IT Professionals

Tethering Your iPhone – It’s Actually Pretty Easy

Posted by on Jun 23, 2009 | 3 Comments

While I do not partake with Apple products (I prefer bananas), I do own an iPhone 3G and my wife leaves me with an extra user account on her own iMac. So should I wish to set up tethering for testing purposes, I’d say I am in pretty good shape to do so.

This tutorial here gives fairly straightforward guidelines. Assuming you are looking to tether your iPhone with something like a MacBook or notebook/netbook, then you will find the logic behind finally being able to have tethering with your iPhone to be fairly self-explanatory. Simply put, it means access to the Internet where none was before, and to be able to do so without needing to spend even more money on an additional data plan when you are already paying for one with the iPhone.

Where things will get a bit sticky, however, is trying to convince AT&T that this is going to float. Chances are outstanding that there is no way in the world that you are going to be able to keep tethering on AT&T’s network ongoing. I suspect it will only be a matter of time before it asks you to pay something extra. After all, its 3G network is not really lightning fast as it is. Not sure it needs additional folks bogging it down any further.

[rsslist:http://rss.api.ebay.com/ws/rssapi?FeedName=SearchResults&siteId=0&language=en-US&output=RSS20&floc=1&afmp=&sacqy=&sacat=-1&fcl=3&sacqyop=ge&satitle=iphone+tethering&sacur=0&frpp=25&afepn=5336207425&sabfmts=0&dfsp=32&saprclo=&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprchi=&customid=&sorefinesearch=1&saobfmts=exsif&fss=0&catref=C5&saslc=0&saaff=afepn&from=R14&nojspr=y&saslop=1]

  • Bruce Lautenschlager

    That sounds pretty complicated compared to what I have to do with Windows XP or Vista and my AT&T Tilt running stock Windows Mobile 6.1.

    I connect the phone to the notebook with the sync cable. I start the Internet Sharing program (under Start – Programs) on the phone. I press the Connect button on the phone screen. 3 steps – connect cable, start program, press connect button.

    Then I surf. That’s it. No driver install. No software install. You don’t even need ActiveSync installed – I could do this to a notebook out of the box.

    Bluetooth tethering is a little more complicated to setup, but just as easy to easy once it us – except that it’s generally slower than a direct USB connection (which you’ll want to do anyway, as 3G data connections suck battery life of your phone).

  • Randy Allen

    You get 3G? My 3G service shows up during full moons and is pretty lame then. Edge is like dial-up of yesteryear, slow and stressful. I am sure AT&T was not very happy when Apple announced tethering which competes with their mobile broadband devices, which are even worse than finding a 3G signal on an iPhone.

  • Rambozo

    There is a lot easier way.
    This site has the wireless config file for most countries and you don’t need to do anything with a computer or iTunes.

    http://help.benm.at/help.php

    Here is a video demo of the process.