Modern smartphones of the Xiaomi brand have long ceased to be just devices for calls, becoming powerful tools for work and multimedia. Often situations when it is urgent to provide access to the global network to a desktop computer or laptop, and the Wi-Fi router is unavailable or faulty. In such cases, the most stable and quick solution is to use the smartphone as an external modem through a wired connection.
Unlike wireless access point, technology USB-The modem provides a higher data rate and significantly less battery consumption of the device, but users often find that after connecting the cable, the computer does not see the network, or the corresponding item in the menu is simply missing. This may be due to the nature of the shell. MIUI HyperOS, lack of drivers or specific operator settings.
In this article, we will analyze in detail all the stages of activation of wired Internet, consider hidden settings and methods for eliminating common errors. You will learn how to properly prepare equipment, what commands may be required for advanced users and why sometimes the standard method does not work. USB-port.
Preparation of equipment and checking operator settings
Before you go to the software part, you need to make sure that the components you're using are physically healthy. USB-cable, as many budget cords that come with cheap accessories are designed solely for charging and have no data lines. Using such a cable will only cause the phone to charge, but the computer will not recognize it as a network device.
You should also check the status of your SIM card and the terms of your plan. Some mobile operators block or limit the speed when you distribute the Internet to other devices, even if the connection is installed via a cable. Make sure that the balance is available and the data packets are active. In some cases, you may need to manually configure APN (access points) if automatic settings are not applied.
⚠️ Note: If you use a corporate SIM card or a specific tariff for IoT devices, the distribution of traffic may be prohibited at the network level.
It is recommended to check the mobile Internet on the smartphone in advance. Open your browser and make sure that the pages load quickly and steadily. If the 4G or 5G signal is weak, the speed on the connected computer will also be low, regardless of the quality of the cable. Try to be in the zone of confident reception of the signal before setting up.
Activation of the regime USB-modem through the standard menu
The basic method of enabling Internet distribution is built into the operating system interface and does not require the installation of additional software. First, connect your smartphone to your computer using a serviceable cable. On the phone screen, you may request permission to access data or choose the mode of operation of USB, but for a modem this is not always required immediately.
Then you go to the device settings. The path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same. Find the wireless partition and go to the access point functions. That's where the switch that activates the network adapter for the PC hides.
- 📱 Open Settings and select Connect and Share (or Additional Features in older versions) MIUI).
- 🔗 Click on the Wi-Fi Access Point section.
- 💻 Find a point. USB-Modem and switch the switch to active position.
If the paragraph USB-The modem is displayed in gray and not pressed, which means that the system does not see an active connection to the computer. USB-port on the computer, preferably located on the back of the system unit, as they often have better voltage stabilization.
☑️ Checklist for modem activation
Addressing the missing item USB-modem
Quite common situation when the user connects the phone, but in the settings menu item USB-The modem is either missing or inactive, often because the phone has gone into charging or file transfer mode (MTP), But you didn't initiate the network protocol, and in these cases, manual mode selection helps. USB through the developer menu or engineering menu.
First, try to switch USB mode manually. Once you connect the cable, lower the notification curtain from top to bottom. There should be a message "Charge via USB" or "USB connected." Click on it and select File Transfer (MTP) or Photo Transfer (PTP) mode. Sometimes changing the mode from "Charge Only" to any other one causes the system to rescan ports and activate available features, including a modem.
If standard methods don’t work, you may need to activate hidden features through the engineering menu available on MediaTek processors. This is a more complex method that requires caution. Enter the code ##3646633## in the dialer (code may vary depending on model and region). In the menu that opens, go to the Connectivity -> USB Comm Mode Setting tab and make sure that Preloader or Android mode is selected, not Charging only.
⚠️ Warning: Making changes to the engineering menu can cause the device to work in an unstable way. Write down the initial values before changing them so you can get everything back.
It’s also worth checking if the smartphone is enabled with Charging Only in the developer settings, clicking on the build number in the About Phone section 7 times, then in the Developer Menu, find the default USB Configuration option and select File Transfer.
Configuring drivers and working with a computer
Even with the right setup of the phone, the computer may not see the network if the operating system lacks the necessary drivers. Windows 10 and 11 usually automatically install the desired components, but in the case of Xiaomi or specific versions of Android, conflicts can arise.
To check the status of the connection, open Device Manager on PC. Find the Network Adapters section. If the modem is activated correctly, a new device will appear, such as RNDIS/Ethernet Gadget or Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device. If there are devices on the list with a yellow exclamation mark, the driver must be installed manually.
In most cases, it helps to install universal drivers. ADB or specific drivers Qualcomm/MediaTek. You can also try updating the driver through Device Manager, pointing the way to standard Microsoft drivers. RNDIS:
- In Device Manager, right-click on an unknown device.
- Select “Update driver” –> “Research for drivers on this computer.”
- Click on “Select a driver from the list of available drivers”.
- Select Microsoft from the list of manufacturers and Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device from the list of models.
What to do if the driver is not installed?
Compatibility table and frequent errors
Below is a table that will help you organize possible problems and solutions based on symptoms, which will allow you to quickly diagnose the cause of the broken compound.
| Symptoms. | Possible cause | Method of decision |
|---|---|---|
| Item USB-grey-modem | Charging cable only | Replace the cable with a high-quality data cable |
| The computer makes the connection sound, but there is no network. | RNDIS drivers not installed | Update the driver manually through Device Manager |
| The Internet is there, but the pages are not loaded | Wrong APN settings | Reset the settings of the access point to the factory |
| The phone's running out fast. | High load on the processor | Use a good conductivity cable for fast charging |
One of the things that we need to mention is the problem with antiviruses and firewalls on your computer, and sometimes the security software blocks a new network connection, classifying it as potentially dangerous, and try to temporarily turn off the firewall or add the network to exceptions to see if it's the reason for the lack of access.
💡
Use it. USB-an externally powered hub, if you plug your phone into a laptop with a dead battery, it will reduce the load on the laptop battery and provide a stable voltage for the modem.
Using ADB for Forced Activation
For advanced users who don’t have graphical interfaces, there is a method of activating the modem via the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) debugging console, which allows you to send a direct command to the system, bypassing possible MIUI bugs. This will require a computer with ADB installed and enabled USB debugging on the smartphone.
Connect your phone to your PC, open the command line in the ADB folder, and enter the following command to turn on modem modem:
adb shell svc usb setFunctions rndisThis team is forced to transfer USB-interface RNDIS (Remote Network Driver Interface Specification, which emulates the network card. If the command is successful, a new network connection should appear on the computer:
adb shell svc usb setFunctions none⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB This only works if the phone has previously been enabled "Debugging by" USB» Without this step, the computer won't be able to send a command to the device.
This method is especially useful on custom firmware or stripped-down versions of shells, where the standard switch can be hidden or removed by developers, but remember that after a phone restart, the settings may reset and the command will have to be re-entered.
💡
Use of the ADB-Commands are “heavy artillery” for cases where software bugs block the standard modem switching on, but require minimal technical skills.