How to get wifi without internet provider

Internet access via WiFi doesn’t come cheap. In the US, it will cost you approximately $40 to $60  per month to access the internet via an internet service provider (ISP) in your home.

This is a lot of money that to most people is hard to afford. However, the good news is that you can still get WiFi access without an internet service provider.

You can get WiFi without internet provider by using public WiFi, tethering your smartphone or tablet, a mobile hotspot, a WiFI USB dongle, a friend’s/neigbors’ WiFi, or using a free trial internet service.

1. Table of Contents

   Toggle

   Public WiFi

Depending on which city you live in, there are free public WiFi hotspots around that offer wireless high-speed internet. The WiFi access coverage can cover a large area or in some cases, the coverage might be restricted. This is a great way to get WiFi access without an internet provider. However, not everyone lives in such cities. Despite this, you can still find private WiFi hotspots that too give you access to high-speed internet at a lower cost. These places include the mall, coffee shops, and even libraries. With the help of apps, you can detect these WiFi hotspots around you. You can use free apps like WiFI Master key and WiFi on Android and iOS respectively.

2. Mobile hotspot

All you need to set up a mobile hotspot is a smartphone or tablet, and a mobile data subscription pla. You can easily set up a mobile hotspot since most smartphones and tablets have the feature to act as one. This simply shares your cellular data plan with any other device connected to the same hotspot. Besides smartphones and tablets, you can also purchase a standalone hotspot device that all it needs is charging and a plan. This is better than a router since you can move around with your internet and maximize on it. The only downsides are the network’s security, data consumption if you aren’t on an unlimited data plan, and battery drain. You can boost security by setting up a strong password and save on data by limiting the number of connected devices and using a metered connection on devices such as a Windows PC. WIth battery draining, ensure you have a power bank or wall charger with you.

3. Tethering

Tethering is similar to mobile hotspots since you use your smartphone or tablet as a modem and allow other devices to connect by using a USB cable between your phone the device like a PC. Most smartphones and tablets allow you to tether and share your cellular data plan with other devices on the network. This is great if you have a cheap or unlimited plan. Besides, it consumes less battery than mobile hotspots making it ideal for use when your battery is low. Also, the smartphone or tablet’s battery gets recharged when connected to the PC.

4. Share an internet connection

There are networks around us that we can scan and use without typing in the password. Or even better, your friend can have login credentials to a nearby WiFi that you don’t. You can also take a chance and scan for nearby WiFi networks and try accessing them and you may be lucky to get one that doesn’t have a password. Also, we might not have an internet provider but our friends or neighbors have one and are willing to share their WiFi if requested. You can talk to your neighbor or friend and chip in on the payment for a WiFi password which would be cheaper than subscribing t your one plan.

5. Use a WiFi dongle

A WiFi dongle (internet stick) is another great way to get WiFi access on your device with a USB port like a PC without using an internet provider. It’s usually slightly bigger than your typical USB device and uses a SIM card to offer internet access through a wireless provider. This device works the same way as tethering and is very ideal for travelers due to its lightweight.

6. Free trials

Some internet providers have free trial periods which depends on the provider’s current offers. You can look up these offers by doing a google search. For example, Internet providers such as FreedomPop offers 10 GB of free data for the first month and a maximum of 500 MB of free data for every consecutive month. You may however be required to enter your credit card information and set up an account before accessing these free trials. Mae sure to cancel your subscription once the trial period ends.

FAQs

How safe is my internet connection when I tether my phone?

Your connection is very secure since it uses a cable instead of a wireless network to connect.

What’s the difference between mobile hotspot and tethering?

The main difference between the two is that tethering requires a cable to connect between the two devices while a mobile hotspot uses a wireless network similar to WiFi.