One of the worst problems of the first world we can face is to be cut off from the internet. I’m not talking about being deprived of social media or the ability to send memes to our friends, although this is part of it. The Internet has infiltrated all aspects of our lives, and the lack of access means that many modern amenities that we hold for acquired are worthless – even if you are connected to the same local network.
I know it for a fact, because my internet has been cut for more than a week at this stage. While I was able to attach some of my devices so that I can continue to work without problem, the lack of wi-fi at a stable home meant that a heap of my devices were completely cut. Until I realize that the best Android phones have a hidden feature that could help do everything to work – while using my existing wireless network.
How many of you knew Ethernet attachment, not to mention using it?
My problem
Although I don’t mind with the whole story, the basic problem with my internet at home seems to be with the cable providing the internet to my house. More specifically, it must be replaced.
My house is wired at a hub at around 300 feet in the street, the main internet cables separating from all other houses with the same ISP. Apparently, my problem is with this connective cable, and the only solution is a total replacement – which is not a small task when you talk about something under concrete, dirt and asphalt.
Since last week, my FAI has considered that it would not be able to finish this work before June 19 – more than two weeks after the problem was initially reported. Which is far from ideal.
Although I can attach a few devices to my phone, and finally eat in my 300 GB monthly allowance, it was not going to last two weeks. Unless I was super conservative with my data consumption. In addition to that, that would leave almost all my connected devices without wireless connection. Even if I could connect them all to my hotspot at a time, this would mean reconfiguring all the wireless settings to connect them to a brand new network. If I am totally honest, it would take the best part of the day.
Fortunately, there was a solution. All I had to do was connect a phone to my home network and share its mobile connection via Ethernet. The much -named ethernet attachment functionality.
Ethernet attachment to the rescue
The Ethernet attachment made its debut in Android 11, in 2020. The name is perfectly literal, and that means that you can connect your Android phone to any Ethernet port and share the internet connection of the phone. For all these moments when wireless and USB collage are not practical or right impossible.
The router of my ISP is absolutely terrible. This is not surprising for anyone who has already used this type of devices (and one of the best cable modems instead). But I cannot get rid of it, because my connection needs a modem and third -party options will not work. Not easily anyway. So I have everything that works from an old Wi-Fi 5 Orbi system that connects to the Modem via Ethernet.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the orbi system right now, and all my devices were still happy. But as it did not remove the internet from the modem, their functionality was limited. WO while my video Eufy video will always record the video my hard drive, or activated the chime, I couldn’t connect from my phone.
Armed with an unlimited ESIM data, a Google Pixel 8A and an old USB-C center, I was able to bring the whole house back online in no time. There were a few obstacles, but nothing too serious, and now my house is back to normal.
It was not a clean sail
Returning online was not as simple as simply plug in an ethernet cable in my phone. You must first light the Ethernet connection, and it took me a minute to understand that I was trying to hurt everything.
My first instinct was to go to the USB preferences menu and advance the Cased from there. This does not work, mainly because Android cannot take control of the adapter itself. But even if that could, the only attachment option is USB – which would probably not work.
If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, you must go to the Hotspot and attachment menu in network settings. The Ethernet attachment is right at the bottom and will be available as soon as you connect an ethernet cable to your phone.
The other big problem is that the Ethernet attachment used a lot of power. To the point where the fully loaded pixel 8a died at some point before 7 am, so you must make sure that your adapter has at least one other USB-C load port for everything to work.
A sufficiently powerful wireless charger can work, assuming that you are going well with the device a little warmer than normal. Unfortunately, the Pixel 8a is limited to the load of 7.5 W Qi, and it was not even close to the adaptation.
Android is also used to periodically suspending the load, when it feels that the phone has been connected for too long. This is designed to protect the battery, and probably a good thing. But that means that I must periodically check the phone and make sure it is not suddenly 12%.
However, in the big scheme of things, these are all very minor problems that are much less complicated than not having the internet.
End
Without Ethernet attachment, I would not have fun at the moment. In fact, I would probably have given in and bought one of the best mobile hotspots and I got online this way. But the fact that I have spare phones and whole drawers full of cables, meant that I did not have to wait for new equipment and a SIM card to arrive.
I am just grateful that my domestic network is configured in such a way that I did not need to modify the wireless parameters on all my smart devices for what should (hope) be a temporary switch. I could live with the internet broken for a day or two, but more than 2 weeks, it’s a little too much to go without appropriate access.
In case you are interested, I have used 325 GB of data since I started using Ethernet connection – which would have absolutely destroyed by an ordinary data ceiling.
