How to use your phone as a modem. How to upgrade your smartphone
Using your phone as a modem is a win-win solution for those who are constantly on the go or do not have access to wired Internet. At the moment, there are almost no places left in the world where there is no cellular communication, so below we will present several options for how to use your phone as a modem for your computer.
Connecting a regular phone
There are two ways to use your phone as a modem for a computer: using infrared technology or a Bluetooth connection. To use such a service, it is better to check whether your phone supports 3G, which will provide high-speed wireless connectivity.
So, using an adapter cord, you need to connect your phone to your computer or laptop. Then a notification will appear in the window that the phone is ready to install the software on the computer. The user can only confirm or select personal settings.
The next step in how to use your phone as a modem is to configure the modem itself in Device Manager. The modem phone will be located in the "Modems" tab. Next, all you have to do is right-click on the device and select the “Properties” function. In the modem settings window, you must select the “Advanced communication parameters” function and specify the initialization parameters. Then confirm the action with the “Ok” button.
Setup with telecom operators
This is the most important part of how to use your phone as a modem on your computer or laptop. Here you will need the "Network and Sharing Center" tab. Next comes the creation of a new connection and the transition to changing network parameters, where you need to select the “Control new connection” function. After this, a window will appear where you need to specify a universal number that is suitable for all telecom operators - “* 99 *** 1 #”. If the telecom operator is Beeline or MTS, then the “Username” and “Password” fields can be left blank, but in the case of “Megafon” both fields must be filled in by entering gdata.
The next step in how to use your phone as a modem for your computer is to write the operator's name in the line to mark the connection name and connection. The final stage will be to establish a connection with the computer and initialize the computer or modem on the network. If the connection is successful, you need to click “Start Internet browsing”.
Standard smartphone connection via USB
The first step on how to use your phone as a modem via USB is This is connecting a cable from a smartphone to a computer. Next, you need to select the “Settings” window, which looks like a gear. There is a section called “Wireless Networks” - these are what you will need. Of the several options, only the “USB modem” will be useful for now.
After this selection, the computer or laptop will automatically begin installing the software. To check the modem's functionality, you can click on the computer image, which is located on the dashboard in the lower right corner of the desktop. This way you can monitor the settings of your portable modem.
Internet connection using Bluetooth function
This option for using your phone as a modem involves the use of Bluetooth technology, which is available on any phone or smartphone.
The beginning of the path to connecting the modem is no different from the previous method. In the "Wireless Networks" window, just select the Bluetooth function and turn it on.
After this, you need to click the “Start” button on your computer and select the tab called “Devices and Printers.” A window will open with several installed devices, and in an empty space you need to right-click and select the “Add devices and printers” function. In this case, a smartphone must be available, which you need to select.
The completion will be to enable the modem function on the smartphone marked Bluetooth.
Wireless connection with smartphone
Modern technologies allow a person to use the phone as a modem, without connecting any cables to establish a connection. First, you need to make sure that a Wi-Fi adapter is installed on your computer, otherwise the connection will not work. In the case of a laptop, everything is much simpler - manufacturers initially took care of the presence of this adapter.
Next, you need to pick up the smartphone and follow the already well-trodden path - “Settings” - “Wireless networks”. There is a tab called “Personal Access Point”, where you need to select the “Wi-Fi Access Point” function. This is necessary in order to “distribute” the Internet to a computer and other devices that support a wireless connection.
You can protect your connection in the access point settings on the smartphone itself by entering the password and network name. To activate the connection on the computer itself, you need to select the desired network in the device panel and connect to it by entering the correct password.
Connect to the Internet using apps
The most popular applications that help you use your phone as a modem on your computer are Easy Tether and Kies.
An application called Kies provides a synchronized connection between your computer and your smartphone. When the phone is connected to the computer, you need to select the "USB storage" function. Next comes the already proven scheme - through the settings you can go to wireless networks, and then select “Modem and access point”. To access the Internet on your computer, you need to check the boxes next to the lines “USB modem” and Android AP.
On the computer, you will also need several manipulations, such as pressing the “Start” button. Then you need to find the control panel, where a pop-up window will ask you to connect. There you also need to select the “Display all connections” option, and after that the name of the smartphone will appear - this is what you will need.
Connecting through the Easy Tether application occurs a little differently, since for full operation you will need installation on both a smartphone and a computer. Next, connect the USB cable and install drivers, if necessary. When the initialization of the smartphone is successful, you can begin to activate the Internet on the phone.
In the application itself, you need to select the “USB Debugging” function, after which Android will be able to synchronize through the application.
As for a computer or laptop, all you have to do is open this application, select Connect Via Android, after which the application will synchronize with your smartphone and provide access to the Internet.
Question is how to use phone as a modem for computer via USB, is a logical continuation of many interesting ways to connect to the Internet, which we have been discussing for a long time on the pages of this blog. The possibilities of modern technology are so wide that there are practically no limits to imagination. It’s especially interesting to analyze the possibilities of mobile connections - these days we always have to go somewhere, move around, so the less tied we are to our desktop, the more ability we have to be online exactly at the moment when we really need it.
I already wrote about one connected via a laptop’s USB. However, not everyone has the opportunity to connect such a device exactly when it is absolutely necessary - they forgot to take it with them, ran out of money, forgot it, didn’t buy it, or simply your gadget does not have a USB connector. Today I will show you a way to access the network from any device and from anywhere - we will use the phone as a modem for a laptop and any other gadget. Yes, yes, the most ordinary phone or smartphone with a working SIM card, which will become a wired modem or wifi router for us.
To use your phone as a modem, you will need to do some settings on the computer, which can be a little difficult for a beginner. Therefore, the easiest way is to use it as a router that distributes wifi. Moreover, in this mode it can work both on Android and iOS, which is widespread today. By the way, the iPhone already has a built-in function to connect the phone as a modem and distribute the Internet from it. We are talking specifically about devices (it can be not just a phone, but a smartphone or even a tablet) with support for SIM cards, and therefore GPRS/3G/4G communications.
But it also happens that a laptop, and especially a desktop PC, does not have a built-in or external wifi adapter. It is in this case that the function of connecting your phone as a modem via a USB cable will come to the rescue.
How to use your phone as a modem for a laptop or computer?
Now let's take a closer look at these few schemes:
I don’t see any point in going on about the router mode here for a long time, since there are already two excellent articles that tell in great detail with pictures about its work on or - just read it and everything will work out.
Phone as a modem via Bluetooth
Now we will talk about another wireless data transmission technology, designed for shorter distances and a smaller amount of information - Bluetooth. It makes sense to use it if you have an ordinary old phone (not even a smartphone) with any moderately outdated mobile operating system, such as Symbian or Windows Mobile, with support for Bluetooth and Dial-Up Network technology, but, as was the case with models of previous years , no WiFi module. In this case, the Internet will be distributed to the one that receives this phone via a SIM card from the mobile operator.
For this method to work, a Bluetooth module must also be installed on the computer - it is usually built into modern laptops by default, so let’s look at how this is done on a Windows 7 system.
Before starting work, make sure that the Bluetooth adapter on your computer or laptop is turned on and in good condition.
First of all, we need to activate the tethering function on the phone. To do this, in the “Settings” section we find the “Wireless networks - More” section and activate the “Bluetooth modem” mode.
After this, you will need to add your phone to your computer as a modem. Go to the “Control Panel”, set the menu to display in the form of icons and find the “Devices and Printers” item and in the new window click on “Add a device”.
It will begin searching for devices currently available for connection via Bluetooth. When your phone is detected, click on the icon. A new window will open with an 8-digit code. It must be entered on the phone for pairing.
After adding the phone, wait until the drivers are installed.
When this process is completed successfully, the Internet will work on the computer.
Android phone as a modem via USB cable
If in the previous block we talked about distributing WiFi over the Internet, now let’s talk about the possibilities of using your phone as a modem via a USB cable in case your computer does not support wireless data transfer. Moreover, it can distribute both the Internet received by a mobile phone via WiFi, and from a cellular operator via 3G/4G.
In my example, everything will happen on a Xiaomi smartphone running MIUI 9 firmware, but in bare Android it’s done exactly the same way—only the name and location of menu items can be changed. We connect the phone to the computer via a USB cable and go to its settings in the “Additional functions” section
Turn on the USB modem
At this time, a window will pop up on the computer in which we will be asked to allow access to its resources for the phone - this is not necessary, but can be confirmed.
After this, if necessary, drivers will be installed on the smartphone and the Internet will work. This will be confirmed by a new connection, which can be seen in “Network and Sharing Center - Changing adapter settings”
Today we have looked at different options for connecting your phone as a Bluetooth or USB modem, which are suitable for completely different devices, but which have one undeniable advantage - mobility, especially since now all mobile operators have very attractive tariffs for unlimited Internet. For starters, the promised video about the iPhone, about how to make a phone into a modem by connecting it to a computer with a USB cable, as well as a detailed lesson on how to access the Internet in various ways from a tablet.
Recently, a colleague boasted that her son taught her to pay rent using a mobile phone. Now, during your lunch break, there is no need to stand in line at the bank or post office. And we thought: do we know our operators, their capabilities and tariffs so well? How can an ordinary person understand all the technological innovations and not overpay?
MTS Vice President for Marketing Vasil Latsanich answered pressing questions from AiF readers about the quality of mobile communications, roaming, the Internet and talked about what everyday tasks can be solved using a mobile phone that is always at hand.
Instead of a nanny and TV
Is it possible to somehow track where a child is now from a mobile phone? Starting this year, my daughter goes to school alone. I worry about her every day.
Alexandra, Izhevsk
Can. The service is called: “Child under supervision.” It will automatically locate your daughter's phone using the base stations closest to it. Parents can receive this information in response to an SMS request or in accordance with preset parameters: for example, at 9, 14 and 16 hours - when the child goes to school, for additional classes and must return home. You can send requests and receive location information from any phone. And if you have a smartphone, then you can track your child’s movements using an electronic map on the website www.mpoisk.ru and special applications on Facebook and VKontakte.
As soon as I started using a smartphone, I began to spend much more money on communications. I suspect it's because of the Internet. Is there any way to turn it off?
Albina, Volgograd
It's easy to disable mobile Internet in your phone settings, but why? You probably love your smartphone and its capabilities - communicating on social networks, working with email, reading news and conveniently finding the necessary information, be it movie schedules or determining the second law of thermodynamics. All this is available at no extra cost - for about 150 rubles a month, that is, the same as a cup of coffee or a movie ticket. You just need to connect the special service “Unlimited Internet from your phone”, or “BIT”. It is available to subscribers of almost any tariff plan. Use your phone 100%, not just for calls and SMS.
Is it possible that in the future there will be mobile television in high definition or 3D format?
Sergey, St. Petersburg
The provision of mobile television services in high-fidelity format or using 3D technology, in my opinion, is not far off.
This depends on two factors: the prevalence of new mobile devices - smartphones with wide screens, tablets - and the level of development of communication networks. The MTS 3G network already operates throughout almost the entire populated area of Russia. It covers about 15 thousand settlements and provides high data transfer speeds, which allows you to watch videos in excellent digital quality without interruptions, “cubes” and delays in broadcasting.
Users of the Mobile TV service from MTS, which is available throughout Russia, can already appreciate this. More than 100 TV channels in different languages can be watched directly on your mobile screen for just 8 rubles per day. The next mobile network standard is 4G, or LTE, the implementation of which we have already begun, allows us to maintain mobile Internet speeds of up to 100 megabits per second and download any video, even in HD format, in a matter of seconds.
Bank in your pocket
Is it true that I can pay for a purchase in a store without a bank card, just using my phone?
M. Klinoshkov, N. Novgorod
Is it true. This feature is implemented based on NFC technology - just touch the phone to a special reading device. I’ll immediately anticipate the question of possible fraud: the technology is thought out, protected and used all over the world. In Russia, we are implementing it in partnership with the MasterCard payment system and MTS Bank.
For now, you can turn your phone into a “bank in your pocket” only in our showrooms in Moscow, but in the near future we plan to distribute this service in the regions. To use NFC technology, just change your SIM card to a special one with NFC support and insert an antenna into the phone. It's very inexpensive - it costs only 10 rubles.
We will also issue an MTS Money payment card to make it convenient to top up your NFC mobile account. You can pay using your phone in about 400 thousand stores around the world and already in thousands of retail outlets in Russia, including gas stations and cafes. Look for the MasterCard Pay Pass icon. There are no commissions for payments, and you also do not pay for roaming abroad, since NFC does not use cellular communications.
I already have a “middle-aged” phone, I can change it. I want to ask my daughter and son-in-law for a smartphone for the New Year, but my neighbor dissuades me: the money flies out of the account, and there’s no benefit. So you, as an expert, explain: why do we need a smartphone? I don’t listen to music, I don’t start social networks...
S. Vaganova, Novosibirsk
In some ways, the neighbor is right: you can watch your favorite TV series on an old black-and-white CRT TV, switching programs with a screwdriver. But, you see, it’s much nicer when the screen is color and there is a remote control.
All phones without exception can make calls and send SMS. But imagine that in front of your neighbor, without getting up from the couch, while there is an advertisement on TV, you will be able to buy tickets for your vacation. Or on the train on the way from the dacha, find a recipe for a new apple pie for dinner. At the same time, there is absolutely no need to buy an expensive device - today there are a lot of budget models on the market. In our line of smartphones, you can choose the option that suits you at a price starting from 3 thousand rubles.
As for the cost of communication services, they do not depend on the type of device the client uses, and mobile Internet is available to everyone. And if you don’t want to connect the service for a whole month, pay only for the days you use it: 25 rubles per day - the same as a bus ticket.
With a smart phone, you won't have to stand in line to pay for utilities. There is a special MTS “Easy Payment” application for smartphones, which allows you to pay for housing and communal services, as well as make purchases both from your personal mobile phone account and from a bank card. The database contains more than 15 thousand service providers.
For example, I was convinced from personal experience that paying bills using a mobile phone is much easier and faster. The menu of this service is very convenient, even a child can understand it. Funds are credited in just a couple of minutes. At the same time, the commission percentage is lower than banking and the time savings are very significant.
Fourth generation networks
Four years ago third generation networks appeared, now all of Moscow is covered with advertisements for 4G networks. Why do operators constantly change communication standards, why is this technological race necessary? Why can't all basic services be provided on existing networks? For example, 3G is more than enough for me - I can send mail, SMS, talk on the phone.
Ivan, Moscow
Fourth generation networks compare favorably with 3G in Internet speed - they support up to 100 megabits per second, which allows our clients to use the Internet to the maximum: download music, movies or high-quality TV series, communicate with loved ones via video calls. A significant disadvantage of LTE is that this standard does not support regular calls. We are developing the LTE network in parallel with 3G networks, which are now, one might say, at the peak of popularity.
As a result, lovers of “heavy” content, purchasing a modem for 2 thousand rubles, switch to LTE, freeing up 3G networks for smartphone owners who use the Internet for mail and social networks.
The evolution of mobile networks is inevitable - with the advent of various services on the World Wide Web, the need for high speeds is growing along with the availability of the mobile Internet. For now, only modems support the LTE standard, but in the future there will be phones supporting 4G networks, and then they can be used as a real media center: watch TV in real time, listen to music or audiobooks, without saving them on your device, but directly from the Internet.
Ten years ago, this might have seemed like a fantasy, but we are already ready for our subscribers to gain access to a wide range of mobile Internet capabilities.
They brought it to me as a gift. Will it work on 4G networks in Moscow?
A. Zadorozhnaya, Moscow
Unfortunately, the frequency range that Apple's new product uses is not supported by Russian 4G networks. We are holding consultations with the largest smartphone manufacturers and hope that next year we will have the first phone models supporting the fourth generation of the Russian standard.
The good news is that the fifth iPhone supports high-speed networks of the third generation HSPA+, which already provide mobile Internet speeds of up to 42 megabits per second, which is quite comparable to average 4G speeds.
So with your new phone you will be able to appreciate the benefits of high speeds when surfing the Internet or when watching videos and TV programs on MTS networks. Please note that the new iPhone 5 only works with a special format of SIM cards - they are already in our showrooms throughout Russia.
I live in Aprelevka, 30 km from the Moscow Ring Road along the Kyiv highway. Recently, the quality of communication has become disgusting, the signal disappears. What measures are being taken to improve the quality of communication?
V. Pershin, Moscow region.
Each operator faces the task of not only building new base stations to increase coverage, but also constantly working to replace old equipment with more advanced ones. And this has to be done on a working network, because none of the operators can simply turn off the network, configure the equipment, and then turn the network back on.
MTS is now completing a large-scale reconstruction of all mobile networks in the Moscow region - we are talking about replacing several thousand base stations, rebuilding the entire network, the foundations of which were laid 20 years ago. These works may have a temporary impact on the quality of signal reception in a particular area. We ask for your understanding for short-term inconveniences.
Thank you for the signal, we will definitely recheck the network settings in your area.
I bought myself a new LTE modem. How much does MTS “fourth generation” communications cost and how can you now monitor which network the modem is registered in - manually?
Denis, Zheleznogorsk
Denis, when we launched LTE, we thought about this issue. There is no need to monitor the network, since our mobile Internet on any generation network costs the same. We offer our subscribers access to the World Wide Web in 2G, 3G and 4G. In addition, we do not limit the maximum speed for our users. There is a basic tariff “MTS Connect 4” and four traffic packages to choose from - from 4 to 25 gigabytes for a monthly fee from 500 to 1,400 rubles. If you haven’t calculated your “appetite” and need more Internet, you can additionally connect a package of 1 or 3 gigabytes at any time.
Teach to save
What is the best tariff for calls within Russia and the CIS countries?
A. Vilyanova, Moscow
We have built our tariff line in such a way that any tariff can be made profitable for international or long-distance calls - just add additional services to your usual tariff. Pay attention to the options “Favorite country” and “Favorite country. The whole world", which allow you to reduce the cost of long-distance and international communications by up to 90%.
I often go on business trips around Russia, and I spend a lot of money on the Internet from my mobile phone; you won’t find Wi-Fi everywhere in the outback. Teach you how to save money.
S. Prisyazhny, Lipetsk region.
Saving is not difficult at all - add a special option for mobile Internet “SuperBIT” to your tariff - for a subscription fee of about 200 rubles per month you will receive unlimited Internet both at home and in any region of Russia - from Moscow to Kamchatka. If you use the Internet only from time to time and do not want to pay every month, then choose the “Unlimited per day in Russia” service, it is suitable for both voice tariffs and modems - you will pay only for those days when you go online , no monthly fee.
How to make communication on business trips while roaming more convenient and less expensive - in Russia and Europe?
Nataly L, Moscow
We have a number of offers that allow you to save on communication services while roaming. If you often travel around Russia as part of your job, activate the “Everywhere at home” option - with it, you can receive incoming calls anywhere in the country for free, and outgoing calls to the numbers of all operators in any Russian region will cost 3 rubles per minute of conversation. For overseas travel, I recommend our Zero Unlimited offer - you'll be able to talk for free for the first ten minutes of every incoming call.
Security questions
My family members have phones from different operators, but we all periodically receive SMS from scammers. Does this mean that the base is so easy to get? What is MTS doing to protect its subscribers?
Juls Filippova, St. Petersburg
Operator databases are well protected and therefore inaccessible to fraudsters. For spam mailings and dubious calls, as a rule, they use a random selection of numbers or information collected from the Internet - social networks, various profiles, stores, etc. To protect the interests of our subscribers, MTS has a comprehensive anti-fraud program.
Our website has created a special section “Protection from Fraudsters”, which contains complete information about the types of fraud known today, as well as recommendations on how to counteract it. There is a hotline at the short toll-free number 1911 where you can report fraud.
We check every client request and, if the information is confirmed, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, we take the necessary measures.
Now the most common format is content fraud, various services on short numbers. We offer the InfoContent service, which allows you to find out the exact cost of the service on any short number using a free SMS request.
I bought a phone for my child, and he spends all the money on his mobile phone on games and ringtones using short numbers. How can I disable his access to them?
Vsevolod Igorevich, Tula
In order to limit the use of entertainment and content services from your child’s phone, you can activate the “Content Ban” service, which prohibits receiving SMS/MMS from short numbers of entertainment service providers. It is free, and you can connect it by calling the MTS contact center.
I often work late, and my sixth-grader son is home alone at this time and, of course, at the computer. I am very worried that he will stumble upon information that is inappropriate for his fragile mind. Is it possible to somehow block access to unreliable sites and pages on the Internet?
Marina, Irkutsk
If you have “Home Internet” from MTS, then you can use the “Parental Control” service; it will reliably protect your son from negative information on the global Internet, blocking access to web pages containing information for adults, gambling, obscene language, extremist materials promoting violence or drugs. With this service, you can limit the pages available to your child and the time allotted to him on the Internet, as well as block access to chat rooms and email programs. The service is included in the package of the MTS Antivirus antivirus program, which protects your computer from viruses and spyware.
Screen brightness
The screen eats up the lion's share of the battery charge. First, turn on adaptive brightness control if your smartphone has such a function. If this feature is missing, manually set the brightness to the minimum level acceptable to you.
Wallpaper
Want your battery to last longer? Then firmly and forever say “no” to animated wallpapers.
If your smartphone has an OLED display, then installing black wallpaper will help extend the operating time. Read about why and how it works.
Time before display turns off
You can leave your smartphone on the table, and its screen will work in vain for a few more minutes, using up precious battery power. Reduce the time until the display turns off when not in use. Usually 15–30 seconds is enough. Experiment and find the optimal time for yourself.
Order in applications
When you pick up another smartphone, you can feel a strong sense of surprise at the amount of garbage in it. Remember the correct sequence of actions with applications:
- Option one: installed → didn’t like it → deleted.
- Option two: installed → not using → deleted.
The problem for users is that they often ignore the last point. As a result, the device turns into a real landfill. What's bad about it? Many applications like to take on a life of their own. They hang out in the background, launch their processes and eat up precious memory, which increases power consumption and reduces system performance.
In addition, unused apps update and share data, which results in increased mobile data usage and further reduced battery life.
Consider a monthly Smartphone Day. Spend a little time analyzing your current collection of applications, removing irrelevant ones, and looking on Lifehacker for more advanced analogues of existing ones.
Automation
Every day, a smartphone user faces a routine. Small but necessary actions, if there are many of them, take a lot of time and are annoying. Send something somewhere, copy it, send it, put it aside, and so on and so forth.
The problem is solved using the IFTTT (If This Then That) automation service. What can he do? All. At the moment, IFTTT has created and made available for free access more than a million applets (recipes) - ready-made tools for automating a particular action or task.
Physical protection
As smartphones become more and more sophisticated, they lose their durability. If the old Nokia 3310 can play football and hammer nails, then the new iPhone or Google Pixel is much more gentle. You need to take care of the safety of your expensive electronic assistant in advance and purchase a protective case. This is especially true during active recreation and travel.
Plan in case of loss
Losing a smartphone is a real tragedy. This situation is also accompanied by the loss of important and private information. In this case, Lifehacker advises using cloud storage. Now they are perfectly optimized for mobile devices and implement all the necessary functions automatically.
We hope these tips will help you use your smartphone more efficiently.