Use a Personal Hotspot to Get High Speed Data on an Original iPhone

I love the original iPhone, but it’s lack of 3G mobile speed can be a big problem when out and about. There is a workaround.

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I’ve been using my original iPhone indoors recently on WiFi for tweeting and emailing. There is just something about them that I can’t leave alone – it’s more than just a love of old tech, they are fantastically designed and still very useable for certain tasks.

But when I go outside, the lack of 3G mobile data speeds bothers me. It’s good for emails and tweeting, but surfing and Facebook is a no-no. Also, I have a pay-as-you-go SIM with no credit in my original iPhone, so using it outside is also not possible.

But there is a workaround solution. This workaround requires another phone – but it could mean you get 3G or 4G speeds on your 2007 iPhone.

Personal Hotspot

For this I used an iPhone 4s, but it will work with other iPhones – and Android handsets too – and if your handset has 4G, then you could get some very fast speeds. The instructions provided here are using iOS 7, but iOS 8 should be just the same.

Simply go to Settings > Personal Hotspot. Here you will see a switch and a code. Turn on the switch, and you are good to go. You might be asked about Bluetooth/WiFi and USB. I picked the top option.

Keep a note of the Wi-Fi Password and go to your original iPhone. Go in to Settings > Wi-Fi and find your other phone’s hotspot network in the list – mine is called ‘Simon iPhone’.

When prompted enter the Wi-Fi Password, and you are good to go. You original iPhone will be connected via WiFi.

4s-personal-hotspot 2g-wifi-networks 2g-settings

One bonus of this is that others can use your mobile hotspot too, so if you are out with a bunch of friends who are struggling to get a signal, they can piggy-back off your connection. Once set up, anyone with a WiFi capable device  and your password can use it. It also means if you have an iPod touch or iPad with WiFi only, this is a great work around.

However, I should point out that this kind of ‘tethering’ might not be allowed by your network or may not be included in your inclusive data allowance, so please check first.


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