I've been given an iPhone 4 as my work phone....and I have been trying to use it as a wifi hotspot for doing my on-site work. 

It is proving to be a real challenge. 

The hotspot on the iPhone 4 only works 1 time in 5......my SONY Vaio laptopm mostly doesn't see the hotspot, but sometimes it does.....and it will connect.....but I rarely get access to the Internet. 

Is it the laptop? I don't think so.....because the iPhone also doesn't have access to the Internet...which it should be getting via Vodafone 3G. 

I'm in Christchurch today (St. Albans) and rapidly going bald(er) pulling my hair out. 

The only way I can get any connectivity is to tether the laptop my SGS4 on Telecom.....which works perfectly, reliably, every single time. 

I don't know if the problem is Apple or Vodafone or both......but via that combo it's a total fail. 

I'm wrting this on my laptop via the SGS4 on Telecom after trying for an hour to get the iPhone to talk to Vodafone - in windows, wherever.....doesn't matter. 

Posting here to vent my frustration. 

I had similar problems in Te Awamutu last week....but at least there once the iPhone / VFNZ combo finally connected (might take 10 attempts) to my laptop it at least worked. Here in Christchurch.....nothing.