Tethering an iPad to a phone - which provider? is it easy?

[Blu]

I am planning to buy DP an iPad for his b'day.
Would he be able to tether a wi-fi model to his 3G phone? Nokia phone, Virgin contract?
He will probably get an iPhone soon, but in the meantime?

I presume tethering happens over a wireless connection and not a lead?

I know nothing! As you can see!

I tether my iphone to my laptop.

you plug it in and say 'yes' to one setting basically, very easy.

I don't know about ipad to nokia. Apple are bastards so it porb won't work

I have an HTC wildfire and am with 3. I set up a mobile hotspot on my phone and my ipad uses it. Is very easy :)

And no wires needed.

yes, but if he is out and about with his iPad, he won't have his iPad with him....or do you mean that if you get a contract on a 3G iPad you could then tether your phone to that contract? Even if they are not together? e.g the iPad is at home and the phone is out and about with you?

sorry, I menat he wouldn't have his laptop with him.

I have an HTC phone - as a Pp said, you set up a WiFi hotspot on the phone, and then use the WiFi on the iPad to connect to the phone as you would connect to home WiFi etc.

It depends on the phone, and the contract. You could try asking Virgin/in a phone shop?

I take my phone and my ipad with me (ipad is Wifi only) and then I can use the hotspot the phone creates if I want to use my ipad. Or I just use the ipad where there is Wifi (which is more often).

If you get a 3G iPad then you don't have to do tethering and can access internet anywhere you go.

Next question from an iNewbie: I see from the 'in the box' info that there is a charger for charing through a computer. I presume that you can also buy a charger for charging direct from the mains?

It also comes with a plug into which you can put the USB cable.

Thank you!

Now I just need the stock to arrive in John Lewis.

Tethering on your mobile can depend on your contract. I'm using Three and officially they don't allow tethering unless you are using the 25 pounds/month One Plan, but it can (and does) work on some phones (unless they block it!)

Don't know what policies other networks have, but don't "assume" it will be guaranteed to work without paying an unlocking fee or switching to a more costly contract.

I"m with O2 and I think they take the view that your data allowance is yours to do with as you please. I think is says something along those lines in the T&C. Certainly I've happily used my phone as a hotspot for the last week whilst my broadband has been down.