Wirebound

Wirebound is a Windows desktop GUI for Gnirehtet, providing a management interface for reverse tethering. It allows Android devices to use a computer's internet connection via USB without requiring root access.

Why I built this

Reverse tethering is useful, but most existing workflows are terminal-based and confusing for non-technical users. I built Wirebound to provide a simple Windows interface for Android USB internet sharing, especially for practical situations like office work, device testing, repair desks, field support, or low-connectivity environments.

The goal is not to replace Gnirehtet, but to make its workflow easier to start, monitor, and troubleshoot on Windows.

Project status

Wirebound is currently an early stable release. The core workflow is available, but the project still needs more testing across Windows versions, Android devices, USB drivers, and ADB edge cases.

Current maintainer focus:

• Better troubleshooting documentation
• Clearer first-run onboarding
• Smaller and lighter Windows packaging
• Portable build investigation
• Improved connection diagnostics

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📸 Preview

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✨ Features

• Auto-Run Engine: Detects connected ADB devices and initiates reverse tethering automatically.
• Traffic Monitor: Visualizes data throughput with real-time charts.
• Themed Interface: Supports native Light and Dark modes.
• DNS Configuration: Includes presets (Google, Cloudflare) and custom DNS options.
• Live Logs: Real-time terminal output parser for debugging and status tracking.
• Localization: Available in English and Indonesian.
• Bundled Binaries: Includes Gnirehtet Rust and ADB binaries for immediate use in packaged builds.

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💻 Relationship with Gnirehtet

Wirebound is an independent Windows desktop GUI and automation layer built around Gnirehtet.

It uses Gnirehtet as the underlying reverse tethering engine and provides a graphical interface for device detection, connection management, DNS/Port configuration, and traffic monitoring.

Wirebound is not an official Gnirehtet project and is not affiliated with Genymobile.

Note: Gnirehtet runtime binaries (.exe and .apk) are bundled in the official release builds for convenience. If building from source, ensure the runtime files are placed in the bin/ directory.

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💻 Technical Overview

The application establishes a per-device VPN tunnel on the Android side that routes network traffic through a TCP relay server running on the PC. It automates the lifecycle of this relay and the ADB connection.

1. Execution Mode

Wirebound uses the autorun mode to monitor the ADB bus for new connections and deploy the required services to multiple devices simultaneously.

2. Architecture

Built with Electron + Vite, utilizing a decoupled structure:

• Main Process: Manages binary lifecycle and process pipes.
• Renderer Process: Isolated React UI layer with Tailwind CSS.
• Preload Layer: Secure Context Bridge for IPC.

3. Project Structure

bin/          # Bundled binaries (Gnirehtet & ADB)
build/        # Installer assets & icons
resources/    # Dashboard screenshots
src/          # Application source code
package.json  # Project manifest
LICENSE       # Apache 2.0

4. Runtime Binaries

Wirebound release builds include the required Gnirehtet and ADB runtime files, so regular users do not need to download them manually.

For development or source builds, make sure the following files exist in the bin/ directory:

• bin/gnirehtet-rust-win64/gnirehtet.exe
• bin/gnirehtet-rust-win64/gnirehtet.apk
• bin/gnirehtet-rust-win64/gnirehtet-run.cmd
• bin/platform-tools/adb.exe

Some runtime binaries may be excluded from the source repository to keep the repository lightweight and cleaner.

Gnirehtet can be downloaded from the original Genymobile release page.

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📖 Usage

Step 1: Device Preparation

1. Enable Developer Options on the Android device.
2. Enable USB Debugging.

Step 2: Connection

1. Connect the device via USB.
2. Authorize the ADB debugging prompt on the phone screen.

Step 3: Execution

1. Run Wirebound.exe.
2. Configure DNS and Port in Settings if necessary.
3. Click Start in the Dashboard.
4. Accept the VPN request on the Android device.

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🛠️ Development

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/man612/wirebound.git

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run in development mode
npm run dev

# Build for Windows
npm run build:win

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📄 License & Credits

• Wirebound GUI & Integration: Built by man612.
• Engine: Powered by Gnirehtet by Genymobile.
• License: Both projects are licensed under the Apache License 2.0.
• Third-Party: Detailed notices are available in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.