I was having some trouble getting reliable linking to provide the android tablet (a Lenovo Tab3/7) with internet access while on hilltops or in parks.

A bit of research found a lot of wave-away-the-problems type of solutions, which didn’t solve it at all.

Finally I discovered a comment about the type of hotspot that the iphone actually provides.  It is not an infrastructure type but an adhoc hotspot.  And more to the point, it does not advertise it continuously.  It only advertises the hotspot for a limited time after being enabled, or after you visit the Personal Hotspot option in the Settings menu.

After some experimentation I now find that the tablet happily links to the iphone every time, provided I go to the Settings > Personal Hotspot item in the iphone and then wait about 10 seconds.  Nothing else needs to be done, provided the wifi password has been set in the tablet.

The other solution I have used from some hilltops is to take a personal hotspot device with me.  As my phone provider uses a provider that does not have as good coverage as Telstra, this provides my tablet with excellent network coverage from places without any service on the other network.

Here’s a pic of the hotspot lashed to a tree on the Boboyan Range summit, 40 km south of Canberra.