iPad Tethering

I never even ask what the WiFi is at coffee shops and hotels.

I have AT&T cell service, and the plan I have includes a “Mobile Hotspot”. I flip that sucker on, and now my phone is my WiFi.

I find it’s usually faster and more reliable to use than some arbitrary shared WiFi, and I never seem to hit my 40 GB cap, even while relying on it fairly heavily.

I’ve gone on a couple of trips recently where I also brought along my iPad. I’ve had the iPad for a few years now. I don’t use it that much — mostly bedside RSS & YouTube. But for whatever reason, when I got it, I went for the version that had cellular internet. So, I also pay AT&T $20/month for data and Mobile Hotspot access on the iPad.

Whenever I have both the iPhone and iPad with me, the iPad always has better internet. It gets a stronger signal, seems to often be on a stronger network, and has faster speeds. I just wanted to note that as it seems worth knowing. If you want a Mobile Hotspot situation and are going for one or the other, the iPad is better. I guess that stands to reason: it’s physically bigger, so it has more room for a better antenna situation.