IOS – iPhone USB Tethering Problem

iosiphonemacostetheringusb

I have a strange little problem on my hands here.

All this while, I've been using iPhone tethering via USB, and all was well.

However, today afternoon, my iPhone USB interface in the Network pane keeps stating that my iPhone USB interface is 'Not Connected'.

Enabling and disabling the Personal Hotspot option on my iPhone does not seem to get it back.

Does anyone here have any idea how I would solve this?

Machine: MacBook Pro, OS X Lion v10.7.3.

iPhone: iPhone4, iOS 5.0.1

Best Answer

Over here the iPhone USB interface in the Network pane also keeps displaying 'not connected' when the USB cable is connected to the iPhone.

  • Mac OS X: 10.6.8
  • iPhone: 4
  • iOS: 5.1
  • iTunes: 10.6.3
  • iPhone Configuration Utility: 3.5

The cause is a faulty /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext, though the version 2.3.0 is correct, its size of 78 KB, 60.892 bytes is not.

A known to be working AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext for iPhone USB tethering is version 2.3.0, but 225 KB, 189.646 bytes.

The fix is:

  1. In Terminal: $ sudo rm -r /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext # to remove
  2. Restart (not sure whether this is necessary)
  3. Reinstall iTunes (in our case 10.6.3), this also installs the good AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext: download iTunes from https://www.apple.com/itunes/ and run the installer, this will install the correct AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext.

When tethering still doesn't work:

  1. Apple menu > System Preferences > Networking > remove iPhone
  2. add the iPhone again
  3. hit the [Apply] button

PS According to our backup software somewhere around May 7th, 2010 a newer version of AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext was installed.

Related Question