How to Turn Your Samsung Galaxy Tab Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot

Introduction

You can enable the Wi-Fi mobile hotspot on your Samsung Galaxy Tab and share your device's network connection with up to five other devices. This feature is a great way to connect your other wireless devices to the Internet when no Wi-Fi connection is available. However, be careful, because turning on the Samsung Galaxy Tab's mobile hotspot and connecting other device's is a huge drain on the battery. Also, the more device's you connect to the hotspot, the slower the connection speed will be for your Samsung Galaxy Tab and all connected devices.

How to Turn On Samsung Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi Hotspot (Sprint)

1. Tap the "Applications" icon along the bottom of the Samsung Galaxy Tab screen. The Applications icon features 16 small white square boxes on it.
2. Tap the "Sprint Hotspot" icon on the next screen. The Sprint Hotspot icon features a blue background and the image of a touchscreen phone with the Sprint logo on it.
3. Tap "Sprint Hotspot" beneath Sprint Hotspot until a check mark appears in the Sprint Hotspot check box.

How to Set Up Samsung Galaxy Tab So Other Wireless Devices Can Connect to It (Sprint)

1. Follow Steps 1 through 3 in the How to Turn On Samsung Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi Hotspot (Sprint) to arrive at the Sprint Hotspot screen after enabling your device as a Wi-Fi hotspot.
2. Tap "Sprint Hotspot Settings" beneath Sprint Hotspot. The Sprint Hotspot Settings window appears.
3. Tap the box beneath "Router name (SSID)" and then enter the name you want your device to appear as in the list of available wireless networks on the wireless devices you want to tether to the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
4. Tap the drop-down arrow beneath Security to see a list of security options. Ideally, select one that offers a high level of encryption, such as WPA.
5. Tap the box beneath "Password" and then enter a password for your hotspot.
6. Tap the check box to the right of Visible until a check mark appears if you want devices that support Wi-Fi to be able to see the device on their lists of available networks; leave this option unchecked if you don't want this device to be displayed. You can still connect to the Samsung Galaxy Tab's hotspot using wireless devices even if the device doesn't appear in the list of available devices, however, you'll have to enter the device's name, the type of security it uses and password to connect to it; typically, you'll only be prompted for a password because all of the other data will be populated.
7. Tap "Save" at the bottom of the Sprint Hotspot Settings window when you're done adjusting the hotspot settings. You'll return to the Sprint Hotspot window.
8. Tap your device's "Menu" button that's available just beneath the touchscreen.
9. Tap the "Advanced" icon at the bottom of the window that features an image of a wrench.
10. Tap "Max Clients." The Max Clients window opens.
11. Tap the number that corresponds with the maximum number of devices you want to be able to use the Samsung Galaxy Tab's hotspot at any one time. Be careful, the more devices connected to your Samsung Galaxy Tab, the slower the network connection will be on all connected devices.

How to Turn On Samsung Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi Hotspot (Verizon Wireless)

1. Tap the "Applications" icon along the bottom of the Samsung Galaxy Tab screen. The Applications icon features 16 small white square boxes on it.
2. Tap the "3G Mobile Hotspot" icon on the next screen. The 3G Mobile Hotspot icon features a red circle with the white outline of a touchscreen phone inside of it.
3. Tap "3G Mobile Hotspot" at the top of the next screen to bring up a dialog box displaying information about enabling tethering on your Samsung Galaxy Tab.
4. Tap "Continue" when you're done reading the information in the dialog box. Another dialog box opens displaying information about the significantly lower battery life you'll get on your Samsung Galaxy Tab while tethering is enabled.
5. Tap "Turn on Mobile Hotspot" to place a check mark in the box to the right of that specific field and finally enable tethering on your Samsung Galaxy Tab.

How to Set Up Samsung Galaxy Tab So Other Wireless Devices Can Connect to It (Verizon Wireless)

1. Press the "Menu" button just beneath the Samsung Galaxy Tab touchscreen.
2. Select "Settings," "Wireless and Network," "3G Mobile Hotspot" and then "3G Mobile Hotspot Settings." The 3G Mobile Hotspot window appears.
3. Tap the box beneath "Network SSID" and then enter the name you want your device to appear as in the list of available wireless networks on the wireless devices you want to tether to the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
4. Tap the drop-down arrow beneath Security to see a list of security options. Ideally, select one that offers a high level of encryption, such as WPA.
5. Tap the box beneath "Password" and then enter a password for your hotspot.
6. Tap the check box to the right of Hide My Device until a check mark appears if you want devices that support Wi-Fi to be able to see the device on their lists of available networks; leave this option unchecked if you don't want this device to be displayed. You can still connect to the Samsung Galaxy Tab's hotspot using wireless devices even if the device doesn't appear in the list of available devices, however, you'll have to enter the device's name, the type of security it uses and password to connect to it; typically, you'll only be prompted for a password because all of the other data will be populated.
7. Tap "Save" at the bottom of the Sprint Hotspot Settings window when you're done adjusting the hotspot settings. You'll return to the Sprint Hotspot window.

How to Turn On Samsung Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi Hotspot (T-Mobile)

1. Tap the "Menu" button on just beneath the touchscreen on your Samsung Galaxy Tab.
2. Tap "Settings," "Wireless & Network" and then "Mobile AP."
3. Tap "Mobile AP" again on the next screen until a check mark appears to the right of the option. The mobile hotspot functionality is now enabled on your Samsung Galaxy Tab.

How to Set Up Samsung Galaxy Tab So Other Wireless Devices Can Connect to It (T-Mobile)

1. Follow Steps 1 and 2 in the How to Turn on Samsung Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi Hotspot (T-Mobile) section.
2. Select "Mobile AP Settings to open the Mobile AP Settings window.
3. Tap the box beneath "Network SSID" and then enter the name you want your device to appear as in the list of available wireless networks on the wireless devices you want to tether to the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
4. Tap the drop-down arrow beneath Security to see a list of security options. Ideally, select one that offers a high level of encryption, such as WPA.
5. Tap the box beneath "Password" and then enter a password for your hotspot.
6. Tap the check box to the right of Hide My Device until a check mark appears if you want devices that support Wi-Fi to be able to see the device on their lists of available networks; leave this option unchecked if you don't want this device to be displayed. You can still connect to the Samsung Galaxy Tab's hotspot using wireless devices even if the device doesn't appear in the list of available devices, however, you'll have to enter the device's name, the type of security it uses and password to connect to it; typically, you'll only be prompted for a password because all of the other data will be populated.
7. Tap "Save" at the bottom of the Sprint Hotspot Settings window when you're done adjusting the hotspot settings. You'll return to the Sprint Hotspot window.

How to Connect Your Wireless Device to the Samsung Galaxy Tab (Outline for All Devices)

1. Open a list of wireless connections available for your device to connect to. For example, if you're using a Windows operating system, right-click the wireless network icon in your Notification Area and then click "View Available Wireless Networks." If you're using an iPhone, tap "Settings" and then "Wi-Fi." Each device is different, so consult your device's owner's manual if you're unsure how to access a list of available wireless networks.
2. Select the name you assigned your device as either the Network Name or the Router Name from the list of available networks. If you don't see your device and you expected to see it, navigate back through how to set up your Samsung Galaxy Tab for your Tab's wireless service provider and ensure that you're not hiding the network.
3. Enter the password you assigned your Samsung Galaxy Tab if prompted. If you didn't set up a password, you'll automatically be connected to the Samsung Galaxy Tab's hotspot.