Right now any device can connect to you as long as it knows your password however, if you want to change this, touch the hotspot name you created, just under the green on button, and then change the connection mode to Only allowed devices.
You can even tighten security a little more by restricting access to devices that have a specific MAC Address.Īfter you choose Save on the mobile hotspot configuration screen you have a choice. Optional – Limit Access to Specific Devices based on MAC Address When it comes to security, a random string of desultory text is always superior to a short string of unintelligible alphanumeric garbage.ĥ. Is significantly stronger than though the latter looks more complex. Incidentally, strong passwords get stronger faster with length not characters. I often find that having a strong password is good enough so I usually leave this unchecked. Hiding the network name increasing security a little (security through obscurity) however, you’ll have to manually connect your devices to your mobile hotspot since it won’t automatically show up the WiFi list. That way, the guy sitting next to you in Starbucks won’t even know about your little personal hotspot. If you tap Hide my device then the phone won’t send out a beacon advertising itself to the world. The Network SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the name of the network. When you touch OK, the configuration box opens. Swipe the Mobile Hotspot switch to On.Īn Attention notice pops onto the screen telling you that the phone has to disable Wi-Fi in order to turn your phone to a personal Wi-Fi access point. Touch the Connections tab then tap More Networks to enter the Mobile Hotspot settings.Īfter tapping More Networks, the Wireless and Networks screen appears. When holding your phone upright in portrait mode, you’ll see four tabs along the top: Connections, My device, Account, and More. Then tap the Settings gear in the upper right corner. The fastest way to get to Settings is to swipe down from the top edge of your phone to open the notification drawer. Then you can access the internet from your laptop, tablet, or even another phone all while using your phone as an access point. I’m going to show you how easy it is to turn your Galaxy S4 into a personal WiFi access point.