Wireless Router with USB In?

timwinters

timwinters

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So, it appears as if in the last couple of days Verizon effectively shut down all "bootlegged" wifi hotspotting apps.

We were using PDANet/FoxFi on our phones (that were running KitKat) and it worked well. When I got my new phone last summer, it was running Lollipop and FoxFi was blocked so I loathingly paid Verizon another $30/mo to wifi hotspot it.

Now, it appears as if they've shut down KitKat too (Chris' phone is still running KitKat)

Direct tethering is allowed (like plugging the phones into our laptops and use the phone for internet access) but not hotspotting. I don't think there's a way to tether a droid phone to an iPad and there ain't no way in hell I'm paying them another $30/mo to hotspot Chris' phone.

So...

...does anyone know if there are any USB-In wireless routers available on the market that a phone can be directly tethered to, thus using the phone for internet access?

I tried a search but came up empty.
 
My Asus RT-AC66U does. I have tried it and it works well. Great router.

You might consider Rooting your phone to get wireless tethering capability as well.
 
I rooted a previous phone for this purpose...it acted up on me later...

Thanks for the router info, I'll see if I can find that one.
 
I have been trying to do the same thing with no luck. I have a remote location that we only occasionally need internet and can not get cable or DLS so we picked up a Cradlepoint USB router that took my USB cell card that I travel with. That patched into our wireless router and worked great.

Well, I ditched the USB cell card to go to a Mifi Jetpack. Even tough it has USB tethering, it will not work on the USB input on the Cradlepoint which has been frustrating.

Have not found a solution yet but know that of you find one that has USB for a broadband card, it may not support a device in tethering mode.
 
topgun260 said:
My Asus RT-AC66U does. I have tried it and it works well. Great router.
Click to expand...

Just to confirm, you can plug your phone into the router as the internet source via the USB port in teather mode and you can connect devices to the internet through the router?
 
My wireless Verizon hotspot on my BB works fine, and I'm not paying any extra per month. Is there something I'm missing?
 
EdFred said:
My wireless Verizon hotspot on my BB works fine, and I'm not paying any extra per month. Is there something I'm missing?
Click to expand...

My BB Q10 on ATT also works fine as a hotspot. In fact, it was faster than my wired service until I got an upgrade last week.

I suspect OP may have a grandfathered unlimited data plan. I think on an unlimited plan, they disable the hotpot unless you cough up more coin.

Rich
 
Shawn said:
Just to confirm, you can plug your phone into the router as the internet source via the USB port in teather mode and you can connect devices to the internet through the router?
Click to expand...

Yes I can. I used it a couple of weeks ago when my internet was down for a few days.

There are other routers that have this capability as well.
 
RJM62 said:
My BB Q10 on ATT also works fine as a hotspot. In fact, it was faster than my wired service until I got an upgrade last week.

I suspect OP may have a grandfathered unlimited data plan. I think on an unlimited plan, they disable the hotpot unless you cough up more coin.

Rich
Click to expand...
That is my situation with ATT. I have an unlimited data plan and am grandfathered in. I can not use the hotspot unless I give up the unlimited data plan. Every time I get a new phone the ATT people try to hard sell me to switch my plan. THere must be a large commission for getting people off the unlimited plan.
 
Jail broken iPhone with tether me?

Always worked on ATT at least
 
Cradlepoint specializes in cell routers. Getting the right model is a bit of a pain without a good vendor. Getting a new USB stick that's on your data plan if you're an unlimited grandfathered person, may be harder.
 
My Verizon phone wireless WiFi tethers to my iPad, or laptop just fine.
 
timwinters said:
So, it appears as if in the last couple of days Verizon effectively shut down all "bootlegged" wifi hotspotting apps.

We were using PDANet/FoxFi on our phones (that were running KitKat) and it worked well. When I got my new phone last summer, it was running Lollipop and FoxFi was blocked so I loathingly paid Verizon another $30/mo to wifi hotspot it.

Now, it appears as if they've shut down KitKat too (Chris' phone is still running KitKat)

Direct tethering is allowed (like plugging the phones into our laptops and use the phone for internet access) but not hotspotting. I don't think there's a way to tether a droid phone to an iPad and there ain't no way in hell I'm paying them another $30/mo to hotspot Chris' phone.

So...

...does anyone know if there are any USB-In wireless routers available on the market that a phone can be directly tethered to, thus using the phone for internet access?

I tried a search but came up empty.
Click to expand...

There used to be, probably still is. I haven't bought one in a while and forget what the name was, funky Asian name I never heard of, but they basically would take any data stream I could get, WiFi, LAN, USB tether to a cable box... whatever, and distribute it through the boat's Wifi network, as well as have its own antenna. The box wasn't cheap or expensive, couple hundred bucks and change, but it was not portable.
 
There is almost always a work around...

In what way is it not working anymore so I can brainstorm some work arounds... I always love a challenge.
 
I use Foxfi/PDANET to set up a hotspot on my Verizon phone almost every day -- most recently last night.

I noticed it took abnormally long to activate, but it did activate.
 
I don't have Verizon any more, but when I was under the impression that they were required to allow third-party tethering software as part of their settlement with the FCC from 2012.
 
EdFred said:
I was thinking about this. Quite a few computers will share their internet connection with other devices. So if you tether your phone to a laptop, you can use the laptop as a wireless router.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ie/windows/set-computer-to-computer-adhoc-network#1TC=windows-7
Click to expand...


We do this all the time at work to test stuff via a Mac. Will even share/NAT via the Ethernet port if desired.

We've hooked up IP phones to Ethernet plugged into a Mac that was hooked via Bluetooth to an iPhone to test the Phone's VPN access to the office.

Takes about two seconds to set up.

But for something "permanent", I'd get a Cradlepoint. Have friends running those at remote locations for years to get IP service to machines on top of mountains and then the machines auto-join a VPN back to their houses and look like they're just sitting on the local LAN. For various ham radio linking projects and remote control radio monitoring and control stuff. On some Cradlepoint models the router itself can initiate the VPN connection.
 
dukeblue219 said:
I don't have Verizon any more, but when I was under the impression that they were required to allow third-party tethering software as part of their settlement with the FCC from 2012.
Click to expand...

They don't have to provide it for free though.
 
dukeblue219 said:
I don't have Verizon any more, but when I was under the impression that they were required to allow third-party tethering software as part of their settlement with the FCC from 2012.
Click to expand...

Henning said:
They don't have to provide it for free though.
Click to expand...

Actually, yes...yes they do. That was the ruling. But, they claim that the ruling doesn't apply to those of us w/ unlimited data. That's BS and they're inviting a class action lawsuit but that's their stance.

So, as a result, my unlimited data plan has increased from $60/mo to $160/mo in the last six months. I was paying $30/phone for two phones. They just raised that $20 each/mo and now they locked down tethering (and not just wifi...even USB tethering) and want another $30/phone to tether. (This the router idea that started this thread is not possible).

I think it's time to root a couple of phones. At least that gets it back down to $100 which is what I was paying for crappy satellite access before Verizon built a tower in our area...
 
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