To access Wireless LAN you usually need to find a so-called hotspot where you can use the local Wireless LAN to access the Internet. Android smartphones however have a feature which enables them to become a wireless hotspot themselves - they use UMTS to connect to the Internet and make the Internet connection available to other computers/devices via WLAN. This article describes how you can configure this feature.
I do not issue any guarantee that this will work for you!
1 Preliminary Note
The screenshots taken for this tutorial originate from a HTC Desire A8181 Android smartphone and the Linux Mint 11 operating system. The tutorial's steps may differ a little if you use other devices or operating systems, but the main procedure remains the same for similar ones. It should be noted however, that the Wi-Fi Hotspot function is available only on Android 2.2 (Froyo) and newer!
2 Configuring The Wi-Fi Hotspot
To make your smartphone a wireless hotspot, browse Apps > Settings > Wireless & Networks.
Make sure to uncheck Wi-Fi. Scroll down and check Mobile network instead. It should switch to Connected then. These changes should automatically be applied when the hotspot is being activated, but to be on the safe side we do it manually before we proceed.
