Tethering my phone to PC for internet - I don't want to use my data

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compa008

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Dec 13, 2011
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So I'm trying to tether my phone (Samsung galaxy note 3) to my PC and that is working great, but it seems like my phone is using data when I really want it to be using the in-home WiFi.

So this is what is happening:
Cell data >>> Phone >>> PC

This is what I want happening:
In-home WiFi >>> Phone >>>PC

It seems like if I shut off my mobile data plan I am able to just have:
In-home WiFi >>> Phone >>>PC
...........but I can't answer calls so it really sucks.

I was wondering if there was a work around or an andriod app that would have the advanced settings of just letting me use my Wifi and mobile data at the same time.

Thanks,
Dave
 

compa008

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Dec 13, 2011
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I recently moved to my in-laws out of state while my wife finishes up school in half a month. After I close on a house my computer will be directly plugged in so no need for WiFi.
 
You can't tether the cell phone to your PC and use the phone as a wifi card if that is what you are trying to do. Tethering is basically setting up the phone as a modem except it uses the cell data connection instead of the phone line to dial out. At least that is what I gathered you are trying to do.

You want WiFi signal to phone, then the phone connection to the PC using the USB cable so the PC will use the phone like a wifi card, is that correct?

What ends up happening is you can only get the data connection working on the PC when the phone cell data service is turned on, correct? If that's so, that is how it will work, the first option won't work.
 

lvangundy

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Nov 5, 2007
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Actually, I did get this to work as the OP suggested and I am receiving calls and text. But I think that's a matter of the carrier supporting phone/data at the same time. Verizon can't do this, but ATT and TMO can. Another possibility is that since I'm on TMO the phone is using Wi-Fi SIP calling and that's how my calls are coming through.

Somehow I managed to tether with USB (my desktop PC is not near Ethernet cable) and have the phone connect to my house Wifi TW internet. Yes a USB/PCI wifi card would solve this, but it's working now. I was using the TMO data network and using up my tether GB but after turning wifi on and off, or getting a call or something, it started to path through the wi-fi and not the phone network. Maybe I'm mistaken and this is how it operates if a Wi-Fi signal is available, but it would seem to me that the carriers wouldn't want this so they could be for overages (even though my TMO plan doesn't have any).

Short story, OPs request works on TMO and it looks like this.
Cable internet > wifi > phone tethered> USB cable > desktop PC
 

justhereforhelp

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Nov 25, 2014
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it does work, especially in older custom roms. however .. i think somewhere inthe new kitkat roms.... the tethering was affected

I have been able to use wifi and usb tethering without using mobile data for a long time until i updated to one of the recent hyperdrive roms.
I doubt tmobile or samsung will support it because of any excuse you can think of.

Something about using a phone's wifi is faster than using a laptop's wifi adapter. IF not faster, it is different at least.
What i mean is that internet is supported more for my phone than for my laptop. perhaps it is because the wifi adapter inside my phone is different. Perhaps some wifi networks are programmed to reduce data speeds for laptops.

I cant seem to find an app that disables the wifi when i turn on usb tethering. ... perhaps someone can make something that hides t he wifi status from the system of a phone? that way the wifi doesnt have to be disabled.

also, i cant have airplane mode turned on while using wifi and usb tethering...while not in an active plan.

what bullshit.. why the hell does my mobile data network have to turned on to use wi fi tethering?? are we being logged or something?



 

maxxim_cod2

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Aug 20, 2012
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Just use an Android phone with WiFi Hotspot facility. Connect yr phone to the WiFi router and connect yr PC with yr phone using it's USB data cable. Make sure you have installed appropriate drivers for your phone, on your PC. Now as soon as you connect your mobile to your computer, a notification pops up in the menu bar of your Android phone, so just pull it down. There you will notice some "USB connection" notice. Click on it and it will take you to the USB connection types and tethering options menu. Mostly on the bottom of the list of the selectable options, PC tethering exists with a checkbox. Simply check it (if it's unchecked) and your PC will make a notification sound similar to PnP hardware detection. Keep a watch on the blue circle hovering on yr network icon in the system tray of yr PC. As soon as it disappears yr PC is connected to yr WiFi router thru yr Android phone. USB tethering works only under Windows/Linux and IOs is not supported. (Also check to see whether there is any exclamation or red cross mark on network icon? If so then you need to recheck yr internet settings and phone drivers on your PC, also check again whether the USB cable is still connected properly.).

Right now i've tethered my Lenovo S920 with my Windows 7 based PC (through USB cable) and i'm using my wired broadband connection (through mobile WiFi), connected to my WiFi router-cum-modem.
 

androidcruioususer

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Jan 25, 2015
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it is very easy connect you cell and your computer using a usb cable....then go to setting in cell and the more settings the go to tethering the click on usb tethring make sure the wifi on your cell is on and mobile data is off ....then go to devices and printers in control panel ...check if everything is ok ...then go to network setting in computer and refresh networks......should solve your problem...... i am using it at the very moment
 

Virgo95

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May 14, 2016
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I dont no if theres a way to use wifi and mobile data at the same time however it sounded like what u were wanting to do at the beggining of ur post was to use ur phone as a wifi range extender. There is a way to do this but idk how to do it. If u have the extra cash just buy a wifi range extender. u can get one at ur local walmart in electronic around the routers or on amazon. I use one to extend my grandfathers wifi nextdoor and use it at my house because all the port r being used in my area so the providers cant give me service till one opens up. Just plug it in set it up useing the instructions tht come with it and ur good to go. If the extender dosn't have the recomended signal strangth it will show wifi signal but it wont work but u shouldnt have tht issue if u r using it in the same house unlike me.
This is what the wifi range extender dose.
In-home WiFi >> WiFi range extender >>PC

P.s. this works for all forms of wifi frome dsl to uverse. Aslong as there is wifi.
 

sysor1001

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Jan 11, 2013
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yes you can most certainly share your phones wifi connection, with any compurer via USB even if your carrier restricts this.

its a very simple app called Clockwork Tether. install it on your phone. turn off your phones data (because it tethers whatever is available) and connect to a wifi.

once yoy start the app up and start up tethering, yoyr phone will instruct you to ibstall a tether app to your computer.

these two apps will connect to each other via USB, and gives you full usage of your internet (I use my xfinity this way all the time).

Personally im trying to find a wifi to wifi so I dont have to connect my usb, but so far no luck. the best solution ive found for this so far is a pineapple.

and my reasoning for doing this is because my work has copper pipes above my gead which completely obsorbs wifi signals.

my phone however by the window gets full signal to xfinity, my laptop gets no signal at all.

Note to other posts, dont tell people something cant be done just because you dont know how.
 

Saurabh_20

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May 2, 2017
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most of ppl can't understand real life situation where actually someone wants to use wifi>phone>laptop/phone

let me give my example, i work in company where i get microsoft intune downloaded on my iphone and i get free super hi-speed internet from my company. i use macbook for my work purpose other than office laptop. sometime I want hogh speed internet or free internet for some download or work. Since i don't have intune on macbook, i want to share my internet from phone(which is using company's wifi) to my macbook. How is this possible? this is what I am expecting answer and the guy who initiated this thread.
 
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