We live in a world of skyrocketing costs of high-speed Internet and mobile data plans that reach through the roof. Fortunately, Android has managed to get around this obstacle by offering a solution for making your life a whole lot easier–Internet connection sharing through tethering on your Honeycomb tablet.

If you have an Android tablet running Android 3.x Honeycomb, you don’t have to spend extra for data and mobile connection for your other wireless devices.  You can simply share the Internet connection from your Honeycomb tablet to your other wireless devices. In a sense, tethering is just like using your Honeycomb tablet as a mobile hotspot or as a modem/router for your Internet connection.

Follow these simple steps to turn your Honeycomb tablet to a portable Wi-Fi hotspot.

1. Go to your Honeycomb tablet’s Home screen. Select Settings.

2. From the Settings menu, tap on “Wireless & networks” and choose “Tethering and portable hotspot.”

3. Enable “Portable WiFi hotspot” by tapping on it. A green check mark appears beside it if it is enabled.  You’ll then be prompted to configure your portable Wi-Fi hotspot.
4. Configure your Network SSID by assigning a name. The name you choose is what other devices will see as the name of your Wi-Fi hotspot.
5. If you wish to secure your connection and to prevent unauthorized access, you can choose an option from the Security list. Choose WPA2-PSK from the list as this is the most common form of security option used.  Once you are familiar with the different types of security measures, you can choose either WEP, WPA, or TKIP–which are all available.
6. Set a password. Depending on what type of security option you choose, your password will be encrypted to make it hard for anyone to crack. Always remember the password you have entered, as it will be the same password to be used by devices that want to connect to your hotspot. (Important: Although setting a password is optional, it is highly recommended that you place a strong password over your Wi-Fi hotspot to restrict access to your tablet only to those that you will alow. This also ensures that no one can hitch a free ride on your Internet connection, especially if you are in a public area with lots of people.)

Your portable hotspot is already configured and is now ready for use.  Proceed with extra caution, however, because tethering may lead to extra costs depending on the type of connection you used. Some mobile service providers charge extra for tethering, but most of the time it’s absolutely free.

If you wish to stop sharing your Internet connection, disable “Portable WiFi hotspot” from the Settings menu (make sure no green check mark is there).

Tethering is not only limited to this option as there are also other methods like using your Bluetooth connection, USB cable, and tethering apps found in the Android Market. Give those a try and you’ll be surprised at how your multiple wireless devices can stay connected to the Internet using only the Internet data plan on your Honeycomb tablet.

Have you tried sharing your Honeycomb tablet’s Internet connection in this manner?  How was it?