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Is using the mobile hotspot convenient or inconvenient?

Doctor Q

Doctor Q

Administrator
Original poster
Staff member
Sep 19, 2002
40,482
9,435
Los Angeles
The mobile hotspot feature is a nice capability of the Verizon iPhone but I have some concerns about its convenience.

1. Will I have to turn the mobile hotspot setting on the iPhone on and off each time I want to connect another device, so that it doesn't count my iPhone usage against the 2GB limit when I'm not using other devices?
The answer seems to be no, that the iPhone disables the mobile hotspot automatically when there are no devices connected. But I haven't seen this stated at Verizon's website, only in articles elsewhere.​

2. If I'm using the mobile hotspot for, say, an iPad and a MacBook Pro, and I walk into a free wifi area (like a public hotspot or my home network), how do I ensure that the iPad and MBP use the free wifi instead of the mobile hotspot, again so I don't use data from my monthly allocation?

3. I get great battery life with an iPad Wifi+3G with monthly mobile service. If I use an iPad Wifi (no 3G, no separate service) and rely on the mobile hotspot instead, will I drain my iPhone battery so quickly that it won't be a practical alternative?
 
Doctor Q said:
The mobile hotspot feature is a nice capability of the Verizon iPhone but I have some concerns about its convenience.

1. Will I have to turn the mobile hotspot setting on the iPhone on and off each time I want to connect another device, so that it doesn't count my iPhone usage against the 2GB limit when I'm not using other devices?
The answer seems to be no, that the iPhone disables the mobile hotspot automatically when there are no devices connected. But I haven't seen this stated at Verizon's website, only in articles elsewhere.​

2. If I'm using the mobile hotspot for, say, an iPad and a MacBook Pro, and I walk into a free wifi area (like a public hotspot or my home network), how do I ensure that the iPad and MBP use the free wifi instead of the mobile hotspot, again so I don't use data from my monthly allocation?

3. I get great battery life with an iPad Wifi+3G with monthly mobile service. If I use an iPad Wifi (no 3G, no separate service) and rely on the mobile hotspot instead, will I drain my iPhone battery so quickly that it won't be a practical alternative?
Click to expand...

I have verizon mobile hotspot on my palm pre plus. to answer your questions... you will want to turn the hotspot OFF each and every time your not using it for two reasons

1. it will kill your battery life

2. with only 2 gb data you will burn through that very quickly
 
the hot spot feature will take down your battery power quicker..
you will need to turn it on and off to monitor it very easy two clicks open the app and hit connect takes seconds.
you would only need to use this feature if you had no wifi, its much slower usually from what i have expereinced so i only use it when i am on the road needed my ipad and couldnt find a wifi location
 
I don't remember which review stated this, but the hotspot will give you a solid 4 hours from your phone (obviously if its charged).
 
The biggest reason that you'd want to turn the feature off when you aren't using it is that it stops your iPhone connecting to Wi-Fi networks.
 
Last edited:
I will still but a 3G iPad 2, it is might more convenient to have the 3G option when travelling. Some hotels have bad wifi and require ethernet to connect to the internet so a 3G connection is vital for me when travelling.
 
1. I can't speak to how the iPhone's mobile hotspot will work, but I have read that it does automatically turn off some time devices disconnect. My Palm Pre does not have this feature, on/off is completely manual.

2. You just have to turn your iPhone's mobile hotspot off and connect to the free router on your other devices.

3. Every phone (Android and Pre Plus) that I've used a mobile hotspot on loses it's battery pretty quickly.

I, too, currently have the Palm Pre Plus on VZW. I love the mobile hotspot feature and it is the one feature of the Pre that I will actually miss. The mobile hotspot is completely free and has a 5gb limit on the Pre. I use it pretty often and have never gone over 2gb. I make sure to never download large files nor do I stream music/video while I'm using it.

It is hard on the battery. The Pre's power management is horrible and easily loses 25% or more in 30 minutes to an hour with the hotspot on. When the hotspot is on, any data that the phone uses is charged to your data limit. So if your phone checks your email accounts for example, it's charged against your limit. Even if no wifi devices are connected to the phone while the hotspot is active, it charges to your data limit.

As to whether or not you will eat through the limit quickly, it's just something that you need to test. Last month, my cable internet was down and I played Call of Duty Black Ops on my PS3 connected through the hotspot on my Pre. I limited myself to about ten games each night and played probably 7 nights. I only used 400mb of data.

If you're interested in a bluetooth hotspot, check out MyWi for jailbroken devices.
 
bwhitta said:
As to whether or not you will eat through the limit quickly, it's just something that you need to test. Last month, my cable internet was down and I played Call of Duty Black Ops on my PS3 connected through the hotspot on my Pre. I limited myself to about ten games each night and played probably 7 nights. I only used 400mb of data.
Click to expand...

That sounds horrific.

I'm surprised it was playable.

Latency over Wi-Fi is bad enough let alone Wi-Fi + a Cellular network.
 
You should be able to set your prefered networks in order they connect.
ie Home then work then personal hotspot.
So the PC/MAC will connect to them in that order.
Most people will only use the hotspot on odd occasions. So turning on & off will not be so bad. Ive read after the computers have disconnected it doesnt drain the battery.
Best thing to do is try it when its out.
 
bwhitta said:
1. I can't speak to how the iPhone's mobile hotspot will work, but I have read that it does automatically turn off some time devices disconnect.

2. You just have to turn your iPhone's mobile hotspot off and connect to the free router on your other devices.
Click to expand...
I was hoping it could all be automatic so the hotspot and its data plan would automatically be used only when there was no other wifi, as I roam the world with my multiple devices.

But it sounds like I'll sometimes have to enable/disable it manually. That's still workable, just not as convenient as I'd hoped.
 
bwhitta said:
1.
As to whether or not you will eat through the limit quickly, it's just something that you need to test. Last month, my cable internet was down and I played Call of Duty Black Ops on my PS3 connected through the hotspot on my Pre. I limited myself to about ten games each night and played probably 7 nights. I only used 400mb of data.

If you're interested in a bluetooth hotspot, check out MyWi for jailbroken devices.
Click to expand...


wow you must be really addicted to that game using your phone as a tether to play it online LOL:D

I dunno, I would never dare try that
 
Daveoc64 said:
That sounds horrific.

I'm surprised it was playable.

Latency over Wi-Fi is bad enough let alone Wi-Fi + a Cellular network.
Click to expand...

It wasn't too bad, better than nothing. Had lagging moments, but never completely lagged out.

Rodvette said:
wow you must be really addicted to that game using your phone as a tether to play it online LOL:D

I dunno, I would never dare try that
Click to expand...

Nah, not addicted. Was more interested to see how the quality was and how much data would be consumed.
 
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