Is it possible to tether internet via usb? (Solved, works very good.)

Edward Wilhelm · 22 Apr 2020, 01:02

I have connected to the ubuntu touch hotspot via wifi without any problems. Can I also make an internet connection to the phone with a usb cable? I have a computer with no wifi card that I need to connect to the internet with the phone. Is this possible?

Oneplus One
Ubuntu touch - 20200415-24539

Keneda · 22 Apr 2020, 01:30

I dont think so, never heard about.

dobey · 22 Apr 2020, 02:34

It is possible, but I think there is no way to do so from the GUI.

If you open the Terminal app and run android-gadget-service rndis enable it should disable MTP and enable USB tethering. Though I'm not sure if it works on all devices.

Edward Wilhelm · 22 Apr 2020, 03:16

@dobey said in Is it possible to tether internet via usb?:

It is possible, but I think there is no way to do so from the GUI.

If you open the Terminal app and run android-gadget-service rndis enable it should disable MTP and enable USB tethering. Though I'm not sure if it works on all devices.

Okay, and after I do this, do I have to do anything special to put the usb conection back to regular function?

domubpkm · 22 Apr 2020, 04:13

For info, you can also :

In the app UT TWEAK TOOLS, i noted the path :

System
ADB parameters : choose RNDIS instead of MTP

So after use, we can switch back to MTP.

kugiigi · 22 Apr 2020, 05:05

UT Tweak Tool app does have an easy way to switch this. Not sure though if it's working again. If I remember correctly, it stopped working during the xenial transition.

poVoq · 22 Apr 2020, 08:43

It works on the Nexus5 (dev channel), I use it regularly.

TheUlpio · 22 Apr 2020, 09:51

Tested un a BQ Aquaris E4.5 and works well (rc channel)

domubpkm · 22 Apr 2020, 11:00

@kugiigi It works very well for me with UTTT. Tried with OPO and BQ E5 HD dev. This make a more secure connexion with this mechanism without WIFI.
Always very useful UTTT.

kugiigi · 22 Apr 2020, 11:42

@domubpkm I see. I used it extensively before when I was still developing my apps on my Nexus 5. Not for the internet though, for x-forwarding a full xfce desktop. Much responsive than via wifi

Edward Wilhelm · 25 May 2020, 18:42

@domubpkm said in Is it possible to tether internet via usb?:

For info, you can also :

In the app UT TWEAK TOOLS, i noted the path :

System

ADB parameters : choose RNDIS instead of MTP

So after use, we can switch back to MTP.

I used this, and it works extremely well. Even better than iOS. Definitely a strong point of Ubuntu Touch.

domubpkm · 25 May 2020, 19:59

@Edward-Wilhelm said in Is it possible to tether internet via usb? (Solved, works very good.):

Definitely a strong point of Ubuntu Touch.

IT IS. Moreover, we can think it's more safe than wifi (no data transit over the airwaves as in wifi.). But doesn't work yet in pinephone !!

Hi @dobey . Is RNDIS really secure in UT? Is RNDIS really more secure than wifi in UT ?

FlavioMala · 25 May 2020, 21:43

With my E5, if I well remember:
a) in system setting/devel mode set the pin (4 numbers)
b) I don't remember now if it is also necessary to set devel mode “on“

then in the terminal:

android-gadget-service enable rndis
sudo tethering enable (the phone ask the pin...)

of course 'hotspot' and 'mobile radio data' must be set “on“.

At "the end“:

sudo... disable
android...disable rndis
'hotspot' off
'wireless network' off (set on by hotspot)
'mobile radio data' off

reset also pin (if you want) and devel mode.

Keneda · 25 May 2020, 23:28

@FlavioMala

More simple (and user friendly) solution was given :

@domubpkm said in Is it possible to tether internet via usb? (Solved, works very good.):

For info, you can also :

In the app UT TWEAK TOOLS, i noted the path :

System

ADB parameters : choose RNDIS instead of MTP

So after use, we can switch back to MTP.

FlavioMala · 26 May 2020, 20:38

Yes !
Now it is even more evident, comparing the two methods listed !

I prefer wifi/wlan, but recently in a ... winz@w ... notebook (not mine) and a “vpn“ / network that kept crashing, usb has fixed it.

nmz787 · 4 Dec 2021, 18:49

@dobey

running the command in the terminal, I get this error android-gadget-service failed: rndis is unknown

however UT Tweak Tool shows it was able to adjust the USB setting to RNDIS. I wonder if it failed silently in the background (I haven't plugged the phone into my freshTomato router yet).

Anyone know if this lets the carrier know you're tethering, and how to hide this behavior? On a rooted Android device, some guides say you can run this in adb shell to hide settings put global tether_dun_required 0.

Is there a similar command on ubuntu touch?

Fteacher · 23 Jan 2022, 09:32

@nmz787 I have the same on a fresh Volla X with UT. I can change it in Ut tweaks but without any result and the command line gives failed: rndis is unknown.
Aynone with a solution to this ?

Fteacher · 24 Jan 2022, 22:28

@fteacher I forgot to mention I'm using UT OTA-21 stable.
Regarding the number of views of this thread, and the last posts, it is not "solved" yet.

laschrocket · 6 Feb 2024, 21:23

Tried to replicate this at FP4 focal devel 598, but seems like non of those commands works any longer, not sure if it's since focal or something else. Does anyone have an idea how to get usb tethering working on this setup, if possible?

domubpkm · 7 Feb 2024, 01:08

@laschrocket Now usb tethering works for me on Focal Volla using UTTT (thanks for the great work of Jami !!) . So you can test the last built https://gitlab.com/myii/ut-tweak-tool/-/jobs/6091439040/artifacts/download?file_type=archive on FP4 to see if it works for you.