Tethering revisited

[spthomas]

Has anyone found an app that will allow tethering from a Kitkat 4.4.4 Tablet to a phone? I used PDAnet+ (Foxfi) for a long time but KitKat broke it. I had hoped it would work again after Kitkat 4.4.4, but doesn't seem to. As I recall Kitkat broke all the tethering apps out there.

So, any new word on this? I need to tether my Nexus 7 to my phone via bluetooth since the Nexus doesn't have any way to connect to the phone via USB.

 

[sure why not]

I use WiFi Tether Router from the Play store.

It works with my tablet and every other device I've tried.
Does require root on the phone though.

ETA; You mention 'phone' but you don't say which one and what carrier....

 

[OceanView]

How to Get Free Wifi Tether on Rooted Android! [AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon] | HighOnAndroid.com

 

[spthomas]

I'm using an HTC One M7 on Sprint. And Sprint will be glad to sell me an add on to my plan for tethering. But it's expensive and you pay for the amount of data you get for tether (this on their "unlimited" plan.

I liked PDANet+/Foxfi, and even paid for it. But I guess it and all the others like it quit working when KitKat came out. Gotta wonder if there's something going on between the US Carriers and Google that Kitkat conveniently "broke" this so you have to pay the carriers for tethering now.

 

[Nibs]

I downloaded PDANet (Free) installed and used it, but I hated the required lock screen. So I uninstalled the app, and went back to "Portable WiFi Hotspot" and by some miracle it now works. I guess all that 4.4 really needed was that certificate that Foxfi downloaded. So I'm back to free tethering after a long time.....but unfortunately VZW's speeds here have taken a huge dive.

 

[spthomas]

So does Verizon allow you free Hotspot? When I go to settings-more-mobile network sharing-Mobile Hotspot and turn it on, I get the message "you are not subscribed to hotspot". So even with Foxfi, I still have to pay Sprint to get to the hotspot feature, they have it locked down. I guess that's why I need to root the phone. Before KitKat, I used bluetooth to tether my tablet, but now that doesn't work at all.

 

[Kamin]

Has anyone found an app that will allow tethering from a Kitkat 4.4.4 Tablet to a phone? I used PDAnet+ (Foxfi) for a long time but KitKat broke it. I had hoped it would work again after Kitkat 4.4.4, but doesn't seem to. As I recall Kitkat broke all the tethering apps out there.

So, any new word on this? I need to tether my Nexus 7 to my phone via bluetooth since the Nexus doesn't have any way to connect to the phone via USB.

What is your phone?

I too experienced the free native tethering bork on my Nexus 5 with the introduction of 4.4 and all the way thru 4.4.3. Upon quickly discovering this, I stuck to JB on my Nexus 4 so I could still tether when I wanted but it made it a bit cumbersome to do so. Kitkat 4.4.4 unceremoniously brought free tethering back to my stock N5. I have the T-Mobile prepaid $30 month 5GB LTE and 100 minutes plan.

 

[spthomas]

Maybe there is hope then! My tablet was updated to Kitkat 4.4.4 weeks ago, but Sprint is very slow updating so my phone is still at 4.4.2. We'll see.

 

[Kamin]

What is your phone dude? lol ;-)

 

[sure why not]

Did you read post #4?

He has an HTC One M7 on Sprint.

ETA: Sprint doesn't seem to say anything or throttle unless you really abuse it.

 

[spthomas]

Yeah, it worked well before Kitkat. I used it often. Even bought the paid for version of FoxFi since I was using it a lot. Then Sprint finally started getting their act together after well over a year of telling us we had 4G in our area (and actually having about 150kbps 1g speed), we finally got real 4G speeds. And a couple of moths later KitKat broke it!

 

[sure why not]

I take it you aren't rooted?
Which KitKat version is your phone running?

One thing Sprint does do is block tethering apps from even showing on the Playstore.
The Dev's have re-listed it in the Playstore on Aug 2 due to the new FCC tether ruling.
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ore/apps/details?id=com.foxfi2&token=akOku-4R

When exactly did it break for you?
Foxfi says they are on version 2.17 as of June 9 2014.
I see a review from a guy with same M7 phone on 4.4.2 that says It's working a/o June 28

Maybe you only need to update or remove and sideload the app to have it working again.
Have you tried contacting the Dev's?
foxfi1@foxfi.com

 

[spthomas]

Still broken. It broke when Kitkat was installed. Here's what happens

Foxfi on the phone:
I click "Activate WiFi hotspot". Popup: "You are not subscribed to hotshot, want to go to Sprint?".

I click" Activate Bluetooth Mode". It becomes discoverable. I go to my tablet, turn on PDANET, pair it, turn it on, it appears to start and even passes a few bytes of data. But after that, nothing. The tablet finds no Network.

Foxfi tech support email autoreplies with a go to PDANet message. There, you can get NO help.

I guess there is No Way to tether a tablet to a phone without paying the extortion to Sprint. When I already have an "unlimited" plan.

 

[Justin Cobb1]

I downloaded PDANet (Free) installed and used it, but I hated the required lock screen. So I uninstalled the app, and went back to "Portable WiFi Hotspot" and by some miracle it now works. I guess all that 4.4 really needed was that certificate that Foxfi downloaded. So I'm back to free tethering after a long time.....but unfortunately VZW's speeds here have taken a huge dive.

Can anyone help me with a app. I have the lg f60 and i was using es file explorer.. And now its not working. I have metro pcs and the unlimited plan... Any new updates or apps i can use.. Btw i have no idea how to root either lol

 

[spthomas]

It may depend on carrier. Sprint requires you subscribe to the hotspot plan, which is an extra $20 to $50/mo depending on data. So even though the plan is "unlimited", you can't do wifi tether.

I used to be able to do usb tether to my tablet using PDANet, but when Kitkat 4.4 came out, it broke most if the tether apps. I was told that it might be fixed in 4.4.4, but I can't get that yet, so I don't know.

Right now, as far as I know, at least using Sprint, you have to root the phone and install an app with root priveleges to get around the Sprint restrictions. Not sure about other carriers.

 

[sure why not]

I'm rooted and on Sprint, and Wifi tether ~10G a month.
They haven't said anything or tried to throttle me.

You need to find the tether app on some other device (because Sprint blocks you from seeing it in Play store)
Sideload it from your PC, or link to it and then get it over a Wifi connection.

 

[spthomas]

Well, I've tried several apps, and they do not work if you're not rooted. PDANet/Foxfi, for example. It just doesn't connect using USB, and won't even try using wifi. Unless you pay Sprint for that option, then it turns it on. So what app are you using?

 

[sure why not]

I'm using 'WiFi Tether Router' by Fabio Grasso.
(stated this in post #2)
I have the paid version.
It requires root and works fine with Sprint.
I DO NOT pay a tethering fee.

 

[spthomas]

That's good to know. But the guy who asked for help is not rooted, and unless you root you have to pay Sprint. So that's how I answered him. But now I'm definitely rooting and getting that app !