Use your Samsung Galaxy Y as Internet Access Point

One of the cool features of the Samsung Galaxy Y that is not to be found in other and older Galaxy smartphones in its class is the ability to share it's 3G internet connection to other Wi-Fi enabled devices like laptops, tablets and smartphones. This feature is commonly found on higher end Samsung Galaxy tabletss and smartphones but it is a nice treat from Samsung to have it included in this entry level Android phone.

I had a previous post of similar topic in this blog but that one deals with the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Since the naming of the feature in the menu is vastly different from that of Samsung Galaxy Tab, I took the liberty to post this one specifically for the Samsung Galaxy Y.

Having a personal Wi-Fi hotspot in your possession wherever you go offers lots of convenience to people who prefer using their laptop in browsing the internet and reading and sending email, in the absence of Wi-Fi access points in their location or even at home without regular internet  connection.

Once you activate the feature, other people can connect to your Samsung Galaxy Y and use its 3G internet connection to browse the Internet. The only downside of this feature is the maximum number of concurrent users which is set to 5 only.

To make sure that only people whom you authorize to connect will be able to use the service, you have the option to set WPA-PSK security in your device. meaning, you can set a passphrase or password which you can share with your users prior to connection just like in a dedicated Wi-Fi router/access point.

The procedure is very simple and outlined below:

1. Go to "Settings" and tap on "Wireless and Networks",

2. Tap on "Tethering and portable hotspot",

3. Tap to check the "Portable Wi-Fi Hostspot",

4. As soon as you see the "Portable Wi-Fi- hotspot AndroidAP7711 active" below the "Portable Wi-Fi hotpsot, you and your users can already connect to the Galaxy Y Access Point using your various devices but in this instance, the connection is "Open" and unsecured. What you have to do to enable security is  tap on the "Configure Portable Wi-Fi hotspot" after which you will have the option of setting your own Network SSID or leave the default "AndroidAP7711". Click on "security" below the Network SSID and choose WPA2 PSK in the dropdown list. Input your password or passphrase and you're good to go.

 By the way, before you do the above-mentioned things, make sure that your phone has enough load credits if you are on prepaid cellular service and that your network's APN is properly configured to browse over 3G. If you can browse the internet on your Galaxy Y prior to setting up the Access Point, then you will have no problem. If you cannot access the internet, check on your 'Mobile Networks Settings" and see if the "Use Packet Data" is checked or activated. This setting determines your phones capability to access the internet given enough  load credits and proper APN configuration.

In my case, prior to doing these things, I subscribe first to a day's unlimited internet with my Mobile Network or cellular provider to enjoy unhampered browsing with my pals and family members.