How to Combine Ethernet and Tethered Android Phone at Once on a Mac
When Ethernet Gets Slow and Unreliable – Combine It with a Tethered Android Phone with Speedify
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 that combines your wifi, 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.
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.
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 cellular connections? Use our latest feature, Pair & Share!
- Install Speedify on all devices
- Join the same Wi-Fi or local network
- Pull up the Pair & Share 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.
Download Speedify
Speedify is the only app that combines your wifi, cellular, wired, and even your friend’s phone signals – 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.
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