Free Wireless Tethering

Before I start with the guide, I'd like to offer a shout-out to June Fabrics Technology for introducing me to tethering before Androids and iPhones even existed. They have a great wired tethering product called PdaNet that I have used on a Palm Treo/Centro and various Android phones (it also works on iOS/iPhone, RIM/Blackberry, and Windows Mobile). It's a little pricey for a paid app (~$16), but I've definitely gotten my money back over the years. Since wireless tethering has taken over as the preferred method, this software is a bit outdated, but it's always a good fallback option (for unsupported devices) and as a bonus FoxFi (the app in this guide) is included with the install as of PdaNet v3.50.

Ok so now onto the guide.

Things you'll need:
-A rooted OR unrooted Android 2.2+ (Settings -> About phone -> Android version) phone. This may not work on custom ROMs but if you are running a ROM, this guide would be a little basic. If you don't know what rooted is, then don't worry about it, most likely your phone is unrooted.
-10 minutes.

Check here to see if you phone is compatible or scroll to the end of this post.


Just to confirm, here is my phone in the unrooted state (in case you didn't believe me :-P):

Verified by Root Check

1) Download FoxFi from Google Play/Market (click if reading on your phone) or scan the following QR Code from your phone if you are on your computer:

QR Code: FoxFi

2) Once it's installed, open it and you should be presented with the following screen:

Initial Screen

3) Take a moment to orient yourself with this screen. For the time being, you can ignore everything but the first section (WiFi Mode). Notice that it picks a random Network Name (in my case 'Android25'). This will be the network name (SSID) that you will be connecting to a little later. You can change it to something more personal if you like.

4) Click on the 'Activate WiFi Hotspot' checkbox. You'll see it go through some steps:

 

Starting Hotspot...

Mobile Hotspot active

5) When you are presented with the following screen, it should be active (notice the blue and green icons on the top left):

Ready to connect

6) This step is optional but strongly recommended. Otherwise, anyone that is within range of your phone will be able to connect. You need to set a WPA2 key. Just click on 'Password (WPA2)' and set it to anything (I usually just use my cell number). It doesn't need to be secure like a password and you will need to use it to connect later.

Entering a sample WPA2 key

7) Connect to it from your computer like you would any other wireless network and enter the WPA2 key if you set one:

Windows XP - Wireless Network Connection

8) Enjoy!

A few quick notes...

From the developer: "WiFi mode currently works on most Samsung/Motorola/LG phones. WiFi mode does NOT work on Motorola Droid 1, Motorola Triumph, Samsung Admire, LG Revolution or any HTC phones." 

It also appears that Sprint has removed the app from Play (Market) so you will need to download it directly from the developer here (make sure to check 'Unknown Sources' in phone Settings under Applications/Developer before installing).