AirTether

Wi-Fi sharing between nearby Macs, without Thunderbolt or Ethernet cables.

Version 0.2.5 · macOS 11+ · Apple silicon & Intel

Developer ID signed & Apple notarized · Free

Open the DMG and drag AirTether into Applications. Install it on both Macs. Using 0.2.4 or earlier? Download this version once to enable built-in updates. Release notes ↗ · MIT license

Why I’m building this

The first goal is simple: help people share Wi-Fi between nearby Macs without hunting for Thunderbolt or Ethernet cables. If one Mac is online, the Mac beside it should be able to use that connection wirelessly.

That starts with a small menu bar tool. Paired with custom radio hardware, the same idea could grow into a long-distance network for communication and basic internet access.

How it works

Share. On the Mac with internet, choose “Share My Internet” and set who can join, a device limit, and a time limit.
Connect. The receiving Mac looks for nearby hosts. Choose the host, compare the device codes, and approve the request on the sharing Mac to establish an encrypted connection.
Use the connection. Configure a compatible app to use AirTether’s local proxy—a relay that sends its requests through the sharing Mac.

Where it stands

Nearby discovery, device approval, remembered devices, sharing limits, and an encrypted relay are implemented. Receiving apps still need proxy setup, and the direct Wi-Fi path needs testing between nearby Macs when the receiver has not joined the host’s network.

Automatic routing for the whole Mac and Bluetooth fallback are future work.

Toward censorship-resistant networks

The bigger ambition is public, community-run mesh networks: people relaying messages and data from neighbor to neighbor. The goal is censorship-resistant communication with less dependence on a single provider or central service.

A connected gateway could provide basic internet access. Without one, a future mesh could still carry messages and files within the network. The aim is a network communities can build and extend for themselves.

An adapter for longer reach

I’m also working on a USB-C radio adapter concept using Wi-Fi HaLow around 900 MHz (902–928 MHz in the US), aiming to extend the connection beyond built-in Wi-Fi range.

A battery-powered relay could carry that connection farther and provide regular Wi-Fi for phones, so access isn’t limited to people with a Mac or a special radio. LoRa is a separate possibility for short-message fallback.

The adapter and multi-hop mesh routing are still development goals. Range and compatibility need hardware testing.