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  1. My HTC G2 phone is rooted and running Cyanogenmod 7
  2. I don't have a data plan.
  3. Sometimes I want to connect the phone to the Internet when there isn't Wi-Fi, to update Market apps, backup SMS messages to Gmail, sync new contacts from Gmail, etc. Things I can't do with USB mass storage mode.
  4. I have a Windows 7 Professional computer connected to the Internet, but I'm not allowed to set up an ad-hoc Wi-Fi network. (If I do, they will notice and hunt me down.)

Is there a way for the phone to access the Internet through the USB connection to the computer? If so, how do I set it up?

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This looks like a partial solution: forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1371345 – endolith Jun 30 '12 at 17:17

3 Answers

up vote 15 down vote

Have you seen this blog post on Android reverse tethering?

It does require use of the Android SKD / ADB (Android Device Bridge).

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According to the blog, this doesn't work on windows "So... Windows users.... Perhaps it's time for you to switch to Ubuntu Linux ;-)" – Michael Paulukonis Nov 11 '10 at 21:23
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Doesn't work for me in Windows 7. :/ Running "netcfg usb0 dhcp" on the phone results in no response. And Ubuntu's not worth the cost of headache medication you need to use it on a daily basis. – endolith Nov 11 '10 at 21:36
That comment is talking about a Windows virtual machine. I've tried it with an Ubuntu virtual machine too, and it doesn't work. – endolith Jan 31 '11 at 22:14
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An answer where the reader need to go to another site to get any useful information isn't really an answer. – Al Everett Jun 8 '12 at 15:45
up vote 5 down vote

Hey! there is an app for that

Android Usb Port Forwarding
http://www.codeproject.com/kb/android/usbportforwarding.aspx

I am a bit confused how to use it, please inform if you get it working perfectly.

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This apparently requires a proxy other than the computer itself, and only supports web browsing? – endolith Jun 6 '11 at 19:05
It says it uses port 8080, which doesn't necessarily restrict it to web browsing, does it? I thought Market could use this, however Market uses post 5228. – Steve Nov 11 '11 at 14:01
up vote 2 down vote

There are some more possibilities -- but all of them I know of require a rooted device.

Using the Reverse Tether App

First, there's an App named Reverse Tether available for free on the Play Store (it's a limited trial, which restricts the time you can be connected -- but at least you can test this way whether your device is fully supported; the full version is about USD 5). According to an article at AndroidAuthority, setup should be as easy as 1-2-3: Plug in the USB cable, start the app, let it auto-configure (manual configuration is available as well) -- and there you go. You can also let it ask you to connect when it finds an USB-connection.

Manual methods using Wifi

I know, this is not USB -- but for completeness (and giving alternatives) I thought I might add these as well:

fiddling with the system and patching around

Several manual methods are available as well (and described e.g. at XDA) -- but they are mostly technically complex, and expecting you to patch system files; not for the every-day-user, but rather for the tech-freak.

Terminal and go

However, another nice method should just involve 3 lines in the terminal, and is described in a post here, to connect to an ad-hoc Wifi network. Basically, it should go like this:

su
ifconfig wlan0 up
iwconfig mode auto;
iwconfig wlan0 essid "your SSID" channel 11 mode auto
ifconfig wlan0 10.0.0.x netmask 255.255.255.0

manipulating some config file

Another quite easy method is also described here, and involves editing the wpa_supplicant.conf file once (manually adding your ad-hoc Wifi network).

Easy-Peasy method

Do I need to say, really? Use a Wifi router. There are even some small "Travel routers" around for less than USD 50. And then connect your phone like you use to connect it to other Wifi networks...

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protected by Community♦ Jun 8 '12 at 13:29

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