As a bit of fun we decided to find out if tethering via a wired link is any better than a wireless one. But there are some good reasons why you might prefer to carry an extra cable around, instead of relying on the increasingly congested radio waves. One obvious advantage is security, since you no longer need to broadcast a WiFi hotspot and hastily created password to your vicinity. We also picked Three UK for the test as in this area they appeared to deliver the most consistent performance, but such things will vary from place to place.
Before getting started we ran multiple tests using WiFi in order to try and establish what the rough baseline performance expectation should be for a normal WiFi based Tethering experience. We also continued to run these tests in-between our wired benchmarks, which helped to confirm that the mobile network, speed and signal quality were all still operating close to the established baseline.
All of the testing was conducted at the same indoor location and with the devices positioned directly next to one another. Approximately 50 tests were conducted over a two hour period on day one, including 25 via a WiFi Hotspot and 25 via USB, which occurred between 10am and 11am.
We repeated this all again on day two, albeit between 1pm and 2pm. Prior to this we also conducted an additional 30 tests each day in order to try and establish a reasonable baseline of performance using the WiFi Hotspot. Signal strength via 4G was very good, although in this location we were only able to connect via Band 1 MHz.
As for the phone itself.. Overall on DAY 1 we got the impression that, if you ignore the natural variations in mobile performance, both the WiFi and USB Tethered links seemed similarly capable in terms of achievable speeds.
At the end of the day a Smartphone created WiFi hotspot, thanks to modern advances in chipsets and antenna design, seemed to deliver similar performance to that of USB tethering. In the future it might be interesting to re-run this test with a modern 5G phone and mobile setup at ultrafast speeds. Just for fun we also attempted to conduct the same test by tethering via both Bluetooth, but we struggled to get either working in a stable way and the setup was quite fiddly the laptop struggled to recognise it.
In order to share an internet connection with another device through tethering, you need to connect the two devices through mediums such as:. Traditionally, tethering was accomplished by physically connecting two devices with a USB cable.
However, most modern smartphones allow you to set up a private, secure Wi-Fi hub that you can connect to on another device. Mobile tethering offers an excellent solution for getting quick work assignments done when out of the office. However, it is typically not compatible with consistent use during business travel. One of the main positive benefits of tethering is convenience. Because of this, people know what to expect when they connect to a tethered network.
Tethered connections achieved via a USB cable offer immense data security. Since the data is confined to the wires inside the USB cable, the connection is strong and typically not prone to interference. If you want to create a personal Wi-Fi hotspot via tethering, the caveat is that most smartphones require an unlimited data plan to support personal hotspots.
If your individual network plan has data limits each month, you may not be eligible to create tethered hotspots unless you upgrade your plan with your wireless service provider.
Additionally, some wireless service providers limit shared data, which could cause you to reach a data cap quickly when you share between devices. Dedicated mobile hotspots are different than personal hotspots that were mentioned above. We are reader supported. External links may earn us a commission.
WiFi Tethering via WiFi is one of the easiest to set up, and is arguably compatible with the most types of devices. Tethering Methods: The Winner? By Roland Udvarlaki January 13, , pm. By Roland Udvarlaki January 13, , am. By Sanuj Bhatia January 13, , am. Latest Articles. By Samuel Martinez January 13, , am. A portable hotspot can be thought of as a dedicated network that can allow for multiple WiFi device connections and consistent network performance.
Are you looking to binge the next hot Netflix series while on the road? Perhaps play a quick online game while barreling down the highway as a passenger, we hope? That really depends on your situation. If you need to send a quick email and happen to have your USB charge cable handy, you can certainly do so with tethering. In the big battle between mobile hotspot vs tethering, a mobile hotspot will allow for more robust activities, such as online gaming, watching Netflix or Hulu, and pretty much anything else that requires a consistent, stable 4G LTE connection.
Hard data caps are a harsh reality of many wireless carriers, and tethering could result in exorbitant data charges and throttling should one attempt the same activities while tethering.
So sure, tethering is a great option for those who need a quick connection, but would not fit those who share or stream large amounts of data over multiple sessions and WiFi devices. So what if you have a home office or small business that needs a secure, unlimited, uncluttered LTE connection? This modem requires an AC power connection; though this cellular connection is highly portable, it is not battery powered.
Regardless of what device would work best for you, we offer unlimited data and no contract!
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