Toph01

PDANET FREE EDITION



PdaNet free edition is an application that allows users to tether their phone's data connection to the selected PC or Mac - with no root access needed! It supports USB Tether and Bluethooth DUN, and, according to the developers, it will support any Android device (however Samsung devices require an additional driver).

Setup:


image credit: lifehacker

I found the setup of this application to be stunningly simple. The application provides all the directions necessary to connect your to your machine. The first PC I connected this to was a Windows desktop running XP. I followed the steps exactly as the app informed. I was amazed when not only PdaNet instructed to download and install a program that would allow tethering on the machine, but it deep linked my browser and instantly downloaded the install files needed. Since I was already prepared with my USB transfer cable, I simply connected my phone to the machine I was working on, transferred the install file, ran the install, and followed the rest of the instructions presented on screen. The ease of setting up this application set the pace for the rest of my experience with it.

Performance:

The application that runs on the device itself is fairly simple. With two buttons, one for USB Tether and one for Bluetooth DUN, there isn't much to it. Performance is decent on 3g, but I wouldn't advise trying it on EDGE unless there is plenty of time to watch loading screens. When testing on T-Mobile's EDGE network, I found that there was plenty of times that my connection seemed to be dropped, but within a few seconds it seemed to reassemble itself and I could return to browsing happiness.

Summary:

This application just works. And in the Android Marketplace - that's a good thing! June Fabrics Technology Inc. takes the intense and rigorous process to root your phone for tethering, and simplifies it for the everyday user. This is a must have for anyone needing a quick and simple connection solution.

More Info:

Developers Site
LifeHacker Article