Seeking tethering guidance

[wtb32141]

I finally have entered the wireless world. Friday I bought from MetroPCS (a T-Mobile subsidiary—basically it’s T-Mobile under another name. They use the same towers, etc.) an Android smartphone (LG G Stylo) with a built-in hotspot. I want to get the phone’s high-speed internet data into my desktop computer (running Kubuntu 14.04). As it stands, my desktop computer lacks wireless capability, but it has 2 unused USB ports. One way to get the phone’s data into my desktop computer is to connect them with a USB cable. The charging cable that came with the phone should work, for the size of the USB connector that plugs into the charger is the same size as the USB ports on my computer.

The phone has some brief instructions for tethering the phone to a computer using a USB cable. Those instructions are:

1. “Turn on WI-FI on the other device” (it being my desktop computer).
2. “Select” the name of the WI-FI network from a list of such networks. The phone tells me my network’s name and the password (set by me) to enter in the security key field.
3. Turn tethering on after connecting the USB cable. That instruction concerns the smartphone. One of its settings is Tethering (On/Off).
4. To install driver, run LG_PC_ programs when it appears on the computer’s screen after USB tethering has been turned on.

Those instructions don’t sound like Vinny Wright’s tethering post (https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...ight=tethering). He says to connect the USB cable (smartphone to desktop computer) and everything “just works.” Surely there is more to it than simply connecting the cable.

Any guidance you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

[claydoh]

https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-21783#tethering

You have to connect your phone first, then the usb tether option will become available in your phone's menu as described. Then it should "just work" and show up as a network connection on your computer

Sent from my LG-H900 using Tapatalk

[oshunluvr]

According to Metro PCS website, that phone IS capable of usb tethering. Plug your USB cable into the phone and your PC, go to settings (swipe down twice, then touch the gear icon in the upper right), then touch "... More" and then "Tethering and portable hotspot." You'll see the first option there is USB Tethering.

[wtb32141]

Thanks for your reply. I can get the tethered connection (USB cable) to work for about 1 minute. I just connect the cable and then turn ON the phone's tethering switch. Once it's tethered, I can go from one website to another on my desktop PC. After about a minute, no more internet. That sequence has occurred some 3 times. Not once have I gone past about 1 minute.

No "timeout" message or any other sort of message or warning comes on the phone's screen. I have no idea as to what the problem may be. Do you?

[oshunluvr]

I've never had that happen. Is it the phone dropping or the PC?

[oshunluvr]

What I mean to say is the phone dropping the data connection? It could be your wifi trying to automatically come on, which might disturb tethering.

[wtb32141]

As I said, I'm new to wireless, and my original post on this thread displays my ignorance. I've been thinking about this stuff. The first 2 of the 4 instructions in my original post make no sense. If one is tethering by cable, then no need exists to turn on WI-Fi on the desktop PC because the phone is not communicating with the PC wirelessly; it's communicating over the cable.

[oshunluvr]

I was referring to your phone's wifi. Phone Wifi can also be used to create a hotspot.

[wtb32141]

Good News! It's working. I am using it right now. I set the phone's network settings as follows:

Wi-Fi--- OFF
Bluetooth---OFF
Mobile data---ON
Mobile hotspot---OFF
Tethering---ON

and I set the tethering switch after I connected the USB cable.

Thank you very much for your interest in my problem and for your queries and suggestions.

[wtb32141]

I got it working. Thanks for you help and interest in my problem. See my last reply to Oshunluvr for more info.

[jlittle]

... The charging cable that came with the phone should work, for the size of the USB connector that plugs into the charger is the same size as the USB ports on my computer...

BTW, that reasoning is weak. There exist charging cables that don't work as general USB connections. Such were common when phones first started using USB for charging, and there were reports of a new phone last year with one.
Also, USB cables can become duds. There are several in my house... my wife's Sony phone seems to be implicated.

Regards, John Little

[wtb32141]

Thanks for your comment. I agree with you that the wisdom of saying "should work" is dubious. I should have said "may work." I also agree that I should have bought a cable built for purposes other than charging the phone.