How to Share Internet from a Redmi 9A: 3 Proven Methods + Troubleshooting

Xiaomi Redmi 9A — one of the most popular budget smartphones, still in active use in 2026. Despite its modest technical specifications, the device performs admirably as a mobile router. But how do you properly set up Wi-Fi sharing to avoid connection drops, slow speeds, or sudden hotspot disconnections?

In this article you will find step-by-step instructions for all versions of MIUI (including the latest updates), ways to save traffic when distributing, as well as solutions to typical problems — from the "Unable to enable hotspot" error to carrier restrictions. We tested all methods on real devices and took into account nuances not covered in standard manuals.

1. Preparing your phone before sharing Wi-Fi

Before turning on the access point on Redmi 9A, make sure your smartphone is up to the task. Failure to meet basic requirements may result in overheating, rapid battery discharge or unstable connection.

Here's what you need to check:

• 🔋 Battery charge — not less than 30%. If the level falls below 15%, MIUI automatically disables the hotspot to save power.
• 📶 Mobile network signal strength If you have 1-2 bars, your internet speed will be extremely slow. It's best to move closer to a window or use an external antenna (if supported).
• 🔄 System updates - come in Settings → About phone → System update and install the latest patches. MIUI 14+ fixes critical Wi-Fi hotspot bugs.
• 📱 Free memory — If your phone has less than 500 MB of free space, background processes may interfere with the stable operation of the access point.

⚠️ Attention: If you use two SIM cards, the hotspot will only work through the one that is selected as the primary data card. Check this in Settings → SIM cards and mobile networks → Data transfer.

It is also worth considering that Redmi 9A supports Wi-Fi distribution only within the range 2.4 GHz. It means:

• ✅ Wider coverage range (penetrates walls better than 5 GHz).
• ❌ More interference from other devices (microwaves, wireless mice, neighboring routers).
• ⚠️ Maximum speed is limited to ~50 Mbps (even if your plan allows more).

2. Method 1: Standard access point (tethering)

This is the simplest and most reliable method, which works on all versions of MIUI. The instructions are valid for Redmi 9A with firmware from MIUI 12 to MIUI 15 (inclusive).

Steps to enable:

1. Open Settings (gear icon on the desktop).
2. Go to the section Access point and modem (in some versions it is called Modem mode).
3. Tap on Wi-Fi hotspot.
4. Activate the slider at the top of the screen.

Now let's configure the settings for security and stability:

• 🔑 Network name (SSID) - change to unique (eg. Redmi9A_YourName). This will help avoid conflicts with neighboring networks.
• 🔒 Password — Use a combination of 8+ characters, including numbers and letters. Example: Xiaomi2026!Don't use simple passwords like 12345678 - they are easy to hack.
• 📡 Range - leave it 2.4 GHz (other options on Redmi 9A No).
• ⏱️ Auto power off - Disable this option if you want the access point to work constantly.

After setup, connect to the created network from another device (laptop, tablet, or second phone). If the internet isn't working:

• Check if it is enabled mobile data transfer on Redmi 9A.
• Make sure there is enough money on your SIM card and that the "zero balance" is not activated.
• Restart your phone - sometimes it helps with MIUI crashes.

3. Method 2: Sharing via USB (for PC)

If you only need to connect your computer or laptop to the Internet, USB modem will be more reliable than Wi-Fi. This method:

• ⚡ Saves battery power (the phone charges while working).
• 📈 Provides a more stable speed (no interference from other devices).
• 🔒 Less risk of traffic interception (data is transmitted over the wire).

Instructions for Windows 10/11:

1. Connect Redmi 9A to the computer via a USB cable (preferably the original one).
2. On your phone, select the mode File transfer (not "Charging").
3. Go to Settings → Hotspot & Tethering → USB Tethering and activate the slider.
4. On your PC, wait for the drivers to install (you may need to connect to the internet via another connection to download them).

⚠️ Attention: On some versions of Windows 11, drivers for Xiaomi are identified as "Unidentified device". In this case, download Mi PC Suite from the official Xiaomi website and install it.

If the Internet does not work:

• Check that in Network connections Windows has a new connection (usually called Remote NDIS).
• Disable your antivirus (sometimes it blocks new network devices).
• Try a different USB port (USB 2.0 is better, as USB 3.0 may conflict).

4. Method 3: Sharing via Bluetooth (for older devices)

This method is suitable if:

• Your laptop or tablet does not support Wi-Fi.
• You want to save battery power (Bluetooth uses less power than Wi-Fi).
• You only need to connect one device (for example, a smartwatch or fitness tracker).

How to set up:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both devices.
2. On Redmi 9A go to Settings → Connectivity → Bluetooth.
3. Tap on the name of the device you want to connect to.
4. After pairing, return to Settings → Hotspot & Tethering and select Bluetooth modem.

Limitations of the method:

• 🐢 The speed does not exceed 2-3 Mbps (enough only for instant messengers and light websites).
• 🔌 The distance between devices should not exceed 10 meters.
• 📱 Only one device can be connected at a time.

Why is Bluetooth modem slower than Wi-Fi?

The speed is limited by the Bluetooth version in the Redmi 9A (4.2). For comparison, Wi-Fi 4 (in this phone) theoretically supports up to 150 Mbps, while Bluetooth 4.2 only supports a maximum of 25 Mbps in practice. Furthermore, the Bluetooth protocol adds latency when transmitting data packets.

5. How to save traffic when sharing the Internet

Mobile Internet on Redmi 9A It gets used up very quickly if there are multiple devices connected to the access point. Here 5 working methods reduce consumption:

1. Speed ​​limitation for connected devices

Download the app from Google Play NetGuard or Internet Speed Meter LiteThese utilities allow you to:

• 📉 Set download limits for each device.
• 🛑 Block background app activity (e.g. auto-updating games).
• 📊 Track which device is using the most traffic.

2. Configure MIUI to save money

Come in Settings → SIM cards and mobile networks → Data transfer → Data saving and turn on:

• 🔄 Limit background data.
• 📥 Disable automatic media downloads in instant messengers.
• 🔍 Compress web pages using Google Chrome (saves up to 30% of traffic).

3. Using lightweight versions of applications

Replace resource-intensive programs with their lightweight counterparts:

4. Disabling automatic updates

On connected devices:

• 📱 On Android: Settings → System → System update → Automatic update → Only via Wi-Fi.
• 💻 On Windows: Settings → Update & Security → Advanced Options → Delivery Optimization → Limit Downloads.

5. Using a VPN with traffic compression

Some VPN services (eg. Opera VPN or Turbo VPN) compress transmitted data. This reduces traffic consumption by 10-20%, but may slightly reduce speed.

6. Solving common problems

Even with proper configuration, users Redmi 9A encounter errors. We have collected top 5 problems and their solutions:

Problem 1: "Unable to turn on the hotspot"

Reasons and solutions:

• 📵 No mobile network - check the antenna or restart the phone.
• 🔄 Conflict with VPN — disable all VPN programs on your phone.
• 📱 MIUI crash — reset network settings: Settings → System → Reset settings → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile network, and Bluetooth settings.
• 🔧 Operator limitation Some plans block data sharing (for example, MTS's "Home Internet"). Call support.

Problem 2: Connected devices don't access the Internet

Check in order:

1. On Redmi 9A Is mobile data enabled?
2. Is the password entered correctly on the connected device?
3. Is there any active airplane mode or traffic savings?
4. Doesn't it block? firewall (on PC) or antivirus connection?

Problem 3: The access point keeps disconnecting

The culprits may be:

• 🔋 Low battery — connect your phone to the charger.
• 🔥 Overheat - remove the case and let the device cool for 10-15 minutes.
• 📴 Energy saving - turn it off in Settings → Battery → Power saving mode.

Problem 4: Slow internet speed

How to speed up:

• 📶 Switch to the network 4G (LTE) instead of 3G V Settings → SIM cards & mobile networks → Preferred network type.
• 🚫 Disable all background apps on your phone (especially torrents or cloud storage).
• 🔄 Restart your phone and connected devices.

Problem 5: Unable to change the access point password

This is a MIUI bug. Solutions:

• Update your system to the latest version.
• Reset network settings (see Problem 1).
• Install a third-party app to manage your hotspot (e.g. Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot).

⚠️ Attention: If after all the manipulations the access point does not work, check whether it is enabled on your tariff ban on internet distributionFor example, Tele2's "My Online" plan blocks data sharing without an additional option. Check with your operator for details.

7. Alternative methods of distributing the Internet

If standard methods don't work, try these options:

1. Wi-Fi sharing apps

Some programs offer advanced settings:

• 🔧 Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot — allows you to change the Wi-Fi channel and mask traffic.
• 📊 NetShare — shows detailed statistics of connected devices.
• 🔒 PdaNet+ - bypasses operator locks (requires root on some firmware).

2. Sharing via OTG cable (for advanced users)

If you have an OTG adapter and a USB network card, you can share via Ethernet. To do this:

1. Connect the USB network card to your phone via OTG.
2. Install the application USB Ethernet from Google Play.
3. Set up distribution via Settings → Hotspot & Tethering → Ethernet Modem.

3. Using your phone as a Wi-Fi repeater

If you have access to another Wi-Fi network (for example, in a cafe), you can "re-distribute" its signal:

1. Connect to the original Wi-Fi network on Redmi 9A.
2. Turn on the access point (it will distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi, not via the mobile network).
3. Connect other devices to your hotspot.

Is it possible to share Wi-Fi without a password?

Technically yes, but it's extremely unsafe. MIUI doesn't have an option to completely disable the password, but you can set a simple code like "11111111." However, this could allow unauthorized access to your network, leading to traffic theft or even hacking attacks.

8. Security when distributing Wi-Fi

Sharing internet from your phone is convenient, but unsafe, if you don't follow simple rules. Here's what you need to do to protect your data:

1. Always use a complex password

Examples unreliable passwords:

• ❌ 12345678, password, qwerty123
• ❌ Your name or date of birth.

Examples reliable passwords:

• ✅ Xiaomi9A_2026!
• ✅ Redmi$Hotspot#7

2. Turn off the access point when it is not needed

Always-on network:

• 🔋 Drains battery quickly.
• 📡 Increases the risk of attackers connecting.
• 📊 Increases traffic consumption (background device scanning).

3. Configure MAC address filtering

This will allow only authorized devices to connect:

1. Find out the MAC addresses of your gadgets (on Android: Settings → About phone → General information → Wi-Fi MAC address).
2. Install the application WiFi MAC Changer (requires root).
3. In the access point settings, add MAC addresses to the whitelist.

4. Use a VPN on your phone

If you are sharing the Internet in a public place, turn on a VPN (for example, ProtonVPN or Windscribe). This:

• 🔒 Encrypts your traffic.
• 🌍 Hides your real location.
• 🛡️ Protects against MITM attacks (data interception).

5. Check connected devices

Please visit regularly Settings → Hotspot & Tethering → Connected devices and delete unknown gadgets. If you see other people's MAC addresses, change your password immediately!

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about Wi-Fi hotspots on the Redmi 9A

Is it possible to share Wi-Fi from Redmi 9A without a SIM card?

No, you need a SIM card with an active plan to share your mobile data. However, you can share data from another Wi-Fi network your phone is connected to (see the "Alternative Methods" section).

How many devices can be connected to a hotspot on Redmi 9A?

Technically, up to 8 devices are possible, but in practice, lag and speed drops begin after just 3-4 connections. The optimal number is 1-2 devices (for example, a laptop and a tablet).

Why does the battery drain quickly when distributing Wi-Fi?

Redmi 9A It has a 5000 mAh battery, but the Wi-Fi and mobile network modules put a significant strain on the processor. When actively sharing data, the phone drains 2-3 times faster than usual. To extend battery life:

• Connect your phone to the charger.
• Disable background apps.
• Reduce screen brightness.

Is it possible to share Wi-Fi from Redmi 9A to iPhone?

Yes, but sometimes connection issues arise due to different security standards. If your iPhone won't connect:

1. On Redmi 9A change the security type from WPA2-PSK on WPA/WPA2 PSK.
2. Restart both devices.
3. On iPhone, forget the network and reconnect.

How do I find out who is connected to my hotspot?

Go to Settings → Hotspot & Tethering → Connected devicesThere will be a list with the names of gadgets and their MAC addresses. If you see any unfamiliar devices, immediately change your password!