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When an Android phone’s USB tethering connection fails to provide internet access on a Windows PC, the failure almost always stems from one of four points: a charge-only USB cable that lacks data pins, the USB tethering toggle resetting on the phone after each disconnect, a carrier plan that blocks or throttles hotspot traffic, or a misbound Remote NDIS (RNDIS) network adapter driver in Windows Device Manager. You can restore the connection by verifying that your mobile plan permits tethering, connecting the phone directly to a motherboard USB port with a data-capable cable, switching on USB tethering in Android's Hotspot menu, and—if Windows still fails to recognize the network—manually assigning Microsoft's built-in Remote NDIS driver (Rndismp.sys) in Device Manager. The steps below apply to Windows 10 (version 22H2) and Windows 11 (versions 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, and 26H2). Note that on Home and Pro editions, 23H2 and 24H2 have reached end of updates; the currently supported releases are 25H2, 26H1, and 26H2.

A smartphone connects to a Windows laptop via USB, with the Remote NDIS network adapter shown enabled. Prerequisites and Compatibility​

Before modifying Windows network or driver settings, confirm that your hardware, phone configuration, and mobile service meet the baseline requirements for USB tethering:

  • Supported operating systems: Windows 10 and Windows 11 include Microsoft's in-box Remote NDIS miniport driver (Rndismp.sys) and USB Network Control Model driver (UsbNcm.sys) inside the local \Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository directory. You do not need an existing internet connection on the PC to download or install these class drivers. (Note that according to Google Android Help, macOS computers cannot tether with Android over USB natively; this guide applies strictly to Windows PCs.)
  • Administrator privileges: Viewing device properties is available to standard users, but updating, rolling back, or reinstalling the network adapter in Device Manager requires a local Administrator account.
  • An active mobile data or repeatable Wi-Fi connection: Verify on the phone itself that mobile data is enabled and can load web pages outside your local network. Some recent Android phones can also share an active Wi-Fi connection over USB, whereas older devices only bridge cellular data.
  • Carrier plan support: According to Google's Android documentation, mobile carriers can restrict, meter separately, or charge extra for tethering and hotspot usage. If the USB tethering switch on your phone immediately turns itself back off or displays an account authentication notice, your mobile plan likely blocks tethering at the provisioning level.

Step 1: Verify Mobile Plan Eligibility and Phone Tethering Settings​

Android does not keep USB tethering enabled permanently. Every time you unplug the USB cable or restart the phone, Android resets the USB connection mode back to charging only.

  • Disconnect the phone from your PC, turn off Wi-Fi on the phone temporarily to test pure cellular routing, and open a browser on the phone to confirm your mobile data connection is working.
  • Test whether your carrier plan allows tethering by swiping down from the top of the Android screen to open Quick Settings, then touching and holding the Hotspot tile (on Android 14 and newer).
  • Standard Android / Google Pixel path: Open Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.
  • Samsung Galaxy path: Open Settings > Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.
  • Briefly toggle on Wi-Fi hotspot (or Mobile Hotspot). If a carrier message appears stating that your plan does not support mobile hotspot or requires a plan upgrade, USB tethering will also be blocked or restricted from routing traffic. Turn Wi-Fi hotspot back off once you have confirmed your plan permits sharing.
  • Check if a VPN app or custom Private DNS setting is active on your phone. Many Android builds do not route tethered USB traffic through an active on-device VPN tunnel, which can leave the PC connected to the phone with a "No internet" status. Temporarily disconnect any phone VPN while troubleshooting.

Step 2: Test the USB Cable and Port for Data Capability​

If the USB tethering toggle in your phone's settings remains grayed out when plugged into the PC, the physical USB link is carrying 5V power without establishing a USB data connection.

  • Unplug the phone from any unpowered USB hub, keyboard pass-through port, or monitor dock, and plug it directly into a USB-A or USB-C port connected to the PC motherboard (on a desktop PC, use the rear I/O ports).
  • Unlock the Android phone's screen. Many Android configurations block new USB data enumeration while the lock screen is active.
  • Look for a system notification at the top of the phone's screen indicating a USB connection (such as Charging this device via USB).
  • If no USB notification appears on the phone, and Windows plays no device-connection chime, replace the cable with a verified data-transfer USB cable. Inexpensive cables bundled with power banks, desk lamps, or small accessories frequently omit the D+ and D- data wires entirely, making USB tethering impossible even though the phone charges normally.
  • Once connected with a working data cable, enable tethering on the phone:
  • Swipe down from the top of the Android screen, touch and hold Hotspot, and turn on USB tethering.
  • Alternatively, go to Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering (or Settings > Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering on Samsung devices) and toggle on USB tethering.

When you toggle USB tethering on, the phone disconnects its standard media/charging USB profile and re-enumerates on the Windows USB bus as a virtual Ethernet network adapter.

Step 3: Inspect and Repair the Network Adapter in Windows Device Manager​

When Android enables USB tethering, Windows should automatically load its built-in Remote NDIS class driver (Rndismp.sys) or, on newer phones that use the USB-IF Network Control Model protocol, the USB NCM driver (UsbNcm.sys). If Windows assigns the wrong generic USB composite driver, or if an older driver binding is corrupted, the device will fail to start.

Warning: Modifying or uninstalling the wrong item under Network adapters in Device Manager can disconnect your primary Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet controller. Ensure your phone is plugged in with USB tethering turned on, and only modify the adapter that corresponds to the phone.

Locate the USB Tethering Adapter​

  • With the phone connected and USB tethering switched on, right-click the Start button (or press Win + X) and select Device Manager.
  • Expand the Network adapters category.
  • Look for an entry named Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device, Remote NDIS Compatible Device, USB RNDIS Adapter, or UsbNcm Host Device. (On Samsung devices, it may appear as Samsung Mobile USB Remote NDIS Network Device.)
  • If the adapter does not appear under Network adapters, check the Other devices category or Universal Serial Bus controllers for an entry marked with a yellow exclamation point (such as RNDIS or Android).
  • Verify the adapter is actually your phone by toggling USB tethering off on your phone for a moment: the corresponding entry in Device Manager will disappear immediately, and reappear when you toggle USB tethering back on.

Manually Assign the Built-in Microsoft Remote NDIS Driver​

If the adapter shows a yellow warning icon, reports a Code 10 / Code 28 error in its properties, appears under Other devices, or connects without passing traffic on a standard RNDIS phone, bind it manually to Microsoft's in-box driver:

  • In Device Manager, right-click the phone's tethering entry (such as Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device or the unknown RNDIS device) and select Update driver.
  • Click Browse my computer for drivers.
  • Click Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
  • If you opened this wizard from Other devices, select Network adapters from the hardware category list and click Next.
  • Clear the Show compatible hardware checkbox if it is present.
  • In the Manufacturer pane on the left, scroll to and select Microsoft. (Both Microsoft and Microsoft Corporation may appear in the list; the RNDIS class drivers are typically listed under Microsoft.)
  • In the Model pane on the right, select Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device (or Remote NDIS Compatible Device if the first option is already active and failing) and click Next.
  • If Windows displays an Update Driver Warning dialog stating that it cannot verify whether the driver is compatible with your hardware, click Yes to continue.
  • Click Close once Windows finishes installing the driver.

Clean Up Stale or Numbered Adapter Instances​

Windows creates a new network adapter instance (#2, #3, and so on) when you plug the phone into different USB ports or tether different phones. If a previous instance is stuck, uninstalling the device forces Windows to rebuild the network binding cleanly:

  • In Device Manager, click View on the top menu bar and select Show hidden devices.
  • Expand Network adapters.
  • Right-click the active Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device (and any grayed-out duplicate #2 or #3 Remote NDIS entries) and select Uninstall device.
  • Leave any checkbox to delete driver software unchecked (if shown), as the driver is an in-box Windows component, and click Uninstall.
  • Unplug the USB cable from the PC, reconnect it, and turn on USB tethering on the phone. Windows will re-detect the hardware and create a clean network adapter automatically.

Verification of Success​

Once the cable and driver are working properly, Windows treats the tethered phone as a wired Ethernet connection rather than a wireless network. Verify that the connection is active and routing traffic properly:

  • Check the system tray in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar. The network status icon should change from a disconnected globe to a wired computer monitor/Ethernet icon.
  • Confirm the connection status in Settings:
  • On Windows 11: Open Settings > Network & internet. The top summary banner will show Ethernet (or Network #) with the status Connected, and the Ethernet category page will display the active IPv4 address assigned by your phone.
  • On Windows 10: Open Settings > Network & Internet > Status. The status header will read You're connected to the Internet via an Ethernet connection.
  • For a definitive routing check, press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter to open Command Prompt. Run the following command to inspect your adapters:
    ipconfig /all
    Locate the Ethernet adapter whose Description reads Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device (or UsbNcm Host Device). Confirm that DHCP Enabled is Yes, an IPv4 Address (commonly in the 192.168.42.x or 192.168.x.x private range) and Default Gateway are populated, and that running ping 1.1.1.1 returns replies.

Alternate Method: Tether Over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth When USB Hardware Fails​

If your PC's USB ports are damaged, your only available cable is charge-only, or corporate endpoint protection blocks USB network adapters, you can share the same mobile connection wirelessly without the RNDIS USB driver:

Wi-Fi Hotspot (Fastest Wireless Option)​

  • On your Android phone, swipe down from the top of the screen, touch and hold Hotspot, and turn on Wi-Fi hotspot.
  • Tap the hotspot name or configuration menu on the phone to view the network name (SSID) and password.
  • On your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC, click the network icon in the taskbar notification area, select your phone's hotspot SSID from the Wi-Fi list, click Connect, and enter the hotspot password.

Bluetooth Personal Area Network (Low Battery Consumption)​

  • On your Android phone, swipe down, touch and hold Hotspot, and turn on Bluetooth tethering.
  • Pair your phone and PC:
  • On Windows 11: Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices, turn on Bluetooth, click Add device > Bluetooth, and complete pairing with your phone.
  • On Windows 10: Open Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices, turn on Bluetooth, click Add Bluetooth or other device > Bluetooth, and pair your phone.
  • Press Win + R, type control printers, and press Enter (or open the Bluetooth system tray icon and select Join a Personal Area Network).
  • Right-click your paired Android phone, select Connect using, and click Access point.

Troubleshooting Common Failure Modes and Rollback​

If the Remote NDIS adapter is installed and free of Device Manager warnings but your connection still drops or fails to browse the web, check these specific Windows failure modes:

  • Symptom: USB tethering disconnects randomly after a few minutes of inactivity.
    Windows USB power management can suspend the root hub port when traffic drops, which terminates the phone's USB tethering session. Open Device Manager, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers, right-click USB Root Hub (USB 3.0), and select Properties. Switch to the Power Management tab, uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power, and click OK. Repeat this for any additional USB Root Hub entries. You can also check the same Power Management tab on the Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device under Network adapters.
  • Symptom: The phone is connected and shows an IP address, but Windows still routes traffic to a dead local Ethernet or Wi-Fi network.
    If your PC is simultaneously connected to a local router or dock Ethernet port that has lost upstream internet access, Windows may prioritize the local LAN adapter over the tethered phone. Press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter to open Network Connections. Right-click the disconnected or broken local Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter and select Disable while you are using USB tethering. Re-enable it by right-clicking and selecting Enable when finished.
  • Symptom: Tethering rapidly consumes your mobile data allowance.
    Because Windows recognizes a USB RNDIS adapter as a standard wired Ethernet connection, it does not mark the connection as metered by default and may immediately begin downloading large Windows Update packages or syncing OneDrive files in the background. Set the connection to metered as soon as it connects:
  • On Windows 11: Open Settings > Network & internet > Ethernet, click the active tethered Ethernet connection if multiple are listed, and toggle Metered connection to On.
  • On Windows 10: Open Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet, click the active tethered Ethernet network name, and toggle Set as metered connection to On.

Rolling Back Driver or Network Changes​

If manually selecting a different driver in Device Manager caused the adapter to stop working altogether, you can restore the previous configuration without affecting the rest of Windows:

  • With the phone connected and USB tethering enabled, open Device Manager and expand Network adapters.
  • Right-click the tethering adapter and select Properties.
  • Open the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver (if available), then confirm the prompt.
  • If Roll Back Driver is grayed out, click Uninstall Device on the Driver tab, check Attempt to remove the driver for this device only if a third-party vendor driver was installed, and click Uninstall.
  • Alternatively, to reset all Windows network adapters—including virtual RNDIS bindings—back to factory defaults, open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset in Windows 11 (or Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network reset in Windows 10) and click Reset now. Note that a full network reset requires a system restart and will require you to re-enter saved Wi-Fi passwords afterward.

Correction (November 5, 2026): The introduction originally described Windows 11 versions 23H2, 24H2, and 25H2 as the currently supported builds and omitted 26H1 and 26H2. Per Microsoft's Windows 11 release information page, 23H2 and 24H2 have reached end of updates on Home and Pro editions, and the currently supported releases are 25H2, 26H1, and 26H2. An internal editing note left in the driver-selection step was also removed.

 

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