[Nottingham] Android update kills USB internet tether?!

[Martin]

Folks,

I've been a happy camper for a while now using the USB internet
sharing feature of Android 2.1 on a smartphone to get my netbook
online. All good and automatic until...

An update to 2.1 has been sneaked on without my confirmation. The
first I knew of it was when the smartphone spontaneously rebooted
itself. Thereafter, although the USB tethering still appears to go
through the motions, there's actually no link out to the internet for
DNS or pings or anything else. Surfing on the phone itself still works
fine. It's still Android 2.1 but with an update listed.

Looks like I'm not the only one to have hit this...

So, from the myriad various comments, is it:

Fixed by doing a factory reset?

Fixed by upgrading to Android 2.2?

USB tethering has been deliberately blocked by some/all mobile phone operators?

Workarounds are to use such as AziLink and VPN, or to root your device
for various other utilities to do the connecting...


So... Anyone know what the latest story is?

Cheers,
Martin


AziLink is an application that allows USB tethering for Android-based
phones, without requiring root access.
http://code.google.com/p/azilink/

How to Tether your Android to Ubuntu(or Fedora) GNU+Linux for Internet
Connectivity
http://www.humans-enabled.com/2009/12/how-to-tether-your-verizon-droid-as.html

Tethering your HTC Magic Android Phone in Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope)
http://www.asgrim.com/2009/07/24/tethering-your-htc-magic-android-phone-in-ubuntu-9-04-jaunty-jackalope/

Yeah I got a reply from HTC (below) & so did a factory reset. It HAS
fixed the problem.
http://androidforums.com/hero-support-troubleshooting/163904-internet-sharing-tethering-problem-2-1-a.html#post1532521
(But follow the thread further...)

tethering from android phone to slackware
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/tethering-from-android-phone-to-slackware-801127/


For Mandriva at least, the USB tether connection is picked up
automatically without any need for any of the above hacks...