I've never used wireless tether on my phone, but recently tried to. I'm running the Lightning Bolt 2.7 rom and I'm using Wireless Tether for Root Users. I hit "press to start tethering" and everything seems fine. I'm granted SU permission and it displays "press to stop tethering" which leads me to believe that the program is working correctly. I have 3G connection but I'm getting 0.0kb down and up and I'm unable to discover my Eris with any other device (my wife's Eris, PC, or laptop). Am I doing something wrong?
Install another wifi tethering program? Make sure you're using wifi tethering and not usb tethering...
Hungry Man said:
Install another wifi tethering program? Make sure you're using wifi tethering and not usb tethering...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I've tried every free wifi tether app in exsistence. I've heard tetherWifi works but I don't want to pay $9 to test it...wish they'd let you try b4 you buy.
Stupid question, but do you have wifi turned on?
If so, there is an option in the settings of wireless tether app that's called enable access-control. If this is checked then you have to grant priviledges to the devices that you wish to connect to your phone. You will have to slide the notifications window down and then select the notification about some device that is trying to connect to your phones wifi. After you select that notification you must grant the priviledge before it will work.
Good Luck!!
geske001 said:
Stupid question, but do you have wifi turned on?
If so, there is an option in the settings of wireless tether app that's called enable access-control. If this is checked then you have to grant priviledges to the devices that you wish to connect to your phone. You will have to slide the notifications window down and then select the notification about some device that is trying to connect to your phones wifi. After you select that notification you must grant the priviledge before it will work.
Good Luck!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had my wifi turned off but I've tried turning it on and off. I enabled access-control, disabled it, turned bluetooth PAN tether on and off, and I've changed the settings to each of the different LAN network settings. Each time I return to the main page I'm seeing 0.0kB down and up. When I scan for wifi connections with my wife's phone, it never sees my Eris. I've even tried manually adding the wifi network on her phone by entering "AndroidTether" manually as the SSID which is what my phone says the SSID is. It adds it to her wifi networks but says that it is "Not in range, remembered".
Question - When you turn on Wireless Tether, before you connect any devices to it, does your phone display any kB going down or up? Or do you have to actually connect to a device to start pushing a signal?
You might need to start over. Do not mess with anything other than changing your SSID and enabling Access control. Do not use bluetooth for confusion reasons. When you connect with your wireless laptop watch for the access request, slide your notifications and then accept your device. You should be ok. Do not try to complicate things. Just KISS!!
PM me if you have any other questions!
That's my problem. I can't get other devices to even attempt to connect to my phone. The only notification I ever see is "tethering is currently running". I get superuser permission whenever I turn on tethering or change any settings that require it to restart tethering. But I never get any kB down or up and no other device ever recognizes the wifi connection.
Whenever I get an access control notification, it DOES NOT pop up. It is displayed subtly at the top of the phone and I have to slide my finger from the very top of the screen down to the bottom, and then the notification menu fully comes up. I then click the access control notification and check the device that is trying to access wifi through my phone. You have to pay close attention.
You could try to click on the menu button by your home button and select access control, and see if anything tries to attach. You will need to check the box for the device and then accept.
Good Luck!
geske001 said:
Whenever I get an access control notification, it DOES NOT pop up. It is displayed subtly at the top of the phone and I have to slide my finger from the very top of the screen down to the bottom, and then the notification menu fully comes up. I then click the access control notification and check the device that is trying to access wifi through my phone. You have to pay close attention.
You could try to click on the menu button by your home button and select access control, and see if anything tries to attach. You will need to check the box for the device and then accept.
Good Luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand that I have to view my notifications to see the notification. But there is never one there. No device sees a wifi signal because the phone isn't pushing one. It's my understanding that the app should be pushing a wifi signal that other devices can see and try to connect to. When I'm on my laptop or my wife's phone and I scan for a wifi network I DO NOT see my phone and therefore the device does not attempt to connect to my phone (and there is not a notification if I slide my finger down at the top of my phone to allow a connection).
The question I have is: when you begin tethering (BEFORE ANY DEVICE HAS CONNECTED OR ATTEMPTED TO) do you have kb's going down or up? Someone answering this simple question would help me tremendously!
Thanks!
Sent from my FroyoEris using XDA App
To answer your question, no. if nothing is connected to the tether then the connection has no need to upload or download info.
MJL99 said:
To answer your question, no. if nothing is connected to the tether then the connection has no need to upload or download info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanx. That means my probem lies in the connection, not the actual tethering.
Sent from my FroyoEris using XDA App
joshw0000 said:
Ok, thanx. That means my probem lies in the connection, not the actual tethering.
Sent from my FroyoEris using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What version are you running? I'm not running a froyo rom so I havent been up to date on what works and what doesnt, but have you looked thru all the froyo rom threads to see if anyone else has had a tether problem? On aloysius, I have version 1.6 and it works fine, get info transfer up and down after I connect with my laptop. If you have access control enabled, you will need to authorize your device that is connected, if you can find it in wireless networks.
Is wireless tether bundled with the rom? You said you have tried all versions that you could find but I still have a feeling its the version of wireless tether you have, but it could also be that all versions you found are only compatible with 2.1.
Heres all I could find:
Wireless Tether
I'm on KaosFroyo v24. So I tried opening wireless tether and running it. I started it and did a wifi scan on my wife's phone. Still nothing. I got on the laptop and ran about a half dozen scans and it finally saw and connected to my phone, at which point data was streaming up and down. I had just assumed before since no data was streaming and I couldn't connect initially that something was wrong.
I still can't connect with my wife's phone (which was what I used most for testing) but I got it working.
Thanks to everyone for your help!!!
Sent from my FroyoEris using XDA App
Any body tried the USB tethering of galaxy S2? seems like Samsung did not supply the proper drivers for it to work. I loved that feature in my desire HD as it preserves the battery of the phone( better than WiFi tethering) Any body got any idea on this? thanks....
Works for me
I have an unbranded KE7 SGS2 and USB tethering works fine for me:
Settings -> Wireless and network -> Tethering and portable hotspot -> USB tethering (tick).
My XP-powered laptop then used this connection without any configuration or setup.
Mine's working fine as well.
Running KE7 on the phone, Windows 7 on the computer. Just plugged it in, the drivers installed automatically and it started working with no problems! (I'm actually posting this reply over the tethered connection).
this is really weird. My Gs2 usb tethering is not working in two of my laptops. both are working well with my desire hd. Can this be a hardware issue?
Works fine for me also...
noelarino said:
this is really weird. My Gs2 usb tethering is not working in two of my laptops. both are working well with my desire hd. Can this be a hardware issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possibly, I would think a more likely explanation would be a problem with the USB drivers for your GS2.
It's a bit hard to say without looking at your computer. But if there was a problem with the phone, there would most likely be a lot more people reporting it. I'd say the problem is more likely on the computer end.
I might have the wrong end of the stick here, but I would like to use my laptop's broadband connection whilst in the office to use on my phone.
HTC Sense on my previous phone gave you the option when you plugged in the USB lead, does such a thing exist on the Samsung? Or even a 3rd party app that achieves the same goal?
Seems pointless using 3g in the office when I have a fibre connection out to the internet.
noelarino said:
Any body tried the USB tethering of galaxy S2? seems like Samsung did not supply the proper drivers for it to work. I loved that feature in my desire HD as it preserves the battery of the phone( better than WiFi tethering) Any body got any idea on this? thanks....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think what you mean is using the pc/laptop internet connection to surf the net on the phone while it is connected via usb to the pc/laptop.
Well the answer to that is sadly this phone does not support that..and like you said..i miss this feature coming from desire hd..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
I got a Edimax Wi8reless USB adapter - EW-7711UAn.
That enables you to setup your Internet connected PC as a wirless hotspot
pmt32577 said:
I got a Edimax Wi8reless USB adapter - EW-7711UAn.
That enables you to setup your Internet connected PC as a wirless hotspot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes..but still you have to use wifi to connect your phone to the internet.,actually there is a free program for windows 7 that does just that..connectify will make your pc into a hotspot...
Anyway..people who are using htc devices prior to SGS2 will miss this simple yet important feature thanks to samsung
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
iznee said:
I think what you mean is using the pc/laptop internet connection to surf the net on the phone while it is connected via usb to the pc/laptop.
Well the answer to that is sadly this phone does not support that..and like you said..i miss this feature coming from desire hd..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I connected my phone via usb last night in the hope of letting the phone use my PC cable broadband connection. I can never get game hub to load, it always says it needs a working network connection. I thought game hub would use my T-Mobile web n walk connection. After connecting the phone via usb and enabling usb tethering, it successfully found and installed 2 drivers. Then going back to game hub while still connected to usb, it still said it needed a working connection. So what exactly is USB tethering meant to do?
Roman5 said:
I connected my phone via usb last night in the hope of letting the phone use my PC cable broadband connection. I can never get game hub to load, it always says it needs a working network connection. I thought game hub would use my T-Mobile web n walk connection. After connecting the phone via usb and enabling usb tethering, it successfully found and installed 2 drivers. Then going back to game hub while still connected to usb, it still said it needed a working connection. So what exactly is USB tethering meant to do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you sucessfully achived is that your pc now can use your phone mobile internet connection when it is plugged in via usb...that is usb tethering for samsung( that is what i understand). There is no way yet to allow this phone to use your pc's internet connection while the phone is connected via usb unlike on htc's phones.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
iznee said:
What you sucessfully achived is that your pc now can use your phone mobile internet connection when it is plugged in via usb...that is usb tethering for samsung( that is what i understand). There is no way yet to allow this phone to use your pc's internet connection while the phone is connected via usb unlike on htc's phones.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. So in fact, tethering is completely and utterly useless.
hello i shifted to using GS2 from my blackberry (so im a bit of a noob as ive been using blackberry for years)
i have a bit of a confusion here. i have a problem with usb tethering, do you plug in your phone to ur pc/laptop first then only you go to settings> wireless and network> tethering and portable hotspot > tick usb tethering on your GS2 or you tick the usb tethering in settings> wireless and network> tethering and portable hotspot then only you plug in your phone via usb to your laptop/pc.
When i plug in my GS2 to my laptop, i couldnt press anything on my phone,it says 'press home key to quit samsung kies', if i do it then i will lose the usb connection, so i tried going to settings> wireless and network> tethering and portable hotspot > tick usb tethering, and then connect my GS2 to my laptop, but there is no connection between my laptop and my GS2.
i tried going to settings> applications> development > tick usb debugging, unfortunately when after doing that, when i connect my GS2 to laptop, my laptop says no driver for the device, so there is no autoplay or icon of my phone on the 'my computer' folder my lapop. in short i couldnt access my phone through usb.
Im sorry if my words are confusing,its so hard to put it in words.
i really2 need help, as i need to use the internet from my phone as he internet in my college sucks. thank you
What i'm doing is connecting the phone to PC via USB, then the 'usb tethering' checkbox lights up and I can tap on it to activate it. Also have usb debug mode enabled. Try using it with Kies closed/turned off. I'm using Windows 7 if that helps.
i have successfully use usb tethering on win7. i install kies v2.0.1.11053_99. reboot laptop. run kies, go to Tools> Install driver. reboot after finish. connect SGS2 with usb, enable usb tether and i can use internet on my laptop. using sub tether rite now.
fyi, i've tried with samsung usb driver only installation but cannot use usb tether becos i think it did not install phone modem driver.
usb tethering
Is there any application like the one available in HTC devices for usb connection..? I dont like the way the Samsung designed the application on the SGS2 ./. HTC really great..
Install Kies by Samsung
Install Kies by Samsung
the issue with the usb tethering option not being availavle is the network provider blocking this
If you want them to unblock you have to pay them a small fee,,
Wankers
I've searched around for some solid technique or, preferably, app that allows you to trick apps into thinking you are using Wifi when in reality you are still on 3g/4g.
- I am NOT looking for alternatives or workarounds for a specific app
I found it crazy that the iPhone has over a dozen apps, tweaks, etc that can easily do this type of thing, but the only stuff I've found on the subject for android were either ridiculous techniques that don't work, or people questioning WHY you'd want to do this...
If anyone has ANY information on this subject, please tell.
Is there a reason why this is so much harder on Android than on iPhone? I'd be happy to learn exactly what the problem is here.
bump
Im also interested on this. I have unlimited data and i find it ridiculous that devs make apps to only work on wifi. I use to use 3g unrestrictor all the time back when i had my iPhone.
bump
bump again...
Well i know this works with certain android games like zenonia and modern combat which require wifi not data connection so you can try it with other stuff. You have to be rooted.
The first step is to turn your Wi-Fi on and*download Android Wi-Fi tether app*available in Market.
Once you have the app downloaded, launch the app and go to Menu > Settings > Change > Setup Method and select Softap option.
Now start tethering and drag down the notification bar.
In case your Wi-Fi icon is still enabled, it means that you have done it right so far.
Do not press the Wi-Fi toggle icon and launch the game you want to play
-------------
I am a dishonest man, and you can always honestly trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly it's the honest ones you have to watch out for.
xMrArnoldx said:
Well i know this works with certain android games like zenonia and modern combat which require wifi not data connection so you can try it with other stuff. You have to be rooted.
The first step is to turn your Wi-Fi on and*download Android Wi-Fi tether app*available in Market.
Once you have the app downloaded, launch the app and go to Menu > Settings > Change > Setup Method and select Softap option.
Now start tethering and drag down the notification bar.
In case your Wi-Fi icon is still enabled, it means that you have done it right so far.
Do not press the Wi-Fi toggle icon and launch the game you want to play
-------------
I am a dishonest man, and you can always honestly trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly it's the honest ones you have to watch out for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It didn't work.. My wifi is turned off as soon as the tethering starts. What app exactly am I supposed to use?
Thanks!
Try wifi tether for root users.
---------------------
Give me a thanks if i helped
Lg Lucid running Cm10
w/ Cm10 Kernel
Asus Tf700 running Cromi-X 4.6.5
w/ Max's v4 kernel
Some Android games and application require a Wi-Fi connection due to the large amount of data that they use. If you don't have Wi-Fi available, however, you won't be able to use the apps or play the games, even if you have a fast 3G connection. You can trick your phone into believing that the Wi-Fi is connected by saving a small text file to your SD card so the phone will play games and apps as if it's on Wi-Fi when it's only connected to 3G.
Things You'll Need
PC
Data cable
Text editing app
Instructions
1) Launch a text editing program on your computer and type "FALSE" in all caps. Save the file and give it the name "qaWifiOnlyMode.txt" exactly with all the lower-case and capital letters duplicated precisely, otherwise the Android operating system won't see the file. Close the text editing program.
2) Plug your Android device into your computer and drag your finger down from the top of the screen to open the notification area. Tap "USB Connected" and then confirm that you want to mount your SD card as a drive on the computer.
3) Find the qaWifiOnlyMode.txt file on your computer and click to select it. Press "Ctrl" and "C" to copy the file. Browse to the location of your Android device's SD card on your computer. In the base(root) directory, not in any sub-folder, press "Ctrl" and "V" to paste the text file to the card.
4) Drag down the notification area on your Android device and tap the USB connection to disconnect the device from the computer. Unplug the USB cable. Your device will now play games and apps as if it's on Wi-Fi even if it's only on 3G.
Diablo67 said:
Some Android games and application require a Wi-Fi connection due to the large amount of data that they use. If you don't have Wi-Fi available, however, you won't be able to use the apps or play the games, even if you have a fast 3G connection. You can trick your phone into believing that the Wi-Fi is connected by saving a small text file to your SD card so the phone will play games and apps as if it's on Wi-Fi when it's only connected to 3G.
Things You'll Need
PC
Data cable
Text editing app
Instructions
1) Launch a text editing program on your computer and type "FALSE" in all caps. Save the file and give it the name "qaWifiOnlyMode.txt" exactly with all the lower-case and capital letters duplicated precisely, otherwise the Android operating system won't see the file. Close the text editing program.
2) Plug your Android device into your computer and drag your finger down from the top of the screen to open the notification area. Tap "USB Connected" and then confirm that you want to mount your SD card as a drive on the computer.
3) Find the qaWifiOnlyMode.txt file on your computer and click to select it. Press "Ctrl" and "C" to copy the file. Browse to the location of your Android device's SD card on your computer. In the base(root) directory, not in any sub-folder, press "Ctrl" and "V" to paste the text file to the card.
4) Drag down the notification area on your Android device and tap the USB connection to disconnect the device from the computer. Unplug the USB cable. Your device will now play games and apps as if it's on Wi-Fi even if it's only on 3G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, this whole text file thing didn't work for me. Do you have to be rooted for this to work?
It didn't work for me either and I'm rooted
Work for anyone
Did the above fix work for anyone?
.txt thing didn't work for me either and I'm rooted]
I am having a rooted phone with busybox and this text file trick doesn't work.
Sent from my GT-S5360 Gadget of Mass Destruction using xda-app
Using CWM........Busybox Commands........No I use my hands
I've been searching for a way to fool apps into thinking their on WiFi. No luck.
I hate to beat the dead horse but I switched from an iPhone to a HTC One and its turning out to be a bad deal. Your telling me all these yrs and no one has been able to make one of the most basic apps the iPhone can get via cydia yet.
We should start a bounty ...
I'll throw in 100 to start it off with.
omf05 said:
I've been searching for a way to fool apps into thinking their on WiFi. No luck.
I hate to beat the dead horse but I switched from an iPhone to a HTC One and its turning out to be a bad deal. Your telling me all these yrs and no one has been able to make one of the most basic apps the iPhone can get via cydia yet.
We should start a bounty ...
I'll throw in 100 to start it off with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's pretty pathetic really
I'll be abroad next week and wanted to catch a bit of the French Open Tennis but one of the TV apps I'm using requires a wifi connection. The fact there is no workaround yet is almost as idiotic as the morons who implement this "feature" in their apps.
Why should I care if someone is dumb enough to rinse their 1GB Data limit when I have unlimited 4G internet?
I asked about this in the Xposed forum, since it seems like an Xposed module might be the way to trick apps into thinking you're on wi-fi.
For me, the issue is with PdaNet+. I have unlimited data with T-Mobile, and I can pair my tablet via bluetooth and use my phone's data on my tablet. However, some apps don't work because they don't detect a data connection (ie: wi-fi), even though there is one. I can browse the internet. I can browse Google Play. But I can't download anything from Google Play, because it keeps waiting for a network connection. I can use Facebook, but I can't use the Facebook Messenger.
The work-around I can use at home is to use a virtual wi-fi router program on my laptop, connect my tablet to my laptop's wifi, and then connect my tablet via PdaNet+ bluetooth. Even there's no data going through the wi-fi, it still "tricks" my tablet into thinking there's a network connection, and it proceeds to download through bluetooth. Of course, this only works at home or if I have my laptop with me.
Yeah, I can always just tether my phone to my laptop and run my tablet off the laptop's virtual wi-fi router (which I typically do), but that's slower, and again, only works when my computer is with me.
Planterz said:
I asked about this in the Xposed forum, since it seems like an Xposed module might be the way to trick apps into thinking you're on wi-fi.
For me, the issue is with PdaNet+. I have unlimited data with T-Mobile, and I can pair my tablet via bluetooth and use my phone's data on my tablet. However, some apps don't work because they don't detect a data connection (ie: wi-fi), even though there is one. I can browse the internet. I can browse Google Play. But I can't download anything from Google Play, because it keeps waiting for a network connection. I can use Facebook, but I can't use the Facebook Messenger.
The work-around I can use at home is to use a virtual wi-fi router program on my laptop, connect my tablet to my laptop's wifi, and then connect my tablet via PdaNet+ bluetooth. Even there's no data going through the wi-fi, it still "tricks" my tablet into thinking there's a network connection, and it proceeds to download through bluetooth. Of course, this only works at home or if I have my laptop with me.
Yeah, I can always just tether my phone to my laptop and run my tablet off the laptop's virtual wi-fi router (which I typically do), but that's slower, and again, only works when my computer is with me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you provide a little more detail in how to do this? What program are you using on your laptop? So the phone is running PDANet and then you connect it to your laptop via Bluetooth. Then after that you connect your tablet to the laptop's virtual wifi router?
Don't know if I understood completely but thanks in advance.
taino211 said:
Could you provide a little more detail in how to do this? What program are you using on your laptop? So the phone is running PDANet and then you connect it to your laptop via Bluetooth. Then after that you connect your tablet to the laptop's virtual wifi router?
Don't know if I understood completely but thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have T-Mobile's Unlimited plan, which has unlimited data and 5gb free hotspot. My phone is a T-Mobile branded Samsung Galaxy Light SGH T399. On my phone I have PdaNet+ installed, with the full unlock key purchased ($8).
There's a free one to try, to make sure it works with your phone; whether it works or not depends on the phone itself, the version of Android it runs, and the provider from which you got it (if you didn't get an unlocked version). For example, a particular phone might work fine with T-Mobile, but the Sprint version of that phone might not. That's why there's the free version - to test before purchasing. The limitation with the free version is that it times out after about ~10 minutes and you have to reconnect.
PdaNet can connect to your computer in 3 ways. Wifi, Bluetooth, or USB tethering. Again, depending on your phone, carrier branding, and Android version, some methods may work while others won't.
Wifi works just like any wifi hotspot. However, depending on the afore mentioned conditions, wifi hotspot might not work the way you want it to. For example, on my T-Mobile branded Samsung Galaxy Light SGH-T399, using the wifi hotspot on PdaNet also loads up the pre-installed T-Mobile hotspot, which drains the 5gb mobile hotspot allotment. I haven't found a way to break that on this phone. On other phones (like Nexus devices), I know there are ways to only use your phone's data, and not the hotspot allotment, but frankly, these are very complicated and need a VPN subscription (ie: more money) to work. Wifi hotspot use is often broken anyway, depending on your carrier and Android version.
Bluetooth and USB tethering work differently than wi-fi, but otherwise work essentially the same way as each other. Both require a companion program to be installed onto your computer. A good idea is to keep a copy of this program on your phone, so you can install it on other people's computers if necessary (and perhaps the USB drivers for your phone as well).
I haven't messed around with Bluetooth much, because the Bluetooth on my laptop (via a dongle) is glitchy as $#@!, and I've never been able to get PdaNet to work with it properly except for a couple times which didn't last. Actually, I've never gotten anything to work properly with Bluetooth on my laptop, so this is probably just a problem with my computer/dongle/drivers, and YMMV. On the few times I've gotten PdaNet or other internet via Bluetooth (which some phones have built-in, and don't require PdaNet at all), speeds have been much, much slower, and I'd rather tether via USB anyway.
I connect my phone's internet to my laptop with USB tether. Make sure USB debugging is enabled, and plug it in. Make sure it's set as a Mass Storage device (4.1 or earlier), or as a Media Device (4.2+). Then on your phone, open PdaNet+ and Activate USB Tether (you can do this before plugging it in, it doesn't matter). On your computer, load PdaNet, and select Connect Internet (USB). If everything has been set up correctly, it should say "Connected", and you can now use your phone's internet on your computer.
Here's the important part:
If you don't have an Unlimited plan, tethering (via any method) will suck down your data. If you do have an unlimited plan, there's an option in PdaNet's settings (on your computer) to "Hide Tether Usage". This uses a proxy or VPN (not sure which) to fool your provider into thinking you're on your phone, and not on your computer. This works for me, with my phone, on T-Mobile. No guarantees that this will work with other phones, or other providers. Try the free version first, monitor your data usage (use your provider's account app, not the built-in Android one), and see if it works for you.
As for the virtual wifi network, there are a couple ways to do this. The PdaNet program for your computer actually has this built into it. Once you're connected, select the "WiFi Share" option, and it'll set up a wi-fi network that you (and others) can use on other devices, like other phones, tablets, computers smart-TVs, etc. Obviously, the computer you're tethered to needs to have wi-fi capability for this to work. But as long as you have a wi-fi modem, it can be turned into a wi-fi router with this option. It's not as strong as a real wi-fi router, but you don't have to buy and network a different piece of equipment either.
There are also stand-alone virtual wi-fi router programs. The one I've used mainly is Virtual Router Manager beta 0.9. A while ago, I tried a newer, non-beta version, but it was extremely unstable, so I went back to the 0.9 beta. I haven't tried any newer version in quite some time. I used this when I had proper internet (cable) in my apartment, but wanted to use wi-fi instead of my phone's data to do downloads or updates on my phone.
Neither the Virtual Router Manager or the WiFi Share option on PdaNet are 100% stable. Every once in a while, something glitches out, and I have to reboot my computer (I usually reboot my phone at the same time, just to be sure). But hey, apart from the $8 for PdaNet+, I get unlimited mobile and home internet for $80/month, so I can't complain.
To recap, I have my phone USB tethered to my laptop (which is plugged into a 42" HDTV) via PdaNet+. I use a virtual wi-fi router option to give wi-fi to my tablet. One internet connection, 3 devices connected.
My problem is that, even though I own a laptop, it practically never goes with my anywhere. It sits on a cooling pad, plugged into 2 external HDDs and my 42" HDTV, and I sit at my couch with a wireless mouse/keyboard. But when I'm away from my apartment, and I have my tablet, there's certain things I can't do on the tablet connected via PdaNet and Bluetooth, because it doesn't have a wi-fi connection, and these certain apps don't detect a network connection.
Planterz said:
I have T-Mobile's Unlimited plan, which has unlimited data and 5gb free hotspot. My phone is a T-Mobile branded Samsung Galaxy Light SGH T399. On my phone I have PdaNet+ installed, with the full unlock key purchased ($8).
There's a free one to try, to make sure it works with your phone; whether it works or not depends on the phone itself, the version of Android it runs, and the provider from which you got it (if you didn't get an unlocked version). For example, a particular phone might work fine with T-Mobile, but the Sprint version of that phone might not. That's why there's the free version - to test before purchasing. The limitation with the free version is that it times out after about ~10 minutes and you have to reconnect.
PdaNet can connect to your computer in 3 ways. Wifi, Bluetooth, or USB tethering. Again, depending on your phone, carrier branding, and Android version, some methods may work while others won't.
Wifi works just like any wifi hotspot. However, depending on the afore mentioned conditions, wifi hotspot might not work the way you want it to. For example, on my T-Mobile branded Samsung Galaxy Light SGH-T399, using the wifi hotspot on PdaNet also loads up the pre-installed T-Mobile hotspot, which drains the 5gb mobile hotspot allotment. I haven't found a way to break that on this phone. On other phones (like Nexus devices), I know there are ways to only use your phone's data, and not the hotspot allotment, but frankly, these are very complicated and need a VPN subscription (ie: more money) to work. Wifi hotspot use is often broken anyway, depending on your carrier and Android version.
Bluetooth and USB tethering work differently than wi-fi, but otherwise work essentially the same way as each other. Both require a companion program to be installed onto your computer. A good idea is to keep a copy of this program on your phone, so you can install it on other people's computers if necessary (and perhaps the USB drivers for your phone as well).
I haven't messed around with Bluetooth much, because the Bluetooth on my laptop (via a dongle) is glitchy as $#@!, and I've never been able to get PdaNet to work with it properly except for a couple times which didn't last. Actually, I've never gotten anything to work properly with Bluetooth on my laptop, so this is probably just a problem with my computer/dongle/drivers, and YMMV. On the few times I've gotten PdaNet or other internet via Bluetooth (which some phones have built-in, and don't require PdaNet at all), speeds have been much, much slower, and I'd rather tether via USB anyway.
I connect my phone's internet to my laptop with USB tether. Make sure USB debugging is enabled, and plug it in. Make sure it's set as a Mass Storage device (4.1 or earlier), or as a Media Device (4.2+). Then on your phone, open PdaNet+ and Activate USB Tether (you can do this before plugging it in, it doesn't matter). On your computer, load PdaNet, and select Connect Internet (USB). If everything has been set up correctly, it should say "Connected", and you can now use your phone's internet on your computer.
Here's the important part:
If you don't have an Unlimited plan, tethering (via any method) will suck down your data. If you do have an unlimited plan, there's an option in PdaNet's settings (on your computer) to "Hide Tether Usage". This uses a proxy or VPN (not sure which) to fool your provider into thinking you're on your phone, and not on your computer. This works for me, with my phone, on T-Mobile. No guarantees that this will work with other phones, or other providers. Try the free version first, monitor your data usage (use your provider's account app, not the built-in Android one), and see if it works for you.
As for the virtual wifi network, there are a couple ways to do this. The PdaNet program for your computer actually has this built into it. Once you're connected, select the "WiFi Share" option, and it'll set up a wi-fi network that you (and others) can use on other devices, like other phones, tablets, computers smart-TVs, etc. Obviously, the computer you're tethered to needs to have wi-fi capability for this to work. But as long as you have a wi-fi modem, it can be turned into a wi-fi router with this option. It's not as strong as a real wi-fi router, but you don't have to buy and network a different piece of equipment either.
There are also stand-alone virtual wi-fi router programs. The one I've used mainly is Virtual Router Manager beta 0.9. A while ago, I tried a newer, non-beta version, but it was extremely unstable, so I went back to the 0.9 beta. I haven't tried any newer version in quite some time. I used this when I had proper internet (cable) in my apartment, but wanted to use wi-fi instead of my phone's data to do downloads or updates on my phone.
Neither the Virtual Router Manager or the WiFi Share option on PdaNet are 100% stable. Every once in a while, something glitches out, and I have to reboot my computer (I usually reboot my phone at the same time, just to be sure). But hey, apart from the $8 for PdaNet+, I get unlimited mobile and home internet for $80/month, so I can't complain.
To recap, I have my phone USB tethered to my laptop (which is plugged into a 42" HDTV) via PdaNet+. I use a virtual wi-fi router option to give wi-fi to my tablet. One internet connection, 3 devices connected.
My problem is that, even though I own a laptop, it practically never goes with my anywhere. It sits on a cooling pad, plugged into 2 external HDDs and my 42" HDTV, and I sit at my couch with a wireless mouse/keyboard. But when I'm away from my apartment, and I have my tablet, there's certain things I can't do on the tablet connected via PdaNet and Bluetooth, because it doesn't have a wi-fi connection, and these certain apps don't detect a network connection.
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Thanks for the great explanation! This helps quite a bit. I'll give this a shot to see how it goes.