You can no longer live without an Internet connection. If you are one of those who think so, you will be interested in knowing more about the concept of portable wifi, a solution to be connected anywhere and at any time. without having to resort to Public wifi, an option not always safe.
This solution can be very practical, since it allows us to connect from places that our network does not reach. The key is in the use of 4G or 5G networks and the methods available to us are these: purchase a portable router O well turn our own mobile phone into a router. We explain everything below:
portable router
Un portable router is a device whose function is to generate a WiFi network through our data rate. For it to work, all we have to do is insert a SIM card into it, from which the device will generate the connection.
Typically, these routers have a smaller size than that of routers. That is a great advantage, since we will be able to transport them easily and load them in our bag or backpack. Besides, They are standalone devices. that is, they do not depend on any other device, such as a mobile phone or a computer.
There are many different types and models of routers to have portable WiFi. Depending on our own needs, it will be more or less convenient to choose one or the other:
- classic plug-in router, with antennas, which we can plug into our country house or apartment on the beach to have WiFi.
- Wireless router It works with rechargeable batteries. If we choose one of these models, we will have to look at what is the autonomy it offers.
- Dongle or a USB stick that can be connected, for example, to a laptop to obtain the electrical energy it needs to function and generate WiFi.
A portable router gives us the freedom to contract the data rate that is most convenient for us in each circumstance. The ideal is buy a specific SIM card for him (better than using our own mobile), thus avoiding that when using the connection we end up consuming mobile data and have problems or extra expenses having exceeded the monthly limit.
Other aspects to consider before buying one of these routers is that they have a resistant casing, since we are going to put them in our travel luggage, and know what kind of networks they are compatible with. Of course, 5G will always be better than 4G, although it will also be more expensive. Depending on the use that we are going to give to the connection, we must consider which option to opt for.
Use mobile as router
This is the second possibility that we have to get portable WiFi. This method consists of create an access point from our smartphone in order to share our connection with other devices. In other words: transform our mobile phone into a WiFi router, which will generate a signal that other devices can connect to wirelessly.
This solution has positive and negative aspects: on the one hand, it saves us the expense of having to buy a portable router and it is a service that is available on all phones, both Android and iOS; On the other hand, we must bear in mind that we are going to use the data from our mobile, which can be consumed very quickly if we do not control the use made of the WiFi from the connected devices. You should also consider changing your password to prevent anyone without authorization from accessing and using our network.
If we want to create a portable WiFi network from our mobile, these are the steps to follow:
On Android
- To start, we open the menu Settings of the telephone.
- Select the option «Connections», which can also be displayed under the name of "Network and Internet".*
- Then we click on "Share internet" o "Shared connection", where we can put a name to the new network and implement a new password (recommended).
- When everything is configured, we will activate the option "Use Internet Sharing", and even establish the connection automatically.
(*) Keep in mind that, depending on the manufacturer, the names of these options may vary slightly, although they are all easily recognizable.
On the iPhone
This operation is even easier from the iPhone, since you only have to go to the Settings and click on "Personal Hotspot". Unlike Android, iOS will not allow us to change the name, although we can configure the password.
Once this is done, it is simply a matter of activating the option «Allow others to connect." That's all. With these simple steps, the list of WiFi networks will show the new active access point to connect to as if it were any other WiFi network.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is no reason to resign yourself to or have an internet connection when we are traveling or away from home. The two methods that we have presented to you (buying a portable router or "transforming" our mobile into a router) are equally effective and will allow us to access the Internet whenever we want.