[SOLVED] Ethernet to USB: Internet for phone/tablet when no WiFi is available?

Solution
No. Not if you are thinking of some adapter or cable that merely lets you plug one end into an Ethernet socket, and the other into a USB connector (Type C?) on the phone. The phone has NO interface that knows how to deal with Ethernet signals.

Another route, though is available IF the phone and / or tablet does have WiFi capability. You need a device that can establish a WiFi Point of Access on the Ethernet network. Now, these days the Router that is at the head of your internal Ethernet network (where the signal first comes into your house) VERY often has this "device" built into the Router, so a lot of people think of a Router as the WiFi unit. Such Routers will have a couple of antennas sticking up, usually off the back. So IF you...

Paperdoc

Polypheme
Ambassador
No. Not if you are thinking of some adapter or cable that merely lets you plug one end into an Ethernet socket, and the other into a USB connector (Type C?) on the phone. The phone has NO interface that knows how to deal with Ethernet signals.

Another route, though is available IF the phone and / or tablet does have WiFi capability. You need a device that can establish a WiFi Point of Access on the Ethernet network. Now, these days the Router that is at the head of your internal Ethernet network (where the signal first comes into your house) VERY often has this "device" built into the Router, so a lot of people think of a Router as the WiFi unit. Such Routers will have a couple of antennas sticking up, usually off the back. So IF you see those on the Router, IT is capable of providing a WiFi signal. It may NOT be turned on tight now, OR or it might be working BUT you do not know how to configure your phone to access that WiFi resource. If you see those sign on the Router, find a computer tech who can help you get it working.

If the Router has no such feature, OR if you simply do not have access to the Router but can only reach an Ethernet socket, then you need a WiFi Point of access. That is the stand-alone version of the WiFi parts commonly inside modern routers. something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/EnGenius-Technologies-Indoor-Wireless-EAP1300/dp/B072N8ZNR6/ref=sr_1_19?dchild=1&keywords=wifi+point+of+access&qid=1623292844&sr=8-19&th=1

That unit comes with a small power block and needs to be plugged into a standard Ethernet port. It does not have any extra ports on it to let you connect more items to it - so it is not a Switch. You will see many other models, too. Note you do NOT need en EXTENDER - that type of device gets its signals from another already-existing WiFi source and just re-sends the signals out to extend the reach of signals.

Doing it either way creates the WiFi source you lack so any device (phone, tablet, computer, etc.) can use it. We use an item like this in our house, and combined we use with it four cell phones, 1 tablet and a couple of laptops. All our main computers use the wired network in our house, fed by a Router connected to a 1 Gb/s fibre optic line for internet access.
 
Last edited:
Solution

tom2u

Distinguished
Aug 26, 2010
387
4
18,785
Well of course I could use a wireless router. You can get them for 5 bucks used.
But my main aim is to be able to use my device securely in a public area for financial matters.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
Well of course I could use a wireless router. You can get them for 5 bucks used.
But my main aim is to be able to use my device securely in a public area for financial matters.
WPA2 encryption on WIFI plus HTTPS on the connection is very secure. Since you own the WIFI source there is no risk of man-in-the-middle. You really have no additional risk, assuming a national agency is not out to get you.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
I just want to be sure without keeping up with the technology every week.
There is really nothing to keep up with IMO. A good 12+ character password on WPA2 encryption for WIFI plus using an HTTPS session to the service you are trying to access will provide you equivalent protection, maybe more actually because you have the firewall of the router added to the ethernet connection.
 

InvalidError

Titan
Moderator
Keeping connections secure against man-in-the-middle attacks is what valid SSL certificates are for. Using a USB-to-ethernet adapter is possible but won't really do anything with protecting you against whoever owns the LAN from snooping your packets if they want to, you'd need a VPN for that and then you'd still be susceptible to the VPN operator itself looking at what you are doing. Nothing you do online is completely private, all you can do is shift the privacy boundary around.

The connection between you and your bank or whatever you are attempting to securely connect to doesn't get much more secure than the SSL certificates and encryption regardless of what is in-between. The only thing being wired may really protect you from is drive-by attempts to break into your devices/LAN.
 

tom2u

Distinguished
Aug 26, 2010
387
4
18,785
There is really nothing to keep up with IMO. A good 12+ character password on WPA2 encryption for WIFI plus using an HTTPS session to the service you are trying to access will provide you equivalent protection, maybe more actually because you have the firewall of the router added to the ethernet connection.

Until someone finds a way around those precautions. You think that hasn't happened a million times before? Don't have confidence in today's technology! If you use something and require security you need to be up on whatever is happening in that field. Or you can have blind faith in present technology. I lost that a long time ago. The problem is technology is every changing and people are highly motivated to snoop.
 

tom2u

Distinguished
Aug 26, 2010
387
4
18,785
Keeping connections secure against man-in-the-middle attacks is what valid SSL certificates are for. Using a USB-to-ethernet adapter is possible but won't really do anything with protecting you against whoever owns the LAN from snooping your packets if they want to, you'd need a VPN for that and then you'd still be susceptible to the VPN operator itself looking at what you are doing. Nothing you do online is completely private, all you can do is shift the privacy boundary around.

The connection between you and your bank or whatever you are attempting to securely connect to doesn't get much more secure than the SSL certificates and encryption regardless of what is in-between. The only thing being wired may really protect you from is drive-by attempts to break into your devices/LAN.

Thank you for those tips. Makes a lot of sense. Still, if I can do something I will.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
Until someone finds a way around those precautions. You think that hasn't happened a million times before? Don't have confidence in today's technology! If you use something and require security you need to be up on whatever is happening in that field. Or you can have blind faith in present technology. I lost that a long time ago. The problem is technology is every changing and people are highly motivated to snoop.
Has it happened? SURE. It is likely that YOU will be targeted? Only you can answer that. For an average person the answer is NO.
The random wired connection has as much probability of being compromised as the personal WIFI if someone is really targeting YOU. Why, because the compromise will already be loaded on your device. It isn't the network that is the weakest link. It is you.
 

tom2u

Distinguished
Aug 26, 2010
387
4
18,785
Has it happened? SURE. It is likely that YOU will be targeted? Only you can answer that. For an average person the answer is NO.
The random wired connection has as much probability of being compromised as the personal WIFI if someone is really targeting YOU. Why, because the compromise will already be loaded on your device. It isn't the network that is the weakest link. It is you.

My situation is a little different. I will be traveling and will be standing out from the local people so I'll always be an economic target for thieves. One mistake and decades of savings can be wiped out. So yeah, I am trying to be careful. If I could access a hotspot without being physically close to it in a room close by it would probably be a lot safer but that is rarely available. Normaly you don't want your hotel room around a place where people congregate because of the noise it usually generates.

Plus in most areas of the world wouldn't wired internet probably be faster than the WiFi there? The WiFi can only be as fast as the wired internet that is supplying it.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
My situation is a little different. I will be traveling and will be standing out from the local people so I'll always be an economic target for thieves. One mistake and decades of savings can be wiped out. So yeah, I am trying to be careful. If I could access a hotspot without being physically close to it in a room close by it would probably be a lot safer but that is rarely available. Normaly you don't want your hotel room around a place where people congregate because of the noise it usually generates.

Plus in most areas of the world wouldn't wired internet probably be faster than the WiFi there? The WiFi can only be as fast as the wired internet that is supplying it.
If you are that concerned, then only do sensitive activity on cellular.
 

tom2u

Distinguished
Aug 26, 2010
387
4
18,785
Alternatively, avoid all sensitive activity if you can avoid it. If you're going to be gone long enough for a billing cycle to occur, set up auto-pay.

Could be gone for more than a year. Could be years. I may never return actually. Autopay is fine if your bill is the same every month. Most of mine change every month.
 

tom2u

Distinguished
Aug 26, 2010
387
4
18,785
If you are that concerned, then only do sensitive activity on cellular.

Yeah, I need to learn about that. So you use your phone as a hotspot? If so, how are the speeds? As long as I could get about 10mb I'd be fine for VOIP for audio. Not sure how fast you need for smooth video at 1080p.

We take so much for granted on a wired connection at home on our own desktop computer!
 

termathor

Distinguished
Jan 16, 2015
75
1
18,645
Yeah, I need to learn about that. So you use your phone as a hotspot? If so, how are the speeds? As long as I could get about 10mb I'd be fine for VOIP for audio. Not sure how fast you need for smooth video at 1080p.

We take so much for granted on a wired connection at home on our own desktop computer!

That is indeed, IMO, the right way to do it. I've done this on a so-so 4G connectivity. Conf calls on voIP (teams). Works ok even in my place.
Basically, I was doing this during work at home periods when the electricity company was doing planned maintenance and cut us out with no warning (pls, don't get me started on this, this is France here, so that's why. And yes, it was full weekday periods, from 8am to 5pm :(.

For security:
- make sure your Wifi hotspot pass uses a max length WPA2 password (ideally, WPA2-CMP, but unsure you can force it, depending on OSes).
- https, of course plus a secure browser like Chrome
- also, if you're in a quite corrupt country, you may use a VPN (would advise Cyberghost VPN) to add a third level of encryption


Personnally, I'd do any banking activity with the above. Just, then, make sure you don't have anyone looking over your shoulder, because this will be the weak point :)