TETHERING WITH YOUR iPHONE

You can use your iPhone 5 as an internet dongle to connect a laptop, tablet, or PC to the internet.

You can either have a quick look at our guide on how to set up your iPhone as a mobile hotspot

or read the following instructions.

Setting it up

1. Go to your iPhone's on-screen Settings
2. Look for Personal Hotspot; or General, followed by Network, and finally Personal Hotspot
3. Tap on Personal Hotspot and then slide the switch to On
4. Then connect the iPhone to your laptop or tablet using a USB cable or Bluetooth.
   
   

Using a USB cable

You'll need a laptop or tablet running Windows XP SP2 or later, Vista, Windows 7 or Mac OS 10.5.7 or later. Plus make sure you have a free USB port, iTunes 8.2 or later installed, and an iPhone USB cable.

Plug the USB cable into your iPhone and then into your laptop or tablet.

You may need to set up a new network connection - just follow the simple instructions on you laptop or tablet screen.

Using a Portable WiFi hotspot

This requires a computer running Windows XP SP2 or later, Windows Vista, 7 or Mac OS 10.4.11 or later, with WiFi.

Connect your laptop or tablet to your phone via WiFi, the same way you would connect your laptop to your home WiFi. Just enter your WiFi password when asked for it.

Using Bluetooth

This requires a laptop or tablet running windows XP SP2 or later, Vista, Windows 7 or Mac OS 10.4.11 or later. And you must be able to use Bluetooth 2.0 on it.

First switch on Bluetooth on your iPhone and on your laptop or tablet.

Now 'pair' your iPhone with your laptop or tablet, then connect. Here's how...

If your laptop or tablet uses Windows

1. Click on the Bluetooth icon in your iPhone's Notification area (the system tray)

2. Select Add a Bluetooth device, and follow the onscreen instructions

3. When you've successfully paired your iPhone with your laptop or tablet, click on the Bluetooth icon in the Notification area again

4. Select Show Bluetooth devices
5. Highlight your iPhone, and then click the Properties button
6. Now click the Services tab
7. Then tick the Wireless iAP checkbox, and click OK
8. To connect your Windows laptop or tablet, click on the Bluetooth icon in your iPhone's Notification area (system tray)
9. Click on Join A Personal Area Network
10. Now click Connect.

Your devices are now tethered. Browse away.

If your laptop or tablet is a Mac

1. Open your iPhone's Bluetooth Preferences
2. Click on Set Up New Device and follow the onscreen instructions
3. When you've successfully paired your iPhone to your Mac, choose the option Use Device as a Network Port on your iPhone
4. To connect your Mac laptop or iPad to your iPhone, click on the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar
5. Click on your iPhone, and then choose Connect to Network.

Your iPhone should now have a blue bar at the top of the screen to show that tethering is up and running.

Turning it off

To avoid any unexpected call charges, it's best to switch off internet tethering when you're not using your iPhone to connect your laptop or tablet to the internet.

1. To do this, just click on Settings on your iPhone menu
2. Choose General, go to Network
3. Tap on Internet Tethering to switch it off.
   
   

Making calls while tethering

If you're using the 3G or 4G network, you can make mobile phone calls and use tethering at the same time.

If you're using the 2G network, your tethering session will be stopped when you make a phone call.