The worst is one of the problems of the first world we can cope with the internet being cut off. I am not talking about being deprived of social media, or the ability to send memes to our friends, although it is a part of it. The Internet has infiltrated every aspect of our life, and lack of access means that many modern suitability that we have given are useless – even if you are connected to the same local network.
I know this for a fact, because my internet has been cut for more than a week at this point. When I was able to tetter some of my equipment, I could continue to work without any issue, the lack of stable home Wi-Fi meant that a bunch of my equipment was completely cut off. Until I realized that the best Android phone is a hidden feature that can help up and run everything when using my current wireless network.
How many of you knew about Ethernet tethering, use it alone?
My problem
While I will not bother you with the whole story, the basic issue with the internet of my house seems to be with the cable that provides internet in your home. In particular, that needs to be replaced.
My house is wired for a hub, about 300 feet below the road, with primary internet cables divided into all other houses with the same ISP. Apparently my issue is with that connective cable, and the only solution is a total replacement – which is not a small task when you are talking about something under concrete, dirt and asphalt.
By last week, my ISP estimated that it would not be able to complete the job by June 19 – originally reported two weeks after the problem. Which is less than ideal.
While I can tetter some devices on my phone, and finally eat in my 300GB monthly allowance, it was not going to the last two weeks. As long as I was not super orthodox with consumption of my data. At its top, it will leave almost all my connected equipment without wireless connections. Even if I can connect them all with my hotspots at once, it would mean that they have to re -connect all wireless settings to connect them to a new network. If I am completely honest, it will be a better part of a day.
Thankfully there was a solution .. I just had to do a phone plug in my home network, and share its mobile connection through Ethernet. Suitablely designated Ethernet Teering feature.
Ethernet therling for rescue
Ethernet tethering first began in Android 11, back in 2020. The name is completely literal, and means that you can plug your Android phone to any Ethernet port, and share the internet connection of the phone. For all the times where wireless and USB tethering are not practical or straightforward-up impossible.
My ISP router is absolutely terrible. Which is not surprising for anyone, which has previously used those types of devices (and instead a reason to get one of the best cable modem). But I cannot get rid of it, because my connection requires a modem and third -party options will not work. Not easily anyway. So I have everything from an old Wi-Fi 5 orbi system that hooks in the modem through Ethernet.
Right now nothing is wrong with the ORBI system, and all my equipment is still connected with it still. But since it was not getting internet from the modem, their functionality was limited. Wo while my euffy video doorbell will still save my hard drive, or activate the chime, I was not able to connect it to my phone.
Armed with an unlimited data ESIM, a Google Pixel 8A and an old USB-C hub, I was able to get the entire house back online. There were a couple of obstacles, but nothing was serious, and now my home has returned to normal.
It was not all clean sailing
Coming back online was not quite simple as plugging an Ethernet cable into my phone. You must first turn on Ethernet tethering, and I took a minute to find out that I was trying to do all this wrong.
My first instinct was to head into the menu of USB preferences and Ethernet tethering was to go from there. It does not work, mainly because Android cannot take control from the adapter itself. But even if it can happen, the only teaching option is USB – which will probably not work.
If you ever find yourself in a similar prediction, you need to head Hotspot and Therling menu In network settings. Ethernet therling is correct at the bottom, and as soon as you plug an Ethernet cable into your phone, you will be available.
The second big issue is that Ethernet Teering used a lot of power. At the point where the fully charged Pixel 8A died at some point before 7 am, so you need to make sure that your adapter has at least at least one other USB-C charging port to keep everything on.
A adequately powerful wireless charger can work, assuming that you are fine with the device that is running slightly from normal. It is a matter of regret that the Pixel 8A 7.5W is limited to QE Charging, and it was not even close to the appropriate.
Android also has a habit of suspending charging from time to time, when it is conscious that the phone has been plugged for a very long time. It is designed to protect the battery, and is definitely a good thing. But this means that I need to check on the phone from time to time and make sure it is not suddenly 12%.
Nevertheless, in a grand plan of things, all these are very small problems that are much less troublesome than not being internet.
Ground level
Without Ethernet Teering, I will not have fun right now. In fact, I might have bought and bought one of the best mobile hotspots and thus found online. But the fact is that I have spare phones, and full drains filled with cables, which means that I did not really had to wait for new hardware and a SIM card to arrive.
I am just grateful that my home network has been established in such a way that I did not need to replace wireless settings on all my smart devices, which (expected) should be a temporary switch. I could have lived under the Internet for a day or two, but 2+ weeks to go without proper access.
If you are interested, I have used 325GB data because I have started using Ethernet tethering – which would have been completely destroyed by the simple data cap.
