Turn Your (Rooted) Android Device into a WiFi Hotspot with Wireless Tether

Productivity Sauce
There are two ways to turn your Android phone into a mobile wireless hotspot: you can either buy a device running Android 2.2 Froyo, or you can root your current Android phone and install the Wireless Tether application. I did the latter, and rooted my HTC Magic using the Amon Ra's Clear Donut ROM which includes Wireless Tether. True, rooting an Android device is not particularly straightforward, and there is a risk of bricking the device in the process, but it's really worth it. Having a mobile wireless hotspot in your pocket can come in handy in many situations, especially when you travel abroad. In some countries like Germany, you can buy a daily pass which offers unlimited data connection for a reasonable price. This means that you don't have to pay through the nose for wonky hotel WiFi, and you can access the Internet on the go.
Despite its apparent simplicity, Wireless Tether is a rather competent tool. It allows you to specify the desired SSID name, turn SSID broadcasting on and off, enable encryption (albeit it supports only 128-bit WEP), and select the channel you want. Better yet, you can enable the access control feature, so you can prevent unwanted connections. Using Wireless Tether is ridiculously easy. Launch the app, and press the big Tether button. A handy status bar at the bottom displays the amount of downloaded and uploaded data. And that pretty much covers Wireless Tether's features.
There are, of course, other ways to tether Android devices, but they are all limited in one way or another. So if you are not afraid of rooting your phone, then you ought to give Wireless Tether a try.
Comments
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
There's a New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle is a Linux AI assistant that can work with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
?????