Reverse tethering

This tutorial explains how you get your Ubuntu Touch device online using a USB cable and a Linux computer with internet access. This is useful if there is no available Wi-Fi connection or you don’t have a data subscription on your device.

Steps to Set Up Reverse Tethering

  1. Prepare your device (Ubuntu Touch) and your computer (Linux):

    • Connect your computer to the internet.

    • Attach your device to your computer via USB.

    • Turn off Wifi and Data on your device

    • Set your device usb in tethering mode

  2. Run the following commands on your device:

    • Bring your tethering connection down: sudo nmcli connection down tethering

    • Modify your tethering connection: sudo nmcli connection modify tethering ipv4.method auto

  3. Run the following commands on your computer:

    • Get your interface name: ip route show to default via 10.42.0.1

      default dev enx122626d0fe26 proto dhcp src 10.42.0.118 metric 101

    • Your interface name is: enx122626d0fe26

    • Get your connection name: nmcli --field GENERAL.CONNECTION device show enx122626d0fe26

      GENERAL.CONNECTION:                     Wired connection 2

    • Your connection name is Wired connection 2

    • Bring the connection down: nmcli connection down "Wired connection 2"

    • Change the ipv4 method to shared: nmcli connection modify "Wired connection 2" ipv4.method shared

    • Bring the connection back up: nmcli connection up "Wired connection 2"

  4. Finally run the following command on your device:

    • Bring your tethering connection back up: sudo nmcli connection up tethering

You should now have a working internet connection on your device!

Troubleshooting

If the above steps don’t give you working internet connection on your device then try these steps on your computer:

  • Turn on IP forwarding: echo 1 | sudo tee /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward

  • Apply forwarding iptables Rule: sudo iptables -P FORWARD ACCEPT

References