This wikiHow teaches you how to connect an Android device to a Windows 7 computer so that it can connect to the internet via the device's mobile data network. This process is known as "tethering". You can connect your device to your computer using a USB connection or a wireless hotspot connection.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Via USB
Step 1. Connect Android device to computer
Use the charging cable and the USB port on the computer to connect the two.
The USB tethering feature with Android phones is only available for Windows computers
Step 2. Open the device settings menu (“Settings”)
Swipe down from the top of the device screen, then touch the settings gear icon
in the upper-right corner of the drop-down menu.
On some Android device models, swipe down on the screen using two fingers
Step 3. Touch Network & Internet
It's at the top of the settings page.
On your Samsung phone or tablet, select “ Connections ”.
Step 4. Select Hotspot & tethering
It's in the middle of the page.
On your Samsung phone or tablet, touch “ Mobile Hotspot and Tethering ”.
Step 5. Touch the white “USB tethering” switch
The switch color will turn blue afterwards
. Now the computer has a wired connection (LAN) to the internet via the Android device's mobile data network.
Step 6. Fix the connection if necessary
If the computer does not recognize the connected Android device as the location/source of the internet network, you can resolve this error with the following steps:
- Open the Device Manager program. Click the menu " Start ”, select the search bar, type in device manager, and select “ Device Manager ”.
- Double click the option " Network adapters ”.
- Right click " Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device ”.
- Choose " Update Driver Software… ”.
- Click " Browse my computer for driver software ”.
- Click the button " Let me pick ” at the bottom of the window.
- Uncheck the "Show compatible hardware" box.
- Choose " Microsoft Corporation ” in the " Manufacturer " column.
- Click " Remote NDIS Compatible Device, then select " Next ”.
- Click " Yes ” when prompted, then select “ Close ”.
Method 2 of 2: Via Hotspot
Step 1. Open the device settings menu (“Settings”)
Swipe down from the top of the device screen, then touch the settings gear icon
in the upper-right corner of the drop-down menu.
On some Android device models, swipe down on the screen using two fingers
Step 2. Select Network & Internet
It's at the top of the page.
On your Samsung phone or tablet, select “ Connections ”.
Step 3. Select Hotspot & tethering
It's in the middle of the page.
On your Samsung phone or tablet, touch “ Mobile Hotspot and Tethering ”.
Step 4. Touch Set up Wi-Fi hotspot
This option appears in the middle of the page.
On your Samsung phone or tablet, tap the white "Mobile hotspot" switch to activate the hotspot feature. You can adjust the password by touching the “ Password ”, enter a new password, and touch the “ SAVE " Once done, move on to the "Open computer WiFi settings" step.
Step 5. Set up device hotspot
Fill in the following fields:
- ” Network name” - Enter the name that the device will display in the wireless network selection segment on the computer.
- “Security” - Select option “ WPA2 ” from this menu.
- “Password” - Type in the password used to log in to the network.
Step 6. Touch SAVE
It's at the bottom of the menu. You will be taken back to the “Hotspot & Tethering” page afterwards.
Step 7. Touch the white “Portable Wi-Fi hotspot” switch
It's at the top of the “Hotspot & Tethering” page. The switch color will turn blue after sliding
. Now your Android device can emit WiFi signal.
Step 8. Open the computer's WiFi settings
Click the WiFi icon that looks like a set of signal bars on your computer in the lower-right corner of the screen. A pop-up window will appear after that.
You may need to click the “ ▲ ” first to see the WiFi icon.
Step 9. Click the Android device name
The device name will be displayed in a pop-up window.
Step 10. Enter the password
Type in the password created in the hotspot setup process, then click Connect ” or press Enter key.
If you do not set a password in the setup process, the hotspot network password will be displayed on the hotspot page of the Android device settings menu. You need to touch the hotspot name to see the password used
Step 11. Wait for the computer to connect to the network
Once connected, you can browse the internet through your computer as usual.
