How to Run Sprint's Hotspot Application on the Samsung Epic Phone

by Matt Skaggs
Your Epic 4G can easily get multiple devices online at the same time.

Your Epic 4G can easily get multiple devices online at the same time.

Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images

Internet access on smartphones brings plenty of conveniences, from email access on-the-go to custom productivity apps to simple Web browsing. Your Samsung Epic 4G adds an additional Internet feature that many other devices don't offer: Wi-Fi tethering using the Sprint Hotspot app. This allows you to create a personal Wi-Fi network similar to a network you would find in a restaurant or coffee shop. Enabling this feature only takes a few taps on your phone.

Hotspot Activation

Step 1

Tap the "Applications" option on the Home screen.

Step 2

Tap the "Sprint Hotspot" app.

Step 3

Tap the slider near the top of the screen to move it from the "Off" position to the "On" position. Your hotspot is now active.

Hotspot Configuration

Step 1

Tap "Sprint Hotspot Settings" within the Sprint Hotspot app.

Step 2

Note or change the text in the "Router name (SSID)" section. This is the name of the hotspot's Wi-Fi network, and this is the network you or others will connect to on other devices. You can leave the name as it is or change it based on your own preferences.

Step 3

Tap the drop-down menu below "Security" to choose a security type and then type a password in the text box below. While you could leave your hotspot as "open," this would allow anyone to connect to it with or without your knowledge, so enabling security is safer.

Step 4

Tap "Save."

Tips

  • If you press the "Menu" key and tap "Advanced" within the Hotspot app, you can adjust other settings, like the maximum number of connected devices your phone will allow.

Warnings

  • Enabling your Epic's hotspot will increase the drain on the phone's battery life. If you plan to use the hotspot for an extended period of time, you may want to plug in your phone.
  • Any data that devices used while connected to your Epic's hotspot will count as data used on your phone's plan. Depending on your carrier's policies and your plan's data allowances, this could result in additional charges to your account.

About the Author

A self-professed nerd who can't get enough of geeky gadgets, technology blogs and product reviews, Matt Skaggs began writing professionally in 2010. His work has appeared on various websites. In 2008 Skaggs graduated from Bob Jones University with a Bachelor of Arts in humanities.

Photo Credits

  • Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images