Why Is My Laptop Not Connecting to My Hotspot?
Since your laptop is trying to connect to another device that has its limitations and possible issues, there are several things at play that could go wrong and prevent your computer from reaching the internet. All the troubleshooting steps are listed below; here are just a few things to consider:
A temporary glitch severed the connection.You’re too far from the hotspot.The data connection is off.The hotspot is operating on a frequency band unsupported by your laptop.There’s no more data available on your plan.Network drivers are outdated.Your laptop isn’t on your phone’s list of allowed devices.
How to Fix It When a Laptop Isn’t Connecting to a Mobile Hotspot
Below are several ideas you can try if your computer can’t reach the internet through the hotspot. After attempting everything described above, you could have better luck at this point following a troubleshooting guide specific to your device. See how to fix hotspot issues on iPhone or fix USB tethering issues in Windows. It’s a great first step to try because it doesn’t require you to shut down your whole device, but it will refresh the connection and force your laptop to try to connect to it again. If this is your situation, the hotspot won’t even appear as an available Wi-Fi network on your laptop. Then, reconnect to the hotspot’s network using the same information you did the first time. It will effectively delete everything Windows knows about the hotspot and then establish a brand-new connection with it once more. We’ve seen this be the fix for a “tethering has no internet” error on an Android phone. See how to turn off airplane mode on Android for directions. Get there through Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Internet Connections. One easy way to verify this without calling your provider is to disconnect the hotspot and see if your phone can reach the internet away from Wi-Fi. You can usually contact your mobile operator to get more data. The name option is on the hotspot settings page for most Android devices, but you’ll need to change your iPhone’s/iPad’s device name to change the hotspot name if you’re using an Apple device. Not all phones support this level of customization, but you’ll see it in the hotspot settings if yours does (you might need to start the hotspot setup process over from scratch) Some Android phones, for example, call this toggle Extend compatibility. It’s named Maximize Compatibility on Apple devices. Turning it on switches to 2.4 GHz The easiest way to do this is with a free driver updater tool. Update Windows through Windows Update. Update your Android phone through the Settings app, or update iOS in your iPhone’s settings. If this is the fix, you’ll need to go into the security app’s settings to see if you can make an exception or toggle something on/off that’s interfering with its ability to use a hotspot. For example, some Samsung Galaxy phones have an Allowed device section in the hotspot settings. If your laptop isn’t on that list, select the add icon and enter its name and MAC address. See how to find your computer’s name in Windows and how to find your laptop’s MAC address if you need help. Learn how to reset an iPhone’s network settings if you’re unsure how. You can also do it on most Android phones through Settings > System > Reset options. Don’t forget to reset the Windows network settings.
How Do I Connect My Laptop to My Mobile Hotspot?
The method you use depends on the kind of hotspot you’re using. Most laptops and phones that can create hotspots support Wi-Fi (the fastest option), USB (the easiest), and Bluetooth. Assuming the hotspot is already set up correctly (e.g., the Wi-Fi or USB option is chosen in the hotspot settings), connecting using any of those three methods is easy:
Wi-Fi: Choose your hotspot from the list of available Wi-Fi networks, and enter the password. USB: Plug your phone into your laptop. Bluetooth: Pair your laptop and phone together to get internet on your laptop over Bluetooth.
