How to use your android phone as a wifi adapter
In this story, I will explain how to use your android phone as a wifi adapter for your desktop computer or your laptop (with a broken wifi card).
The need for this configuration appeared as an emergency case during my reclusion for the COVID-19 crisis.
During the crisis, I took my office desktop computer which is always plugged with an ethernet cable. Because the desktop computer has no wifi I plugged a cheap/small wifi dongle like the one shown in the picture
The problem with these dongles is that they have a tiny antenna that is only able to receive strong signals. Of course, a better solution and more permanent solution can be to use a better wifi receiver (with a big antenna), but this was not an option for me during the crisis.
My first solution to the problem was to share my phone data plan with my computer, but this could not be a long term solution because I was afraid of wasting all my precious Mb.
My phone could connect to my wifi without any problem in the room where I installed my desktop computer, so I came up with the idea of exploring if it would be possible to tether my computer with the USB connection and at the same time access to my home wifi without using my data plan. And…. I found the option: it is called usb tethering (anclaje usb in spanish)
The great thing about this option is that it does not use any Mb from your data plan, in fact, I disabled the mobile data as a precaution and it worked.
I also found a wifi bridge option which I didn’t know before. With this option, you can place your phone in a middle location between your wifi router and your computer and it creates a second wifi network which increases the range of your network. I haven’t tried this option because the USB tethering is exactly what I need now.
I hope you may find this article useful in any emergency situation!
