Hello from Australia,
I currently access the internet over my phones wifi hotspot. I would like to find a router I can connect my phone to with usb tethering, which can then provide my home network with ethernet and wifi internet access. And access amongst devices connected to the router. Is there a Mikrotik Router suitable for this purpose ?
Best Regards,
Stephen.
Most devices with a USB Port should do.
Android has been supported for a while. iPhone tethering since 7.21 iirc.
Im guessing speeds are limited and an all in one device is the preferred way. I'm adding my local prices just as an indicator
I would consider hap ax S (80€). Containers are limited though.
But you could also get something like an hap ax3. (130€)
Or you get lucky and the new hap be3 media (160€) ships by the time you want your router 
On the other hand if you can get a steal on an hap ac2 or ac3 it would also work. With limitations though.
What are the speeds you can achieve over your phone, currently and in the future.
That is at least the starting point for considering which device to purchase.
Whatever you get ensure it has arm64 processor as that is what MT is supporting.
Have you considered removing the phone from the equation and getting an LTE type device?
Thats a good question.
I did test at speedtest.net and got 27.05 Mbps
When i use up my data allowance my speed drops down to 150mbps this is fine as i rarely download anything like a movie and i dont play onlune games. Ive never had a need for super fast internet at home. My idea is i plug the phone into the router via usb for usb tethering. I hope the router will also charge the phone ?
Then i guess i have use the router interface to make the phone give internet. Maybe i have to turn on an ap featuer.
Cheapest arm64 router with AP is the hapax2.
OP is looking for usb tethering support.
Drats thanks, guess it is the hapax3 then.
I may be too cheap, but if all your can get is 27 Mbps or so, you could look for an older series device, AC.
They can often be found used for little money, resold by people (lucky bastards) that were reached by fibre.
or perhaps a hapac lite?
https://mikrotik.com/product/RB952Ui-5ac2nD#product_specification
If that is a satisfactory speed then I would not worry too much about future-proofing with ARM64.
mAP ~$80 (AUD) at wisp or Duxtel, + Comsol USB-C to Ethernet adapter $29 at Officeworks or wherever.
This will run current v7 LTS and is much more compact than alternatives mentioned. It won’t charge the phone.
In fact for that speed there is no need to plug into the phone at all.
Use a mAP Lite ($50) with primary radio linked to the iPhone and virtual radio AP for devices. As well as being directly cheaper it saves on the adapter. It has enough wireless capability to handle both up and down stream at 27 Mb/s.
I'm with the hAPax3 if you buying today. It has external antennas for Wi-Fi so should be significantly better than smartphone's Wi-Fi. It runs ARM64 so all new features should work.
The hAPax2 does not have a USB port, so that's not going to work. But an older hAPac2 is still a good unit for simple uses, and might be able to find a good deal on them. The issue with them is they limited flash, so you really are limited on what you can run it in future and the Wi-Fi is trickier to setup (since you have upgrade drivers). But if what you need is Wi-Fi and few ports it be okay.
If you wanted to wait, and want to spend more to get WI-Fi 7 support, there is the hAP be3:
https://box.mikrotik.com/f/98dcbb38fb5f4cf29961/
I believe the hAPbe3's are shipping in couple or so months. So you'd have to wait for it and it ~US$70 more than the hAPax3.
Any reason why hap ax s is not suggested? It has usb 2.0 port and sfp port also, incase in future if he needs for ftth(gpon sfp) ?
Compare the local prices and your needs. You do not actually need USB connection and it will be more convenient not to have to plug in for internet to start.
Someone who is happy with 27 Mb/s might not want to spend 5x on future-proofing against WiFi 7 or fibre throughout the home. In Australia, for home use there is no such thing as a direct fibre connection to your router. FTTH already hits an adapter to ethernet provisioned by the NBN in the wall box, not under an ISP’s control nor yours.
Best alternative to a mAP / mAP Lite would be the cheapest dual-band system which I think in current systems is a hAP ac or hAP ax2
Why? A directly cabled phone via USB is not going to add Wi-Fi latency or potential for interference. I suppose you're not wrong you could bridge Wi-Fi to hotspot, but if the purpose as internet source, and does not mind cabling it when needed... USB be better. Or at least have that option. Just my opinion.
Good question. I have never used one, so I forget about. But that is lower cost and has USB (if needed). It does use a different Wi-Fi chipset from other MikroTik, so verdict is out long term on it but likely minor concern.
As note if goal is cost and need to bridge a phone only... @phascogale is not wrong, you can go pretty cheap. Even a starlink or something like still be okay on any of choices. So if 1Gb/s internet is not possible, then even the hAPax3 may be over kill (although likely has greater range than other mentioned choices). Now, if you plan to run multiple VPNs or containers, you'd likely want something with ARM64 CPU.
So the router can pickup my phones wifi hotspot and share the internet with its 2nd radio ? That would be convenient.
Yes.
Although I talked about using virtual radios with small single band devices, configuration and use is easier with something like a hAP ax2 which is many times faster than the low-cost mAP option in both radio and processor terms.
As I see it, the hap Ax S will be the right device but - at the moment - it has still too many quirks to be recommended lightly, particularly to someone that has not some experience with Mikrotik devices, I am pretty sure that in a few months the little issues will be solved, but right now?
An (old) hAP AC2 (or even a hap Ac lite) provides enough speed for the OP uses and - at least here (Italy/Europe) can often be found used for 40-50 € or less including shipping, but even new will be around 80 €.
I'm still stuck on keeping the USB as a option... The hAPaxS is roughly same cost and has USB, but not as fast CPU. But OP does not need a big CPU, while USB might be handy.
I like the mAPs too, but their Wi-Fi is likely not much better than the phone's existing hotspot. If goal was just to convert phone hotspot into ethernet, the mAP be perfect for that. If goal is to extend the phone's Wi-Fi further, the mAP may not be best.
I’m with @jaclaz on this one. Here in Croatia you can find a new ac2 for as low as 70 euros new. But if you can stretch your legs then go for ax3 and you will be set for a long time.