Hello everyone,
I’ve tested the USB tethering function with several different phones. I hope this table is helpful to some of you.
If anyone has tested USB tethering with phones that are not listed here, I’d really appreciate it if you could share your results.
If you have some time, please post the table in the board internal format, so that it can be (if needed) copy-pasted and edited/modified.
Press on the + button in the top row on a new post and then choose "insert table", a (rather rough) worksheet should open and you can paste in it the data.
Example here:
Wifi 4-address mode (station bridge) between wifi-qcom and wifi-mediatek - #6 by rextended
Thanks to MikroNik's provided table, we can now add an easily editable/upgradeable table:
| RouterOS | Tested Function | Testdevice | OS | Operational | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.24.4 |  |
USB tethering support using IOS device | Iphone 15 pro max | IOS 27 | Yes | R5467 |
| 7.23.7 | |
USB tethering support using IOS device | Iphone 14 pro | IOS 27 | Yes | boingolover |
| 7.23.3 |  |
USB tethering support using IOS device | Iphone 15 pro | IOS 26.6 | No | R5467 |
| 7.22.1 | |
USB tethering support using IOS device | Iphone 14 pro | IOS 26.3.1 | No | MikroNik |
| 7.22.1 | |
USB tethering support using iOS device | Iphone 17 | IOS 26 | Yes | MikroNik |
| 7.22.1 | |
USB tethering support using iOS device | Iphone 14 | IOS 26 | No | MikroNik |
| 7.22.1 | |
USB tethering support using iOS device | Iphone 15 | IOS 26 | No | MikroNik |
| 7.22.1 | |
USB tethering support using iOS device | Iphone 16 | IOS 26 | Yes | MikroNik |
| 7.22.1 | |
USB tethering support using Android device | Honor 9 | Android 9 | Yes | MikroNik |
| 7.22.1 | |
USB tethering support using Android device | Pixel 6 | Android 16 | Yes | MikroNik |
| 7.22.1 | |
USB tethering support using Android device | Samsung Galaxy A54 | Android 16 | Yes | MikroNik |
| 7.22.1 | |
USB tethering support using Android device | Nothing Phone 2a | Android 16 | Yes | MikroNik |
| 7.22.1 | |
USB tethering support using Android device | Pixel 8 pro | Android 16 | Yes | MikroNik |
| 7.16.2 | |
USB tethering support using IOS device | Iphone 17 | IOS 26 | No | MikroNik |
| 7.16.2 | |
USB tethering support using Android device | Pixel 6 | Android 16 | Yes | MikroNik |
Thanks for the info! Here’s the table:
| RouterOS Version | Tested Function | Testdevice | OS | Operational | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.22.1 | USB tethering support using IOS device | Iphone 14 pro | IOS 26.3.1 | No | ||
| 7.22.1 | USB tethering support using iOS device | Iphone 17 | IOS 26 | Yes | ||
| 7.22.1 | USB tethering support using iOS device | Iphone 14 | IOS 26 | No | ||
| 7.22.1 | USB tethering support using iOS device | Iphone 15 | IOS 26 | No | ||
| 7.22.1 | USB tethering support using iOS device | Iphone 16 | IOS 26 | Yes | ||
| 7.16.2 | USB tethering support using IOS device | Iphone 17 | IOS 26 | No | ||
| 7.22.1 | USB tethering support using Android device | Honor 9 | Android 9 | Yes | ||
| 7.22.1 | USB tethering support using Android device | Pixel 6 | Android 16 | Yes | ||
| 7.22.1 | USB tethering support using Android device | Samsung Galaxy A54 | Android 16 | Yes | ||
| 7.22.1 | USB tethering support using Android device | Nothing Phone 2a | Android 16 | Yes | ||
| 7.22.1 | USB tethering support using Android device | Pixel 8 pro | Android 16 | Yes | ||
| 7.16.2 | USB tethering support using Android device | Pixel 6 | Android 16 | Yes |
You can omit "channel" column ... because it's only temporary label to a certain ROS version. E.g. 7.16.2 is not stable any more, it's only "some" version. And 7.22.1 will cease to be stable as soon as 7.23 reaches "release" (as opposed to testing) state.
iOS 26.6 and iPhone 15 Pro Max.... The iphone is showing the double green circle tethered icon but the HAP ac2 running 7.23.3 (configured afresh using QuickSet HomeAP Dual) lte1 interface is not able to get an IP address... Endlessly "searching".
At this point should this setup be compatible? Anything I should try?
Would appreciate if someone could offer more information on this. My understanding, as per the March 12 post here: iPhone as a USB LTE modem on Mikrotik - #10 by umyz is that tethering "just works". No special tweaks or configurations required. The forum thread we are in now suggests that on April 27th not yet working for all iPhones. AFAIK there's no Microtik documentation on this feature. So I don't know what it means when iPhone pairs with HAP ac2 but doesn't get an IP address? Is it a routeros bug, requires further work? Is the HAP ac2 incapable? Is no IP a common failure mode or unusual? This is a call for someone with experience.... Thanks!
Used the sniffer tool to capture the exchange with the iPhone. Think it shows that the hap ac2 is requesting IP but that the iPhone DHCP server is not responding, possibly not even having started. My guess is that this means the 7.23.3 driver is missing a trick that would make it properly compatible with this phone.
[admin@Travel-hAP] /tool/sniffer> set filter-interface=lte1 memory-limit=1000KiB
[admin@Travel-hAP] /tool/sniffer> start
[admin@Travel-hAP] /tool/sniffer> stop
[admin@Travel-hAP] /tool/sniffer> packet print
Columns: TIME, INTERFACE, SRC-ADDRESS, DST-ADDRESS, IP-PROTOCOL, SIZE, CPU
TIME INTERFACE SRC-ADDRESS DST-ADDRESS IP-PRO SIZE CPU
0 4.182 lte1 0.0.0.0:68 (bootpc) 255.255.255.255:67 (bootps) udp 342 2
1 4.183 lte1 450 3
2 4.997 lte1 250 3
3 5.188 lte1 0.0.0.0:68 (bootpc) 255.255.255.255:67 (bootps) udp 342 2
4 5.188 lte1 450 3
5 6.185 lte1 0.0.0.0:68 (bootpc) 255.255.255.255:67 (bootps) udp 342 0
6 6.186 lte1 450 3
7 7.556 lte1 0.0.0.0:68 (bootpc) 255.255.255.255:67 (bootps) udp 342 0
8 7.557 lte1 450 3
9 12.022 lte1 0.0.0.0:68 (bootpc) 255.255.255.255:67 (bootps) udp 342 0
10 12.023 lte1 450 3
11 15.099 lte1 0.0.0.0:68 (bootpc) 255.255.255.255:67 (bootps) udp 342 0
12 15.101 lte1 450 3
13 16.665 lte1 fe80::c4c1:7dff:fe8e:a466 ff02::2 icmpv6 62 2
14 16.934 lte1 250 3
15 20.222 lte1 0.0.0.0:68 (bootpc) 255.255.255.255:67 (bootps) udp 342 0
16 20.223 lte1 450 3
17 26.342 lte1 0.0.0.0:68 (bootpc) 255.255.255.255:67 (bootps) udp 342 0
18 26.343 lte1 450 3
19 29.73 lte1 0.0.0.0:68 (bootpc) 255.255.255.255:67 (bootps) udp 342 0
20 29.731 lte1 450 3
21 35.962 lte1 0.0.0.0:68 (bootpc) 255.255.255.255:67 (bootps) udp 342 0
22 35.963 lte1 450 3
23 38.752 lte1 0.0.0.0:68 (bootpc) 255.255.255.255:67 (bootps) udp 342 0
24 38.753 lte1 450 3
[admin@Travel-hAP] /tool/sniffer>
If DHCP server should be running on iPhone but it doesn't, so what trick from ROS you think of?
How DHCP client is supposed to start DHCP server?
in this comment they say Mode 3 has no DHCP. usb: Revert default mode back to 1 by httpstorm · Pull Request #242 · libimobiledevice/usbmuxd · GitHub
when ROS detects iPhone it can send a message to select Mode (0, 1, 2, 3, 4...) for iPhone to operate in. Not all these modes have DHCP server on USB interface.... so maybe phone is in the wrong mode?
It sould work out of the box. ROS could do tweaks but what about any simple IoT device?
I think the only devices that tether to iPhone by USB are computers (and the iPad tablet). Windows installs apple devices drivers. Linux has libraries. Some routers are doing / trying to do it now...
Well, the idea behind the posted table is to show that ONLY SOME RouterOS versions AND ONLY SOME iPhones work.
At the moment:
7.22.1 (and possibly higher) work with iPhone 16 and 17.
My fault. I understood this thread to be about debugging. It seems tethering is not priority for now (from a sysadmin perspective makes sense, on the other hand some chinese companies have done well pushing this). Since security and configurability my 1 & 2 priorities => got to be ROS and have just ordered an hAP be lite to try to maximise throughput from an iPhone wifi hotspot. No need for USB data! (Turns out the hap ac2 was really bad at this (old hardware old driver), seeing >200Mbps on iPhone becomes <50Mbps on device connected to router.) Thanks a lot
So, we can add your data point?
| RouterOS Version | Tested Function | Testdevice | OS | Operational | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.23.3 | USB tethering support using IOS device | Iphone 15 pro | IOS 26.6 | No |
Sure, please do. Btw. a workaround I tried was to USB tether iPhone to macbook pro, then use Internet Sharing (in system settings) to share the connection over USB-ethernet adapter with the hAP ac2. This worked really well. Except that it was unstable (after a few minutes the computer would lose internet, though it would continue to share with router. Had to unplug /plug ethernet adapter to refresh.) Seems that this instability is a known thing.
rb5009 running routerOS 7.23.7 tethering to an iphone 14 Pro on IOS 27 is working on AT&T. Only just today got around to trying it because of a fiber cut in my neighborhood.
Datapoint added to the table.
The question remains whether it is the RouterOS 7.23.7 or the IOS 27 that changes something-
RBD52G-5HacD2HnD firmware: 7.24.4
RouterOS 7.24.4
iOS 27 / iphone15 Pro Max
Tethering is working....