Clarification on USB Tethering

**npstup** · 09-12-2011, 12:52 AM

Ok new android user here. Love my new bionic. Got it Thursday and was able to USB tether to my pc without any additional software. I do not pay for the additional tethering/mobile hotspot feature. I am on a grandfathered unlimited data plan. I have rooted the phone and removed bloatware. I now cannot get it to work. Should I have been able to tether in the first place? Has big red done something to now kill this? My friend also has a new bionic has performed the same rooting process and removed the same bloatware in the same manor and is still able to USB tether with no issue. I'm just not sure if this is a standard feature of android devices.

**DroidST** · 09-12-2011, 01:03 AM

usb tether is not a issue (though may be with the TOS)

now, wireless hotspot/tether over LTE, can you anyone do it free?

**darkshade** · 09-12-2011, 01:08 AM

I don't think you can natively tether in Android without buying Verizon's plan. Luckily though, there are apps that can do it, and for USB tethering you don't even need to have a custom rom or even be rooted. I can confirm that Pdanet works like a charm for the Bionic, but unfortunately it'll set you back thirty bucks if you want https (http still works for the 'trial version')

**DroidST** · 09-12-2011, 01:16 AM

you can usb tether with stock bionic (even without 3rd party apps it appears) though it's against tos as I understand it

**jturner771** · 09-12-2011, 09:48 PM

I fought with the USB tethering for about an hour tonight, and I realized that it doesn't work when you have the WiFi enabled (and I presume connected) on your Android device.

I am paying for the additional hot spot capabilities from Verizon, and was irritated that I couldn't get any bandwidth through the USB tether. After a while of trying different things, I flipped off the WiFi on the device and then the tethering worked like a charm.

For those of you that are unsure as to whether to use the Mobile Hot Spot (WiFi) feature or tether the device, it is MUCH better to use the USB tether. A speed test confirmed that I am getting about 21 mbps down over the USB tether, versus about 7mpbs on the Mobile Hot Spot.

**cdf3** · 09-12-2011, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by jturner771

I fought with the USB tethering for about an hour tonight, and I realized that it doesn't work when you have the WiFi enabled (and I presume connected) on your Android device.

I am paying for the additional hot spot capabilities from Verizon, and was irritated that I couldn't get any bandwidth through the USB tether. After a while of trying different things, I flipped off the WiFi on the device and then the tethering worked like a charm.

For those of you that are unsure as to whether to use the Mobile Hot Spot (WiFi) feature or tether the device, it is MUCH better to use the USB tether. A speed test confirmed that I am getting about 21 mbps down over the USB tether, versus about 7mpbs on the Mobile Hot Spot.

Wow. That's a huge increase in speed. I'm paying foe the tether feature as well. I never thought to use the USB feature. Going to give it a try tomorrow with my laptop.

Edit: Test today with my laptop yield the following results. USB tethering is definitely faster. I was getting about 7-8 MB/s download speed using the WiFi Hotspot, and 19-20 MB/s download speed via USB.

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk

**travo#ac** · 09-13-2011, 08:34 AM

Can someone please clarify for me if USB tethering is "ok" with the grandfathered plan? Do I risk getting capped? What is the "best value" USB tethering app? My family is killing my ping when I am trying to play gaERRRR work from home. I would like to get off the home network, since my home DSL sucks.

**greydarrah** · 09-13-2011, 09:18 AM

Are you using PdaNet for USB tethering or some other app?

**hokiesteve** · 09-13-2011, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by travo

Can someone please clarify for me if USB tethering is "ok" with the grandfathered plan? Do I risk getting capped? What is the "best value" USB tethering app? My family is killing my ping when I am trying to play gaERRRR work from home. I would like to get off the home network, since my home DSL sucks.

This certainly is a gray area using an unlimited plan with a carrier phone that has a native USB tethering feature. I would assume it's not allowed by your TOS on the Unlimited plan. If you wanted to be on the safe side, you could call and ask about the available hotspot plans that are available to the unlimited data plan users.