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Good news for mobile pros and failover planners: Peplink firmware 8.5.3 special build (s024) introduces direct iPhone USB tethering on many models. You can plug an iPhone into a router’s data-capable USB port and use it as a WAN for emergency backup, field work, and temporary sites.
Important testing notice: This is a pilot/test build intended for evaluation only. Features, stability, and supported models can change. Do not deploy on production or customer networks. For live environments, wait for the final GA firmware that includes iPhone USB tethering.
What you’ll need
- A Peplink router that’s listed as supported for 8.5.3s024 (model and hardware revision specific)
- An iPhone with Personal Hotspot on a plan that allows tethering
- A data USB cable
- Access to your Peplink Web Admin (local UI or InControl2)
Tip: Because this is a pilot build, Peplink publishes model-specific firmware files. Double-check your exact model and hardware revision.
Quick compatibility overview
Pilot support spans a wide range that commonly includes Balance, MAX, MBX/PDX, SDX/EPX, and B One families, plus select 5G and X-series variants. Exact support depends on your model and hardware revision. If yours is not listed, hold off and wait for the final GA release.
Step-by-step: iPhone USB tethering to Peplink
1) Back up and prep
- In Web Admin, go to System > Configuration > Download and save a backup.
- Confirm your model and hardware revision are explicitly supported for 8.5.3s024.
2) Install the pilot firmware (lab/testing only)
- Download the model-specific 8.5.3s024 file.
- In Web Admin, open System > Firmware > Manual Upgrade, upload the file, and reboot.
- If you use InControl2, you can stage the upgrade there for lab devices.
Reminder: Keep this to a non-production test router or a maintenance window in a controlled lab.
3) Enable Personal Hotspot on the iPhone
- On iPhone, open Settings > Personal Hotspot and turn on Allow Others to Join.
- This enables the USB network interface that Peplink will detect.
4) Connect the iPhone to a data USB port
- Use a reliable data cable.
- Avoid power-only USB ports, which will charge but not pass data.
5) Unlock and “Trust this Computer”
- Unlock the iPhone and accept the Trust prompt.
- After a few seconds the router should show a new USB WAN for iPhone.
6) Set WAN priority
- Go to Network > WAN.
- Drag USB WAN (iPhone) into Priority 2 for backup or Priority 1 for primary during testing.
7) Mark as metered and set usage caps
- In Bandwidth Allowance Monitor, add monthly or weekly limits and alerts.
- Consider Time-of-Day rules so hotspot data is used only when needed.
8) Health check and outbound policies
- Configure Health Check (SmartCheck or Ping/DNS) with reasonable thresholds.
- Use Outbound Policy to limit bulk traffic on the iPhone link and reserve it for critical apps.
9) Verify and failover test
- In Status > Dashboard, confirm the USB WAN shows Connected with an IP.
- From a LAN client, browse the internet.
- Simulate failover by disabling or unplugging your primary WAN and ensure traffic shifts to the iPhone link.
Troubleshooting tips
- USB WAN never appears
- Confirm you used a data cable and a data USB port.
- Ensure the iPhone is unlocked and you tapped Trust.
- Toggle Personal Hotspot off and back on.
- Link flaps or passes no traffic
- Try a different high-quality USB cable.
- Adjust Health Check to Ping/DNS with conservative timers.
- Move the iPhone for better LTE/5G signal.
- Model not supported
- Because this is a pilot, not all models or HW revisions are included.
- For production needs, wait for the GA firmware that officially supports iPhone USB tethering.
Best-practice design ideas
- Treat the iPhone as Priority-2 backup to avoid burning hotspot data.
- Pair with SpeedFusion for session persistence if you bond multiple links in the lab.
- Add usage alerts and limit who can trigger failover to the iPhone link.
Why this matters
USB tethering with iPhone cuts setup time in the field. Instead of Wi-Fi-as-WAN or extra adapters, you get a simple cable-based backup that almost anyone can enable. For pop-ups, vehicles, executive travel, and emergency lifelines, it is a handy tool during outages and site commissioning.
Final word from 5Gstore
This is an exciting capability, but it is still in testing. Evaluate in a lab or non-critical setting, document your results, and hold production rollouts until Peplink ships the final GA firmware. If you want a printable installer checklist or screenshots tailored to your model, tell us the router you’re testing and we will put it together.
