Can I use my iPad 2 to set up a personal wifi hotspot that my devices can connect through. For example, I have a 10gb 3G package on my iPad, and I'd like my laptop and iPod touch to connect through my iPad 2 to make use of this data too. If not via a personal hotspot, is it possible via Bluetooth, or for my laptop, as a tethered modem?

I'm afraid that a non-jail broken iPad cannot do any of these - it is not possible to set up the iPad as a WiFi hotspot or use Bluetooth to tether. If you jailbreak, then there are several apps available - such as MiWi and PDAnet - that can do this.

Have a look in our Jail Breaking section for further details.

Tim

Hi Tim,

Thanks for prompt response. I'm not keen to jailbreak, so I'll have to go with out.

N

I have the same problem - I have a non JB iPad and I'm not keen to JB either!!

Not clear why Apple did this as the iPhone4 can act as a WiFi hotspot - doesn't make sense to me why they should provide that capability on one and not on the other. But "ours is not to reason why"!

Tim

Maybe your namesake, who has now taken the helm of Apple, will see the light :-)

Indeed, there are not enough 'Tims' in the world.....

Tim

Does anyone know if the sittuation changed with ios5 on ipad?

The iPad cannot be used as a hotspot. No.

Originally Posted by thewitt

The iPad cannot be used as a hotspot. No.

In reverse, the iphone4 has a hotspot ability, but I can't get the ipad2 to hook up to it.

I go network/WiFi on the pad, but nothing shows for the iPhone4 SSID.

When attached to my computer via a lead the iPhone4 shows 1 hotspot, and it seem iCloud see's that as a new network connection - so what's going on?

I think Apple are trying to make the distinction between phones and iPads by not sharing the 3G connection on an iPad. It also bugs me I can't txt on an iPad too. It's not a phone but txting is just another form of communicating like email for me
I did get my iPad to tether to my iPhone4 but it may be a restriction of the carrier