Replace Home Broadband with Tethered Mobile Internet - How to Configure ?

Pricy147

I am about to do away with my fixed broadband package at home (Virgin Media), and replace it with my THREE One Plan Mobile Internet connection.

I already have this working for the majority of my connection needs through tethering.

The problem is - how do I provide internet access for devices at home (e.g. solar panels via wired ethernet wall plugs) that have no wireless capaibility? The mobile clearly has no ethernet port.

What I want to do is get some kind of wireless router that has ethernet ports I can connect hard wired equipment into (e.g. servers, ethernet wall plugs, etc) - and have that WAP talk to my mobile tethered connection to send / receive data.

Appreciate this will only work whilst the mobile is in range, and data activated.

Anyone know how to do this? Surely possible?

*** basically replace the COAX internet cable with a wireless connection to my mobile - which is the replacement for my Virgin COAX connection.

Lifeforms

Something like this will do, make sure whatever you get can take a usb dongle, and has ports for the wired part. /mileage varies, never used that one, just an example of what you need.

Assuming it's a dongle you use, otherwise not sure if you're using a mobile to do it.

Pricy147

Its the right idea - but needed for connection with a mobile phone rather than USB mobile broadband.

Im using the THREE ONE PLAN in my GALAXY S4 - so want to hijack my tethered connection to replace my virgin media home broadband. Somehow I need to get a wireless router to talk to the mobile and utilise that connection.

onzey

Google configure router as access point

Deru

This one is actually sort of tricky if you don't want to take the SIM out of your mobile. Do note that the S4 is 4G capable as well. On the Three Network, you're likely getting an LTE connection which is not quite 4G but is faster than3G so wouldn't get a 3G SIM router as suggested. 4G ones are more expensive but 4G will be free on Three Network. I have the One Plan also.

One way I can think of.... USB Tether to a computer. Go to the Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections

Select Local Area Connection 2 (number might differ) but this is the one that the USB Tether is AND select Local Area Connection (the actual Ethernet port) and Right-Click and choose Bridge Connections.

This will join up the two networks and in theory, if you plug in a network cable to a network switch and then to your other devices, will give them Internet access via your phone.

If the computer is a laptop or has a wireless card, You could also try bridging the Wireless network with the LAN port.


* EDIT *

I'm just trying this and it works.

Samsung Galaxy SIII LTE on One Plan
Dell Laptop
Samsung Chronos Series 7 (switched off wireless).

1. Wireless Tether on SIII on
2. Dell Laptop connected to Android Hotspot
3. Bridged Wireless Connection to Local Area Connection
4. Network cable from Dell Laptop to Samsung laptop
5. Internet access working on Samsung laptop and confirmed no Three Network when checking on Speedtest.net

Roland_Sausage

One of these in client mode would do it. Either buy one for each of the ethernet only devices, or couple it with a cheap network switch.

Deru

Hmm....I have one of those. Can it connect to a wireless network and form a bridge? I'll need to give that a go.

My one also has a USB port and I've tried turning on USB Tether but didn't work that time.

If it can connect to an existing wireless network...i.e. AndroidHotspot and share the Internet with it's LAN port, then it could work...

May try it later.

Pricy147

Thanks for the replies.

Not keen on the thought of having to have a PC/laptop turned on to enable a bridge connection. I have several devices that need to make use of a hard wired connection;

- Two HP MediaSmart Servers (Ethernet only)
- One Dell Network Printer (Ethernet only)
- Solar Panel data reporting (Ethernet Plug)
- Sky On Demand (Ethernet only)

The media smart servers and dell printer are mainly only required in my local network - so no real need for internet connection on those.

The solar panels and sky on demand do need an external connection however.

The small router looks like the best option so far. So is one of these required by device - and will it hijack the S4 internet connection when in range?

Roland_Sausage

Pricy147 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.
The small router looks like the best option so far. So is one of these required by device - and will it hijack the S4 internet connection when in range?

It only has one ethernet port so you'll need one per device, or add a cheap switch to it to give more ethernet ports. Whatever's easiest I suppose. If all the devices are close together, or already have ethernet cables running back to a central location then just add a cheapo switch.

Yes it will use the S4's when in range (as long as the mini router is set to client mode).

zappahey

You can install tomato firmware on cheap routers to make them into wireless client devices with multiple ports.

http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato

You can use these for single devices.

http://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/Networking/Networking-WiFi/Tenda-150Mbps-Portable-Wireless-Access-Point-Router-Wireless-wifibridge-WIFI-W150M

Pricy147

Roland_Sausage wrote: »

One of these in client mode would do it. Either buy one for each of the ethernet only devices, or couple it with a cheap network switch.

Just ordered one of these - thanks for the recommendation. Should work great for sending solar panel updates to my phone when in range.

If I were to use one of these in client mode for my media servers / network printer - are they two-way access? In other words - can I access my servers/printer (which have will have an ethernet cable from server or printer to this device) from a PC ? Or will 'client mode' only enable one way access from server / printer out to internet / client.

Not sure if I explained that well - but hopefully you follow my drift?