Could a smartphone with Ethernet (or general wired connection) be feasible?

[uli2000]

Does anything support SDIO anymore? Hell, do they make any SDIO products anymore? I seem to remember SDIO based wired and wireless network cards avalible for early PDAs. I can't imagine one for a phone since everything phone related is mostly microSD, but I think it could be feasable on a tablet to have a full sized SDIO compatable slot for an ethernet adapter.

 

[runawayprisoner]

I can already do that with Bluetooth connections between my phone and PC.

Yeah, but your PC is not pocketable... I think the point to be made here is that if someone is out traveling with just his phone and tablet, and he ends up in a hotel with only Ethernet, the Airport Extreme is a much more elegant solution than having to plug a laptop or computer in.

 

[WelshBloke]

Yeah, but your PC is not pocketable... I think the point to be made here is that if someone is out traveling with just his phone and tablet, and he ends up in a hotel with only Ethernet, the Airport Extreme is a much more elegant solution than having to plug a laptop or computer in.

How often are you at a hotel with ethernet but no wifi?

Also even if that did happen what's he gaining with the wifi router that he couldn't use his mobile signal for?

All the network stuff like printers, usb hard drives, network shares wouldn't be available at a hotel. The only thing that would work would be the speakers and a set of blue tooth speakers would be a better idea.

 

[Red Storm]

I think it would be neat to have a micro USB to Ethernet adapter for smartphones.

 

[WelshBloke]

I think it would be neat to have a micro USB to Ethernet adapter for smartphones.

I've got a USB to ethernet adapter somewhere, I'm not sure if I've got a USB to miniUSB adaptor though. I'll have a dig around in by "box of crap™" to see what I find.

I'm sure I remember windows needing drivers for the usb/ethernet adapter though so I dont know how well that would work.

 

[Munky]

Yeah, but your PC is not pocketable... I think the point to be made here is that if someone is out traveling with just his phone and tablet, and he ends up in a hotel with only Ethernet, the Airport Extreme is a much more elegant solution than having to plug a laptop or computer in.

Why does my PC have to be pocketable? Are your speakers connected through airport pocketable? I forgot to mention that I can also access any standard USB device directly on the phone using usb-on-the-go feature. So that's one more option, using industry standard connection protocols instead of proprietary ones.

 

[AstroManLuca]

It's not regular wifi though, it's iFi! (patent pending) Apple uses superior quantum wave modulation converters in the Airport Express to give you the superior bandwidth you need, as well as the increased coolness you've come to expect from Apple.

but does it have Rotational Velocidensity?

 

[runawayprisoner]

How often are you at a hotel with ethernet but no wifi?

Also even if that did happen what's he gaining with the wifi router that he couldn't use his mobile signal for?

Well, honestly... the OP asked a question, and I provided an answer. Whichever his reason, I don't have the slightest idea.

However, on a more personal level, I actually had to stay oversea at some hotels in Asia where they had just Ethernet, no WIFI, and those were in places so far out that I didn't even have any phone signal there. Luckily, the stay didn't go over a week.

You'd be amazed what you can find traveling oversea...

Why does my PC have to be pocketable? Are your speakers connected through airport pocketable? I forgot to mention that I can also access any standard USB device directly on the phone using usb-on-the-go feature. So that's one more option, using industry standard connection protocols instead of proprietary ones.

Well, a pocketable router beats having to lug along a PC everywhere, even though I do carry my laptop everywhere with me. Problem is... I know there are people who travel around with only their phone and tablet, but no PC, and they'd find themselves stuck somewhere without WIFI, or any way to connect a USB device.

In such cases, the Airport Express is tremendously useful... if only for a few minutes.

This is not an Apple promotion or anything of the sort. It's simply because the Airport Express is the only one of its kind that I mentioned it. If you somehow know of another pocketable device that can take Ethernet and share it out to many other devices as WIFI, I'm all ears.

 

[WelshBloke]

...This is not an Apple promotion or anything of the sort. It's simply because the Airport Express is the only one of its kind that I mentioned it. If you somehow know of another pocketable device that can take Ethernet and share it out to many other devices as WIFI, I'm all ears.

I'm not trying to be difficult but how is it different to any other wireless router?

 

[the DRIZZLE]

Pocket routers have been around long before the airport express.

 

[runawayprisoner]

I'm not trying to be difficult but how is it different to any other wireless router?

It's as big as the power brick of most laptops, or slightly bigger than an iPhone, but it can share an external USB HDD over wireless network to both Mac and PC, and it can also share speakers + printer as well.

Arguably anything beyond WIFI is just unnecessary luxury, but it does support up to 802.11n standard for WIFI if nothing else.

Pocket routers have been around long before the airport express.

That may be so, but one that can do as many things as the Airport Express and still stay pocketable, I haven't seen for a while.

 

[WelshBloke]

It's as big as the power brick of most laptops, or slightly bigger than an iPhone, but it can share an external USB HDD over wireless network to both Mac and PC, and it can also share speakers + printer as well.

Arguably anything beyond WIFI is just unnecessary luxury, but it does support up to 802.11n standard for WIFI if nothing else.



That may be so, but one that can do as many things as the Airport Express and still stay pocketable, I haven't seen for a while.

I'm not sure how often when I'm travelling light that I have a USB hard drive, speakers and a printer though.

I'm not up on mini routers (they seem to me to be a bit pointless with fast mobile networks and public wifi) but Google throws up quite a lot of results.

 

[TNF]

Hi, I am bumping this thread because I have the exact same question.

I know a lot of people didn't see the point in doing this, but for me... it's a matter of sitting at work streaming radio all day. It would save me a lot of data if I were able to connect to the internet through my desktop PC.

Is there a way to get an internet connection through your PC desktop, while using a USB-to-MicroUSB cable ?

May be a dumb question, so I appreciate your tolerance... lol
Thank you.

 

[Roland00Address]

Hi, I am bumping this thread because I have the exact same question.

I know a lot of people didn't see the point in doing this, but for me... it's a matter of sitting at work streaming radio all day. It would save me a lot of data if I were able to connect to the internet through my desktop PC.

Is there a way to get an internet connection through your PC desktop, while using a USB-to-MicroUSB cable ?

May be a dumb question, so I appreciate your tolerance... lol
Thank you.

If you are rooting your phone and using android yes it is possible. No I do not have links but I know it has been done for there are apps that require root that do internet through usb (requires a driver to be installed on the windows or linux computer.)

 

[TNF]

If you are rooting your phone and using android yes it is possible. No I do not have links but I know it has been done for there are apps that require root that do internet through usb (requires a driver to be installed on the windows or linux computer.)

Thank you very much, Roland.
Not opposed to rooting, just haven't ever felt the need.. other than doing it purely for the sake of doing it.
I will look into the app end of this and see where to go next.

Again... thanks.

 

[Zaap]

Isn't there USB to ethernet that works with mobile devives?

I could sort-of see it being useful- for example, my Note 12.2 is on my desk next to me all day, everyday, connected via wifi to the company network. It may as well be connected via ethernet. Not really necessary though.

 

[soccerballtux]

on second thought this actually would be kinda nice. USB MTD driver is borked and google still hasn't fixed it, and our n wifi only transfers at up to 1MByte/sec however that works