Situations where a Wi-Fi router suddenly stops working or its signal is too weak in a remote room are familiar to many users. At these moments, mobile internet is the only way to save your life, but connecting a laptop or desktop PC via Bluetooth is too slow, and creating a Wi-Fi hotspot can quickly drain your smartphone battery. USB-Modem to turn your Xiaomi Redmi into a reliable wired router.
The use of cable has some undeniable advantages over wireless analogues: USB-The cable provides a secure data channel without packet loss and interference, which is critical for video calls or online games. Second, the speed of the connection through the wire is often higher than through the ether, and the load on the battery of the device is minimized, as the phone is simultaneously charged from the ports of the computer.
Owners of smartphones line Redmi and Xiaomi with a shell MIUI You may encounter some nuances when you first set up, because the settings menu here has its own specifics. Unlike "pure" Android, you need to activate a hidden switch, which by default may not be visible. USB-Modem, what drivers you may need and how to avoid typical connection errors.
⚠️ Note: Before starting the procedure, make sure that your plan includes the ability to distribute traffic. Some carriers block or charge separately the distribution of Internet to other devices, even through the Internet. USB-cable.
Equipment preparation and network settings check
Before you go to the software settings, you need to make sure that the physical health of the components. To successfully distribute the Internet, you will need the Xiaomi smartphone or Redmi, a computer with a serviceable one. USB-And most importantly, high-quality cable, and often users take the first wire they get, which is only good for charging, forgetting that you need a full twisted pair inside the insulation to transmit data.
Check if the phone is on mobile Internet. 4G/LTE It's not physically possible, and you also need to make sure that the SIM card is installed in the right slot if you have two of them on your device, and that's where you plan to consume traffic. SIM-The cards are in the network selection menu.
Connect your phone to your computer using a cable. You can see a request for USB mode on your smartphone screen. By default, the system often selects "Charge Only." You'll need to switch this setting, but take your time, first check the connection status in the settings. If the computer makes a sound of the device's connection, then the physical contact is correct.
Activation. USB-modem MIUI
Interface. MIUI, Installed on all Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, hides the function USB-The modem is up to the point of physical connection to the PC. If you don't see this item on the menu, don't panic, it's the normal behavior of the system. The algorithm is simple: plug the cable, wait for charging to start, and then go to the settings.
Open the Settings app and find the Wi-Fi Access Point section. In some versions of the firmware, it may be called Connections and Sharing or in the More category. Inside this menu, you'll see an item «USB-If the cable is connected correctly and the computer recognizes the device, this switch will become active (not grey), and you can turn it on.
After activation of the switch in the system tray (at the top of the screen), an icon will appear. USB-The network adapter will be installed in the notification area of the computer. Windows will automatically detect the new network connection and try to install the necessary drivers. Usually the process takes no more than 30 seconds, after which the wired connection icon will appear on the PC.
☑️ Verification of activation USB-modem
It is important to understand that at the time of work USB-You can't get a modem to share Wi-Fi with that phone. MIUI It blocks the access point from running simultaneously in different modes to save CPU resources. If you need to distribute traffic to multiple devices over Wi-Fi and one over cable, you will have to use third-party applications or root rights, which is beyond the standard instruction.
Installation of drivers and solve problems with Windows
Windows 10 and 11 typically automatically locates and installs the RNDIS (Remote Network Driver Interface Specification) drivers required to run an Android smartphone in modem mode. However, on older versions of Windows 7 or 8, and on Lite builds, this may not happen, in which case the computer will see the phone as an unknown device or just as a charger.
If the automatic installation fails, you will need to manually update the driver. To do this, open Device Manager (press Win + X and select the appropriate option). Find a device with a yellow exclamation mark or a device with your Xiaomi name in the Other Devices section in the list. Right click and select Update Driver.
In the window that opens, select “Search for drivers on this computer,” then “Select a driver from the list of available drivers on your computer.” In the list of hardware types, find Network Adapters. In the list of manufacturers on the left, select “Microsoft,” and on the right, find “RNDIS over Ethernet” or “USB RNDIS Device.” Once confirmed, the system will install a standard driver, and the Internet should work.
⚠️ Warning: Never download drivers for Xiaomi from third-party aggregator sites.Official drivers ADB Fastboot is available only on the developer’s website or as part of the SDK, but USB-The modem is quite enough standard Windows tools.
What if the RNDIS driver is not installed?
Access point settings and security
Thought USB-The connection is considered more secure than open Wi-Fi, the basic security settings are still worth checking. There is a settings section on your Redmi's Wi-Fi hotspot menu (SSID) and the password, although when connected through USB This data is rarely used, and may be useful if you decide to switch to wireless mode.
You should pay special attention to traffic limits. MIUI allows you to set limits on the amount of data transferred. If you have a tariff with a limited package of gigabytes, set up an alert or automatically disable the distribution when you reach a certain threshold. This will save you from unexpected expenses or locking the number.
You can also select a frequency range in the settings if you are using a hybrid mode, but for clean USB-The main thing is to make sure that the list of connected devices (if such functionality is displayed in your firmware version) is free of foreign gadgets. With wired connection, the risk of interception is minimal, but you should not lose your vigilance.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Impact on work |
|---|---|---|
| Security protocol | WPA2-PSK | Provides encryption of traffic when switching to Wi-Fi |
| Frequency range | 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz | 5GHz is faster, but 2.4GHz is more compatible with older PCs |
| Connection limit | 1 (for USB) | Limits the number of concurrent customers |
| Time out | 10 minutes. | Automatic shutdown in the absence of activity |
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The proper security and traffic limits setup in MIUI allows you to control data consumption and protects your connection from unauthorized access.
Optimization of connection speed and stability
Speed of operation through USB-The modem depends on the quality of the signal of the cellular network and the version. USB-If you're using an old cable. USB 2.0, speeds can be limited, although this is rarely a bottleneck for the mobile Internet. It's much more important to ensure good signal reception: remove the phone from metal objects, microwave ovens and other sources of interference.
In some cases, switching network mode can improve things. SIM-Select "Preferred Network Type" if you are in the area of uncertain reception. 4G, The phone can be constantly jumping between 3G and 4G, It causes a break in the connection. 4G/3G/2G (car or even just on the car 3G/2G In a bad signal, the Internet can be more stable, albeit slow.
Close background apps on your smartphone before handing out. Updating apps on Google Play, syncing photos in the cloud, or navigating a navigator can consume part of the channel, reducing speed on your computer. Do not disturb or Games in MIUI will help limit background activity and prioritize traffic for your PC.
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Use USB 3.0 ports (usually blue) on your computer to connect if your cable supports high-speed data transfer, which will reduce latency (ping) and increase connection stability.
Frequent problems and ways to fix them
Despite the simplicity of the procedure, users sometimes find that the Internet does not appear on the computer, and one of the most common reasons is the blocking by the operator. As mentioned earlier, some tariffs prohibit the distribution of traffic (Tethering). TTL (Time to Live. Android can be changed. TTL through ADB-commands, but this requires root rights or a terminal emulator to be run.
Another problem is the Windows networking conflict, if you have multiple virtual adapters installed. VPN, Android emulators or virtual machines, a new adapter RNDIS may not IP-In this case, you need to open the command line on behalf of the administrator and type in the ipconfig command. /release, and then ipconfig. /renew, Update network parameters.
It's also worth checking for antivirus and firewall. Aggressive security settings can block incoming connections from unknown network adapters. Try to temporarily disable third-party antivirus and check if access to the network has appeared. If the problem disappears, add USB-modem to the list of trusted networks.
⚠️ Attention: Do not turn off the cable USB abruptly during active transfer of large files. Although modern systems are resistant to breaks, this can lead to a software failure of the network adapter, requiring the computer to restart.
Can I give away the Internet if there is an ad blocking on the phone?
Impact of Distribution on Battery and Device
Using a smartphone as a modem puts additional strain on the processor and radio module, however, when connected via a wireless device. USB-The main risk of overheating is minimized because the computer often takes over some of the power and the cable itself removes heat better than air.
Modern lithium polymer batteries in Xiaomi devices are equipped with protection controllers that will keep the device from failing. But if you plan to pump gigabytes of data for hours, it is better to remove the case from the phone for better ventilation. Prolonged heating above 40-45 degrees Celsius can accelerate the degradation of battery capacity in the long run.
It is also worth noting that in modem mode, the phone screen usually burns, showing the connection status, which is an additional source of heat, and it is recommended to set up an automatic turn off of the screen or put the phone down on a cool surface to reduce heat load and save energy.