# Tether App to connect Kindle Fire HD



## Billy_Steph

Is there a reliable android app out there that will let the tether my phone and use my Kindle Fire?  I have looked over some and with the reviews they look like a hit or miss thing.


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## Ann in Arlington

I doubt it.  The Fire isn't set up for that.  True tethering usually means that it connects via USB and the port on the Fire is not designed to work that way.

If you can create a wifi hotspot with the phone, though, the Fire will be able to connect to it.


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## Billy_Steph

Ok,  I have looked around and I see something like FoxFi. Does anyone have any experience with an app like this and the Fire HD? Its not something that I would need often just nice to know its there if it works.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Billy_Steph said:


> Ok, I have looked around and I see something like FoxFi. Does anyone have any experience with an app like this and the Fire HD? Its not something that I would need often just nice to know its there if it works.


It shows as not compatible with either the original Fire or the Fire HD8.9...

Another one, Easy Tether also shows as not compatible with the Fire HD...

Betsy


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare)

Verizon is my carrier for my smartphone and I tether it to my Fire HD with no problem or third party app. It's only 3G but seems to work fine. It does cost an extra $20/month to enable the mobile hotspot on the phone.

I guess if you find a cheap app that does it for less, I'd be interested!


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## Ann in Arlington

Billy_Steph said:


> Ok, I have looked around and I see something like FoxFi. Does anyone have any experience with an app like this and the Fire HD? Its not something that I would need often just nice to know its there if it works.


I'm not clear what you want to do. Do you wan to physically link the phone and the Fire? I doubt there's anything that will enable that.

ANY app that allows you to create a wifi hotspot with your phone should work. The Fire doesn't care, generally, what hotspot it is. I have Verizon and can do a hotspot with that. Others have used MiFi. My son has an app, PDANet, that has some add on that lets his phone generate a hotspot and he can connect his kindles. The Fire, however, does not have the hardware required to _generate_ a hotspot, which is probably why those apps say not compatible.

So, maybe I'm not understanding, but I think what you need is an app for your phone, presuming _it_ has the necessary hardware.


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## Billy_Steph

Ann, I think I was more confused than you were.  I understand what to ask now after reading your post.  Looking for an app to use my phone as a wifi hotspot without the ermm extra cost.


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## JimC1946

Lursa (aka 9MMare) said:


> Verizon is my carrier for my smartphone and I tether it to my Fire HD with no problem or third party app. It's only 3G but seems to work fine. It does cost an extra $20/month to enable the mobile hotspot on the phone.


Verizon charges $20 a month to enable a mobile hotspot? I thought there was some kind of court ruling a few months ago that affected Verizon's hotspot charges.


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## Billy_Steph

I think the ruling was there is nothing Verizon can do about 3rd party app for HotSpots or tethering but they can still charge their 20$ if you choose to hotspot through them.


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## Ann in Arlington

Billy_Steph said:


> Ann, I think I was more confused than you were. I understand what to ask now after reading your post. Looking for an app to use my phone as a wifi hotspot without the ermm extra cost.


You can try PDANet -- that's for Android. . . and there's another part of it that allows for the WiFi. My son had good luck with it, though he did mention the last time he tried to use it it didn't work. 'Could be because we're grandfathered into the unlimited Verizon data plan and they are allowed to restrict hotspotting to a company plan.


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## Brodys Mom

I use FoxFi and it works great. I used it with my 1st Fire and now my new Fire HD. I have Verizon.


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare)

Billy_Steph said:


> I think the ruling was there is nothing Verizon can do about 3rd party app for HotSpots or tethering but they can still charge their 20$ if you choose to hotspot through them.


Oooo! Apparently more research is required.

Thanks.


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## Xopher

I use an app called WiFi Tether. Your phone has to be rooted to use it, but it has several configurations that help with tablets. Sometimes, tablets have issues with ad-hoc networks.


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## Jesslyn

Billy_Steph said:


> Ann, I think I was more confused than you were. I understand what to ask now after reading your post. Looking for an app to use my phone as a wifi hotspot without the ermm extra cost.


To do that you need a rooted phone with an appropriate app from the Google Play store (I certainly haven't seen one in the Amazon store) and it would have nothing to do with the Fire. Once you'd rooted and acquired the appropriate app, your Fire would connect to your hotspot like any other wifi connection.


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## Ann in Arlington

Jesslyn said:


> To do that you need a rooted phone with an appropriate app from the Google Play store (I certainly haven't seen one in the Amazon store) and it would have nothing to do with the Fire. Once you'd rooted and acquired the appropriate app, your Fire would connect to your hotspot like any other wifi connection.


Actually, there are a number of tethering apps in the Amazon store:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_6?url=search-alias%3Dmobile-apps&field-keywords=pdanet&sprefix=PDAnet%2Caps%2C209

No, they won't work on a Fire. . . and show as not compatible. . . .but do work with other android devices. So if you have an android phone that you have linked to the Amazon appstore you could get it.

They do, technically, root the device, I believe, but it's a painless sort of thing. And the better ones are designed to sort of 'unroot' it if you remove the app later, I believe. Not sure about that. . . . . Though I see that Fox Fi actually indicates that it provides wifi tethering without rooting. AND it's free, and is fairly well rated.


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## Jesslyn

Ann in Arlington said:


> Actually, there are a number of tethering apps in the Amazon store:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_6?url=search-alias%3Dmobile-apps&field-keywords=pdanet&sprefix=PDAnet%2Caps%2C209
> 
> No, they won't work on a Fire. . . and show as not compatible. . . .but do work with other android devices. So if you have an android phone that you have linked to the Amazon appstore you could get it.
> 
> They do, technically, root the device, I believe, but it's a painless sort of thing. And the better ones are designed to sort of 'unroot' it if you remove the app later, I believe. Not sure about that. . . . . Though I see that Fox Fi actually indicates that it provides wifi tethering without rooting. AND it's free, and is fairly well rated.


FoxFi may not be available for ATT/Sprint phones (they've presumably blocked it), same for Tethering Widget on Verizon, Easy Tether is for a *PC *tether via USB and USB Tether pretty much just sends you to your phone's tethering settings, but will not enable tethering if you don't pay for it. IMO, ou are going to encounter the same issues and limitations on most of the apps in the Amazon store.

Your best bet would probably be FoxFi, however if you are lucky enough to have a phone with the Jellybean OS, it will not work.


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## Ann in Arlington

Jesslyn said:


> FoxFi may not be available for ATT/Sprint phones (they've presumably blocked it), same for Tethering Widget on Verizon, Easy Tether is for a *PC *tether via USB and USB Tether pretty much just sends you to your phone's tethering settings, but will not enable tethering if you don't pay for it. IMO, ou are going to encounter the same issues and limitations on most of the apps in the Amazon store.
> 
> Your best bet would probably be FoxFi, however if you are lucky enough to have a phone with the Jellybean OS, it will not work.


Well, it's easy to tell if it'll work on your phone. . .when you're in the Amazon store it says right under the 'buy' button which of your registered devices are compatible.

Mind you, that doesn't mean your provider won't block it, but the same is true for any tethering app you get from anywhere except your provider!


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## Billy_Steph

OK, loaded FoxFi the free version for now.  I can not say how it is with the Fire yet, still waiting on Santa to drop-em down the chimney. With that being said, I connect my laptop to Foxfi on my Verizon phone and it is running faster than my home dsl! If this works with the Fire, and I do not see why it wouldn't this is gonna be awesome!


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## Billy_Steph

FoxFi work great with my Fire for WiFi  .  Its a lot faster than my dsl connection. Go figure.


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