How to use an Android tablet as a Raspberry Pi console terminal and internet router

Use an Android tablet as console and internet router for your Raspberry Pi. This even works with a Raspberry Pi model 1A having no ethernet port...

What you need

• A Raspberry Pi
• A micro-USB power supply
• A micro-USB cable
• An Android tablet (of smartphone if you insist)
• The ConnectBot App (available from Google Play)

Advantages

• The Raspberry Pi uses very low power (no ethernet)
• Your Android tablet can be powered via the Raspberry Pi
• You have a virtual keyboard, mouse, and video display for your Raspberry Pi
• Both devices have easily access to internet

Install ConnectBot

Install ConnectBot on your tablet which is an Android terminal emulator available from Google Play. It allows to SSH into the Raspberry Pi.

Configure the Raspberry Pi

Add the following lines:

vi /etc/network/interfaces
allow-hotplug usb0
iface usb0 inet dhcp

Connect your devices

Connect your Android Tablet to a Raspberry Pi USB port via a micro-USB cable. Power your Raspberry Pi with a standard USB power supply.

Enable Android USB tethering

Enable USB tethering on your Android tablet.

Now the Raspberry gets an IP address via its USB0 port; the Android tablet behaves like a NAT router. This should work both when your tablet is connected to Wi-Fi or to a mobile 3G/4G network.

Initiate an SSH login on the Raspberry Pi

• Start the ConnectBot App
• Login to the Raspberry Pi via SSH

The only problem is that you have to know the IP address of the Raspberry Pi; at my device it was 192.168.42.159... but till now I do not have an easy way to see this...