Ethernet Bridge using Phone Tethering to 300M to Netgear Router

Technical Support for Routers
1

I have an old ATT Unlimited Tethering Data Plan running on a spare Android phone that is set up to wirelessly tether. I want to bridge the wireless tether signal from the phone to Ethernet using the 300M so I can get the data to my main (Netgear) router.
It is simple to set up the 300M in repeater mode, connect to the signal of the phone, then connect the LAN port of the 300M to the WAN port of my Netgear Router. Everything works fine, and my Netgear router works normally. However, 2 issues I would like to solve:

  1. Because the 300M is running in Repeater mode, it appears the 300M is causing my speed to be cut by about 50%. If I connect directly to my phones tethering, I can get about 75Mbs (LTE+). However, the 300M is only delivering about 34Mbs to the Netgear via Ethernet. Is there an alternative Bridge Mode I can run on the 300M that will not cut my speed by repeating?

  2. I don’t want/need the Wireless Network that the 300M is creating, as it causes unnecessary radio interference in my house. Is there a way to disable the radio from broadcasting the additional network while still being able to pick up the wireless signal from my tethered phone? (Or will that problem be solved by setting up a bridge mode)?

Any alternative solutions/suggestions are also welcome.

TIA! :slight_smile:

2

Just some thoughts - I am not an expert:

  1. Can’t you do it so that the 300M acts as the “main” router and set-up the Netgear as a repeater via the LAN cable?
    2, If you tether your phone by cable you can surely turn the wireless off on the AR300M (in firmware V3 it’s under “wireless”)
  2. Whilst I can understand you wanting your full-speed, 34Mbps is very decent IMO.
3

Thanks Glitch, I’ll respond to each of your points:

  1. I’m not sure what you are saying is very different from what I’m doing. As it stands now, the 300M IS connected to the Netgear with a cable, and the Netgear is “repeating” what it gets from he 300M. But, since the 300M is acting as a repeater for the original signal (rather than a bridge), I’m losing about 50% of original speed.
  2. Yes, the speed is decent. If there is no way I am fine with it. But I think there must be a way for the 300M to act as a bridge rather than a repeater. I see that I can configure the hardware switch on the 300M to toggle “repeater mode”, but I’m not sure how/if that would help.
4

You can also tether your phones micro USB to the AR300M USB type A (using it like a modem). This will be the fastest. You could power the phone with a USB pigtail adapter at the same time.

I’m not sure if you have a SIM card from ATT with that plan, but it may be easier to spend the ~$20 to get an LTE modem for the SIM and plug it directly into the AR300M USB port to accomplish the same.

5

nopro404, yes, I have a SIM. I LOVE your idea, but where to find an LTE modem that has USB out for $20?

With regard to your first comment, yes, I AM running the 300M in repeater mode per your comment. But the repeater mode is “eating” 50% of the bandwidth. I am hoping there is a way to create a “bridge” connection that will have less effect on bandwidth.

6

Honestly I don’t know the models supported but I have seen them from $20-40 on ebay or aliexpress. You’d have to find out which is supported.

I was suggesting you do not use the repeater mode and do a wired USB tether to th phone so you do not use 50% of the radio to repeat a signal.

8

In repeater mode, the speed will half decrease, it is normal. Why don’t you use tethering mode instead of repeater mode? https://docs.gl-inet.com/en/3/setup/mini_router/internet/#4-tethering

You can disable it on GL admin web page.