Getting an old Computer online with Android Ethernet tethering
Recorded: May 24, 2026, 11:59 p.m.
| Original | Summarized |
Getting an old Computer online with Android Ethernet tethering - 82MHz 82MHz blog Getting an old Computer online with Android Ethernet tethering Reading time: 3 minutes I enjoy playing around with old computers and software from the 90s and early 2000s. My childhood computer was the Amiga 500 which I still have and which I love dearly, but the Windows 9x/XP era of computing is the most nostalgic for me because this coincides with my teenage years and my early 20s, and there are just so many great things about it; 3dfx games, the early internet, Napster, ICQ, Winamp... it was a fascinating time in tech. One problem with computers from this time period is how to get them online. They either have no wifi or severely outdated wifi modules which at best do WEP encryption, but they can't connect to a modern WPA encrypted wifi network. So in order to get them online you would either have to downgrade the security of your wifi network (terrible idea), set up a dedicated wifi network for these machines with only WEP security enabled (also terrible) or connect them via ethernet, which is easy enough as long as you have an Ethernet connection available. Get a cheap USB-C to Ethernet adapter from Ebay/Amazon And that's it. As long as you have automatic network configuration via DHCP enabled on the PC, the phone should automatically assign an IP address to the PC and bridge its wifi connection to the wired network through the Ethernet adapter. And this should work with every old (and new) computer, as long it has an Ethernet port. I tested this with a USB-C docking station which has an Ethernet port too, and it worked just as well, but required external power to the docking station, meaning an extra power cable is required. 1 If you would like to send me a message, comment or share this post, you can do so here: Send me an E-Mail |
The author discusses a method for connecting older computers, specifically those running Windows 9x or XP, to a network when direct Wi-Fi connectivity is unavailable or inadequate due to outdated modules. The fundamental challenge addressed is how to provide internet access to legacy systems that cannot handle modern WPA-encrypted Wi-Fi networks. The proposed solution leverages Android devices to establish an Ethernet tethering connection to the target computer. The implementation involves obtaining a USB-C to Ethernet adapter. This adapter is connected to an Android phone, and subsequently, an Ethernet cable connects the phone to the Ethernet port of the computer in question. The key step is enabling "Ethernet Tethering" within the phone's settings. This process relies on the assumption that the computer has automatic network configuration via DHCP enabled. When this condition is met, the phone is able to automatically assign an IP address to the PC and effectively bridge the phone's Wi-Fi connection to the wired network through the Ethernet adapter. The author notes that this technique is presented as a simple and effective way to bridge the gap between older hardware and modern internet access, applicable to any computer equipped with an Ethernet port. The efficacy of this setup was tested using a USB-C docking station that included an Ethernet port, which also functioned successfully, although this configuration required an external power supply for the docking station. The author acknowledges practical considerations, noting that while the method functions, physical constraints, such as the need for a shorter Ethernet cable, exist. Furthermore, the author expresses uncertainty regarding the compatibility of this specific method with other operating systems, such as iOS. |