I guess technically I should call EasyTether software instead of hardware. It is really a bridge that connects your hardware for you. In short, it allows you to use the data connection on your Android phone to provide an Internet connection to your laptop. Most of the major phone providers in the US provide tethering for $30 or more per month. It isn’t uncommon for a hotel to charge $12-15 a night for Internet service. Those are all unreasonable charges for me. Unfortunately, there are times when you have to make a connection and you don’t have a choice.

EasyTether gives you a choice. First, the “Pro” version costs $4.99. That’s much less than you’d pay for even a single night’s connection in some hotels. There is a free “Lite” version, but it won’t allow you to visit secure Web pages. That means no Facebook (safely), banks, PayPal, online shopping and other sites that require a secure connection. You install the app on your Android device (takes just a few seconds). Then you install software and a driver on your computer. Plug the Android device into the computer’s USB port and you can now connect to the Internet via the Android device. That’s it, $5 total for tethering.

Now keep in mind that you may have a limit to how much data can go through your device before you have to pay overages. I have unlimited data on my device. Not all plans allow unlimited data. All I know is that EasyTether is going to save me a lot of money when I’m traveling or when I’m somewhere that other connections aren’t available.