Being able to hook up to your WiFi network with your computer or tablet is pretty convenient, but what if you're on the road, or in an area without a wireless network in sight?
Well there's good news — setting up a wireless hotspot on your device, which you can then connect to with your laptop or tablet, is extremely convenient. The feature is available on most smartphones these days, but carriers usually charge around $20 or more each month for a simple subscription to the service.
But what if I told you that you could experience the same service for only a one-time fee of $7.95? You'd take it, right? Well hit the break to find out how.
Now before we start, let me just inform you of the possible charges you may incur during this process, and how data limitations (by your current data plan) may restrict what you may be able to do.
The only up-front cost you'll be paying is the one-time $7.95 price for the license key to use the application. That's pretty darn cheap when you consider how much you're saving rather than paying the (depends on carrier) $20/month fee for the wireless hotspot subscription.
Remember: by using this hotspot feature on your device, you'll be using your mobile device's data plan and essentially transferring that data usage over your your tablet or computer. (The data doesn't just appear out of thin air for you to use.) This isn't a big deal for those of us still on unlimited data plans, but if you have, say 2GB or 3GB of data per month, you might want to reconsider before streaming a movie or a bunch music while you're wirelessly tethered. Be sure to use it only for simple web browsing/emails if you have a small data plan, or upgrade your plan to a higher package if you plan on using the wireless hotspot feature often. (And believe me, you blow through the data fast — I've used 30GB in a month before.
Another note: The app may be blocked by Sprint and AT&T, so finding the APK may be your best best to use this service.
Now that we've got that little disclaimer out of the way, let's get started, shall we?
Step One: Download PdaNet+
Open the Google Play Store and type in “PdaNet+.”
The app, when you tap on it in the Play Store, should look something like this:
If you're having trouble finding the app, I've included a QR code and a link to the app in the Play Store for you below:
Download the app — it's free. The app you'll be paying $7.95 for comes later. Don't worry about that for now.
Step Two: Unlock Full Version (Download FoxFi Key)
Once you download the app, open it. You'll find a screen that looks like this.
At the bottom of the screen, you'll see the “Unlock Full Version” option. You can skip this part, but you'll only be able to have unfettered access for 30 days. After the 30 days, you won't be able to log onto any websites that require a secure connection (https). That means no Facebook, Gmail, bank access, etc. (Any sites that require a login.) This might not bother some people, so skip this step if you fall into that category.
Okay, so to continue with the Full Version instructions. Click on that option, and you'll see this screen:
Download the FoxFi Key (you'll have to pay $7.95).
Step Three: Install FoxFi Key and Certificate
Once it's finished downloading, head back to the PdaNet+ app that you previously opened. Tap on the “Activate WiFi Hotspot” button, which is located under the “FoxFi” header in the app. (Three options down from the top.)
Give it a few seconds, as the feature has to load up.
You'll then be prompted with this screen.
Simply press “Install,” and you'll be brought to the following screen.
You can leave the options (seen above) as they are, and press “OK.”
After you press OK, your phone may notify you that you need a screen lock, so just press OK and it should bring you to your regular screen security settings. Set up a screen lock (if you don't have one already). After setting one up, you should be brought back to the PdaNet+ app.
Step Four: Create VPN Connection
After getting back to the app (after setting up a screen lock, if prompted), you'll be prompted with another message:
Simply click on the check mark so that you say “I trust this application,” and click “OK.”
After this, you may have one more step, depending on your phone. This screen may come up:
Just follow the basic instructions given by the app. Quickly (within 30 seconds) tap on the “Go to Settings” option shown above and turn on your “Mobile Hotspot” feature. If your phone shows a “Call to Subscribe” message, just cancel or decline it and try turning it on again.
Step Five: Turn on Mobile Hotspot
Once you finish that step, you'll get the basic mobile hotspot instructions, as seen below, which you should follow.
Turn on WiFi on your computer (or tablet, or whatever connection you'll be tethering to). Find “FoxFi” in the list of WiFi networks, select “FoxFi39.” You haven't set up a password for your personal hotspot yet, so you won't have to enter anything into the security key field. At that point, you'll be connected to your new wireless hotspot!
Step Six: Name Network and Make Password
You'll probably want to set up a password and possibly rename the hotspot name to something more recognizable than “FoxFi.” Setting up the password is incredibly important, especially if you don't have unlimited data. If someone connects to your network (even if they're not being malicious), they can stream all the music and movies they want, using your precious data, without even knowing it. Make sure to set up a password, and monitor your data throughout the month when you use PdaNet+. Better to be safe than sorry! Here's how to set up a password and re-name the network. (It's easy, so do it!)
Simply open the PdaNet+ app and find the “Password (WPA2)” option (above).
You'll be prompted to enter a password you'd like to use to secure the network. Simply type it in and press OK. That is now your password. You don't have to make it too hard to guess, since only those around you (while your hotspot is on) will be able to see the network, so it'll either be people on a public bus with you, at your work or in a Starbucks. If you forget your password, you'll also be able to see whatever you have set under the “Password” section on the app.
To set a Network Name, simply click on “Network Name,” enter a new name, and press OK. It's easy as that.
Note: While using the service, a notification may appear on your phone which says that your network may be monitored by an unknown third party. While this seems suspicious, you can ignore it and dismiss the notification. PdaNet+ is aware of the notification and addresses it on the FAQ section of its site. Here's what PdaNet+ said about it:
In order to skip the mobile hotspot plan (an extra $20/month) FoxFi installs a certificate to bypass the carrier blockage. A certificate installation is considered “security changes” on your phone, on Android 4.4 the installation of FoxFi certificate will trigger this network warning message. However rest assured that the FoxFi certificate (and the VPN connection that utilizes it) is only used during the short period when your hotspot is BEING turned on. As soon as the hotspot is ready the VPN is dropped and the certificate is no longer needed. If the warning message (or the lock screen) bothers you, you can select “Clear Credentials” from phone Security Settings after hotspot is ready. This will remove the FoxFi Certificate. However you will need to reinstall the certificate next time you turn on Hotspot.
Enjoy tethering, and remember: check up on your data usage regularly if you're using PdaNet+ heavily and don't have an unlimited data plan!
When I set a password, does not show the key icon on the other device and connected free.
Do you know why?
hi there.. I’ve installed PDANet+ and also install the crack version of FoxFi version 2.15.2. When I run PDANet+ it doesn;’t asked to setup the VPN nor the FoxFi Key.. What do I have to do next? Mind helping out?
Help. .always worked well on my samsung s4. Now it keeps telling me to contact my provide to subscribe to servie.???
When i turn it on it turns on my regular hotspot is it supposed to do that
COMPLETE AND TOTAL PIECE OF USELESS TRASH!!!! Who in the world would be
stupid enough to pay for this junk that NEVER works and keeps giving
connection errors???!!!! Every single time I try to use it either the
tether does not turn on or it says it’s connected but does not load a
single website, or yet some new error. You literally have to uninstall
and reinstall both the app and the program EVERY SINGLE TIME for this
shit to work, which is not so easy to do when you don’t have internet
connection to begin with. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS CRAP!!!!!!!!!
LOL You need to check to make sure it’s not YOU or your device is supported. I’ve been using FoxFi since at least 2012, on two different phones, and it works very reliably as long as the device is supported and the usage not blocked by the carrier.
In case anyone else stumbles across this post and this idiot, just to let you know, I’ve used PDANET+ to tether hundreds of GBs to my desktop through my unlimited plan without issue. It works perfectly.
In case someone else sees this asshat’s post, let me add to the chorus of people who truly love PDANet – and I’ve been a regular user for over FIVE YEARS. In fact, I’m using it right now at work. It turns out that the wifi hotspot isn’t working anymore with T-Mobile and Samsung Galaxy, as they’ve learned how to detect it has a wifi hotspot; however, it DOES work using USB or Bluetooth tethering, so that works great for me (especially because security here is pretty tight, and NO wifi is allowed – period). So I USB tether using PDANet every single day, and it works PERFECTLY.
Enjoy!
Hey Bro, You mad???
Mine has worked flawlessly for 12 years. Could it be that YOU did something wrong. (Don’t be mad, I had someone who knew more about it than me set mine up.)
Ask a buddy (a smart tech savvy one) or someone like one of the people at Best Buy Geek Squad. See if they can help you get yours up and running.
Best of luck. It’s saved me THOUSANDS of Dollars
The app works when playing online games. But searching the Web won’t work, what do I do?
Download ultrasurf for desktop & ultra surf for chrome &/or use level 1 in the planet settings !!
What if you already have a tethering plan? I have 3 gigs but I guarantee I’ll use more, does it matter if you have a tethering plan or not?
No. It does not matter. I am with T Mobile and I already have a hotspot tether plan that cost 5 dollars per gb. By instaling pdanet and paying the unlock fee no more paying 5 dollars a gb.
Works on my HTC M8 with latest kit kat update as of 12/16/2014
what did you to do get it to work. I’m having difficulty?
Due to FCC ruling, you no longer have to pay Verizon for the mobile hotpot capability. You will need to download one of the free apps though.
Hmmmm..so when does this FCC ruling pull the plug on Sprint? I miss my Foxfi :(
I wish it did work. Tried several apps on my Droid Turbo and can only use the USB setting. I hope that they/someone will have a fix soon.
Does work on my wife’s HTC M8. So, that is a bonus!!!
I’m having the same problem myself I have a droid turbo and my mobile hotspot does it work have you figured out a fix it if so can you let me know
I have a Google play nexus 5 *32 GB* on spring network & for some reason I’m able to activate & use hotspot from my quick settings. I’ve used up 29.85 gb’s watching Netflix on my smart TV with no problems, I set up a password & changed my default “android ap” Wi-Fi name to something more personal… I’m wondering if this has happened to anyone else? And no the speeds aren’t slow, my average downloads are 40 MBS to 63 MBS peak & sometimes 75 MBS. Is not bad for unlimited data :) !
Used to work perfect on my Lg G Flex T-Mobile (flashed to Metro Pcs) now shows a message to upgrade my plan from T-Mobile,why T-Mobile if im with metro pcs?
I can’t even download the app. When I try to the Playstore tells me it’s nit available on my carrier.
Is there a workaround for this?
I downloaded pdanet+ I unlocked the full version and when I click on activate Wi-Fi hotspot I get an error message everytime.
My Samsung galaxy 3 and iPhone create hotspots with none of this bother
But you pay for that
I keep getting a enter password for credential storage. How do I get by this?
I never get the VPN dialog box pop up on my stock Nexus 5 on T-Mobile which means this app fails.
First of all it’s illegal for a carrier to charge extra for allowing you to to flip a switch to use data you have already paid for,Verizon got hit with a $112,000,000.00 fine by the fcc last year for doing the same thing,the only way they can charge you for it ,is if they con you into sighning a contract that states”we can screw you anytime we want and your gonna pay us to do it”.what’s next you gonna sign a contract that says you gotta pay $20/month if you just look at your phone?lol,go tell them your not paying it and it’s illegal, they already know it,but they won’t stop until they’re caught,and if that doesn’t work root/jailbreak your phone,then they will never know,I did it for years,and I even told the bastards when I bought the phone that I was gonna do it,never got charge a penny extra,and now since 4.0 ics,the hotspot feature is already on the os,so no need for 3rd party apps.
Generally correct, except that it was $1.25M, not $112M, and the FCC decision only binds Verizon, not the other carriers. The case was specific to Verizon because they agreed to keep the 700MHz spectrum C Block unrestricted when they bought it from the government some years previously. Restricting what devices customers can use on their connections violates that agreement, and the FCC ruled against them.
That said, the FCC decision on this clearly indicated their leanings, and the other carriers were widely expected to stop trying to police tethering, which is why I’m surprised to hear AT&T is still making an issue of it.
Same here, lollipop 5.0-5.1 had hotspot in the notification bar’s quick settings. Before lollipop I had my Nexus 5 rooted & edited some file deep in the system to use hotspot without the of an app or adding anything. You basically just had to edit a zero to a one & add a line of text’s to that file. Now I guess Google is just giving everyone a better reason to want a nexus. Because it’s as simple as enabling Wi-Fi.
I tried loading the PlaNet + app and I get the message “this item isn’t available on your carrier” I have Sprint and am running 4.4 on my note ll.
Same here for AT&T, can somebody upload the . APK.
Same here for Sprint
I tether for free on VZW,.. Not sure why you get that message unless you have some old data plan. The regular tether icon in the Verizon package group lets me do all I want on a 10G package..
the shared data has free hotspot enable in the price. The people with unlimited data are required to pay extra for 5GB
I don’t think this method works on t mobile note 3, I tried and it only turns on the stock hot spot, and it never asks to change vpns. Or any of the other pop ups
Not working with HTC M8 on VZW. A pop up gives me the option to purchase tethering by dialing 611.
Did you read the instructions he gave?
“Just follow the basic instructions given by the app. Quickly (within 30 seconds) tap on the “Go to Settings” option shown above and turn on your “Mobile Hotspot” feature. If your phone shows a “Call to Subscribe” message, just cancel or decline it and try turning it on again.”
Come on man… it’s right there.
Folks AT&T has a catch 22 for us who joined during the iPhone extravaganza. We were offered a Data Unlimited plan as long as we didn’t tether. I used FoxFi for about 2 months before they sent me a letter and and emailed warning me they will change my plan and I would loose my unlimited plan forever. They somehow can detect whether the data is going through the tether or the Wi-Fi hotspot. I would highly recommend extreme caution when doing this. I believe that a high usage every month may trigger the red flag alert.
PDAnet added VPN masking in their latest update, AT&T has no idea you’re using it to tether now. They’re also on FCC orders now so there’s no way you can get caught. You’re fine.
Are you sure about that?
Not stopping you and not helping you are two different things. :)
I can’t even download the PDAnet app on AT&T. Any other options?
Close! What they can detect is the headers from a desktop browser. If you tether and just listen to music or something like that you’d be fine… but fire up your laptop web browser and they got ya. That’s what the VPN part solves. They can no longer detect anything other than you’re using data and connected to a VPN.
Someone else in this thread says the VPN is only active for the initial connection; what you say here would require the VPN to be active for the whole session. I’m not sure I see how either of those makes sense in this context. If VPN was only active for the initial connection, the desktop browser headers (as you mention) would give it away as soon as the VPN was out of play. But there’s no way VPN is active for the whole session – not for a one-time $7.95 charge. There’s no way anyone’s getting unlimited VPN service for eight bucks.
Verizon & AT&T are free now
Ummm… I’m surprised to see this,.. I purchased both these programs & worked wonderfully,.. yet they are unnecessary. Most carriers don’t charge you anymore. Note 3 on Verizon LTE network
This must be a US-only thing. Under my device settings, there’s a “tethering and portable hotspot” toggle.
I’m guessing it is a USA problem. I have been doing that on my Android 2.2 phone for ages (in the UK) as a standard feature – no special app required. The article should have pointed that out.
US carriers are clearly screwing their customers!!!!
Yes, there are a lot of things that are kept out of US phones because of carrier agreements. Tethering is a big one. Multi-band is another. And it’s not just software, it’s hardware too. Qi wireless charging is on its way to becoming a standard in the rest of the world, but very few US phones are sold with built-in Qi charging because the US carriers want to upsell you a $50 charging case to add that capability.
Sprint blocked the app. Woooppsss….
Doesn’t work with Sprint……sad
Absolutely does not work on Moto G on T-mobile. Get message that carrier has disabled wi-fi hotspot with the latest software update.
PdaNet is working on a patch for the software update, just use the USB mode for now. It’s just as easy, just use the USB cable and you have to download PdaNet’s software for the PC/Mac.
Any luck using this idea on a att network?
Of course it’s NOT working on Verizon (even though some claim it does)! Have a Moto X, running stock 4.4.2 and it’s not working! Even in the reviews for the app people say it’s not working! Here is message I get when trying to connect:
“Your carrier has blocked WiFi mode
in latest phone update. Please use
USB mode or Bluetooth mode
instead.”
Then use the USB mode… It’s simple.
I do. Been using easy tether since my blackberry days years ago. No problem at all!
I guess USB mode is better than nothing but ‘Your carrier has blocked WiFi mode in latest phone update. Please use USB mode or Bluetooth mode instead” is what shows up now on Verizon phones. Wonder what ‘latest update’ broke this?
It was KitKat. PdaNet fixed the issue on Samsung phones, and now fixed it for the HTC One M8 with a recent update for the app. Other phones are being fixed too.
Or….. as I have done……
Step 1) Download Open Garden
Step 2) Install and Run Open Garden
Step 3) Enjoy internet access on all your devices.
You do know how Open Garden works, correct? It depends on other people who also use the service. You’re less likely to find someone else who has Open Garden in your location than to simply be in an area with cell service…
“Garden is not available for my carrier” Straight Talk
Rooted LG Access 4.4.2
“Garden is not available for my carrier” Straight Talk
Rooted LG Access 4.4.2
You did it wrong then…
I already had the key previously. Downloaded the pdanet+ and activated the wireless hotspot. Laptop could find it but had limited connection. So I used the usb mode which seems to work perfect
Anyone try this and confirmed it works on VZ?
You shouldn’t need to. Verizon is under court order not to charge for tethering.
Yes it works, I am on Verizon.
Yes it works on Verizon. I use it every day. Have for 2 years. Now on Samsung S5. Have had up to 10 users (max) at one time. 20 to 30th per month.
Wow. After all that, it would have been easier to root and enable built in Hotspot.
No kidding. What’s with the VPN step, I wonder?
That’s what masks your tethering from your carrier as they can tell when you are tethering. If you’re on at&t’s unlimited plan they will eliminate it when you are caught.
What I would like to know is, who are you VPN’ing to? Is this what the $7.95 pays for – unlimited VPN to an open VPN at FoxFi? If so, that’s actually a pretty good deal, provided the throughput is there and there’s some security. But I would really want to know who’s piping my data before I signed up.
The VPN is only for the second that it connects, then turns itself off. Won’t be monitoring your data for more than a short period of time.
What happens during that second that needs a VPN?
No shit it’s easier, but doing the above steps allows you to save yourself $20/month or more… That’s $240 every year… Or you can spend the $7.95 one-time fee and take 5 minutes to figure something out for yourself.
Lazy ass…
Really? I really don’t think rooting is for the lazy… It’s not that hard to root (anymore), and it comes with quite a few benefits besides tethering. I’ll save the money and donate to the developers of custom roms, kernels, mods, Apps, modules, etc. I’m not sure where your apparent anger issues and hostility are coming from. I wasn’t saying the process was difficult (certainly not compared adb and fastboot commands).
+1 on this. I won’t buy a phone I can’t root and unlock.
Wait hold on I read that wrong. Did you seriously say it would be easier to ROOT your device to enable the built in hotspot? HAHA. I hope you’re kidding. The above process took me literally 3 minutes. If you know how to follow simple instructions this shouldn’t be a problem for the simple minded folk like you.
Or you can root, save the $20/mo AND the $7.95, and get all the other benefits that come along with rooting.
It looks like you’re emotionally invested in your $7.95 expenditure, and I get that, but there’s a basic disconnect between implying rooting is difficult and calling someone who can do it simple-minded.