ipads or iphones?

I'm just curious, always wondered about this.

I guess if someone does need to connect a laptop over a cellular connection the solution is to hotspot from one's phone? And if one is a luddite primitive like me, and has a $25 3G flip phone then I guess the solution is to just forget about all this.

I could actually use this feature, as I sometimes take a laptop out in the woods on hikes. But it's probably good I can't access the net in the woods.