Having the maximum Internet connection speed throughout the house is a more complicated task than it might initially seem. The times when a single router provided service to the entire home are long gone. The coverage may come, yes, but not the maximum speed typical of 5 GHz networks. So can I use an iPhone as a router?

Well yes, but no. Yes for a really limited time, but not if we consider the solution as something that has to be used in a sustained manner over time. It was precisely in this situation that a person found himself who had to end up calling me, alarmed by the results. Without getting ahead of the game, let’s discuss the issue and the lessons we can learn before considering using an old iPhone as a router for a while.

It may seem like a good idea, but you have to be very careful.

A few years ago, a single router was enough for the whole house to enjoy an Internet connection. But this is no longer so. What has changed? Several things. On one side the number of devices we connect to the network. We no longer talk about connecting a couple of computers. We are talking about a Mac, an iPad, an iPhone and an Apple Watch for each inhabitant of the house. We are talking about an Apple TV, one or more HomePods, maybe a smart TV and dozens of light bulbs, HomeKit plugs and other home automation devices that require connection.

In addition to the amount, we also have to talk about speed. A few years ago, browsing at 20 Mbps was quite an achievement, now less than 500 Mbps is considered typical of average speeds. At a time when we see all our content in streaming, we download more than ever and in which our use of the network involves more audiovisual content than ever, a good speed is essential.

And this is where our old iPhone comes into play. We see that with the main router we did not get to cover that area a little further from the house. Or, if it does, the speed is not what we would like. We have an unlimited data rate, so we use the iPhone as a Wi-Fi hotspot? Better not.

On the one hand we enter into a matter of speed. We may gain compared to what the router gives us, but a connection of this type it will never reach the speed that we can achieve with a Mesh network or simply passing a cable to the furthest area from our home and placing a repeater.

But what really makes this not a viable solution is the energy consumption. Leaving the iPhone sharing the Internet connection for several hours represents a more than considerable consumption, so quickly we have to plug in the phone. If we add to this the heat generated by the continued use of this function, we are left with a situation that must be looked at very carefully.

The phone is not intended for this workload on a sustained basis. The Internet connection sharing function works fine for a few hours, but not to leave the iPhone plugged in as if it were a router for weeks or months. This was verified by the person who called me in a hurry and running saying that his iPhone had swelled after a few months of using it as a router.

Not all iPhones have to meet the same fate, true, but managing this type of connectivity is quite a challenge for a device that is not prepared for it in terms of sustained cooling over time. In this sense, and if we find ourselves in this situation, it would surely be a lot wiser to sell the iPhone in question and invest in an access point designed to carry out that task than to risk disappointment.

Like we have already said. The Internet sharing function of our iPhone It is intended for occasional use. Faced with the need to extend the Internet connection in our home, it is best that we resort to devices specifically designed for it.

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