USB Tethering – Usage Guide

Warning

⚠️ Type-C Mode Switching Issues: The Type-C0 port may not reliably switch between host and device modes. This feature might interfere with other Type-C peripherals, such as USB pen drives. If issues occur, try replugging the device or switching to a different Type-C port.

The latest version of vicharak-config introduces USB Tethering support for seamless SSH access to your Axon via the TYPE-C0 USB port. In addition to SSH access, the tethering interface can now share internet from Ethernet to your host machine over USB.

Key Features

  • Plug-and-play SSH access via USB at a fixed IP (10.42.0.1)

  • Share internet access over USB when the Axon is connected via Ethernet

  • Service control via both TUI and systemd

Getting latest vicharak-config

USB-tethering can be enabled through latest update of vicharak-config. To get latest version of vichrak-config, run below commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install vicharak-config

This feature is fully supported only on the latest Linux kernel. We recommend upgrading to the latest kernel version for proper functionality.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install u-boot-menu
sudo apt install linux-image-6.1.75-axon linux-headers-6.1.75-axon
sudo reboot

Accessing USB Tethering Controls

From the TUI (vicharak-config interface), go to:

> Advanced Options
    > USB Tethering

You can enable/disable the Tethering Service.

Service Control via systemd

The service controlling USB tethering is:

advanced-usb@tethering.service

Commands:

  • Stop the service:

    sudo systemctl stop advanced-usb@tethering.service

  • Start the service:

    sudo systemctl start advanced-usb@tethering.service

  • Disable autostart on boot:

    sudo systemctl disable advanced-usb@tethering.service

  • Enable autostart on boot:

    sudo systemctl enable advanced-usb@tethering.service

SSH Access via USB

Once enabled, connect your host PC to the TYPE-C0 port of the Axon and SSH directly:

ssh vicharak@10.42.0.1

This eliminates the need for serial console or IP discovery.

Internet Sharing over USB

If your Axon is connected to the internet via Ethernet, the host PC will also get internet access via the USB connection.

This is achieved using appropriate IP forwarding and iptables NAT rules, which are applied automatically by the advanced-usb@tethering.service.

Technical Details

  • IP Address: Axon (USB device): 10.42.0.1, Host (PC): typically 10.42.0.2

  • iptables Rules: Automatically configured to allow NAT routing from USB (usb0) to Ethernet (eth0)

  • IP Forwarding: Automatically enabled during tethering