How to Combine Ethernet and Tethered Android Phone at Once on a Mac

Improve Bandwidth and Latency on macOS by Combining Ethernet with Tethered Android

Nowadays the Internet is all about speed and stability. If you’re not getting those on your Mac, it’s time you act on it. If your wired Ethernet connection is not speedy enough and drops connection or stutters, it’s time you get some reinforcements. Use that Android smartphone you have lying around and tether it to your Mac. Then, combine this connection with your Ethernet for faster, more reliable Internet using Speedify, the fast bonding VPN.

Speedify is the only app available for all major platforms - Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android and OpenWrt - that combines your Wi-Fi, 4G / 5G cellular, wired, and even your friend’s phone signals – and turns them into one ultra-fast and super secure link that keeps you all connected for the best possible live streaming, video calling, or just posting to your favorite app.

Speedify can bond any number or combination of Internet connections and will intelligently distribute your online traffic among them for optimal performance. Plus, if you get disconnected from one of your connections in the middle of an important video call or file transfer, Speedify will seamlessly failover to your other working Internet connection(s) without skipping a beat.

NOTE: For best results, use Internet connections from different sources. In general, joining the same upstream network multiple times (such as the same router via Ethernet and Wi-Fi) will not improve performance.

Fix slow upload and download speeds on Mac with Speedify: The powerful MacOS network tool

Need a stronger Internet connection on your Mac for your live streams, gaming, browsing, video calls like Meet, Teams or Zoom, or anything else you do online?

In this video, learn how to use Speedify to combine multiple Internet connections like 4G, 5G, DSL, Starlink, Wi-Fi and Ethernet to get faster, more stable and reliable uploads and downloads on your MacOS device.

Use Speedify to increase your upload and download speeds: combine internet connection sources like Wi-Fi, 4G, 5G, Starlink and wired broadband

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Combine Wi-Fi, 4G, 5G, Starlink and wired broadband to fix slow upload and download speeds

Speedify is the only app that seamlessly combines all of your connections, including Wi-Fi, 4G, 5G, Ethernet, and Starlink, into one stronger connection to keep you online and secure.

In most cases, Speedify will automatically detect and start using any available Internet connections on your device while intelligently distributing your online traffic between them for optimal performance. If you need help we have quick start guides available for most common set ups.

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Combine personal hotspots for better upload and download speeds

Speedify's Pair & Share feature enables you to connect to multiple hotspots at the same time and wirelessly share LTE, 4G, and 5G cellular connections back and forth between multiple Speedify users on the same local network to create a faster, more reliable connection for everyone.

For the first time, it's possible to share cellular data between multiple devices, including PCs, Macs, iPhones and Androids. Use multiple phones as hotspots for internet access and get increased bandwidth and mobile failover for all paired devices.

I want to combine...

3 Steps to Bond Wired Ethernet and a Tethered Android Phone Together on Your Mac

Step 1: Connect your Ethernet cable to your Mac

Connect an Ethernet cable between your router or modem and the Ethernet port on your Mac. In most cases, you’ll automatically connect to the internet. If your computer doesn’t have a built-in Ethernet port, try using a USB to Ethernet adapter, or a Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter.

Need help with this step? Visit Apple’s knowledge base to learn more.

Step 2: Connect your Android device to your Mac and enable USB tethering

In order to get your Mac to properly interface with your Android device’s USB tethering mode, you’ll need to install some additional software.

INSTALL THIRD-PARTY DRIVER

HoRNDIS is a driver for macOS that allows you to use your Android device's native USB tethering mode to get Internet access. Download and installation instructions can be found here.

HoRNDIS support for macOS Catalina (v10.15) is still in beta.
ENABLE USB TETHERING

Once installed, connect your Android to your Mac using a USB cable. A notification will show at the top of the screen on your Android device - swipe down from the top of the screen > Touch and hold Hotspot > Turn on USB tethering.

Need help with this step? Visit Google’s knowledge base to learn more.

Next, on your Mac visit System Preferences, click Network, then select your Android device from the list on the left. In the right pane deselect the “Disable unless needed” checkbox under Status.

Please note that when USB tethering an Android phone, if that phone is connected to Wi-Fi, the tethering will share the Wi-Fi connection and not the cellular connection. In order to use the cellular connection from your Android phone into the mix, enable mobile data and turn off Wi-Fi on your smartphone.

NOTE: Some mobile carriers limit or charge extra for tethering. We recommend checking with your carrier. Additionally, Some of these steps work only on Android 9 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.

Step 3: Download and Install Speedify

Last but certainly not least, download and install Speedify. Once running, Speedify will automatically detect any available Internet connections and combine them for increased speed, security, and stability.

Need to keep several devices connected in areas with limited or spotty network coverage, like event venues, remote locations or when traveling? Get consistent and uninterrupted online activity for all your devices using Speedify's Pair & Share functionality, which allows you to share cellular data between multiple devices wirelessly.

By pairing devices, you can effectively distribute your cellular connection across them, improving overall performance, especially when other network options like Wi-Fi may be slow or unstable.

You can manage settings, view statistics, and even apply limits to individual connections by either clicking/tapping on them from the Dashboard or by navigating to the desired connection through the main Settings menu.

Speedify will work quietly in the background to optimize performance including prioritizing streaming web traffic to avoid stuttering, buffering and disconnects.

Whether at home, work, or on-the-go, Speedify is the only VPN that makes your online experiences faster, more reliable, and more secure.

Alternative: Combine Ethernet and Tethered Android on Mac Easier

Want an even easier (and wireless) way of bonding 4G / 5G cellular connections? Use the Speedify Pair & Share feature!

  1. Install Speedify on all devices
  2. Join the same Wi-Fi or local network
  3. Pull up the Pair & Share settings in Speedify and tap on the desired device to send an invitation to pair
  4. Tap accept on the other device

Once paired, both devices can share AND receive each other’s connections simultaneously. The more devices you pair with, the more connections you’ll have access to!

Traffic between devices is fully encrypted, and you always maintain full control over which devices can do what - set permissions, limits, or unpair from other devices at any time.

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Get started today!

With Speedify you can combine multiple internet sources into one bonded super-connection to improve livestreaming, video calling, gaming, web browsing, and everything else you do online.

Download Speedify
     

Speed

Combine Wi-Fi, cellular, ethernet, satellite, and more to maximize performance

Stability

Avoid buffering and disconnects while streaming, gaming, and browsing.

Security

Keep your personal data safe from hackers, snoops and cyber criminals

We love talking about technology!

On our social channels, Alex Gizis and the engineers from Speedify discuss and explain interesting connectivity technology including Starlink satellites, Wi-Fi 7 routers, Apple networking features, Fiber optics, broadband internet, 5G mobile networks, AI, networking protocols, and much more.

Alex and the Speedify team are always exploring the latest in networking and security technology—like 5G, 6G, WiFi 7, laser and satellite internet—and sharing it in new discussion content across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn every week.

Got a tech question? Let's go deeper! Pop into Speedify Office Hours live every Wednesday at 10 AM Eastern. Speedify CEO Alex Gizis and our network engineers are standing by to break down your questions about networks, tech updates, and Speedify features.

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