How To Enable USB Tethering Feature In Windows 7

The Windows Phone 7 is still quite immature and, currently, the devices based on it lack plenty of goodies that even some feature phones could offer you, like USB tethering.

For months now Microsoft has stated that Windows Phone 7 will not be able to do tethering without the approval of the carrier. Of course that wouldn’t stop us from finding the back door, and it seems as though Samsung left the door wide open. So now you could bring the USB tethering back to your WP7 device's specs sheet.

Well, as long as you have a Samsung I8700 Omnia 7 or a Samsung Focus. The procedure is quite simple by the way, just follow the instructions.

You only need to enter the Service menu of the handset and tweak a few settings and you'll have the USB tethering enabled on your Omnia 7.

This will allow you to use your handset as a 3G modem. Although the device will not do Wi-Fi tethering at this time it is more than capable of doing USB tethering. To set up this on a Samsung Focus you will need to go into the diagnostic menu:

1. On the Focus go to the keypad and dial ##634# and hit the call button.
2. From here the phone will go into a gray screen with a timer and the diagnostic keypad will come up. (It should look like a keypad with the words Diagnosis at the top)
3. In the Diagnosis mode dial *#7284# which will bring up the USB Path Control settings. (Zune Sync, Modem Tethered Call, and Modem USB Diag)
4. From here select the Modem Tethering Call. (The Focus will automatically restart to activate the setting)
5. Plug the USB cable into the phone and into your PC. (We are unsure if this will work on a Mac at this time)
6. The computer will install the drivers automatically.
7. Once the drivers are installed go into the control panel.
8. Select Network and Internet.
9. Select Network and Sharing Center.
10. On the left click Change Adapter Settings.
11. Here you should see the Dial-up Connection with the SAMSUNG Mobile Modem.
12. Right click on SAMSUNG Mobile Modem icon and click connect.
13. Here is where you will need to input the AT&T connection setting.

• The number to dial is: *99***1#
• The user name is: WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM
• The password is: CINGULAR1

14. Now click dial and your Samsung Focus will connect to the internet and allow your computer to share your data connection.

The set up was a little involved but there we have it. When I first connected the Focus to the PC it would not register over the dial-up connection. I continued to dial the connection and it finally connected. Once it connected for the first time it has connected every time since. To sync up with the Zune software just connect over the Wi-Fi connection and save the USB for tethering.

To find the MAC address and other connection information on the Samsung Focus and Omnia 7 just follow the same instructions for steps 1-3 except on step three dial *#1234# and a display will pop up giving all the connection information.

To access the LCD test which lets you test various sensors and even show you the digital compass follow the same steps 1-3 except on step three dial *#0*# and the LCD test will pop up.

Please note that you may be charged additional fees for tethering through your carrier. The USB tethering may not work with a SIM card that is associated with an iPhone or Blackberry data plan.

There might be some other tricks to enable it on WP7 smartphones by other phone makers beside Samsung but those are yet to be revealed.
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