Is it possible to map an IP address to a USB port?

Is there a way for a USB device to be seen by Windows 7 as a network device? Such as mapping an IP address manually to that USB device?

In this case, I have an android phone application (Remote Desktop) that should use a WIFI network to connect to the PC. For reasons beyond the boundaries of this question, using a WIFI network isn't an option. So I would like to simulate the existence of the device on the network by manually assigning the phone an ip address through USB.

Chris

Posted 2011-10-10T08:59:41.913

Reputation: 133

This question should be "How can I get remote access to my phones desktop through a USB connection?". You're already asking how to implement a solution that might not even be reasonable in this situation (and it isn't). – Der Hochstapler – 2012-06-18T15:47:17.017

Answers

There is, you want an "RNDIS" driver or similar. I believe if nothing else you can get one by installing the Android SDK.

On the phone, you'll have to disable both your cellular network connection and Wifi to ensure the phone only uses the USB network interface. To verify what it is using and modify connections your phone will need to be rooted and you'll need ConnectBot or similar to execute commands, namely the ip command.

LawrenceC

Posted 2011-10-10T08:59:41.913

Reputation: 63 487

Is there a way for a USB device to be seen by Windows 7 as a network device?

Sure, when that USB device really is a network device, like a USB-Ethernet adapter or USB-wireless-Ethernet adapter. Certainly a USB flash drive cannot be assigned an IP address.

(This seems like some kind of problem for which you have come up with a "solution". But then there's a hitch in implementing the "solution"; there's this one detail. like "assigning an IP address to a USB device", that has to be worked out. Maybe there's really a better or simpler way, or maybe it's impossible. But you want to solve your indirect issue rather than the real issue.)

sawdust

Posted 2011-10-10T08:59:41.913

Reputation: 14 697

1I appreciate the answer, but I don't really see the point of the content between ( and ) in the second paragraph as regardless of the scenario I presented being a 'solution' or 'problem' or otherwise, my original question is still a question. If I had asked, what is '4 + 4', would you have answered '8, but why use +, why not just have 8 from the start?'. Again I appreciate the answer (the first paragraph). Cheers – Chris – 2011-10-10T10:36:52.430

@Chris I realize this is rather after the fact, but it looks like you're still somewhat active on the SE network, so you might want to take a look at What is the X/Y problem? - it describes the scenario sawdust is referring to here. We specifically ask users to ask "practical, answerable questions based on real-life problems they face," which is why we prefer to get to the bottom of what people are actually trying to do, instead of the one step they're stuck on when there might be a different, easier way.

– nhinkle – 2014-01-12T07:02:21.153

Thanks @nhinkle, hopefully I've become wiser with age, and my questions become more polished. I do still hang around the primary SO site a lot, so yes somewhat active is true. – Chris – 2014-01-12T11:35:47.207