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How to use PCs' internet connection on Android phone ? I want to use it for surfing and downloading apps from Google Play . Reverse tethering works for surfing but not for downloading apps . Device - Galaxy S running on Cyanogenmod 7.1 .

Windows 7 . Broadband internet connection . No router/wifi on pc .

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    You have provided zero information about your computer, or the OS it's running.
    – user3463
    Commented Apr 1, 2012 at 20:12
  • Windows 7 . Broadband internet connection . No router/wifi on pc .
    – Nikhil
    Commented Apr 1, 2012 at 20:20
  • Have you looked at Internet Connection Sharing? Alternately, you may be able to bridge your Internet connection with the virtual network device presented by your phone. Since I do not have an Android device, I can't test this theory.
    – user3463
    Commented Apr 1, 2012 at 20:24
  • While some OEM ROMs come with this functionality, CM7 does not offer it. Someone may have developed this functionality as an app or other add-on package, though, for rooted phones. Commented Apr 1, 2012 at 22:49
  • My phone is rooted :|
    – Nikhil
    Commented Apr 2, 2012 at 6:31

3 Answers 3

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There are many ways of using the internet connection of your computer on android phone:

1- If you use windows 7 OS then its very simple. Simply download "connectify" it turns your laptop into a virtual router (hotspot) and android phones can connect to hotspots(access points).

2- If you are using any Linux distribution like Ubuntu, then things are a bit complex. If your wireless adapter supports AP mode then you can create a hotspot using HostAp and connect to it. If your wifi adapter does not support AP mode, then we still have a workaround which i discovered recently: (no rooting required)

  • Install Open-SSH on your PC
  • Install connect bot on your android phone.
  • Create a hotspot using your android phone.
  • Connect your pc to the hotspot.
  • Open connect bot on android.
  • In options select port forward and add a new port forward.
  • Now port forwarding is of two types: dynamic and static
  • If you pc is directly connected to a broadband connection then you need dynamic pf
  • Choose dynamic and add a source port like 8888 and press create port forward.
  • If you are behind a proxy server like in colleges then you need local pf.
  • This time choose local, in source port give any port like 8888, in destination field it should be proxy-address:port e.g. 172.16.12.2:3128 and press create port forward.
  • Now restart the connect bot (optional).
  • Now connect to the ssh server of your pc using connect bot.
  • In proxy settings of your android phone use 127.0.0.1 as proxy address and 8888 as port.
  • Now you can easily use the internet of your pc on android phone.
  • Usually proxy servers keep many ports blocked, so apps like google play may not work.
  • For that download tor-bundle on your pc, start tor.
  • When tor gets connected then proxy-address:port should be 127.0.0.1:9050 or 127.0.0.1:9051 in local pf of connect bot.
  • This is a working solution.
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  • I like the ssh port forward idea :) Commented May 15, 2012 at 12:45
  • Is there a free proxy application that does not require rooting? I have been able to successfully establish the phone hotspot, connect through ssh to my computer with port forwarding on port 8888, and establishing a global proxy but only with applications which required (or recommended) rooting. I have not yet been able to connect to the internet through this setup though.
    – Severo Raz
    Commented Sep 16, 2012 at 22:52
  • I use this method quite often and it works every time. Can you mention your O/S, network adapter, android phone, android version Commented Sep 18, 2012 at 0:57
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I found the easiest way is to do this is to create a WIFI network with your pc. Only thing is, your pc has to have a wlan adapter (with laptops its usually build in), for desktops you might have an USB wlan RECEIVER laying around somewhere. :)

you can use this receiver then to create a wifi with a tool like http://www.mhotspot.com/

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If you are using Win7 or better, you do not need additional software:

Create a file WLAN.bat for instance on your desktop. Add the following lines and save it.

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=MyNetworkName key=myPassw0rd
netsh wlan start hostednetwork

Right click this file and choose "Run as administrator". Now you have a new wireless network adapter, that you can connect to from android with myPassw0rd as your password.

Finally enable Internet Connection Sharing on your PC's internet connection. (In Network and Sharing Center, click your internet connection, go to properties and got to the Sharing tab and allow to share the connection.)

Tested to work

  • under Win7 / Android (Samsung Galaxy Tab).
  • under Win10 / Android

Other requirements:

This feature requires that a Hosted Network capable wireless adapter is installed in the local computer. The driver for the wireless adapter must implement the wireless LAN device driver model defined by Microsoft for use on Windows 7.

You can check this by netsh wlan show driver. Look for Hosted network supported.

If this is not supported, try updating your drivers:

  • select your wireless network adapter in Windows Device Manager
  • Select Properties / Drivers / Update Driver

Weird: I had to switch to an older driver version for my Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 to have this feature supported!

Troubleshooting:

If you get the error message

The hosted network couldn’t be started. The group or resource is not in the correct state to perform the requested operation

check the requirements above and have a look at this question.

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