Productivity Sauce

There are two ways to turn your Android phone into a mobile wireless hotspot: you can either buy a device running Android 2.2 Froyo, or you can root your current Android phone and install the Wireless Tether application. I did the latter, and rooted my HTC Magic using the Amon Ra's Clear Donut ROM which includes Wireless Tether. True, rooting an Android device is not particularly straightforward, and there is a risk of bricking the device in the process, but it's really worth it. Having a mobile wireless hotspot in your pocket can come in handy in many situations, especially when you travel abroad. In some countries like Germany, you can buy a daily pass which offers unlimited data connection for a reasonable price. This means that you don't have to pay through the nose for wonky hotel WiFi, and you can access the Internet on the go.

Despite its apparent simplicity, Wireless Tether is a rather competent tool. It allows you to specify the desired SSID name, turn SSID broadcasting on and off, enable encryption (albeit it supports only 128-bit WEP), and select the channel you want. Better yet, you can enable the access control feature, so you can prevent unwanted connections. Using Wireless Tether is ridiculously easy. Launch the app, and press the big Tether button. A handy status bar at the bottom displays the amount of downloaded and uploaded data. And that pretty much covers Wireless Tether's features.

There are, of course, other ways to tether Android devices, but they are all limited in one way or another. So if you are not afraid of rooting your phone, then you ought to give Wireless Tether a try.

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