Tethering with PDANet for Android | High Speed Internet Connections for Travelers | Forums

Since we recently got a 4G mobile hotspot from Verizon, we haven't talked much about tethering the Droid to the computer for Internet with PDANet.  We do still use it because the Droid connection is unlimited where the mobile hotspot has a contract for 5Gigabytes/mo (or 10 if we pay the higher monthly rate).

Right now, we are at 9.88 Gigabytes on the hotspot, so we've switched over to the PDANet tethering option for the last few days of the month to avoid going over.  I'm noticing a few aggravating things that are happening and wondering if it happens to anyone else.  (for the basics of using PDANet, see this video)

After a Phone Call

When the phone rings and I answer it, I lose my Internet connection.  That is to be expected, but, I thought that it used to pick right back up as soon as I hung up the call.  It doesn't now.  I see the little PDANet icon in the lower right (systray) but it has no globe on it – meaning PDANet is running, but there's no Internet connection.  I have to click on the icon to get the menu then choose Connect.  Sometimes even that doesn't work and I have to go to the phone's PDANet application and 'reboot' it by touching 'Turn Off PdaNet' then restart it with 'Enable USB Tether'.  Now I can go back to the icon on the computer, click Connect, and it works.

Internet Slowdown

As I browse the Internet I often notice it getting really slow.  It almost always improves if I Disconnect PDANet, then re-Connect.  Think of it like having a bad phone connection, if you hang up and call the person back the odds are good that it will be a better connection.