In scenarios where you must forward web requests through a mobile hotspot Tinyproxy offers a minimalistic yet powerful approach Tinyproxy is a compact, open-source HTTP proxy designed for Linux making it perfect for aging hardware repurposed as a network gateway
By integrating it with your Android device’s mobile sharing feature you can create a secure and controlled way to share your mobile data connection with other devices on your network
Start by configuring your phone’s connection sharing options Your options include USB-based sharing or wireless hotspot creation USB tethering is often preferred because it’s more stable and doesn’t require additional wireless configuration Once tethered, your Linux machine will get an IP address from the phone, usually through DHCP You can check this with the ifconfig or ip addr command to confirm the connection
Begin by adding Tinyproxy via your system’s package manager On Debian or Ubuntu, you can do this with sudo apt install tinyproxy etc You’ll want to make a few key changes
Configure Listen to bind to your LAN-facing interface’s static or DHCP IP Modify the access control list to allow your network’s IP block You may also want to set the Port to 8888, which is the default, or choose another if needed Set LogLevel to Info for balanced visibility and minimal log noise
After making changes, restart Tinyproxy with sudo systemctl restart tinyproxy The system functions as a transparent HTTP gateway to your Android’s tethered connection
Configure any client device to route traffic through 192.168.0.10:8888
Ideal for corporate, educational, or public spaces needing traffic oversight or to prevent direct exposure of your mobile hotspot to untrusted devices It can also help bypass network restrictions in places like offices or public Wi-Fi networks by routing traffic through your phone’s data plan
Tinyproxy natively supports only web protocols: HTTP and HTTPS For TCP Be aware that your cellular data allowance still applies—track usage via your carrier app
This combo offers an affordable, energy-efficient way to centralize mobile internet access Easy to configure, self-sustaining, and puts you in charge of every request’s path