Request advice for T-Mobile "tethering" Nexus 5 (to Windows 8)

I get inconsistent information from T-Mobile, by the way.

When I first called the 611 "representative", she told me I had the "Simple Choice" plan with 1GB/data per line, but that I had to pay extra for the Android "Tethering & Mobile Hotspot" option to be added to my rate plan, which they called the "Smartphone Mobile HotSpot Service".

When I called the T-Mobile "technical support" to ask how it's done, they emphatically said I already had that "Smartphone Mobile HotSpot Service" already included as part of my existing rate plan.

So, I called 611 back, and got a different "representative", who confirmed what "technical support" said.

So, at the moment, I'm going to assume that I don't need to hide under VPN, and that my kid can just tether via USB cable or hotspot via WiFi to the laptop.

I'll check it out on my S3 to see how it works, only I'm not on Windows. My kid is on Windows 8, but I'm on Linux, so, the entire procedure is likely to be different. I'll report back what I find.

To report back, the Linux experience for setting up a Mobile Hotspot using the Samsung Galaxy S3 phone on T-Mobile was a dream come true.

Unlike Windows, which apparently needs an NDIS driver, Linux seems to already have the ndis drivers. Running a search for "ndis", I'm not at all sure where they lie, but maybe it's these hits: /lib/modules/3.11.0-14-generic/kernel/drivers/net/usb/rndis_host.ko /lib/modules/3.11.0-14-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/rndis_wlan.ko (I have no idea what a "ko" file is though.)

Anyway, on the Galaxy S3 (Android 4.3), I went to: Android Settings > Connection > More Networks > Tethering and Mobile HotSpot > ON (and gave it a password).

Then, on Linux, I clicked on the new "Samsung Galaxy S III 91" access point, and lo and behold, I am connected to the net!

Running the linux command "inxi -i" and doublechecking with the web page

The speedtest.comcast.net didn't work but speedtest.net showed a ping of 210ms (which is kind of slow), a download speed of 1.17Mbps and a dismal upload speed of 0.13Mbps with 3bars and 4G showing on the Samsung Galaxy S3 phone and -95dB showing in Wigle Wi-Fi on Android for the T-Mobile GSM-HSPA cell tower.

The absolutely weird thing was that the IP address T-Mobile handed me corresponded to a German Daimler AG address but I'm decidedly in the USA, so, the speedtest went to Germany based on the map shown under the test. Why T-Mobile would put me through to Germany is totally beyond me though.

However, the good news is that it was that easy, at least on Linux.

Now I'll have to walk my kid through the process on Windows, but, Windows 8 seems to require the additional NDIS driver setup, so, it might not be as easy as it was on Linux.

No issues tethering my Galaxy S2 to Win8.1. No NDIS driver needed.

That's how things worked for me with Win8.1.

This link should give an immediate download.

I got it from this page:

Click Software Update.

Now, I swear I was on that page before, and *nothing* was showing up.

This is what I see now.

And this is the file I got.

LGUnitedMobileDriver_S51MAN312AP22_ML_WHQL_Ver_3.12.3.exe 11,454,688 bytes

It's InstallShield. I ran it in Linux and WINE, to get at the files. It has

C:\Program Files\LG Electronics\LG United Mobile Driver lgandnetrndis.inf lgandnetrndis64.inf

Those files include the memorable phases...

; NEVER REMOVE THE FOLLOWING REFERENCE FOR NETRNDIS.INF include = netrndis.inf

And that file also includes

and the 6.2 tells you what Windows OS that stanza is for. And 6.2 is Windows 8.

Unplug the phone, run the LGUnitedMobileDriver exe file. Done.

Good luck, Paul

T-mobile is a German company so that's probably why...