PdaNet+ for Android

If your desktop doesn't have an Internet connection, you can borrow it from your Android-running smartphone (3G or 4G) thanks to PdaNet+ for Android, a simple application that permits tethering and can save you money that would otherwise result from a monthly subscription.

Setting up this tool requires several steps, including downloading and installing it from the Google Play Store on our Android smartphone. Other than that, there are instructions shown every step of the way, so it's a bit difficult to get lost.

During setup, PdaNet installs an Android USB drive on your computer if you don't already have it. If you smartphone is currently plugged into the PC but not recognized by the tool, then you should turn on USB debugging mode and allow the PC's access. It proceeds to install the USB driver, set up the network drive, and update PdaNet on your phone.

Once setup is over, you can ask the program to connect to your Android smartphone in either USB or Bluetooth DUN (Dial-Up Networking) mode, as well as to block Windows Update if you don't have unlimited data on your device.

The utility creates an icon in the systray at startup and shows a notification when the Android connection is successfully established. It can connect to the Internet via USB or Bluetooth (if your PC supports it), as well as create a WiFi hotspot on your computer to share Internet with other desktops or tablets nearby.

When it comes to settings, you can prepare the Bluetooth pairing mode, set the tool to auto-connect with your phone as soon as it's attached to the PC, use Google DNS, block Windows Update if this wasn't previously done during setup, and to hide tether coverage.

In addition to Windows,the software application can run on macOS. The app worked smoothly in our evaluation on Windows 10, connected to the smartphone almost instantly, and had minimal impact on the system's performance during runtime.

All aspects considered, PdaNet+ for Android comes in handy for users who don't have Internet on their computers and prefer borrowing it from their smartphones instead of coming up with other, more complicated and costly solutions.