Help Getting my Nexus 7 wifi-only to recognise my 3g USB dongle

[pfgpowell]

I have a Nexus 7 wifi-only. I also have a 3 3g dongle which works just fine on my laptop etc. Before getting this Nexus, I had a Momo Ployer IPS which was configured to use the dongle - there was a list of supported dongles of which mine, a Huawei dongle, was one. However, the Momo was not as good as I wanted so I sold it and got the Nexus instead.

I attached the dongle (via and adaptor), but I had no joy. My question is: is there any way I could unlock 3g capabilty on my wifi-only Nexus so that it will recognise the dongle, or does the 3g-capable Nexus have additional hardware to make a 3g connection possible. I am runnining Androide 4.2.1. Any suggstions and advice most welcome.

 

[whs37]

Hmm, that's an interesting thought. I hope you find the information. That would interest me too.

 

[Harry2]

I don't know if you dongle would work ... but did you use an USB OTG cable as adaptor?

This cable would be needed for to switch the tab in USB host mode.

Harry

 

[strollin]

I doubt you will ever get the 3G dongle to work on the Nexus 7. You could buy a broadband router that would accept your 3G dongle and create a wifi hotpsot that your N7 could connect to. Talk to the people at the 3G Store to see if they can provide you with a router that is compatible with your dongle.

 

[n4zty]

alot more is needed to make a 3g wireless dongle work on a device that is programmed only to accept wifi from its internal wireless card. could be program wise i mean if we dig deeper, even if we got the tablet to reconize the dongle how do we make it stop using its internal wireless card and instead use the dongle?? so we come to the conclusion that alot more is needed than just adapters and physical components.

 

[Deleted User]

Actually, not very much is needed at all. The N7 already supports USB Ethernet adapters natively; it figures out on its own that it can use the wired connection via USB instead of the internal wireless card.

All you really need is a driver, which clearly the previous tablet had built into its kernel. The 3G capable Nexus definitely does have additional hardware inside it but it's very likely that the kernel builds (and thus the drivers) are the same between the devices. That doesn't mean that your 3G stick will work, of course.

I don't have a good answer but it's certainly possible if a dev wanted to compile a build with the right driver.

 

[Demache]

Actually, not very much is needed at all. The N7 already supports USB Ethernet adapters natively; it figures out on its own that it can use the wired connection via USB instead of the internal wireless card.

All you really need is a driver, which clearly the previous tablet had built into its kernel. The 3G capable Nexus definitely does have additional hardware inside it but it's very likely that the kernel builds (and thus the drivers) are the same between the devices. That doesn't mean that your 3G stick will work, of course.

I don't have a good answer but it's certainly possible if a dev wanted to compile a build with the right driver.

It definitely needs a driver. However, it will most likely need to be specific for that particular dongle. Might need an app as well if there is any additional configuration needed.

Anyhow this is definitely something that would require a significant amount of time to develop. Its not impossible, but its not something your casual end user can do. So I would just suggest dropping the idea for now.

 

[palmtree5]

Since the dongle works on your laptop, did you think of using Connectify? Although, IIRC you would need to pay for the paid version for exactly what you're trying to do. This would allow you to share your laptop's internet across another connection

 

[bluemax65]

What you could try is the PPP Widget. You can get the app at the Google play store. You will need to root your device in order to install it. I have the Nexus 7 32GB WiFi. I found PPP widget app and using a dongle they sell locally (I'm in teh Caribbean) I gave it a try and it did work.

The app is free, so if it doesn't work you haven't lost anything.

 

[Durand216]

I currently use my 3G orange dongle with my Nexus 7. It was as plug and play with my USB OTG as PnP can get. takes a bit of fooling around with, but i did not add any additional drivers at all. PPP Widget is the way to go. Make sure your pin is unlocked and you load your APN correctly in the APP.