Join a Tethered Android Phone Together with a Wired Ethernet for Faster, More Reliable Internet
You can use wired Ethernet and a USB-tethered Android phone at the same time on a Windows PC with Speedify. Without Speedify, Windows sends your traffic over one connection at a time; Speedify combines both, so you get faster downloads and uploads, and if one connection drops, your traffic moves to the other without cutting you off. With only one internet connection, Speedify works as an encrypted VPN and cannot make that connection faster or stop it from dropping.
Speedify is an app that combines Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular, Ethernet, Starlink and satellite internet connections into one faster, more reliable connection, and encrypts your traffic like a VPN. Plenty of people pair a slow or unreliable wired connection with a phone’s 4G/5G cellular this way, and the three steps below show how: connect the Ethernet cable, turn on USB tethering on the Android phone, then install Speedify. Android Ethernet tethering, where the phone shares its connection through a USB Ethernet adapter instead of a plain USB cable, is a different setting; the section after the steps explains how it compares.
Speedify is the only app that joins together your Starlink, 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 join 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.
How do I use WiFi and 4G/5G cellular at the same time with Speedify?
Pick your two internet connections and your device below and we'll take you to the step-by-step setup guide.
3 Steps to Join Ethernet and Tethered Android Phone at the Same Time on Your Windows PC
Step 1: Connect your Ethernet cable to your PC
Connect an Ethernet cable from your router or modem to the Ethernet port on your PC. If your PC has no Ethernet port, use a USB to Ethernet adapter.
In most cases, your PC connects to the internet on its own. If it does not, see these troubleshooting steps.
Step 2: Connect your Android device to your PC and enable USB tethering
Connect your Android phone to your PC with a USB cable. A notification shows at the top of your phone's screen. Swipe down from the top of the screen, touch and hold Hotspot, and turn on USB tethering.
You can also turn it on in Settings: Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering > USB tethering on a Samsung Galaxy, or Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering > USB tethering on a Google Pixel.
To check that the tethered connection is active, open Settings > Network & internet on your PC. Windows treats a tethered Android phone as a wired connection, so it shows up there as an additional Ethernet connection.
Note: If your Android phone is also connected to Wi-Fi, USB tethering shares that Wi-Fi connection, not its 4G/5G cellular. To share 4G/5G cellular, turn on Mobile data and turn off Wi-Fi on your phone.
Note: Some mobile carriers limit tethering or charge extra for it, so check with your carrier. Some of these steps only work on Android 14 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 join them together 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 cellular sharing 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.
Android Ethernet Tethering vs. USB Tethering: What Speedify Can Use
Android Ethernet tethering is a different feature from the USB tethering in the steps above. With Ethernet tethering, the phone shares its own internet connection with another device through a USB Ethernet adapter, the same job USB tethering does over a plain USB cable. The setting sits with the phone’s hotspot and tethering options.
A USB Ethernet adapter can also work the other way round: plugged into the phone, it connects the phone to a wired network as one more internet connection. Speedify on Android can use that USB Ethernet connection and combine it with the phone’s other internet connections, but results vary by device and Android version. Some phones turn Wi-Fi off as soon as an Ethernet connection is present, which stops Speedify from combining the two.
Alternative: Join Ethernet and Tethered Android on PC Easier
Want an even easier (and wireless) way of bonding 4G / 5G cellular connections? Use the Speedify's cellular sharing feature!
- Install Speedify on all devices
- Join the same Wi-Fi or local network
- Pull up the Pair & Share cellular sharing settings in Speedify and tap on the desired device to send an invitation to pair
- 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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Speedify combines Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular, Ethernet, Starlink and satellite into one faster, more reliable internet connection. Free to try: 5 GB a month with a free account. No credit card required.
🚀 Speed
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📶 Stability
If one internet connection drops, Speedify moves your traffic to the others in milliseconds.
🔒 Security
AES-256 encryption on every internet connection, on any network you join.
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