Android: Sharing your mobile data connection (Tethering)

Sharing your mobile data connection

You can share your tablet’s mobile data connection with a single computer via a USB cable or via Bluetooth: USB tethering or Bluetooth tethering. You can also share your tablet’s data connection with up to eight devices at once, by turning your tablet into a portable Wi-Fi hotspot. (Not all carriers and tablets support these features.)

When your tablet is sharing its data connection, an icon appears in the Status bar and as an ongoing notification in the Notifications panel (see Managing notifications).

You can also obtain a network connection for your tablet from a computer via Bluetooth: seeObtain a network connection via Bluetooth tethering.

	USB tethering is active
	Bluetooth tethering is active
	Portable Wi-Fi hotspot is active
	Multiple tethering or hotspot connections are active

For the latest information about tethering and portable hotspots, including supported operating systems and other details, visitandroid.com/tether.

Share your tablet’s data connection via USB

If your computer is running Windows 7 or a recent distribution of some flavors of Linux (such as Ubuntu), you typically don’t need to prepare your computer for tethering. But if you’re running an earlier version of Windows or another operating system, you may need to prepare your computer to establish a network connection via USB. For the most current information about which operating systems support USB tethering and how to configure them, visitandroid.com/tether.

1. Use the USB cable that came with your tablet to connect your tablet to your computer.
   
2. Open theSettingsapplication.
   
3. TouchWireless & networks > Tethering & portable hotspot.
   
4. CheckUSB tethering.The tablet starts sharing its mobile network data connection with your computer, via USB connection. An ongoing notification icon is added to the System bar, to the left of the time.
   
5. UncheckUSB tetheringto stop sharing your data connection. Or just disconnect the USB cable.

Share your tablet’s data connection via Bluetooth

If your computer can obtain an Internet connection via Bluetooth, you can configure your tablet to share it’s mobile data connection with your computer.

1. Pair your tablet with your computer.
   
2. Configure your computer to obtain its network connection via Bluetooth. For more information, see your computer’s documentation.
3. Open theSettingsapplication.
4. TouchWireless & networks > Tethering & portable hotspot.
5. CheckBluetooth tethering.

Share your tablet’s data connection as a portable Wi-Fi hotspot

1. Open theSettingsapplication.
2. TouchWireless & networks > Tethering & portable hotspot.
3. CheckPortable Wi-Fi hotspot.

After a moment, the tablet starts broadcasting its Wi-Fi network name (SSID), so you can connect to it with up to 8 computers or other devices. An ongoing notification is added to the System bar, to the left of the time.

WhenPortable Wi-Fi hotspotis checked, you can change its network name or secure it. See Rename or secure your portable hotspot.

UncheckPortable Wi-Fi hotspotto stop sharing your data connection via Wi-Fi.

Rename or secure your portable hotspot

You can change the name of your tablet’s Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and secure its Wi-Fi network.

1. Open theSettingsapplication.
2. TouchWireless & networks > Tethering & portable hotspot.
3. EnsurePortable Wi-Fi hotspotis checked.
4. TouchPortable Wi-Fi hotspot settings.
5. TouchConfigure Wi-Fi hotspot.

   The Configure Wi-Fi hotspot dialog opens.

   You can change the network SSID (name) that other computers see when scanning for Wi-Fi networks.

   You can also touch the Security menu to configure the network with Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) security, with a preshared key (PSK).

   If you touch theWPA2 PSKsecurity option, a password field is added to the Configure Wi-Fi hotspot dialog. If you enter a password, you will need to enter that password when you connect to the tablet’s hotspot with a computer or other device. Or touchOpenin the Security menu to remove security from your Wi-Fi network.

6. TouchSave.

You can share your tablet’s mobile data connection with a single computer via a USB cable or via Bluetooth: USB tethering or Bluetooth tethering. You can also share your tablet’s data connection with up to eight devices at once, by turning your tablet into a portable Wi-Fi hotspot. (Not all carriers and tablets support these features.)

When your tablet is sharing its data connection, an icon appears in the Status bar and as an ongoing notification in the Notifications panel (see Managing notifications).

You can also obtain a network connection for your tablet from a computer via Bluetooth: seeObtain a network connection via Bluetooth tethering.

	USB tethering is active
	Bluetooth tethering is active
	Portable Wi-Fi hotspot is active
	Multiple tethering or hotspot connections are active

For the latest information about tethering and portable hotspots, including supported operating systems and other details, visitandroid.com/tether.

Share your tablet’s data connection via USB

If your computer is running Windows 7 or a recent distribution of some flavors of Linux (such as Ubuntu), you typically don’t need to prepare your computer for tethering. But if you’re running an earlier version of Windows or another operating system, you may need to prepare your computer to establish a network connection via USB. For the most current information about which operating systems support USB tethering and how to configure them, visitandroid.com/tether.

1. Use the USB cable that came with your tablet to connect your tablet to your computer.
   
2. Open theSettingsapplication.
   
3. TouchWireless & networks > Tethering & portable hotspot.
   
4. CheckUSB tethering.The tablet starts sharing its mobile network data connection with your computer, via USB connection. An ongoing notification icon is added to the System bar, to the left of the time.
   
5. UncheckUSB tetheringto stop sharing your data connection. Or just disconnect the USB cable.

Share your tablet’s data connection via Bluetooth

If your computer can obtain an Internet connection via Bluetooth, you can configure your tablet to share it’s mobile data connection with your computer.

1. Pair your tablet with your computer.
   
2. Configure your computer to obtain its network connection via Bluetooth. For more information, see your computer’s documentation.
3. Open theSettingsapplication.
4. TouchWireless & networks > Tethering & portable hotspot.
5. CheckBluetooth tethering.

Share your tablet’s data connection as a portable Wi-Fi hotspot

1. Open theSettingsapplication.
2. TouchWireless & networks > Tethering & portable hotspot.
3. CheckPortable Wi-Fi hotspot.

After a moment, the tablet starts broadcasting its Wi-Fi network name (SSID), so you can connect to it with up to 8 computers or other devices. An ongoing notification is added to the System bar, to the left of the time.

WhenPortable Wi-Fi hotspotis checked, you can change its network name or secure it. See Rename or secure your portable hotspot.

UncheckPortable Wi-Fi hotspotto stop sharing your data connection via Wi-Fi.

Rename or secure your portable hotspot

You can change the name of your tablet’s Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and secure its Wi-Fi network.

1. Open theSettingsapplication.
2. TouchWireless & networks > Tethering & portable hotspot.
3. EnsurePortable Wi-Fi hotspotis checked.
4. TouchPortable Wi-Fi hotspot settings.
5. TouchConfigure Wi-Fi hotspot.

   The Configure Wi-Fi hotspot dialog opens.

   You can change the network SSID (name) that other computers see when scanning for Wi-Fi networks.

   You can also touch the Security menu to configure the network with Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) security, with a preshared key (PSK).

   If you touch theWPA2 PSKsecurity option, a password field is added to the Configure Wi-Fi hotspot dialog. If you enter a password, you will need to enter that password when you connect to the tablet’s hotspot with a computer or other device. Or touchOpenin the Security menu to remove security from your Wi-Fi network.

6. TouchSave.