USB tethering is a great way to share your mobile data connection with other devices. It allows your laptop to connect to the Internet when there is no network connection.
Android phones are already equipped to provide this functionality. Simply connect the USB cable and go to Settings - Wireless settings - Tethering - Tethering USB. What you need is some kernel and network configuration on the other side (e.g. Apr 12, 2016 How to fix USB tethering on Windows 10 / Update Windows 10 Remote NDIS driver / Android USB Tethering fix. Jan 18, 2014 Cutting to the chase, it turns out the Remote NDIS driver wasn’t pre-installed in Windows 8. All I had to do was to install this driver for connected USB and everything worked like a charm. Mentioned below are the steps to install Remote NDIS driver in Windows 8 OS: Ensure that your phone is connected via USB and that USB tethering is enabled. Hi, this video shows you how to use USB Tethering from your Android Mobile Cell Phone to enable you to share the phones internet connection on your laptop or PC. Many thanks Vince.
Setting up USB tethering in Windows 10 is simple, but it might not always work as intended. If you are facing USB tethering issues in Windows, we recommend you try the steps set out below:
VRidge/TrinusVR, USB tethering with Gear VR and Galaxy S7 Edge I have a Galaxy S7 edge and Gear VR, and today I bought an app called VRidge, which allows you to play VR games for PC on your mobile VR headset.
Using Device Manager to fix USB tethering issues
A corrupt Device Driver is the main reason behind USB tethering issues in Windows. You can resolve the issue by installing the latest USB Driver.
Go to desktop and click the Start button
In the search box, type device manager
Click Device Manager in the menu
In the Device Manager window, look for Network Adapters
Expand Network Adapters
Under Network Adapter, right-click Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device
Select Properties > Drivers
Click Update Drivers
Click Browse my computer for driver software
Select Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer
Uncheck the box that says Show compatible hardware
Under the Manufacturer section, select Microsoft as manufacturer
Click Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device
Click Next
Wait until the process completes. The Device Manager will install the correct driver from the database
Turn Off tethering and switch it On again
Solution for lag or freezing issues in USB tethering
Sometimes the Windows 10 system freezes during USB tethering or there might be a lag in the USB connection.
This issue is caused by RNDIS5 (Remote Network Driver Interface Specification driver version 5), an old device driver for Windows 10.
There is an issue where Windows 10 keeps on reverting back to this driver. The solution to this USB problem is to make Windows 10 use RNDIS 6. Remember, selecting any other driver other than RNDIS 6 will not work to resolve the issue.
If you are experiencing this problem, try the troubleshooting steps below to resolve the issue.
However, first you need to verify Windows 10 is using RNDIS5 by following steps set out below:
Go to desktop and click the Start button
In the search box, type device manager
Click Device Manager in the menu
In the Device Manager window, look for Network Adapters
Expand Network Adapters
Plug in your device and enable USB tethering so that your device is detected as a Remote NDIS based device
You will now see a new entry created under Network Adapter that is named as “[Your Device Name] Remote NDIS based [internet Sharing/network] Device.”
Right-click [Your Device Name] Remote NDIS based [internet Sharing/network] Device and select Properties
Select Driver tab
Click Driver details
You can see the driver files now. If the files are named as usb8023x.sys and rndismpx.sys, your system is using the RNDIS 5 driver. If one of the driver files is named as “rndismp6.sys”, you are using the RNDIS 6 driver.
Follow the steps given below if your system is using the RNDIS 5 driver
Click “This PC” on the desktop to open Windows Explorer
Go to C:WindowsINFfolder
Look for the file wceisvista.inf(RNDIS5.1)
Take ownership of the file and grant yourself permissions to rename the file by performing the steps set out below:
Press the Windows key + X on the keyboard
Click the Command Prompt (Admin)
Click Yes on any Account Control messages that are displayed
Type the following commands in the Command Prompt window and press enter after each command – takeown /f “C:WindowsINFwceisvista.inf” – icacls “C:WindowsINFwceisvista.inf” /grant (username):F
Rename the file to anything
Open the Device Manager and go to Network Adapters
Expand Network Adapters and select Remote NDIS based internet sharing device or something similar (Note- You need to connect USB tethering device and enable tethering before performing this step)
Right-click Remote NDIS based internet sharing device and select Properties
Select the driver tab
Click Update Driver button
Select Browse my computer for driver software
Select Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer
Uncheck the box “show compatible hardware”
Select Microsoft then pick USBRNDIS6 Adapter (Note- In Windows 10, NDIS6 is mentioned as USBRNDIS6 Adapter)
Solution for USB ports not working
If you get the error “USB ports not working” follow these steps to fix the problem:
USB ports not working – Fix 1- Disabling and Re-enabling the USB Controller
Optimized Android Usb Tethering Driver For Windows 7
Open Device Manager
Go to Universal Serial Bus Controllers and expand the list
Right-click on first USB Root Hub
Go to Power Management tab
Uncheck the option – Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power
Click OK
USB ports not working – Fix 2 – Updating Driver for USB Controllers
Press Windows Key + R to open Run
Type devmgmt.msc
In the Device Manager window, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers
Right-click on the first USB Controller > Update Driver Software
Select Search automatically for updated driver software
Click Next
Repeat steps 4-6 for all USB Controllers in the list
Restart computer
You can also automatically update your Drivers by using a Driver Update Tool such as DriverDownloader – click below to download and run this tool.
Optimized Android Usb Tethering Driver For Windows 8
Tethering is the act of sharing your phone’s mobile data connection with another device—such as your laptop or tablet—connecting it to the Internet through your phone’s data connection. There are several ways to tether on Android.
Tethering is useful when you’re somewhere where and don’t have Wi-Fi access, do have cellular data access, and want to do something on your computer instead of your phone. But you may pay extra for the convenience.
Will It Cost Money?
Depending on your carrier, this may or may not cost you money. In the US, most major carriers charge extra for tethering. Consult your carrier’s website for more information about what they charge for tethering. An additional $20 fee to tether isn’t unusual in the USA.
RELATED:How to Use Android’s Built-In Tethering When Your Carrier Blocks It
It’s possible to get around these restrictions by installing and using a third-party tethering app, or if you’re rooted, unblocking Android’s built-in tethering feature. However, your carrier may notice you’re tethering anyway — they can tell because web traffic from your laptop looks different from web traffic from your mobile phone—and they may helpfully add a tethering plan to your account, charging you the standard tethering fee. If you’re lucky, they may not notice, just don’t be surprised if they make you pay the tethering fee.
Of course, standard data limits and charges apply. For example, if your carrier provides 2GB of data per month and you use 3GB between tethering and your normal smartphone usage, you’ll be subject to your plan’s normal penalties—extra charges or speed throttling—even if the carrier doesn’t notice you’re tethering.
Lastly, tethering drains battery—fast. When not actively using tethering, you should disable it to save power on your Android phone and keep its battery going longer.
Types of Tethering
We’ll cover how to use each tethering method. Here’s how they compare:
Wi-Fi Tethering: Wi-Fi tethering turns your phone into a little Wi-Fi hotspot. It creates a Wi-Fi network that you connect to with your computer. It has decent speeds and you can connect more than one device—but the battery will drain faster than if you used one of the below options.
Bluetooth Tethering: Bluetooth tethering is significantly slower than Wi-Fi, but uses less battery. You can only tether one device at a time via Bluetooth as well. It probably isn’t worth using unless you’re really trying to stretch your battery.
USB Tethering: USB tethering has the fastest speeds, but you have to connect your phone to your laptop with a USB cable. Your phone’s battery won’t drain because it will draw power from your computer’s USB port.
In addition to the standard Android tethering options, there are other ways you might want to tether:
Android Usb Tether
Third-Party Tethering Apps: If tethering is disabled on a phone you acquired from a carrier, you can install third-party apps and use them to tether. Your carrier may charge you anyway if they notice.
Reverse Tethering: In rare situations, you may want to share your computer’s Internet connection with your Android phone instead. This is useful if you only have wired Ethernet connections in the area and don’t have access to Wi-Fi.
Let’s talk about how to do all of these things, one by one.
Wi-Fi Tethering
Android has a built-in Wi-Fi tethering feature, although it may be disabled by some carriers if you don’t pay for a tethering plan. (Again, though, if you’re rooted, you can unblock Android’s built-in tethering feature with these instructions.)
To access this feature, open your phone’s Settings screen, tap the More option under Wireless & Networks, and tap Tethering & portable hotspot.
Tap the Set up Wi-Fi hotspot option and you’ll be able to configure your phone’s Wi-Fi hotspot, changing its SSID (name) and password. Leave the security set to WPA2 PSK unless you need to use an older device that doesn’t support this encryption standard. WPA2 PSK is the most secure option, and you don’t want other people connecting to your hotspot and running up your data bill.
After configuring your hotspot settings, check the Portable Wi-Fi hotspot option. You can now connect to your phone’s Wi-Fi hotspot from your laptop, tablet, or any other device.
Bluetooth Tethering
You can also opt to tether via a Bluetooth connection. If your laptop has built-in Bluetooth (which most do) you can enable Bluetooth on your phone and enable Bluetooth tethering.
First, you’ll need to pair your PC with your phone. In Windows 10, you’ll first open the Bluetooth menu and make sure the device is discoverable.
On your phone, jump into Bluetooth settings and look for new devices to pair. Wait for your PC to show up. Once it shows up, tap on it to initiate the pairing process.
As both devices start to communicate, you’ll get a prompt on each asking to confirm that unique code is the same. If it is (and it should be), click Pair on both the phone and the computer. They should be connected over Bluetooth after that.
Now that the two are paired, you’re almost ready to use the Bluetooth tether feature. First, jump back into the Tethering & Portable Hotspot screen on your phone, then enable Bluetooth tethering.
Back on the computer, right click on the Bluetooth icon in the system tray, then choose “Join a personal area network.”
When this menu opens, your phone should be present. Click on it, then the “Connect using” dropdown. Choose “Access Point.”
Once the connection has been established, you’ll get a quick confirmation popup. Done and done—you can now use the Bluetooth connection to access the web.
USB Tethering
Connect your phone to your laptop via a USB cable, and you’ll see the USB tethering option become available. Toggle it on.
Your computer should automatically detect this a new type of internet connection and make it available. Bam.
Third-Party Tethering Apps
There are quite a few third-party tethering apps you can download from Google Play. Many are paid apps or require root access, however.
PdaNet+ offers Bluetooth and USB tethering on all Android phones, while its Wi-Fi tethering will only work on some phones. The free version will automatically turn itself off and force you to turn it back on occasionally—you can have it stop bothering you by paying up for the full version. Unlike many other such apps, PdaNet doesn’t require root access. The bundled Wi-Fi tethering feature is new in PdaNet+, and is the same as the popular FoxFi app.
You may also want to look for other tethering apps in Google Play, if you may want a free app that uses root and doesn’t require you to re-enable it regularly, or if PdaNet+ can’t provide Wi-Fi access on your phone. In that case, we recommend using the Magisk/Xposed module that bypasses your carrier’s restrictions.
Reverse Tethering
RELATED:How to Connect Your Android to Your PC’s Internet Connection Over USB
Lastly, if you’re rooted, you can reverse tether—connect your phone to your computer and share your computer’s Internet connection with your phone. This is a fairly rare situation, but you may someday find yourself in an office where there’s no Wi-Fi. If you can connect your Android phone to a computer with a wired Internet connection using a USB cable, you can share its wired Internet connection. Check out this guide for more detailed instructions on how to reverse tether.
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