Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Tethering through wifi??

L

Lastb0isct

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 16, 2009
27
0
Hi all,
I just downloaded a tethering program and can't seem to get my iPhone to only connect through wifi. Is there a way to tether just using wifi or do I have to connect through 3g. I know that I can just use a wireless card but I think it would be easier for me to connect through the iPhone. Does anyone know if this is possible? Thanks for reading!

Derek
 
Tex-Twil said:
I think you cannot "share" your iPhones wifi connection. Only 3G.
Click to expand...

I have not tested it on iPhone OS 3.0, but on an iPhone 3G with iPhone OS 2.2.1 (jailbroken), I was able to use PDANet to "tether" to my laptop via USB (Windows only) and utilize the WiFi connection.

The use case was that my laptop's wireless (WiFi) card was broken, and I needed to connect to my office WiFi. I would connect the iPhone to the office WiFi, then tether the laptop to the iPhone via PDANet with USB.

I confirmed that the traffic was routed via WiFi because the servers I was accessing were intranet sites within my company's firewall (not accessible via the Internet / the iPhone's 3G connection).
 
Lastb0isct said:
Hi all,
I just downloaded a tethering program and can't seem to get my iPhone to only connect through wifi. Is there a way to tether just using wifi or do I have to connect through 3g. I know that I can just use a wireless card but I think it would be easier for me to connect through the iPhone. Does anyone know if this is possible? Thanks for reading!

Derek
Click to expand...

What exactly are you trying to do? The definition of "tethering" is using your phone's cellular data connection (3G) to get your computer on the internet.

When you say "3G" do you mean USB? I'm a little confused by your statements.

In any case, there are several options to tether; a search for the term in this forum will produce many results.
 
When I tether...I have used my phones wifi connection to connect my MBP...

Is this what you are saying that you can't do?
 
I want to connect my iPhone to my computer via USB and send the wifi connection from my iPhone to my computer. I've been using PDANet to connect but can't find an option on my iPhone or computer to just use the wifi. I've even turned airplane mode on and still been connected through wifi but the computer lost Internet. Any suggestions??
 
Lastb0isct said:
I want to connect my iPhone to my computer via USB and send the wifi connection from my iPhone to my computer.
Click to expand...


I've done that, using the network tweaks described at http://help.benm.at/help.php, with my 3G running 3.0.

Works over Bluetooth as well as USB, though the latter has the advantage of keeping the battery charged. And, no "app" required. Throughput was surprisingly good.
 
sjinsjca said:
I've done that, using the network tweaks described at http://help.benm.at/help.php, with my 3G running 3.0.

Works over Bluetooth as well as USB, though the latter has the advantage of keeping the battery charged. And, no "app" required. Throughput was surprisingly good.
Click to expand...

Has anyone else tried this before? I want to make sure other people have been successful with this as well...
 
I don't understand why you aren't able to do this. I think most of us that installed PdaNet have used it both ways:

1. Receive the internet via 3G on iPhone and send to laptop via wifi
-- OR --
2. Receive the internet via 3G or Wifi on iPhone and send it to laptop via USB.

Both methods are supported and both work flawlessly. What's the mystery??
 
No mystery...it just wasn't working for me through PDANet. Unless, is there a setting that I have to select on the computer/iPhone to use the wifi only?
 
I have a 3GS with 3.0. I heard that tethering isn't enabled on the iPhone unless you jailbreak it. I installed that little patch from benm but have yet to test it out. Tonight we shall see...
 
Lastb0isct said:
I want to connect my iPhone to my computer via USB and send the wifi connection from my iPhone to my computer. I've been using PDANet to connect but can't find an option on my iPhone or computer to just use the wifi. I've even turned airplane mode on and still been connected through wifi but the computer lost Internet. Any suggestions??
Click to expand...

When you say "send the wifi connection from my iPhone to my computer" it sounds like you want to use your iPhone as a WiFi card because your computer doesn't have one. Is that the case? If so, I don't know if that's possible.

In any case, that isn't tethering. Just to clear the terms up:

3G=your phone's cellular data connection to the internet

WiFi=wireless networking, but not necessarily to the internet

Tethering=using your phone's internet connection to get your computer on the internet. You can connect your computer to your phone several ways: WiFi, USB or Bluetooth.

If you can clarify, helping you would be easier.
 
That is exactly what I am trying to do. I got home today and I think i successfully connected my computer to wifi through my iPhone. I've been trying to use the iPhone as a wireless card, as you said. Is there anyway to verify that I am connecting through wifi and not 3g?
 
Ah, that's what it sounded like. Hmmm. I am not aware of an app that does what you're after. And I'm not sure there is much of a market for the development of such an app. Sorry!
 
Lastb0isct said:
That is exactly what I am trying to do. I got home today and I think i successfully connected my computer to wifi through my iPhone. I've been trying to use the iPhone as a wireless card, as you said. Is there anyway to verify that I am connecting through wifi and not 3g?
Click to expand...

Tethering works like this.... 3g signal into your phone, then you either hook up via Bluetooth OR USB to your laptop. There is no "WiFi" tethering.. if you can receive a WiFi signal on your phone... you can already get that same signal on your computer.

Tethering is using your CELLULAR network (not a wifi hotspot) as the source of the data, you "tether" via BT or USB. You can however (once tethered to your iPhone) have your Macbook/MBP become a "wifi hotspot" for other users around you, but the speeds will be sharing the 3g incoming data from your phone so not a very fast connection :)
 
patrickvanzandt said:
I have not tested it on iPhone OS 3.0, but on an iPhone 3G with iPhone OS 2.2.1 (jailbroken), I was able to use PDANet to "tether" to my laptop via USB (Windows only) and utilize the WiFi connection.

The use case was that my laptop's wireless (WiFi) card was broken, and I needed to connect to my office WiFi. I would connect the iPhone to the office WiFi, then tether the laptop to the iPhone via PDANet with USB.

I confirmed that the traffic was routed via WiFi because the servers I was accessing were intranet sites within my company's firewall (not accessible via the Internet / the iPhone's 3G connection).
Click to expand...


i can confirm this too!! i've done it on the past!

Lastb0isct said:
Has anyone else tried this before? I want to make sure other people have been successful with this as well...
Click to expand...

yes it works!;)
 
bossxii said:
Tethering works like this.... 3g signal into your phone, then you either hook up via Bluetooth OR to your laptop. There is no "WiFi" tethering.. if you can receive a WiFi signal on your phone... you can already get that same signal on your computer.
Click to expand...

Turn tethering on on your iPhone, connect it to your computer. Put your phone in airplane mode, try to load a page, see, it works! On what you might ask? WiFi!
 
Yes, i have successfully done it!! I get amazing speeds through the wifi as well, i'm impressed. Thank for all the help everyone...
 
*bummp*

Let me explain why though..

O2 offers free Wifi at Cafe's all over for the iPhone.
I want to use this wifi on my laptop, to save battery & have better visibility of what I'm browsing. It makes sense considering I have my MacBook with me.

They don't offer a transferable username/password for these hotspots, it recognises the iPhone number.

So what I want to do is let the iPhone authenticate & then use the hotspot on my Macbook (via USB / bluetooth or forging a wifi hotspot if i must)

I have a Jailbroken 3GS, have installed PDANet, but I don't think this offers what I am after. (it has USB for windows only)

Any suggestions?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back