Can You Use WiFi And Hotspot At The Same Time?

Can you use WiFi and Hotspot at the same time? The introduction of Wi-Fi completely changed the way people consume content and remain connected to the Web. It is one of the most important discoveries of the modern age, and has freed people from the shackles of Ethernet cables and wires.

Now, a router can be installed with an Ethernet cable going in, and it can cover a particular area with Wi-Fi coverage. A lot of people are under the impression that Wi-Fi is actually an acronym that stands for something, but that’s not actually true.

In fact, Wi-Fi is just a brand name given to this particular technology by a marketing firm. In the simplest of terms, the Wi-Fi network is a technology that allows various devices such as computers, laptops, mobile phones, and various other pieces of equipment such as video cameras and printers to connect to the Internet.

It helps these devices interface with the Web by allowing them to exchange information directly with each other. The connectivity is all passed through a wireless router. When you are connected to Wi-Fi, you are actually connected to your router which allows different devices that are compatible with the Wi-Fi to connect to the internet in the first place.

Now, most people use Wi-Fi virtually all the time on their phones. When you are in range, your phone’s radio looks for the Wi-Fi signals, and connects to it right away. It’s a pretty simple way of remaining connected. But, when you are on the go and don’t have access to the Internet, you can easily turn on 4G and LTE. These are pretty advanced technologies that have greatly increased the pace of communication all around the globe.

Even when you are on the go and connected to 4G, you can get blistering speeds anywhere as long as you are within coverage. As you drift farther, your connection might become slower, and you may get a 3G icon on your screen. However, modern phones are quite advanced, and they also give you the option to create a hotspot.

What Is a Mobile HotSpot?

One of the features that you will see if you visit the settings menu and go into the networking section is a hotspot. A mobile hotspot is one of the most common features that you will find on modern devices, and can be used for both tethered as well as untethered connections. Simply put, when you turn on your mobile phone’s hotspot, it’s going to share the connection with others in the area.

Your mobile phone will then begin to act as a “router” and all connected devices will use it to interface with the internet. But, there’s a catch. If you are already connected to Wi-Fi and try to turn on mobile hotspot, you will get an error message on your screen. That error message will say that because you are trying to turn on a mobile hotspot, your Wi-Fi is going to be shut off. Similarly, when your hotspot is already activated and you try to turn on Mobile Wi-Fi, it’s going to shut off the hotspot.

What this means is that you can only create a hotspot when you are using a data connection. However, what if you wanted to use both of them together? What if there was a way that would allow you to use your Wi-Fi and also “rebroadcast” it over another network to improve its range? It may seem weird, but it’s actually quite possible. Here’s how it works.

Can You Use WiFi And Hotspot At The Same Time?

It’s possible to use both wifi and hotspot at the same time if you follow the procedure below.

The first step that you need to take is to download a mobile application. A popular application such as Netshare is a great choice because it is free to use, even though the free version has relatively limited features as compared to the full version which is paid.

When you open the app, just click on Wi-Fi hotspot, and once you enable it, your phone will start broadcasting. Now, all you need to do is to take another phone and search through the available names on Wi-Fi, and you are going to find your phone’s name being broadcasted over Wi-Fi. The best thing about this is that you can connect to the network just like you would to any other Wi-Fi. The process is incredibly simple; just add the password that you chose on your previous mobile, and you will see devices that are connected. You will also receive a small notification on your mobile phone showing connected devices.

Now, using another mobile phone, open the managed network settings, and click on show advanced options. Then, simply enable proxy settings. From there, you can add the proxy hostname and the proxy port that is being shown on your previous device. Once all the settings are done accordingly and everything is checked, you will be able to connect and use the Wi-Fi without any problem whatsoever. It’s a pretty convenient method of using Wi-Fi on your phone without any hassle.

But, what if you don’t want to download an application? Nowadays, many smartphones also give you the option of creating a portable Wi-Fi hotspot. A number of advanced Android devices, primarily the latest Samsung phones, give you this option. You just need to go into settings, and you will see an option saying “portable Wi-Fi hotspot.” It’s a great choice because it allows you to create another Wi-Fi hotspot, which essentially means that you are extending the range of your current Wi-Fi to allow more devices to connect to it.

This allows you to share the connection with multiple devices by creating a simple, yet effective chain. A number of modern devices contain this feature, even though they do not advertise it as much. That’s alright; you just have to go into the networking settings to see what’s available and what isn’t. If you don’t have the setting available on your phone by default, you can always download the application and start using it from there without much of a problem.

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About David

Hey there, I'm David. I recently joined the Spacehop team from Tech Devised, and love writing about all things TECH! When I'm not writing, you can find me enjoying the great outdoors with my golden retriever Lucy or enjoying a pint at my local Irish pub.

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