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I have a Samsung Galaxy smart phone with an unlimited data plan through work - can I use it as a "hot spot" for an Amazon Kindle Fire 10 inch tablet in places where wi-fi isn't available?
Thanks in advance for advice.
I too have a Samsung Galaxy (G4) and Verizon for my provider, with an unlimited data plan.
Often when I'm away from home or other public WiFi, I set my G4 to Local Hot spot so it can provide internet via WiFi to my tablet (that is WiFi only).
Your concern is if your own provider will allow your phone to provide a WiFi hot spot. A year or so ago, Verizon required an additional $20 / month for that functionality. But the way I understand it, the FCC 'reminded' them that the government sold off to cell phone providers some extra bandwidth in exchange for money, plus several consumer-beneficial services, and cell phone based hot spot WiFi was one of them. So, they stopped charging for it.
Even now, when I set my G4 to do Hot Spot, there is an intermediate step where it "checks my subscription", presumably where my phone interrogated Verizon to see if I was allowed to do this. Now it always comes back OK.
I do not know how other providers worked this out.
Reminder: you set up your phone to be a hot spot, think carefully about what info you will send over it. If it's anything more than Google Mapping on your tablet, then you should put a VERY VERY strong password on the Hot Spot so that your tablet surfing doesn't get intercepted and read. (My password is over 30 characters).
Thank you - the data plan is with Sprint. Going into their stores to get help isn't "helpful" unless they can sell you an upgrade or other service - at least the ones I have tried.
I cant just pair the two? Sprint offered our company "unlimited" data - they are allowed to say where the data goes?
Yep, and they spell out in detail where you can use that data.
Verizon is currently the only carrier that allows moving an unlimited SIM to a not phone device, and has no limit on the amount of unlimited data that can be used in tethering (although you have to pay to enable the tethering feature), but they have limitations imposed upon them by the FCC that were stipulated as part of a spectrum auction.
Everyone else has restrictions on how much of that data is allowed to be used "off device"
Thank you - so - without a wi-fi connection the kindle is a large screen reader where wi-fi isn't available? I was hoping I could tether it to my phone through Sprint if not its own data plan. Thanks for the info.
I cant just pair the two? Sprint offered our company "unlimited" data - they are allowed to say where the data goes?
My company allows anyone to use their phone as a Hot Spot. This is a feature we enabled through Verizon. We can just as easily make a phone call and disable it. This is absolutely the companies right.
Just because you have unlimited doesn't mean your company wants to foot the bill for you...what's to prevent you from using it as your home WiFi? Start using 30GB a month and see if someone from IT calls you.
It is a small company with three employees - We have had Sprint since "push to talk" phones. I think I will look into the Slate 10inch the Sprint place has - the out of pocket is about the same since we are not in upgrade time yet - I know the data plan works on their device because it works on the small tablet they gave away last year.
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