Tether: Sharing iPhone Internet to entire home network?

[netdog]

I'd like to sign up for Three's One Plan with unlimited data and use my iPhone to supply internet connectivity to my home network.

I know that sharing Internet connectivity to another device is fairly straightforward (though I've only done it in the past with 3rd party iPhone apps), but how would I share Internet connectivity from my iPhone to my entire home Wifi network?

FWIW, the heart of my network is an AEBS.

 

[SWODiphone]

I've never really heard of anything like that I've only been able to share wi-fi using the jail broken app MyWi...You might be able to pull something off via bluetooth but to be honest I think the internet connection would be extremely slow...

 

[xdxdaustin]

I would assume the only way to do this is do it though some manner via bluetooth or use your iPhone as the primary access point and connect a repeater to it . Its not recommended that you do this as situations such as this are what got unlimited plans phased out in the US.

 

[rritterson]

The iPhone hotspot feature supports up to 5 devices via wifi. If you want to share the network with more devices and/or hook the iPhone into your existing network, you'll need something that can bridge the iPhone to your existing setup, which an AEBS cannot do.

One option would be to connect the iPhone to a desktop Mac via USB, tether via USB, then share the Internet connection via the built in options over the Ethernet port to the AEBS WAN port, but it will be a bit ridiculous as you'll be behind triple NAT at that point. You can avoid some of the NAT by bridging interfaces on the Mac and AEBS, but then your whole network will go down if the iPhone isn't there.

The ideal thing would be a dual wifi router that can spoof an AEBS, so you could connect it to the iPhone via tethering and your AEBS via 'extending a network'. I don't think such a thing exists, but if it does, it is almost certainly a piece of software written by a single dude and released as open source.

Apple didn't intend for tethering to be used like you are trying, and it's probably because carriers don't want it to be.

 

[Applejuiced]

I think it would be easier and better to get internet for your home.
Tethering is nice to have when needed away from home to connect a device here and there but not to completelly replace a home connection IMO.
The iphone will take a lot of heat stress trying to be a router for every device in your house and its signal wont reach anywhere near as far as a normal wifi router and wont be able to handle multiple clients at once that well while still be able to use it as a cellphone etc...

 

[netdog]

Wondering, if my iPhone creates a Wifi network, couldn't my AEBS extend that network?

 

[nashmills]

I'm considering doing what has been suggested by the original poster. I was wondering if an Airport Express could bridge the gap between my iPhone 5 and my Airport Extreme. The Express picking up the wifi from the phone and sending it by cable to the Extreme.

Would this work?

 

[netdog]

I am now temporarily with GiffGaff who don't allow unlimited tethering, but I am also hoping that someone who knows will answer. My understanding is that the AEBS or AE will extend the iPhone network.

 

[nashmills]

I'm considering doing what has been suggested by the original poster. I was wondering if an Airport Express could bridge the gap between my iPhone 5 and my Airport Extreme. The Express picking up the wifi from the phone and sending it by cable to the Extreme.

Would this work?

I can confirm it works with the previous generation Airport Express which I have borrowed. Is there any reason why it wouldn't work with the latest version as I'd rather buy that?

 

[BubbaDuss]

Any updates on this?

I'm tired of paying $60 a month for 3 Mbps internet.

my iPhone is about 6 times the speed for a fraction of the price.
I think it would be a good thing that my network would lose internet when I'm not around. sure fire way to keep my stuff secure. and the cat doesn't use the net anyway.

I have 2 TiVo's, 2 laptops, an Ipad, 2 Android phones, and iPhone, 2 desktops, and a server at my house.

 

[Commy1]

I thought about this, LTE actually has a better connection than the Ultimate plan my ISP offers. But unfortunately Canadian cellular providers are terrible and paying 70$ a month only gets 1GB of data a month. (Of course there are a lot of other features but thats the only one that is relevant)