Why won't the USB modem turn on on Android?

The times when home Internet was the only normal Internet are long gone. Therefore, now more and more users are completely abandoning it in favor of mobile. After all, it’s so convenient - firstly, to have one obligatory payment for the Internet, and, secondly, to distribute Wi-Fi on occasion, which is often even faster than home. True, sometimes the phone flatly refuses to distribute the Internet to the side. Let's try to figure out why this happens.

Wi-Fi sharing not working on Android? You are not the only one

Like most problems with Android smartphones, modem mode problems can have several causes, each of which is different from the other, since it is of a completely different nature.

How can I change the way my phone connects to my computer?

To connect

screen
to the computer
and vice versa, make the following settings: On an Android smartphone: open the “Settings” application, go to the “Screen” section and select “Wireless Monitor”.
To view your phone
on your computer, select a compatible PC from the list to serve as the signal receiver.

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Modem mode on Android

The most common problem is the ban on Internet distribution. Recently, some operators have begun to restrict the use of smartphones with their SIM cards as modems. As a rule, such restrictions are found on tariffs with unlimited traffic, but they also occur on limited ones. However, carriers often allow you to unlock this feature for a fee.

Some operators limit the operation of the modem mode on their tariffs

Only your operator can make sure that Internet distribution is blocked by default on your tariff. It is advisable to do this directly through technical support. You don't even have to call the operator to do this. You just need to write in the application chat and ask a question. There you will be provided with up-to-date information and information about the cost of unlocking the modem mode, which can range from 30 to 300 rubles per month.

How to use a Samsung phone as a modem

If you have an Android smartphone from Samsung, then you can use another method. As a rule, Samsung devices also come with a CD containing the Samsung Kies program.

If the Kies application is missing, then download it from the company's official website and install it on your computer.
Once the program is installed, go to your Android settings and disable the “USB storage” option.
Next, connect the device using a USB cable and install the driver, if necessary. As a rule, in Windows 7 and higher, the system automatically installs the required driver for connected devices.
Now go to the “Settings” of your device and select the “Wireless Networks” tab. Next, click the “Modem and access point” menu item and check the boxes next to the “USB modem” and Mobile AP items.
Now on your personal computer, go to the “Control Panel” and click on the “Connection” item. Here you will need to display all network connections and find your device. If it is in the list, it means the device is connected and working correctly. Now you can access the Internet via your computer.

Combat mission

We present the most general case: we have a tablet (Android) to which we want to provide Internet access. There is no possibility of connecting to regular Wi-Fi, but there is a USB modem at hand. You need to somehow connect this USB modem to the tablet and get the Internet on it. Is it possible to do this? Usually yes!

The task has been defined, now you will need to go directly to the conditions for its implementation. I’ll note right away that if something deviates from this plan, with a high probability nothing will work out, you will need to look for solutions in the direction of classic Wi- Fi (even from a modem with the ability to create an access point). We will not consider solutions with iOS and Android.

Wi-Fi distribution on the phone is disabled

Well, the fourth problem concerns situations when the modem mode works, but for some reason turns itself off. In fact, this can happen for a variety of reasons, but there is one most common one, which is simple inaction. The fact is that many smartphones are equipped by default with a mechanism to automatically turn off the modem mode during prolonged inactivity.

To disable it, go to Settings;
Open “Modem Mode” - “Personal Access Point”;

Modem mode is hidden in the personal hotspot settings. I can't take a screenshot of it because there is a password line there

Select “Access point settings” - “Auto turn off mobile phone.” access points";
In the window that opens, select the shutdown time or turn it off altogether.

In fact, the auto-off feature of modem mode is very useful in terms of energy saving. The fact is that distributing the Internet, in principle, consumes not only traffic, but also battery life. Therefore, it is logical that the modem mode turns off if you are not using it, and saves you charging.

Necessary equipment

Is it possible to connect a modem to the phone without purchasing additional equipment? Only if the device has a USB connector. This is more typical for tablets. In other cases, you will have to purchase an adapter from USB to the connector of your phone. Moreover, this should not be an ordinary cable, but an OTG so-called host adapter. It is intended specifically for external devices, and not just for pairing a mobile phone with a computer.

You also need to purchase the USB modem itself, which consists of a communication module (3G or faster 4G) and a flash drive where the connection settings are stored.

Internet distribution does not work

The third reason is the traffic limit limitation. This problem is especially relevant for those users whose tariff limits the available traffic volume. In such situations, when the specified volume is exhausted, the modem mode can simply be turned off to avoid overuse and additional traffic costs on your part. But, if you are ready for this, disable the limit:

Go to “Settings” and open the “Mobile network” section;
From here, go to “Modem Mode” - “Personal Access Point”;

Sometimes it's better to disable the traffic limit

Here select “Data limit” and turn on the “No limit” option;
If you want to set a specific value, select Customize.

It is very important to ensure that the traffic is not exhausted to zero or the operator does not automatically activate a paid extension. Despite the fact that almost all operators today do not allow going into the red, this can happen from time to time, especially if you use the Internet outside your home region or use an old tariff where the old terms of service apply.

Troubleshooting OS problems

What are the differences between 3G and 4G networks: features, advantages and disadvantages
Sometimes the reason why a phone does not distribute Wi-Fi to a laptop is due to the fact that there are general problems in the operating system. This situation, for example, is possible in cases where a virus infection has occurred and system programs cannot operate normally.

Important! In some cases, an antivirus program can correct the consequences of its destructive effects, but this does not happen in all cases.

To eliminate them, you need to do the following:

Reset the operating system to factory settings. Before this, you need to transfer all necessary information to other media.
If you regularly perform the synchronization procedure using Google, then you don’t have to worry about this - the data is completely safe. However, you must take care of the safety of your documents, videos and other information yourself.

Updating the OS to the latest version may help:

In the settings you need to go to the “Backup and reset” section. To complete this procedure, you must follow the on-screen prompts.
Next, go to the options and start the system update.

After this, access to the World Wide Web should work at the same speed. If this does not happen, you need to update the firmware on your smartphone. Although you can do this yourself, it is recommended to take the help of professionals. This procedure is available not only on Android, but also on iPhone.

However, this option has significant disadvantages:

The phone is connected to the computer.
Connections organized this way are often slow.

It is possible to distribute using Bluetooth. Why you should do this depends on the availability of the appropriate devices. To enable this option, in the wireless settings (Additional functions), find the line “Bluetooth modem” and activate this feature. Only devices that have the required adapter can access such a network.

Setting up the modem

Before we tell you how to connect a USB modem to your phone, let’s look at setting up the modem mode itself. If this is not done, then it will be recognized by the Android system simply as a storage medium.

For Huawei and ZTE brand phones the task is simpler; special software has been developed for them. Just run it and check the required box. For all other phones you need to do the following:

The preliminary setup is complete, now let's move on to how to connect a 3G modem to an Android phone.

IMPORTANT. If you want to use the device on a computer, the changed settings must be returned. Repeat all steps of the instructions, but enter the following command in the terminal: AT^U2DIAG=255.

How to turn USB into storage mode to copy files to Xiaomi memory via cable

This method allows you to bypass the phone's smart filters and return to convenient work directly with files and folders.

To do this, you need to connect the cable to your smartphone and computer, after which, if the cable is working, a pop-up window will appear on the Xiaomi screen, which will list several operating options. Select File Transfer .

Now open the
Explorer or another file manager of your choice, an additional disk should appear in it, which is Xiaomi memory.
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Possible connection features and problems

As you understand, ideally everything should work independently. If something goes wrong, I recommend going through the following list, and you never know how some of these thoughts will successfully apply to your situation.

Many people write about the application “3G Modem Mode Switcher for ZTE and Huawei”. There was no need to install it personally. Installed on the computer to which the modem is connected. The program allows you to set the modem to “Modem only” mode. This will prevent the tablet from trying to identify it as a simple drive. Solves most definition problems. It is advisable to use other programs only for a specific version of your modem and check it on specialized forums; here you just have to search for it yourself, because You can't predict all cases.
You know that to connect to the operator’s network you need to enter some connection parameters (for example, APN access point)? Usually these parameters are registered automatically, the same thing happens when you connect a modem. But for some operators there are no presets - so you have to enter everything manually (especially if the tablet version is not new). Here in this article all these settings are presented in a chewed form. In general, they need to be entered in “Settings – Wireless networks – APN access points”.
Usually, after a successful connection, the data transfer icon familiar to us on phones appears (3G, 4G, etc.). But some tablet models do not have it, but the Internet works fine. Just use it and don't pay attention to it.
Test your modem on your computer first. Does it connect normally? Sometimes such a connection can reveal a problem in the spirit of the modem requiring you to enter a PIN code - we do everything so that the Internet appears on the computer simply when the modem is connected to USB, this is how it should work on the tablet.
Some modems require external power, do not forget to connect it to the existing connector. The tablet may not have enough power. In this case, the power indicator will light up, but initialization and connections themselves will not occur.
We remember that some operator modems (MTS, Megafon, Beeline) are not very fond of such operations, here you need to go to specialized forums and first think about unlocking/fixing them.

That's all. But the main thing to remember is that there are options when connection is truly impossible. But in this case, do you really need this connection? Maybe there are workarounds?

Option #3. Connecting devices via Bluetooth

This product still does its job perfectly. Using the “blue tooth” you can connect your laptop and phone, after which you can use your smartphone as a Bluetooth modem. This is very easy to do:

Find out if your PC or laptop has a built-in Bluetooth module; if not, you can use an external adapter;
open the “Settings” of your mobile phone, activate “bluetooth”;
Find your computer in the list of devices and select it to pair.

After these three steps, the phone became a Bluetooth modem. The same can be done in the opposite direction, that is, from a PC to a mobile device. For this:

The computer does not connect to modem mode

The second reason why modem mode may not work is related to the encryption protocols used. Due to the fact that they are different for different smartphones, incompatibility may sometimes occur. Therefore, it is best to try disabling encryption altogether:

Go to “Settings” and open the “Mobile network” section;
From here, go to “Modem Mode” - “Personal Access Point”;

Sometimes disabling encryption helps restore modem mode operation

In the window that opens, select “Access point settings”;
In the Encryption Type tab, select None or Do Not Use.

It is important to understand that without encryption, your traffic will be very easy for someone from the outside to intercept. It’s clear that most likely no one is interested in you, but in general this possibility cannot be excluded. In this regard, I strongly recommend using some kind of VPN service when disabling encryption to keep your data safe and prevent traffic from being intercepted.

The indicator is green

If the indicator light on the modem is green, this means that the cellular connection is good and the network is receiving. This means you need to start looking for errors directly on your computer or laptop in Windows itself

Drivers

First of all, let's make sure that the modem is visible in the system. Recognition of a new device in Windows occurs thanks to the drivers for this device. Most often, the system already has the necessary software built into it to work with the most common types of devices, including modems.

Let's go to the dispatcher and see if our modem is among the components of the computer or laptop. To do this, enter “Device Manager” into the Windows search bar and open the first link received in the menu

We are interested in the “Network adapters” branch here. We are looking for our modem by brand name. Although, it may not be obvious, as in my case.

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To check for the latest version of drivers and install them, right-click on the line and select “Update driver”

And then we launch “Automatic search for drivers”.

If a USB modem is not found in the list or there is an “Unknown device” with an exclamation mark, this means that Windows on a laptop or PC does not see the 4G modem at all. You need to go to the website of the device developer, in my case Huawei, and download the latest version of the software. Then install it into the system.

We also recommend installing the latest Windows system update and disabling third-party antivirus programs. They can also block the Internet connection via a 4G modem.

Dynamic IP

If everything is in order with the drivers, then we’ll try to “go to the left” and check the settings of the laptop’s network connection to the Internet. To do this, go through the menu chain:

Start - Control Panel - Network and Internet - Change adapter settings

And we find “4G” among the available connections. You can also navigate by the name of the modem, which we saw in the device manager. The icon should be active, that is, colored blue, not gray.

If the icon is gray, then the connection via USB modem is not active; you need to double-click on it to enable it.

After this, we check the Internet on the laptop/computer. If it doesn’t help, then right-click on the same icon and go to “Properties”

Next - “IP version 4”

And set all the parameters here to “Automatic” (IP address and DNS server)

Save with the “OK” button and check the Internet operation via a 4G USB modem.

Option #1. Creating a USB Modem

This does not require any special equipment; the task will be completed in just a couple of minutes. Let's look at two simple instructions.

First way

Do the following:

Be sure to turn on data transfer so that the phone can distribute the Internet to the computer. This can be done through the quick settings menu in the curtain.

Second way

In it you will come to the same result, but in a different, shorter way. It is suitable if you often transform your smartphone into a modem. To do this, follow the instructions:

insert the cord into the phone and the socket on the computer;
swipe the curtain down, find “USB modem” in the quick settings menu (if it’s not there, add it through the tool for editing the list of curtain icons).

After this, a message will appear in the curtain stating that the connection has been established and you will be asked to configure the connection.

There is only one disadvantage of this method: the data transfer speed is limited by USB speed. This is not so noticeable if you use 3G, but when you connect your phone to fourth generation networks there will be losses.