Can I use an EX3700 to bridge between an Android cellphone working as a Hotspot and a wired LAN

[TimSTL]

Does anyone know if this is possible? I want to bridge between my Android cellphone, which is providing my only Internet connection, and my wired domestic intranet. I don't want a wired tether (i.e. USB) to my cellphone to keep it portable, so the only option is WiFi, but the bridge must automatically initiate connection to the cellphone, not vice versa. Can the EX3700 or any other Netgear product be configured to do this? My laptop PC is acting as the bridge at the moment, and I want to free it up.

[plemans]

Can you do this? Maybe. I've never tried it but in theory it should be able to work. 

will your performance be half decent? Doubtful. 

Will your phone occasionally shut off the hotspot? Potentially

[TimSTL]

Hi Plemens

Thanks for getting back to me, although your lack of certainty doesn't fill be with confidence.

FYI, I generally get decent enough service for my purposes with my present arrangement. Yes, there have been dropouts, but these are almost always attributable to my laptop and the vicissitudes of MS Win7, which is one of the reasons I want to replace it.

[plemans]

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@TimSTL wrote:

Hi Plemens

Thanks for getting back to me, although your lack of certainty doesn't fill be with confidence.---thats because I dont' have those specific devices, don't know your isp, etc. There's a bunch of details that cause cause issues to without trying your exact setup, I can't say 100% it'll work. I've connected a EX8000 to my cellphone hotspot for testing and it worked fine. But that was years ago. And sometimes cellular providers lock that down. 

FYI, I generally get decent enough service for my purposes with my present arrangement. Yes, there have been dropouts, but these are almost always attributable to my laptop and the vicissitudes of MS Win7, which is one of the reasons I want to replace it.---It'll be worse ran through an extender. If it was me, I'd get a dock for your phone to connect it to that hardwires in your router. I know you want it mobile. So you can try your option (I'd get a better extender thant he EX3700) but just buy from somewhere with a generous return policy in case it has issues or doesn't perform how you'd expect. 

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[TimSTL]

Thanks again, Plemens.

You're probably right about the 3700. I've read mixed reviews about it, some complaining it drops out as you say, others that it just overheats.

TP-Link seems to offer a wide range of cheap products that will do the job, but I'm very uncomfortable with the idea of buying tech from the PRC. It's just a shame that companies outside China have such a poor range by comparison.

[plemans]

another option to check into would be a router that supports WISP mode. That might work a bit better and reduce needing the intermediary. 

[TimSTL]

Thanks, Plemens, that's a good thought. WISP mode should allow me to connect as a client on the WiFi side. I'll see if I can find something that fits the bill that doesn't cost a fortune.

[TimSTL]

Just to round off this thread, I eventually went for a Mikrotik hAP AX2, which does the job. Nominally, it's a Wifi router, but it's one of the most capable and versatile I've come across. By that token however, getting it to do any one thing is pretty intricate and full of pitfalls, and took me a deal of experimentation.

[JasGrenier7]

Yes, it's possible to bridge your Android cellphone's internet connection to your wired domestic intranet using a WiFi bridge device like the Netgear EX3700.