Tethering your Android phone means that you have options -- that's the short truth. If you have always marveled at how your friends always seem to get Internet no matter where they go, tethering is really the answer behind that.

Don't get caught out in the cold because you don't know how to do it. The spirit of owning an Android phone is that you will always be able to get Internet -- even when Wi-Fi just ain't the order of the day.

This guide covers some basic methods of getting things done -- and each method ranges in terms of skill and ability required on your part. For people that would rather pay for an off the shelf solution, there are plenty out there to choose from. However, if you're really all about hacking and tweaking your phone to perform new tricks, then you will definitely find methods in here that will help you do that.

First method of the day: Heavy Configuration with Android Apps

Got root? If you're thinking about using an app to enable tethering abilities on your Android phone, you will need to make sure that you can get root access. This is something that can be kind of tricky if you're not used to messing with your phone, and you can end up turning your phone into a brick. Is this fixable? In some cases, you can get a more technical person to unbrick your phone with a firmware downgrade, but this isn't guaranteed either.

The app that a lot of Android hackers turn to still is the Android Wi-Fi Tether app . It's an app that can definitely help you get things done, but it needs configuration in order to be useful. The problem first starts with needing to unlock the phone's bootloader, changing the recovery image, and then upgrading the firmware on the phone itself. This is a lot just to get tethering, so you won't hurt our feelings if you want a more straightforward solution. The best benefit to the first method is that it's free, which can help if you're trying to explore the power of your phone on a tight budget.

If you're looking for another free method that has a bit less configuration involved, you might want to go with an app called Proxoid . It does still require you to know a bit about the command line, but this is well worth the power of getting tethering on your side for free.  It requires the Android SDK, but this is easy to get and install as well. If you plan on doing serious hacking on your phone, you will be able to get other things done long after you’ve got tethering to work.

The final method is to go all out with a paid app, called PDAnet . This is the easiest way to get the tethering that you want, without really having to sacrifice all of your time just to make something happen. It's $30, which could be a huge chunk of change if you're a student on Android. Then again, if you're a student on Android you might be more comfortable with just hacking your phone yourself.

At the end of the day, being able to use your computer anywhere you are is definitely worth pursuing tethering. Instead of trying to pay for high end solutions to this problem, why not just use your Android phone to make things happen? You'll be glad that you did!