Windows 10 via USB mobile tethering - network not sharing

Tom59N · 01 Apr 2020

Hi,

Apologies in case this ground's been covered already in recent threads,

Anyway I've brought a couple of PCs home from work and owing to room arrangements I've had to connect one to the network via USB mobile tethering. Internet works nicely (I'm using it now). However, I can't seem to find or access other devices on the network, be it through seeing computers on the network or by attempting direct access to a computer using Run then \\Computer-name.

Is it not possible to do this through USB tethering? I would be grateful for any assistance,

Try3 · 01 Apr 2020

Please explain how it is connected to the network.

"USB mobile tethering" normally refers to physically connecting a phone to a computer so that the phone's internet connection can be used by the computer.

Denis

Tom59N · 01 Apr 2020

Thanks for your response,

Both of them are desktop PCs without wireless - I'm able to connect one of them directly to the router but the other I have to keep in another room and hence use the USB tethering, most inconveniently. The phone is connected via WiFi to the router.

Try3 · 01 Apr 2020

Tom59N said:

... Internet works nicely ...

So perhaps the internet connection is the phone's own data connection through its ISP? That is what USB tethering is normally for.

Denis

Tom59N · 01 Apr 2020

I understand that would be the idea, however in this particular case I'm doing it through WiFi onto the same router and by extension the same ISP

Try3 · 01 Apr 2020

If you turn off the phone's own data connection [the one it has by virtue of its SIM card & your phone contract, the one it would have if you were on your own in the middle of nowhere] does the computer's internet connection disappear [as I would expect]?

Denis

Try3 · 01 Apr 2020

Tom,

I think the arrangement you are describing is this -

Windows 10 via USB mobile tethering - network not sharing-tom-network.jpg

Notes -
1 USB tethering settings within the phone allow your USB cable to be connected to the phone's own data connection and hence to the internet.
2 Your router's WiFi network is connected to the phone.
3 If I have understood you correctly, the router does not have its own internet connection.

But
4 You seem to assume that the phone's WiFi module is connected internally to the phone's USB tether and hence to the problem computer.
5 You seem to assume that the phone's WiFi module is connected internally to the phone's own data connection and hence to the internet.
None of my phones have ever had these internal connections.

So,
6 Unless my phones have been atypical, the answer to your question is, "No, USB tethering cannot be used to achieve what you want.".
7 If you check the ethernet-connected computer, it does not have an internet connection.

If I have misunderstood your arrangements then please tell me.

Denis