iPhone fast.
Mac hotspot slow?

They are the two apps used together for Mac Bridge: ProxyDeck — Network Lab is the free iPhone app, and FastNet Connect is the $29 Mac app. ProxyDeck also includes standalone network diagnostics that need no Mac or purchase. Its optional Mac Bridge connects to FastNet Connect only while ProxyDeck remains in the foreground.

Carriers track hotspot usage separately from phone data. FastNet Connect routes your Mac's traffic through ProxyDeck's optional Mac Bridge — over USB or nearby peer-to-peer Wi-Fi. To the carrier, it looks like regular phone data, so it uses your unlimited phone data instead of your limited hotspot allowance.

PDANet+ pioneered this approach years ago and still works for some users. The differences: FastNet Connect is a native macOS menu bar app, ProxyDeck is built for modern iOS, and the setup requires no terminal or manual proxy configuration. If PDANet+ already works for you, no need to switch. Where PdaNet+ stands on iPhone and Mac today.

Yes, for the specific job of getting a Mac online through a nearby iPhone. PairVPN's iOS app was removed from the App Store in October 2026 and its Android build has not been updated since 2023. FastNet Connect pairs with ProxyDeck over USB or nearby Wi-Fi, with a $29 one-time Mac license and a foreground-only iPhone app. It does not replace PairVPN's remote home-network access or its Windows and Android clients. What happened to PairVPN, and what changes if you switch.

You can. iproxy 1082 1082 plus a SOCKS5 server on iPhone is the same idea, free, and well-documented. FastNet is for people who want it to just work without terminal commands, manual port forwarding, or remembering to set the system proxy each time. If you're comfortable in terminal and only need it occasionally, the manual setup is fine.

Tethering detection usually relies on TTL inspection, User-Agent fingerprinting, and DNS heuristics. Because ProxyDeck's Mac Bridge uses the phone's TCP stack, traffic originates from the same network stack as other iPhone apps. No tool guarantees invisibility, and carriers may still infer usage from traffic patterns.

Lightning-port iPhones cap around 280–320 Mbps because Lightning is USB 2.0. USB-C iPhones (15 Pro and later) can push gigabit if your cellular signal supports it. Real-world speeds depend on tower congestion and signal strength.

FastNet is a standard SOCKS5 proxy — the same technology used by millions of developers daily. How you use your cellular data is between you and your carrier. We recommend reviewing your carrier's terms of service.

Either works. USB is a direct cable link between your Mac and iPhone: most reliable, lowest latency, and the phone charges while connected. Wi-Fi is a direct device-to-device link (like AirDrop) — no cable, and you don't need to be on any network, just have Wi-Fi on. Either way your Mac's traffic leaves the phone as ordinary phone data, not tethered hotspot data.

FastNet does not depend on a particular carrier or country. Your Mac's traffic leaves the iPhone as ordinary phone data on whatever SIM is in it, which covers T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, Mint Mobile, Visible, and Cricket in the US as well as carriers elsewhere. It helps when your plan gives the hotspot less data or speed than the phone itself. If it does not work on your carrier, the 30-day refund applies.

Mac only today. A Windows version depends on demand: leave your email and we'll write once if it ships. Linux is not planned yet.

No. FastNet works on stock iOS 16+, no jailbreak needed.

Yes. Everything runs locally on your devices. FastNet has no servers, collects no data, and requires no account. Your traffic goes directly from Mac to iPhone to carrier — we never see it.

Yes. FastNet Connect runs without a license for your first 2 hours of connected time, with no card or email. Only time your Mac is actually online through your iPhone counts. The app tells you 10 minutes before the trial runs out; after that it needs the $29 one-time license. ProxyDeck on the iPhone is free either way.

Try it before you pay: the free trial is there so you can check your carrier and setup first. If you buy and it still doesn't work out, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Email us at pjiang726@gmail.com.