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Reverse tethering

robertstony
Newbie
Posts: 1
Registered: ‎02-10-2012

Reverse tethering

I've got an office (shed) in the garden where I'm sent to do my work - I have an ethernet connection direct to my router but no wifi - too far away.
Can I connect (via my laptop) to my plus net broadband?
I've got a mac laptop and an iphone 4. There is a sharing preference on my laptop - that says I can share the ethernet connection - but that it may affect my ISP settings.
Anyone done this?
8 REPLIES 8
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
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Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Reverse tethering

I have no idea what reverse tethering means but you can plug the Ethernet cable into your laptop if you want an internet connection.  If you want multiple internet connections and you have mains power to your shed, get a cheap wireless router, give it an IP address on your subnet, turn off DHCP and plug the Ethernet cable into one of the Ethernet ports.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Reverse tethering

The basic situation is that for your iPhone to connect to the internet it needs a wireless source and your laptop won't provide that
Ideally what you want is a wireless access point which allows ethernet input and wireless output
As RR said above many routers also give that capability
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Reverse tethering

Quote from: Oldjim
As RR said above many routers also give that capability

I was thinking that it is often cheaper to buy a router and configure it as an access point than it is to buy a device branded as an access point.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Reverse tethering

You could be right but it depends on whether the router can be configured as an extender - some of the cheaper ones can't as they won't accept a LAN input
RPMozley
Pro
Posts: 1,339
Thanks: 83
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Registered: ‎04-11-2011

Re: Reverse tethering

With the Mac laptop you can set up an Ad-hoc wireless connection for your iPhone. Then it should be possible to set up Internet sharing from the Ethernet connection. I've not tried it myself yet but there shouldn't be any issues with ISP and it can't hurt to try it out at least.
That's RPM to you!!
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Reverse tethering

Quote from: RPMozley
With the Mac laptop you can set up an Ad-hoc wireless connection for your iPhone.

As you can, in principle, with a PC.  Perhaps I have been unlucky but I have always found ad-hoc wireless connections to be troublesome and temperamental. 
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Reverse tethering

just been reading this thread which seems to cover exactly your situation http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/dslrouter/f/4162437-not-sure-what-type-of-hardware-i-need.html?vc=1 and the recommendation by Mr Saffron is this which is cheap and will do what you want http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WR841N-300Mbs-Wireless-Router/dp/B001FWYGJS
apjashley1
Grafter
Posts: 307
Registered: ‎31-07-2012

Re: Reverse tethering

Quote from: robertstony
I've got a mac laptop and an iphone 4. There is a sharing preference on my laptop - that says I can share the ethernet connection - but that it may affect my ISP settings.
Anyone done this?

No need to buy anything - it's a Mac so just a case of ticking the box which you seem to have found already, and share from Ethernet to WiFi. The Mac makes a new WiFi network and you join your iPhone to that. (For more security do it from Ethernet to Bluetooth - the exact same process)
And yes, I do this all the time Smiley