What Is DUN Tethering Vs. WiFi Tethering Vs. USB Tethering?
When you need to access the Internet, you don't have to wait for a convenient wireless hot spot to set up shop, or wait for your wireless connection to come back online. Use your smart phone as an Internet device. By tethering your phone to your computer -- either through a USB cord, wirelessly or through a Bluetooth connection -- it acts as a router for your computer. However, tethering raises questions of Internet quality, privacy and cost. Consider what the best choice is given the options available.
Three basic methods tether a computer to a smartphone. A simple and stable way to tether your computer to your phone is by activating your tethering device and plugging it into your computer with its included USB cord. Another method, called wireless tethering, causes the phone to act as a wireless router, transmitting an Internet connection over a large physical space. The third method, Bluetooth Dial-up Network tethering, mixes both of these methods into a single tethering solution. Through Bluetooth, you wirelessly connect your computer to your phone as an Internet source.
The speed of your connection depends on the phone used, your active connection and the method of tethering. With USB tethering, your computer connects to the phone through a physical wire, so the only limit in speed is the rate of data transfer for USB, along with your connection strength. Bluetooth DUN works similarly, although in some cases can slow down the connection rate due the wireless connection. With wireless tethering, the number of computers attached to the network through the phone impacts the speed, along with the available network connection on the phone.
Tethering may cause privacy issues at two points: Your phone's connection to the mobile network and your computer's connection to the phone. The safest is the USB method. The connection between computer and phone goes through a physical link rather than a wireless connection, minimizing the potential for privacy issues. However, Bluetooth DUN is also safe, as Bluetooth connections are encrypted and Bluetooth devices only connect with already-paired devices. Wireless tethering is the least private. The phone broadcasts its network to anyone within the radius of the signal. While you can secure the wireless network, USB or Bluetooth are still more secure.
The cost for each method in terms of equipment, is trivial, but data costs differ significantly. USB cords are relatively inexpensive, and most phones and computers come with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities. The big cost come with fees and data charges. Some providers charge specific fees for tethering, especially if you are using your phone as a wireless hot spot, ranging from $15 to $45 as of May 2012. This does not include your data plan charges. If you exceed your data plan through Internet use via tethering, you are charged additional fees. USB and Bluetooth are the same in this regard: Each tether a single computer. Wireless tethering, if used as a hot spot for multiple computers, can rack up large data usage fees if not managed carefully.
G.S. Jackson specializes in topics related to literature, computers and technology. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and computer science from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.