Reverse Tethering Android - How to use PC internet connection w/ Phone

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If you’re planning to go out on a vacation to a place where a Wi-Fi connection seems impossible, tethering will be your key to keep your other devices hooked up to the online world. Tethering is the ability to share your mobile phone’s cellular data connection with other devices. This neat feature, however useful, requires additional data connection and relatively increases your phone’s monthly bill.

If your mobile phone can’t share its Internet connectivity, why not reverse the process instead? Developers from XDA Developers have come up with a solution to share the broadband connection of your PC to your mobile phone. Although it’s currently running as beta with a few bugs, the software can be used to browse the Internet on your mobile phone.

This guide will only work if you have rooted your device and with a Windows PC. We will not be liable for any damages arising from your use of this guide. Use the presented information at your own risk.

Remember that the tool is still beta software, so expect a lot of kinks and bugs. You can surf using Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or Dolphin Browser, although Google Chrome complains of not having an Internet connection even though it works. Ping and low-level ICMP packets don’t seem to work either. Searching on the Android Market works, but at the moment, it is not yet possible to download and install apps from the Android Market.

Requirements

  • A rooted Android phone
  • Desktop or laptop computer running Windows
  • Working broadband Internet connection on the desktop or laptop
  • Android Software Development Kit (SDK) installed on the desktop or laptop (optional but recommended)

Instructions

  • Download the reverse tethering tools (ReverseTethering 2.30.zip, 3.34 MB) and save the file to your computer. The ZIP file contains AndroidTool.exe (Android USB Tunnel tool for your Windows machine), ADB, and the Android APK (Android USB Tunnel tool for your Android phone).
  • Extract the ZIP file to a folder on your computer.
  • Enable USB debugging on your phone by going to Settings > Applications > Development > USB Debugging.
  • Go to the folder where you extracted the ZIP file’s contents.
  • Run AndroidTool.exe.
  • Connect your phone to your PC using a USB cable.
  • In the Android USB Tunnel window, click on the Refresh Devices button.
  • From the list on the right of the detected devices, select a Domain Name Server (DNS) to use.
  • Click the Show Android Interface button. This will install the app and other needed binaries to your phone.
  • If the Superuser app on your phone asks whether to allow “USB Tunnel,” choose to allow the app. If the process crashes after receiving Superuser rights, close the Android USB Tunnel Windows application and repeat the procedure from the start.
  • Click on the Connect button on the Android USB Tunnel window on your computer.
  • Again, if the Superuser app on your phone asks, choose to allow “USB Tunnel.”

    • Congratulations! You have successfully reverse-tethered your Android phone to your PC.

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