# Laptop Internet Access Via Cellphone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 15, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433 "2014-02-15T17:37:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433/1 "2014-02-15T17:37:17Z")
How can I connect to the internet on my laptop, via my cellphone? Any ideas? I know nothing about this sort of thing. Any help would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433/2 "2014-02-15T17:44:33Z")
What you seek is called tethering, it is possible usually as a ‘for pay service’, though perhaps there are ways around it, including it cutting into your data allowance and thus allowed by the carrier. Yes their are other ways to do this which may or may not be appreciated (or noticed depending on the method) by your carrier and may cause service termination, higher monthly fees, and other stuff if they find out. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433/3 "2014-02-15T17:45:56Z")
The key concept is called _tethering_. The word dates back to the days when it was done using a physical wire between the phone and the computer. Today, it’s typically wireless: the computer has a Wi-Fi connection to the phone sitting next to it, and the phone has a cellular connection to the Internet and some software to act as a pipeline. All modern smartphones are \*technically \*capable of doing it, but carriers often impose restrictions and/or fees on the service. It would help if you specified what type of phone you have, and on which carrier. ETA: Or, what **kanicbird** said. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433/4 "2014-02-15T17:50:06Z")
We have unlimited internet on Straight Talk, which is Verizon, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433/5 "2014-02-15T17:53:19Z")
What type of phone do you have? ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433/6 "2014-02-15T18:08:52Z")
Google ‘_Easytether_’ ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433/7 "2014-02-15T18:33:35Z")
Thank you, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Simple\_Mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Mind)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433/8 "2014-02-15T23:43:09Z")
I am using a cellphone for Internet connected to my desktop, by using Linux as OS I usually only need to connect the phone and the PC comes up with a window where to make some selection on location, carrier, and plan and I usually select the default settings, I don’t need to install software for the phone. I select a data plan from my phone service provider and thats it, very convenient and ease to control the amount of fees to pay… ---
**Author:** ![snowmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@snowmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowmaster)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433/9 "2014-02-15T23:54:48Z")
If yor cell phone carrier doesn’t allow, or throttles, tethering, you definitely shouldn’t go get some info on the Howard Forums site. You also should certainly not google something called PDAnet. Doing both would be an exceptionally, really bad idea. So, umm, don’t. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433/10 "2014-02-16T00:07:58Z")
> [@nonacetone](#): > > We have unlimited internet on Straight Talk, which is Verizon, I think. Straight Talk’s t[erms of service](http://www.straighttalk.com/wps/portal/terms%20and%20conditions/!ut/p/b1/hZDLcqpAFEW_JR-A_eDRMhQaQUMjt0GBnlj4gIABVMy15etDqu7kmkplz06dNVh7AwEyhDHWkQ4NHaRAtPnfqsxvVdfm71-3MLYULpn6Z-ZhblINLnwbIcI4hpoKEpB6-17SnpXUofyC-Ru3M37x4p4JP8CO1bmSzVWkBB_tcKZ8irFTQ2ShRNPEEa8uH9VNCff5Rh3EQR40TXaF5aS7t7Mx-OX2ZPRNEXSbwqjk1U5ad8-q6P6eXh6hbfatkvC28Msoq-o-tAa5LTrLOepUli8vo3z2n7yBpnAR-u6cIl-FU_Jbt2wEyI_Aqw5ikEJtG9WP82I4DbyG0o_jDQsc9IpOaBXVXhTsnHt0c1FMxRLW448eFoys7_G6lyzwwsOGr62ZdTWxbYMlENWumdz3zQRONGRCSLCpquqUEKyDxBrXFk_S3zs9AR7RR8CzI5cEcDXH_wD4Q2YQBF7XHEEjrg8lV3awCstPKk15lQ!!/dl4/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/?urile=wcm%3Apath%3A%2Fstraighttalk%2Ffooter%2Fterms%20and%20conditions#.Uv_9oH-9KSM) say that tethering is not allowed using their unlimited plans. ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433/11 "2014-02-16T03:24:41Z")
First, straight talk is 2.5 GB of high speed data/mo, unlimited 2g (dialup) speed. That is better than it used to be where it was “unlimited” and they would cancel you if you used too much. Second, straight talk is on _every_ cellular network. They have phones available that run on Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile towers. You can get a SIM card and bring your own phone for AT&T or T-Mobile. What network you are on depends on what phone you got, and in some cases where you got the phone. Third, in practice I have tethered using straighttalk for basic web browsing without any issues using the basic android wifi tething. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-internet-access-via-cellphone/681433/12 "2014-02-16T15:15:59Z")
Thank you!