Smart bulbs work with wifi to give you more control of your home lighting. But what if your wifi is down? Can your smart bulbs work with a mobile hotspot?
The answer is yes! Smart bulbs can work with a mobile hotspot as long as your smart bulb supports the 802.11 b/g/n wifi standard. This is the same wifi standard that your mobile hotspot uses. So, if your smart bulb says it supports 802.11 b/g/n wifi, then it will work with your mobile hotspot.
So there you have it if you came for a quick answer. Continue reading to learn more about connecting smart bulbs with mobile hotspots and how to set up your smart bulbs with a mobile hotspot.
What Are Smart Bulbs?
Smart bulbs are LED lights that you can control with your smartphone or voice assistant. You can use smart bulbs to turn on/off, dim, change colors, and set schedules.
Most smart bulbs also have built-in sensors that can detect when someone enters the room and turn on the lights automatically.
How Do Smart Bulbs Work?
Smart bulbs connect to your home’s wifi network and can be controlled with a smartphone app or voice assistant.
To connect a smart bulb to your home’s wifi, you will need a compatible smart home hub or bridge.
Once the smart bulb is connected to your wifi network, you can control it with the app or voice assistant.
The Pros Smart Bulbs
There are many benefits of using smart bulbs.
- Smart bulbs can save you money on your energy bill because they are more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs.
- You can also use smart bulbs to create different lighting scenes in your home. For example, you can create a “relaxing” scene with dimmed, soft light or a “party” scene with bright, multicolored light.
- Smart bulbs are also convenient because you can control them with your voice or smartphone.
- For example, you can turn on the lights before you get home or set a schedule, so the lights turn on and off automatically.
The Cons Of Smart Bulbs
There are a few drawbacks to using smart bulbs.
- First, smart bulbs can be more expensive than traditional incandescent bulbs.
- Second, you need a compatible smart home hub or bridge to connect the smart bulb to your wifi network.
- Third, if your wifi network is down, you will not be able to control your smart bulbs.
What Is A Mobile Hotspot?
A mobile hotspot is a portable wifi router that you can connect to your mobile data plan. Mobile hotspots use your mobile data to create a wifi network to that you can connect your devices.
Mobile hotspots are handy when you need wifi but don’t have access to a home or office network. You can also use a mobile hotspot when your home wifi is down.
Mobile hotspots are typically used with laptops, tablets, and smartphones. But did you know that you can also connect smart devices to a mobile hotspot?
How Do Smart Bulbs Work With Hotspots?
The same way smart bulbs connect with home wifi networks is the same way they’ll connect with mobile hotspots.
The set-up process is usually pretty straightforward and can be done through your mobile hotspot settings.
Once you have a device that supports hotspots and internet date or cellular data, you can create a hotspot.
This is usually done by going into the settings of your phone and finding the “Hotspot & Tethering” menu.
From there, you can enable the mobile hotspot feature and give it a name and password.
Once that’s all set up, you can go into the settings of your smart bulb and look for the wifi network menu.
From there, select your mobile hotspot from the list of available networks and enter the password.
And that’s it! Your smart bulb should now be successfully connected to your mobile hotspot.
If your smart bulb does not have a built-in Zigbee or Z-Wave radio, in order to connect it to your mobile hotspot, it will need to be within range of the hotspot.
The distance that your smart bulb can be from your mobile hotspot will depend on the power of the hotspot signal and interference from walls or other objects.
If you have a weak hotspot signal or a lot of interference, you may need to move your mobile hotspot closer to your smart bulb or use a different type of connection, like Bluetooth.
If you’re not sure if your smart bulb will work with your mobile hotspot, check the manufacturer’s website or reach out to customer support.
Downsides To Connecting Smart Bulbs To Mobile Hotspots
There are a few downsides to connecting your smart bulbs to mobile hotspots. Here are some of the downsides:
1. Mobile Data Usage
If you connect your smart bulbs to your mobile hotspot, you will use up your data. In this case, you might want to consider connecting your smart bulbs to a wifi network instead.
2. Security
Another downside to connecting your smart bulbs to mobile hotspots is security. When you connect your smart devices to a mobile hotspot, anyone within range can access your device.
So, if you’re going to connect your smart bulbs to a mobile hotspot, be sure to enable security features like password protection.
3. Speed
Another downside to connecting your smart bulbs to mobile hotspots is speed. Your smart bulbs might not work as well if you’re using a mobile hotspot with slower speeds.
So, if you have a choice, connect your smart bulbs to a wifi network with faster speeds.
4. Compatibility Issues
One common downside you will quickly notice is mobile hotspot compatibility issues. Not all smart bulbs work with all mobile hotspots.
So, if you’re having trouble connecting your smart bulb to a mobile hotspot, be sure to check the compatibility of your devices.
5. Battery Life
Another downside of using a mobile hotspot is that it will drain the battery life of your smartphone or tablet.
So, if you’re going to be using your smart bulbs with a mobile hotspot, be sure to keep your devices charged.
Conclusion
Overall, connecting your smart bulbs to a mobile hotspot is not ideal. But it can be handy in a pinch. If you decide to connect your smart bulbs to a mobile hotspot, be sure to keep the downsides in mind.
Do you have any experience connecting your smart bulbs to mobile hotspots? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!