Tethering Vs Hotspot : Is tethering the same as mobile hotspot?

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language defines a tether as a rope, chain, strap, or cord used to confine an animal to a specific area. Tethering is the term used to describe the process of attaching a mobile phone to a laptop via a USB connection. Tethering can be accomplished via a variety of methods, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and USB. For the most part, it is possible to share one’s internet connection with another by using the tethering feature. Tethering is supported by all modern mobile operating systems. There are built-in features for tethering on Windows, Android, and iOS. The term “mobile hotspot” refers to the use of Wi-Fi for internet tethering.

Approaches to Tethering

This method of tethering is the most widely used. It’s simple to set up, and most devices already have Wi-Fi modules, so you don’t need anything else.

Bluetooth tethering is more complex to set up and slower than Wi-Fi tethering. In the past, Bluetooth tethering was more widespread than Wi-Fi, but nowadays it is less common than it used to be.

Tethering over USB is very fast and power consumption is minimal as the device can be charged over USB. However, not many devices support this USB tethering capability. Also, it will need special drivers or software on both sides and probably some configuration stuff.

Connectivity Protocols and Requirements

The most common method of sharing internet access via tethering is NAT (Network Address Translation). One of the devices that has a public IP address is the one that is linked to the internet (the one that shares the internet connection). NAT is used to identify various devices from the point of view of a single public IP on other devices linked via tethering.

Mobile hotspots are adapters or devices that allow computer users to connect to the internet from wherever they are, regardless of where they are. The use of a mobile hotspot instead of a PC to connect to a LAN or other wireless network is becoming increasingly popular. The fact that laptop computers, a form of “hybrid” device that may travel but does not often come with built-in mobile Wi-Fi, are most commonly linked with mobile hotspots, despite the fact that they could be utilised with other kinds of devices.

In addition to hardware, hotspots can now be created by software. You can turn your laptop’s or phone’s Wi-Fi module into a virtual hotspot by using software like Connectify Virtual Router® or built-in utilities in operating systems.

Provider Models for Tethering and Hotspot

Another fundamental difference between tethering and hotspot is in provider models. Most telecom operators offering mobile hotspots sell a box or adapter for a fixed price, and offer the mobile hotspot service on a monthly basis. With tethering, the offer could involve simple cable connectors to hook up an existing mobile wireless device to a laptop, without any monthly charge. However, mobile hotspots seem to be a popular option because of convenience.

Cost Considerations

When you have the option of using either one of these services, you may want to consider the potential costs involved. If you use tethering to access the internet, you may have to pay for each kilobyte of data that is transferred over the cellular network. If you use the internet frequently, this could amount to a large monthly bill on your cell phone. By comparison, with a traditional hotspot, the internet can be used as much as you want without having to worry about the amount of data that you are accessing. The owner of the hotspot will pay a monthly service fee to the internet service provider.

Typically, a mobile hotspot doesn’t come with contracts and fees. The best ones are pay-as-you-use, so you only pay for the data you use, and refill when necessary. The carriers with the best coverage and speed (Verizon Wireless, for example) are usually the most expensive, and may demand a contract. The ones with the best prices and value (Karma, FreedomPop etc.) sometimes suffer less-than-stellar coverage and speed.

Connection Availability

Wi-Fi hotspots are found in public places as well as private places. Today many public places in the world such as airports, stores, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, libraries, public payphones, train stations, schools and universities have hotspots. Many provide free access to the internet while there are commercial ones as well. Hotspots can be setup at home as well by simply connecting a wireless router to the internet via ADSL or 3G. This is the most pervasive method used these days to share the internet connection at home across various devices.

Advantages of Mobile Hotspots over Tethering

As a technology offering, mobile hotspots have multiple advantages over tethering.

• Data bandwidth: When involved in work that consumes a lot of data bandwidth, you may land in a situation wherein you exceed the data transfer limits. Using a hotspot is one of the first options in this scenario.
• Phone’s battery life: Using a hotspot means never draining your battery just because you needed to get some work done. This comes with the benefit of better long-term usage, since you’re not taxing your phone just to stay connected.
• Using multiple devices: You can reliably tether multiple devices. While you can tether multiple devices to your phone, the more you add, the worse the experience usually is. While most hotspots will put a limit on the number of devices you can connect, you can always connect more than one or two without performance problems.
• Work continuity: Tethering is prone to frequent call drops especially when used over long. This is usually attributed to the firmware used. Likewise, even “unlimited” data plans—depending on carrier—get throttled after a certain point. Hotspots have greater reliability with the added advantage that you pay-as-you-use.
• Choosing between data and voice: This varies by carrier, but with Verizon Wireless and Sprint, tethering (via 3G, not via LTE) conflicts with talking on the phone. Although the phone may ring, data would be disconnected the moment you answer it and vice versa.

Diversifying carriers: Frequent travellers have the option of whichever carrier offers the better service where you roam. Even if you’re at home, you now have the option to pick the carrier with the best performance, or switch off when you need to.