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Topic: Is USB tethering possible using an Android phone?

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Hi Everyone,

Is USB tethering possible using an Android phone. If it is please let me know what packages and configurations are needed.

Thanks,

you need the usbnet kmod. once that is loaded, attach the phone, point "network.wan" at usb0 and set proto to dhcp.

I'll give it a try later today and write a Wiki page if I get it working with my Samsung Galaxy Nexus and newest Android!

(Last edited by written_direcon on 27 Jul 2012, 16:09)

Hi,
On Tp Link WR703N, I've install openwrt attitude adjustement r32910 firmware, and tethering packages : kmod-usb-core, kmod-nls-base, kmod-usb-net, kmod-usb-net-cdc-ether, kmod-usb-net-rndis, kmod-usb-ohci, kmod-usb-uhci, kmod-usb2, by the way also 3g paskages: comgt, kmod-usb2, kmod-usb-ohci, usb-modeswitch, usb-modeswitch-data, sdparm, luci-proto-3g.
When i connect my phone USB0 is recognize and I installed a wan interface with dhcp client protocol by usb0.
If I ping via diagnostics or I do a traceroute it's OK but I can't access Internet with the browser connected by wifi or lan.
Firewall is set to default on lan mode
I must be missing something,
Any idea what?

I updated the Wiki page USB Tethering with OpenWrt with detailed instructions. I tested this with my Android Ice Cream Sandwitch 4.0.3 Samsung Galaxy Nexus Smartphone.

I have T-Mobile nexus 5 with unlimited data, does it cuerwntly offers unlimited USB tethering with no limitation limitation? Like I can download hundred of gigs of torrents movies and I'm fine and T-Mobile won't mind? I cant seem to be able to download torrents at all on my xomputer when i use usb teather from my android connecting direcrly to the computer though, not sure why, some http500 error? Something blocked? would connecting my android usb teather to the openwrt router then connecting computer to that router let me finally download torrents?

Also, instead of enabling usb teathering via android native setting, would just using the pdanet+ app (3rd party tether app that enable you to hide teather usage) and turning usb teather there works fine with USB tethering on the openwrt router? Or openwrt won't work with pdanet+?

(Last edited by lenny.wu on 11 Feb 2015, 14:53)

From my experience, the $80/month "unlimited" T-Mobile data plan actually has a limit of 5GB per month for USB-tethered or hotspot data.  If you have a plan which offers unlimited data via tether or wifi hotspot, please tell us what plan it is.

I was told by T-Mobile support that data is "unlimited" only for the phone itself, not for what it passes through; also that no T-Mobile plan offers unlimited data for wifi hotspot or USB tethering.

(Last edited by lizby on 11 Feb 2015, 18:07)

I am using easy feather full and changing browser user agent string to so it looks like im uaing native android browser so it looks like to T-Mobile i are just using only data plan not hot spot, just not sure if easy feather would work with openwrt and would T-Mobile get in trouble? Well now a days ppl stream movies on their phones so a few hundred gigs a month should be okay?

(Last edited by lenny.wu on 12 Feb 2015, 21:24)

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