Hannah.Taylor
EF4
I've long used PDAnet to physically tether my phone to my laptop or desktop since I dismissed Comcast home internet without a second thought back in February, and it is financially feasible for me to do so since I am on unlimited data with Verizon
But PDAnet w/ FoxFi Key allows you to setup your phone as a mobile hotspot and connect your laptop, tablet or ipad or iphone. Everything installs on the phone side, nothing required on the laptop or desktop, just go to your wireless connection and find the network you installed, enter the password and connect.
Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi.key&hl=en
Iphone (requires Jailbreak and install pdanet + FoxFi Key via Cydia)
http://www.junefabrics.com/iphone/index.php
It was very easy to setup and I was even offered the ability to setup WPA2 encryption and set a password. Tried it out for the first time last week when I went chasing with Adam Adkins up in NE Colorado. The nice part about it is, you don't have to mess with wires or cables and worry about getting disconnected at a crucial time because you kicked the usb plug out with your hand or bumped it on something. It worked flawlessly in areas I had a signal, but with 4G there's not always a signal, so that was the only drawback. I did notice it continued to work quite well in 3G areas too. I've been using it here at the apartment, and it works quite well, especially considering when I was physically tethered to my desktop or laptop and downloading stuff, my computer couldn't keep my phone charged fast enough and I'd run out of battery power, but since I've been wirelessly tethering, I've not had any more issues.
My phone is 4G (Droid Razr), so it doesn't have a port for an antenna, but I would be interested to hear about signal/performance reports from those who still have 3G phones with antenna ports if you were able to plug your phone into a signal boost amp. Were you able to get your signal boosted? Were you able to draw a signal after plugging in, when you previously had no signal? (i.e. areas like Western OK, west of Woodward and going up towards Dodge City via that route).
But PDAnet w/ FoxFi Key allows you to setup your phone as a mobile hotspot and connect your laptop, tablet or ipad or iphone. Everything installs on the phone side, nothing required on the laptop or desktop, just go to your wireless connection and find the network you installed, enter the password and connect.
Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi.key&hl=en
Iphone (requires Jailbreak and install pdanet + FoxFi Key via Cydia)
http://www.junefabrics.com/iphone/index.php
It was very easy to setup and I was even offered the ability to setup WPA2 encryption and set a password. Tried it out for the first time last week when I went chasing with Adam Adkins up in NE Colorado. The nice part about it is, you don't have to mess with wires or cables and worry about getting disconnected at a crucial time because you kicked the usb plug out with your hand or bumped it on something. It worked flawlessly in areas I had a signal, but with 4G there's not always a signal, so that was the only drawback. I did notice it continued to work quite well in 3G areas too. I've been using it here at the apartment, and it works quite well, especially considering when I was physically tethered to my desktop or laptop and downloading stuff, my computer couldn't keep my phone charged fast enough and I'd run out of battery power, but since I've been wirelessly tethering, I've not had any more issues.
My phone is 4G (Droid Razr), so it doesn't have a port for an antenna, but I would be interested to hear about signal/performance reports from those who still have 3G phones with antenna ports if you were able to plug your phone into a signal boost amp. Were you able to get your signal boosted? Were you able to draw a signal after plugging in, when you previously had no signal? (i.e. areas like Western OK, west of Woodward and going up towards Dodge City via that route).