One of the most eagerly awaited features of iOS 4 is iPhone tethering, which allows you to use your phone as a wireless modem for a computer. When you use tethering, anywhere that your phone can get on the 3G network, your computer can get online, too.
Now that tethering is available, it's time to learn how to use it. This tutorial will take U.S. iPhone owners through how to add the feature to your AT&T account, configure tethering on your iPhone, and how to get online using it.
To begin, you need to add the feature to your AT&T account. You can do this over the phone by calling AT&T at 611 or by logging into your account on the AT&T website and adding it there. This tutorial covers that method.
Once you've logged into your AT&T account, select the My Services navigation item at the top. From the My Services page, choose Manage Features.
Choose Tethering Plan
There are two options for the kind of tethering plan you can use. The first, DataPro 4GB for Enterprise, is used by businesses with Enterprise plans with AT&T. This doesn't apply to most users, so unless you get your iPhone through work, you can probably ignore it.
That leaves DataPro 4GB for iPhone, which is what you want. Select that.
The US$45 price refers to the total monthly cost, not the price of tethering alone.
Tethering adds $20/month to the $25/month iPhone data plan (it also requires you to drop the unlimited iPhone data plan). Click "next" to continue.
Determine Tethering Start Date
When you enable tethering, you have options for when you can begin using the feature - and when you'll start getting billed for it. Choose from:
- Backdate - This adds the charge to your current month. Only choose this if you're close to running out of data on your plan and need more (though tethering may not help much with that, since it's often bandwidth-intensive).
- Make effective today - This puts the feature in place immediately and pro-rates the cost of tethering over the rest of your current plan month.
- Future date - This will begin billing at the start of your next month. But it means you won't be able to use tethering until then either.
Make your selection and continue.
Confirm Tethering Addition
You'll be presented with a page detailing the addition of tethering (and the replacement of your unlimited data plan with the new 4GB plan). Make sure this is correct and click submit to complete the change.
Tethering should be enabled on your plan in just a few seconds.
Configure iPhone for Tethering
Now that tethering has been added to your AT&T account, you need to configure the iPhone to use tethering.
Turn tethering on by going to your iPhone's home screen and tapping the Settings icon (assuming you haven't re-arranged icons and put the app elsewhere. If so, go to it wherever you've put it). Select General -> Network and scroll to the bottom. You'll see a button called Internet Tethering. In iOS 4.3 of later, the option is now called Personal Hotspot.
It should read "Off."
If it doesn't, make sure you've added tethering to your AT&T account properly. Call AT&T if necessary.
Tap the Internet Tethering/Personal Hotspot button. On the Internet Tethering/Personal Hotspot screen, you'll see an on/off slider and instructions on how to connect your iPhone to your computer to use tethering. Your options are WiFi, USB and Bluetooth.
Determine which of those you want to use. If USB, plug your USB cable into your iPhone (but not the computer yet). If Bluetooth, make sure Bluetooth is turned on for both your computer and phone (via Settings -> General -> Bluetooth). If WiFi, you'll join the WiFi network created by the iPhone using the password listed on this page.
Slide to slider to "On."
When you turn tethering on, you'll get a warning if Bluetooth and WiFi are not enabled. This is OK. Either enable Bluetooth and WiFi or tap the "USB Only" button. You can always come back and tether via Bluetooth or WiFi later if you want.
If you're using USB, now is the time to plug the cable into your computer (you can plug it in earlier, but that will make you wait longer, since it will include two syncs rather than one).
Your phone will sync with your computer unless you've set it not to automatically sync. If you have, sync it now. When the sync is complete, you'll be online.
If you're using Bluetooth, make sure it's turned on for both devices. When it is, set your computer to discover new Bluetooth devices and, when it finds your phone, pair them. Confirm the connection.
When the devices are paired, choose "Connect to Network" from your computer's Bluetooth utility (on the Mac, this is the Bluetooth menu in the top right corner) and you should be online. Sometimes there's a slight delay in connecting via Bluetooth, but be patient.
If you're using WiFi, you'll connect to this WiFi network just like any other, using the password provided.
Your iPhone is now tethered to your computer and providing it Internet access. You'll know tethering is active by the blue bar across the top of the screen that says "Personal Hotspot" or the larger blue bar with the same text on the lock screen. This bar will show how many devices are connected to your phone.
It's important to remember that tethering requires you to use AT&T's new data plans, which are no longer unlimited.
If you use tethering a lot, make sure to keep an eye on your data usage to avoid overage charges.
To turn tethering off, tap the Settings icon, then General -> Personal Hotspot.