How USB Can Act Like Ethernet

You can actually turn a standard USB cable into a high-speed network connection. This allows two computers to talk to each other or share an internet link as if they were joined by a traditional ethernet wire.

While we usually think of USB as a way to plug in a mouse or keyboard, it is versatile enough to emulate complex network protocols. By using a specialized adapter, the computer treats the USB port like a network interface card. This clever trick is often used to get older devices online or to bridge two machines without a router. It effectively turns a simple data cable into a temporary local network.