Windows 8 Phone as "Modem" for Windows RT Tablets?

[peterharvey]

Does anyone know if Windows 8 Phone, or indeed Android and iPhones - can be used as a modem to download internet data onto a Windows 8 RT Tablet with no 3G/4G?

Could this be why there are a number of Windows 8 RT Tablets eg Ms Surface RT and Samsung Ativ Tab - that has no 3G, but only wifi?
Even the Asus Transformer Infinity TF701 with Android OS has no 3G/4G, but only wifi.

In such case, is the phone connected to the tablet by USB, or a proprietary socket, or is the phone connected to the tablet by bluetooth or wi-fi???

 

[molebo]

Cell provider has usb donkey ,but the problem is RT is not a x86 Windows, so they probably don't have the drivers.

now, Android and iPhone has Wi-Fi hotspot . so you can connect your RT tablet by wi-fi to them, and use the phone as modem. On my Galaxy Note 2, it's under setting > more setting > Tethering and portable hotspot , and then you choose if you want connect the other device by USB cable or Wi-FI

 

[R0bR]

Yes, provided you have tethering in your Windows Phone, iPhone or Android plan you can connect a Windows RT tablet to it.

 

[peterharvey]

Yes, provided you have tethering in your Windows Phone, iPhone or Android plan you can connect a Windows RT tablet to it.

Is that tetherring with a 3G/4G mobile phone with Windows Phone 8 just as quick as using a tablet with real 3G/4G built-in???

 

[R0bR]

Is that tetherring with a 3G/4G mobile phone with Windows Phone 8 just as quick as using a tablet with real 3G/4G built-in???

Sorry, can't answer that...I know tethering is possible because a number of Surface RT owners have done so on the forum I'm on. If Rogers in Canada would get their act together and bring in a Red Lumina 920 I would get it and test it myself, however their tethering is only available with LTE.

 

[Coke Robot]

Windows Phone, and other "smart"phones, can do tethering. It also will depend on your data plan, I know on att, you need to have at least 5 gigs of data to enable device tethering.

As for speeds go, I'd imagine using 4G would be faster than 3G. But I'm not too sure, as different hardware acts differently in processing speeds.

And I do want Rogers Canada to get the red Lumia 920, and unlocked as well so I can purchase it!

 

[kingstonian]

I use my Galaxy S2 from Telus to tether my EXOPC, the 3g / 4g works just like on the phone.

Download / upload speeds are dependent on location from the towers, mine can be as high as 700mbs.

Works well when away from home .... make sure your plan covers this type of usage...

 

[shEEEsh]

I have the Samsung Slate w/ data connection with an AT&T sim card ... I can also use my T-Mobile sim card. I don't know what speeds I get though. I use WI-FI 99.999% of the time, only turning on my mobile connection when wi-fi is nowhere to be found. I haven't tried tethering with my android or tried using my iphone as a hot spot. Being I am ready to give up my iPad for the Surface Pro, I think I should trade in my iphone for a Win8 phone just don't know which one.

 

[Coke Robot]

I have the Samsung Slate w/ data connection with an AT&T sim card ... I can also use my T-Mobile sim card. I don't know what speeds I get though. I use WI-FI 99.999% of the time, only turning on my mobile connection when wi-fi is nowhere to be found. I haven't tried tethering with my android or tried using my iphone as a hot spot. Being I am ready to give up my iPad for the Surface Pro, I think I should trade in my iphone for a Win8 phone just don't know which one.

If you're on att, Nokia Lumia 920 HANDS DOWN! That is the definition of a Windows Phone 8 handset.

Also, the Surface Pro doesn't have a SIM slot, so you'd need to use an external USB modem for that. Just a heads up.

 

[shEEEsh]

Is the Surface Pro going to be the same size as the Surface RT? i love my Samsung Slate I just wish it was a little smaller.
I am thinking about installing Win8 On my HTC Shift .. it has Windows 7 right now i think. I almost forgot i had that little tablet.

 

[Coke Robot]

Is the Surface Pro going to be the same size as the Surface RT? i love my Samsung Slate I just wish it was a little smaller.
I am thinking about installing Win8 On my HTC Shift .. it has Windows 7 right now i think. I almost forgot i had that little tablet.

Yeah, 10.6 inches of screen is the size for the two Surface tablets. The Surface Pro is marginally larger than the RT since it's packing an i5 processor.

 

[Tepid]

All Windows Phone 8's support up to 5 devices for Hot Spot connections, as far as I have read.
Anything that has a WIFI connection will connect.

How good the speeds are is a matter of many things.
It's just like having an Aircard, so, it depends...

Some people on the same network at the same location may not get the same connectivity.

Using it as a modem,, I am not sure,, you would have to define what you really mean by using it as a Modem.

 

[Tepid]

All Windows Phone 8's support up to 5 devices for Hot Spot connections, as far as I have read.
Anything that has a WIFI connection will connect.

How good the speeds are is a matter of many things.
It's just like having an Aircard, so, it depends...

Some people on the same network at the same location may not get the same connectivity.

No one is offering 3G/4G on PC's or devices that are not Cell Phones any longer.
The reason is, some of them were providing the connectivity for free. (ie. Nook)
What they found though, is that is was useless to include 3G/4G service on these devices as you pretty much have WIFI available EVERYwhere, literally. Unless you are off the beaten path or out in the woods, and even then you might find an open WIFI signal.