A WiFi hotspot is an access point that provides Internet connection to other devices. But over time the typology of these has multiplied until, in fact, each mobile phone (at least those of the latest generations with the most up-to-date versions of the operating system) can function as a hotspot and offer access point features.
There are hotspots or Internet access points, both fixed and mobile, 5G, public…
It is something that many users will even do on a daily basis, offer Internet access via WiFi and the smartphone’s own data connection to other devices such as tablets, laptops, portable consoles, ebook readers…
But that wireless connection can be established with different types of hotspots, since these access points can be both fixed and mobile, beyond the fact that the mobile phone itself can function as one of them.
In any case, the hotspot offers WiFi coverage, but the hotspot must be provided with Internet access. This may be through an Ethernet cable that connects you to the router of the fixed installation or with a SIM card that allows you to access the wireless signal of a fixed telephone operator.
-Fixed Hotspot: They offer greater signal strength, greater coverage, allow access to a greater number of devices and can offer all of them bandwidth savings. They are permanently installed and connected via an Ethernet network to a router and receive power from the electrical network also via cable, without a battery.
-Mobile Hotspot: They are small devices, smaller than a smartphone, with their own connection, their own rechargeable battery and their own SIM card tray. After placing and configuring said card (which needs its own mobile data line) it will offer WiFi coverage to the devices around it exactly as if it were a wireless WiFi router. They all usually offer 4G connectivity but there is already a variety of devices with 5G. They can be very useful on trips where you don’t want to depend on finding public Wi-Fi networks or at events that are not very numerous where you prefer to have control over the mobile connection that is offered to small groups of users.
-5G Hotspot: They can be both fixed and mobile and the difference with those already mentioned is that 5G coverage is added
-Public Hotspot: Museums, stations, airports… various organizations and public spaces can offer a free Internet access service. Connectivity is usually limited in terms of speed or bandwidth, and except in cases of necessity, it is not highly recommended to rely on this type of public access and it is recommended to equip the device with security measures (firewalls, VPN, web browsing).
-The mobile hotspot: It is the one that is most within reach since it is incorporated by most of the latest generation smartphones and can be activated from the wireless connectivity configuration. Using 3G/4G/5G connectivity, the mobile connects to its data plan and through WiFi it becomes an access point to which other devices can connect to access the Internet.
Some operators limit this capacity and the mobile manufacturers and operating system developers themselves can also set limits on the number of devices that can access the WiFi network generated by the mobile hotspot, usually ranging between 10 and 15 devices. The setting that allows you to share the mobile connection also allows you to set a password to restrict who can access this shared WiFi network.
