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Many of AT&T’s data plans come with a mobile hotspot included. A hotspot has a certain amount of data that can be used to provide internet access via a wireless local area network.
Essentially, a hotspot lets you connect phones, tablets, and other devices to the internet.
Although this service is convenient, it can be finicky and cause the hotspot to not function properly. Fortunately the causes behind it are usually not complex and the fixes are straightforward. Below are some of the most common reasons that your AT&T hotspot might be failing and how to fix it.
Table of Contents
AT&T Hotspot Is Not Working: 7 Reasons Why and How To Fix The Issue
1. There Is An Issue With Your Cellular Data Connection
The most common cause of hotspot failure is a lack of mobile data. Without proper connection to mobile data, your hotspot will simply not be able to function. Even if you can connect to the hotspot, it will not be able to run as it would with a stronger internet connection.
Your mobile device needs to have enough mobile data in order to have a functioning hotspot. There may be a daily or monthly data limit depending on your data plan. These limits can put a damper on your internet connection and thus on your hotspot functionality.
2. The Hotspot Password Is Incorrect
The second most common reason your hotspot is not working is that you are not using the proper password when trying to connect to your hotspot. When you try to connect to the internet via a laptop or tablet, it will prompt you to enter a password. Incorrectly entering the password will not allow you to use the hotspot.
3. Automatic Hotspot Switching Is Disabled
Recently, devices have started coming with a feature that will automatically turn off hotspot switching. Not many users know about this and it has caused many issues with AT&T hotspots.
This feature will automatically switch to sleep mode or even off entirely if a device has not been connected to the hotspot in some time.
When automatic hotspot switching is turned off, your hotspot will not work properly. Since this is a fairly new cause for hotspots not working, most users do not even know that this exists. Fortunately, you can easily check if your device has this feature and if this feature is disabled by going into your device’s settings.
4. Battery Saving Mode Is Turned On
Lots of devices have a battery saving mode option that can be turned on. When enabled, it disables certain things on devices that consume a lot of battery. This includes both apps that are installed and device features. Sometimes this includes hotspots.
This issue persists the most with the AT&T vehicle hotspot, particularly Hondas which come with an AT&T hotspot feature already built into it. Devices like phones may not have hotspot issues if their battery saving mode is turned on.
5. Your Device Needs A Software Update
It is fairly common for cell phones, tablets, and laptops to have software updates. If for some reason your device did not automatically install a software update, it may prevent the device from connecting to and using the hotspot properly.
Internal software problems can prevent devices from functioning efficiently and that can extend to hotspot usage. Although it may sound scary to have malfunctioning software in your device, fortunately it usually just means your device is due for a software update.
6. Your Device Does Not Support 5GHz Band
Nowadays, most devices can support a 5GHz band. However, it is still possible that your device is better suited for a 2.4GHz band instead. If this is the case, it may prevent your device from connecting to your hotspot.
Not many users know about different frequency bands so it can come as a surprise that their device is having issues simply because it is compatible with 2.4GHz instead of 5GHz. You can check which frequency your device supports by going into the settings.
7. Your Phone Is Having An Internal Issue
It is possible that it is your device itself causing the connection issues. Sometimes the internal modems on phones cannot connect directly to wireless networks. If this happens, it will show that the hotspot is turned on but it will not actually be working properly.
This issue can happen even if you have connected to and used the hotspot before. If your phone is unable to establish a connection to a wireless network, it will still show the hotspot as an option for your other devices but even if you can connect to it, there will be no internet.
How To Fix Your AT&T Hotspot
The first step when troubleshooting your AT&T hotspot is to check your cellular data connection. Without a cellular data connection, your hotspot will not work. Other potential issues could still be at fault but it will be difficult to tell if you have no internet connection.
If the only issue is lack of cellular data, check to see if you have enough mobile data available to actually run a hotspot. Look at your data plan to see what your data limits are. You can always choose another data plan to enable your hotspot.
The next step is to double check your password. It’s possible you just accidentally mistyped and that could be preventing you from connecting to the hotspot. If you are sure that the password is right, you can solve the issue by going to your wi-fi settings and hitting the “Forget” button. This will allow you to connect to the network again with the proper password.
Be sure to check if any modes are enabled on your device. You can enable automatic hotspot switching by going to “Network and Internet”, “Hotspot and Tethering”, and “Wi-Fi Hotspot”.
From there, turn off the feature that disables automatic hotspot switching. You can disable Battery Saving Mode by going to “Battery”, “Battery Saver”, and hitting the off button.
From there, the best step is to check for software updates. You can manually check for software updates in device settings or simply restart the device. Typically this will resolve software issues. You can also try turning wi-fi off and on to reset your device’s connection.
Once all other issues are exhausted, you can check to see if the issue is frequency related. If your device is comparably with 2.4GHz, go to your settings, hit “Network and Internet”, “Hotspot and Tethering”, and “Wi-Fi Hotspot”.
Go to the Advanced Settings, hit “AP Band”, and choose the 2.4GHz Band option.
If all of these solutions still do not work, you can always reach out to AT&T support. When all else fails, they will have tech support teams available to help troubleshoot the issue.
Conclusion
If your AT&T hotspot is not working, the most likely cause is either poor internet connection or an incorrect password.
Other causes, like certain device modes being enabled or disabled, can be easily fixed by switching modes. At the worst, your device may just need to be restarted to get the hotspot working properly again.
Sources
- https://www.itechask.com/att-hotspot-not-working/
- https://forums.att.com/conversations/data-messaging-features-internet-tethering/wifi-hotspot-not-working/63fe10ae2ae0007efb0ec66e
- https://forums.att.com/conversations/data-messaging-features-internet-tethering/why-is-hotspot-not-working/62c714bce929921253c7b457
Meta Description
Is your AT&T hotspot not working? Learn what causes it and how to fix it.
Reference Sources
https://www.itechask.com/att-hotspot-not-working/ https://forums.att.com/conversations/data-messaging-features-internet-tethering/wifi-hotspot-not-working/63fe10ae2ae0007efb0ec66e https://forums.att.com/conversations/data-messaging-features-internet-tethering/why-is-hotspot-not-working/62c714bce929921253c7b457
