Use your Phone as a Hotspot when Windstream is Down

By Brian Bondy 
 
Jake called to say his Windstream was down. Jake lives in El Rito and is a contributor to the Abiquiu News. While some of El Rito has Kit Carson fiber, some do not and still use Windstream. So what does one do when they lose their internet connection?
 
If you have a portable device, you can go somewhere to borrow internet, say, from the local public library. As long as they still have internet, this solution works great. But if you have a desktop or traveling isn’t a good option, you need a solution from home. If you have a smartphone, and a cellular connection, then you can use your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot.
 
Using your phone, or cellular capable tablet, is a great temporary solution. Generally, the phone company doesn’t allow unlimited use of your phone as a hotspot. However, in a pinch, it works great. To use your phone or tablet this way, you need to go into the device’s settings and create a Wi-Fi hotspot.
 
As that probably isn’t enough to go on, then you should read about the directions HERE. 
 
Of course, the other problem with no, or sketchy internet out here is the no, or sketchy cellular. We live in an underserved part of the country when it comes to communications. I don’t know when that will be remedied, but depending on how important it is for you, you may want to check the Wi-Fi hotspot situation out.
 
I don’t get much of a Verizon signal at my house, but I do live very near a T-Mobile tower. That issue may be a reason for me to switch to T-Mobile. T-Mobile also offers a small device called a Mobile Hotspot that acts just like the phone info above, only the Wi-Fi hotspot stuff is all it does. There are folks in our area that use these devices exclusively for their internet.
 
In the Abiquiu Area, the library here offers folks some great Wi-Fi. Other places to get it are Bodes and Abiquiu Inn. I think the O’Keeffe Center also has it. Depending on the outage though, if Windstream is down, you may need to visit a friend with Starlink or a mobile hotspot.