19. Powering Other Devices
In this chapter, you find out how to use your phone to provide Internet access for other devices and to control external devices. Topics include the following:
Using the S5 as a wireless modem for computers, tablets, and other devices
Controlling a television set and set-top box/DVR
Mirroring the phone’s screen on a flat-screen TV
If your laptop or desktop computer currently lacks Internet access (when traveling, at the beach, or during a provider outage, for example), you can temporarily convert your phone to a USB, Bluetooth, or wireless modem. Because the S5 has infrared capabilities, you can configure the included Smart Remote app to control your TV. And if you buy the optional MHL 2.0 HDTV Adapter, anything on the phone can be simultaneously displayed on your HDTV.
Creating a Mobile Hotspot for Wi-Fi Devices
Using the phone’s Tethering and Mobile Hotspot settings in combination with a 3G or better data connection, your phone can become a hotspot through which up to 10 Wi-Fi devices can simultaneously connect to the Internet.
Carriers may call this a mobile hotspot, portable hotspot, or simply hotspot. Just as the name varies slightly among the carriers, the label and location of the hotspot and tethering icon(s) in Settings vary, too.
Creating a hotspot and tethering may not be included in your data plan. They frequently cost extra and must be ordered from your carrier as needed. Although data transmitted when tethered or using the phone as a hotspot normally doesn’t count against your data plan, there may be a maximum amount that you can use. Before trying these features, check with your carrier for details on the cost and the procedure for enabling/disabling this add-on service.
1. On the Home screen, tap Apps, followed by Settings. Go to the Network Connections section.
Or Launch the Carrier’s App
Some carriers provide an app that—when launched—takes you directly to the Tethering and Hotspot settings.
2. Do the following:
• AT&T, U.S. Cellular: Tap Tethering and Wi-Fi Hotspot.
• Metro PCS, T-Mobile: Tap Tethering and Mobile Hotspot.
• Sprint: Tap Hotspot.
• Verizon: Tap More Networks, Mobile Hotspot.
3. Drag the Hotspot/Mobile Hotspot slider to the On position.
4. If Wi-Fi is currently enabled for the phone, an Attention dialog box appears. Tap OK to turn Wi-Fi off. (The hotspot runs only over a cellular data connection, not Wi-Fi.)
5. The hotspot is enabled. The screen explains how you and others can connect to it, and shows the names of the devices—if any—that are currently connected. The hotspot network’s default name and log-in password are the phone’s model and phone number—or the most recent name and password that you specified.
6. You can optionally edit the hotspot settings by opening the menu and choosing Configure. (You can do this before or after enabling hotspots.) Otherwise, go to Step 10.
7. Make any desired changes to the network name, security protocol, and password. You can enable Show Password to see the password as you type or edit it.
Secure or Open Network?
Choosing Open for the Security setting eliminates the security protocol and password. Anyone within range can freely connect to your open hotspot. Just as you do with your home’s wireless router, be sure to set a password and security protocol.
8. Optional: Tap Show Advanced Options to specify a broadcast frequency, select a specific channel number, and set the maximum number of allowed connections.
9. Tap Save to save the changed configuration settings or Cancel to ignore the changes.
10. Connect Wi-Fi-enabled devices (laptops, tablets, iPods, and so on) to the hotspot network by selecting the hotspot network’s name on each device and entering the password when prompted.
Getting Connected
The command you choose or icon you click/tap to connect to a wireless network is specific to the device that’s connecting. Use the same procedure that you use to connect to any new wireless network. While the hotspot is active, the Mobile Hotspot screen displays a list of all connected devices.
11. When you finish, deactivate the hotspot by dragging the Hotspot/Mobile Hotspot slider to the Off position. The hotspot ends, all devices are disconnected, and Wi-Fi is automatically re-enabled (assuming a Wi-Fi network is available).
Data Used
Although Hotspot/tethered data is normally calculated separately from data transmitted on your monthly data plan, there may be a limit to it. To see how much data is being transmitted while the S5 is a hotspot or is tethered to a PC, open Settings, tap Data Usage, and view the Tethering entry beneath the graph.
Tethering the Phone and a Computer
Another way to provide Internet access to a single computer is to connect the phone and computer with the phone’s USB cable (referred to as tethering). Some carriers also support wireless tethering using Bluetooth. Of course, the latter feature only works with Bluetooth-equipped computers, such as Macs and some laptops. Unlike USB tethering (which is restricted to one computer), Bluetooth tethering can be used to simultaneously provide Internet access to multiple computers.
USB Tethering for Windows PCs
1. Visit the Support section of Samsung’s site (www.samsung.com/us/support/) to download and install the USB driver for your carrier’s Galaxy S5. Installing the device driver is a one-time process.
Finding Your Model Number
You can find your phone’s carrier-specific model number by opening Settings and tapping About Device or About Phone.
2. Connect the phone’s USB cable to the phone and to one of the PC’s available USB ports.
An Extra Step
In Windows, you may see a notice that the necessary drivers are being installed. When installation finishes, an AutoPlay dialog box appears, asking what you want to do with the new connected device; that is, your phone. Click Open Device to View Files.
3. Open Settings on the phone, and do the following:
• AT&T, U.S. Cellular: Tap Tethering and Wi-Fi Hotspot.
• Metro PCS, T-Mobile: Tap Tethering and Mobile Hotspot.
• Sprint: Tap Tethering.
• Verizon: Tap More Networks, Tethering.
4. Enable USB Tethering by tapping its check box. After the computer recognizes the phone, you can use the PC’s browser and other Internet applications.
5. When you’re done using the phone as a USB modem, remove the check mark from USB tethering. If necessary, eject the phone hardware in the same way that you do with other connected USB devices. Disconnect the USB cable.
Disconnection Details
When possible, you should avoid simply unplugging USB data devices from a PC. If the Safely Remove Hardware icon is displayed at the right end of the Windows task bar, click the icon, choose the Eject phone model command from the pop-up menu that appears, and—when you’re told that it’s safe to do so—disconnect the USB cable. (If the Safely Remove Hardware icon isn’t displayed, wait until you’re certain that no data is being transferred between the phone and PC, and then disconnect the USB cable.)
Bluetooth Tethering
The following task explains how to tether a Mac to the S5 using Bluetooth. If your S5 hasn’t previously been paired with the Mac, do so now. See the “Pairing the Phone with a Mac” sidebar at the end of Chapter 16, “Transferring and Sharing Files,” for instructions.
Mac Versus PC
All recent Macs have built-in Bluetooth. To find out if your Windows PC or laptop has Bluetooth hardware, open the System control panel and click Device Manager.
1. On the phone, open Settings and tap the Bluetooth icon.
2. Enable Bluetooth by dragging its slider to the On position, ensure that the target computer is listed as a paired device, and then press the Back key.
3. On the Mac, open the Bluetooth menu on the menu bar and ensure that Bluetooth is enabled. If it’s off, choose Turn Bluetooth On.
4. On the phone, go to the Network Connections section of Settings and do the following:
• U.S. Cellular: Tap Tethering and Wi-Fi Hotspot.
• Sprint: Tap Tethering.
• Verizon: Tap More Networks, Tethering.
The Other Carriers
At the S5’s launch, AT&T, Metro PCS, and T-Mobile did not support Bluetooth tethering. If they later offer it, Step 4 will be similar to what’s described for the other carriers.
5. Enable Bluetooth Tethering by tapping its check box.
6. Open the Bluetooth menu on the Mac’s menu bar and choose phone name, Connect to Network. You can now use your computer’s Internet apps as you normally do.
7. When you’ve completed your online activities, disable tethering by tapping the Bluetooth Tethering check box again. If you’re no longer using Bluetooth on the phone for other activities, you can disable it.
Mirroring the Phone on an HDTV
With Samsung’s optional MHL 2.0 HDTV Adapter, you can use your flat-screen TV to display whatever is shown on the phone.
1. Plug an HDMI cable into the adapter.
2. Connect the other end of the HDMI cable to your flat-screen television.
3. Using your television’s Input menu, select the HDMI input to which the adapter is connected.
4. Plug the other end of the adapter into your phone’s USB port.
5. On the phone, run any application that you want to display on the TV.
>>>Go Further: Controlling Your TV with the S5
• Use the remote to turn the set on and off, adjust or mute the volume, change channels, change the input source, and display the TV’s internal menu. You can access a basic version of the remote in the Notification panel and/or on the lock screen with which you can issue common commands to the TV or DVR.
• Open the Channel Guide to see a list of shows that are on. The guide can be scrolled by hour or day and used to select a show to watch. (The channel list can optionally be edited to display only channels to which you subscribe.) If you see an upcoming show that you want to watch, you can set a reminder for it that will appear in the Notification bar at the designated time.
• Tap the three-bar icon in the upper-left corner to select a subset of channels to display, such as Favorites, Movies, Sports, or Just for You (show recommendations, based on your viewing preferences).
• Use the remote to instruct your DVR to record the current show or play a previously recorded show.
