Samsung Galaxy S2 - Tether Problem - help pls

longtimelurker54

Hi,

We've been trying without success to tether our new Samsung Galaxy S2. It's on the 3 All you can eat tariff which allows tethering.

Our PC and laptop is running Windows XP. After Googling, we've followed some instructions to download a program called "tetherxp.inf". (Have pasted the instrcuctions below.)

Even though we've done this, and the file appears in our downloads folder, when we plug the phone into the computer using the USB the computer recognises "Android Samsung", then runs the "new hardware wizard" asking us to select the folder where the driver is. We selected our "downloads" folder as we know the tetherxp file is in that folder. Every time it gives us an error message saying:

"Cannot install this hardware. The hardware was not installed becuase the wizard cannot find the necessary software".

We get the same message if we de-select the downloads folder and ask the wizard to search for the driver itself.

We can't get it to work on our laptop either - same problem. What are we doing wrong?!? Would be really grateful if anyone could help us to get this working.

INSTRUCTIONS FOUND ONLINE:If you want to tether your Android device via USB to a computer running Windows XP, you must prepare your computer as described in this article. USB Tethering with Windows XP Windows XP contains the drivers you need to take advantage of USB tethering, but you must install a configuration file before connecting your phone to your Windows XP computer, to instruct Windows XP how to configure itself to use those drivers.

1. Download the following configuration file (tetherxp.inf) to your Windows XP computer. Typically, you can right click on the link and choose "Save As". (If your browser appends .html to the file name, you will need to edit the name to remove the .html extension.)
2. Use the USB cable that came with your phone to connect your phone to your computer.
3. On the Android phone, press Home, press Menu, and touch Settings to open the Settings application.
4. Touch Wireless & networks > Tethering & portable hotspot.
5. Check USB tethering.
6. When Windows XP’s New Hardware Wizard opens, select No, not at this time and click Next.
7. Select Install from a list or specific location and click Next.
8. Click Browse to browse to the directory where you installed the configuration file you downloaded in Step 1 and click Next. Windows XP uses the configuration file to configure itself to support USB tethering with the Android phone.
9. When Windows XP finishes installing the software for Android USB Ethernet/RNDIS, click Finish.

You can now use the new Windows XP local area network connection provided by your phone via USB tethering. For more information about configuring networks in Windows XP, see the documentation that comes with Windows.

Hammyman

Did you go to Samsungs website and just download the software suite for the phone which will also enable it to be used as a modem?

Also if yours is like my HTC, you can set it up as a wireless hotspot and connect to it via the wifi on your computer.

bubblesmoney

try this option instead http://www.junefabrics.com/android/index.php

ps: i have not used this as i dont need it. I have used the wifi hotspot feature on my htc desire (which should be present on your phone as well).

The are many other apps that do tethering on android (via bluetooth, via usb, via wifi) , just see cnet.com reviews for such apps.

btw why do you need to download external apps, samsung would have provided some such feature, just google youtube videos on the sgs2 or see samsung gs2 forums and you might find you dont need to download anything.

pps: how are you connecting via usb, what mode have you selected on your phone settings, if you have just selected power supply or usb drive modes then tethering might not work, just a guess. try the other options. i havent heard of the option you have tried so cant comment on that.

Yolina

You shouldn't need to tether via USB or download anything...unless it's an XP thing! To set it you on your S2, go to Settings > Wireless & Network > Tethering and portable hotspots > portable Wi-Fi hotspot then tick the Portable Wi-Fi hotspot to enable it then click on Configure. Just give your hotspot a name and password and you're done. Then from your PC or laptop scan for available networks, pick the one you've created and enter the password, that's it - the PC/ laptop will use your phone's data. Just remember to go back into the phone settings to untick Portable hotspot when you're done as it will use a fair amount of battery if you leave it on all the time.

Edit: your phone will obviously save the details of the hotspot you've created so no need to configure it again from the phone, just tick/untick Portable Wi-Fi hotspot as and when you need to use it.

bubblesmoney

Yolina wrote: »

no need to tether via USB or download anything... To set it you on your S2, go to Settings > Wireless & Network > Tethering and portable hotspots > portable Wi-Fi hotspot then tick the Portable Wi-Fi hotspot to enable it then click on Configure. Just give your hotspot a name and password and you're done. Then from your PC or laptop scan for available networks, pick the one you've created and enter the password, that's it - the PC/ laptop will use your phone's data. Just remember to go back into the phone settings to untick Portable hotspot when you're done as it will use a fair amount of battery if you leave it on all the time.

Edit: your phone will obviously save the details of the hotspot you've created so no need to configure it again from the phone, just tick/untick Portable Wi-Fi hotspot as and when you need to use it.

i find it easier to just instal the wifi hotspot widget on my htc desire. To the OP ... Just long press on your home screen then go into widgets then settings then hotspot. clik the hotspot widget on or off when ever you need. much faster than rummaging around settings menus. oh might be useful changing the default password on your phone for the hotspot feature otherwise it might be childs play for others to hack into your wifi hotspot and use your data allowance or cause problems doing illegal stuff using your phones data access.

Yolina

I'm wasn't sure whether the widget was there "out of the box" on the S2 because I use a different launcher and some of the widgets are only present when using the standard Touchwiz, so didn't want to give info I wasn't sure about however I used Widgetsoid to create a hotspot off/on widget.

S0litaire

If you Right-click the file "tetherxp.inf" does it give you the option to "install"? if it does make sure the phone is NOT plugged in when you run it. It should then set everything up for the next time you plug the phone back in (you mat need to reboot in between)

Note:
*.inf is an information file telling the machine how to use a device (and what drivers are required).

longtimelurker54

Hi

Thanks everyone for your helpful replies.

I still can't get this to work. Spent about 2 hours on the phone to 3's technical support in India yesterday but we still haven't got it working. If anyone has any ideas I'd be very grateful.

I've tried to tether (with USB cable) on my laptop and my desktop. The result is the same - it will not work. When I plug in the phone using the USB cable both the PC and the laptop recognise it as my Fuji digital camera. It brings up the Fuji camera screen and then says "I/O error, cannot proceed".

On the laptop I've tried to connect via Wi-Fi, doing exactly as stated in Yolina's post above. The laptop finds the phone and I connect. The laptop tells me it is connected. But then when I try and open either Firefox or Internet Explorer on the laptop I get a message saying "server not found" or "cannot dispaly the webpage".

After 2 exhausting hours the only suggestions 3 had were that it wasn't working because I don't have a memory card in my phone (I don't think this is correct!) or I should try a factory reset on my phone but if I do this I will lose all my contacts etc.

On both the laptop and PC I have Windows XP and use Mozilla Firefox. I have the standard AVG protection.

I know the laptop can connect to hotspots as I've used one at work and it linked straight away and i had no problems getting online.

The only thing I can think is when I downloaded the "tetherxp.inf" thing I had my phone plugged in at the time (as SOlitaire's post said to make sure it WAS not plugged in at the time but I had already done this) - if so could this have altered/damaged some of the phone settings and could this be the root of the problem?

If anyone can help me troubleshoot to get it working I'd be enormously grateful! (I haven't tried the PDA net suggestion above - thank you for this but it seems complicated and if I can get WiFi or USB tethering to work I'd prefer to use these rather than download something else.)

Many thx in advance.

S0litaire

Have you re-installed the "kies" software on your PC? that's usually the first thing to try when you cant get things connected.

Also you can backup your phone's contacts using that. then restore them after you do a wipe...

Though if you set up a google account on the phone it should back up your contacts automatically and restore them once you enter in your details after a wipe.

david_cougar

hi have you tried samsung galaxy s forums free and lots of tips

bengalknights

Install then uninstall kies (its a load of rubbish) you need the drivers off it to make the s2 work in USB tether.

I personally find it easier to tether in wifi mode and then just plug the s2 into the laptop to stop the battery dying as it trickle charges.