Question: Does Gnirehtet block incoming mobile phone network calls?

[Nessiza]

Question please: Is it possible that when using Gnirehtet to share internet connection from my laptop with my Android smartphone (reverse tethering, connected by USB cable) that the programme blocks incoming mobile phone network telephone calls to my smartphone? I have tested this and my smartphone (Samsung Galax S21) seems to be unreachable when I am using Gnirehtet, but then reachable again after I disconnect Gnirehtet.

If so, is there any solution that anyone could offer please? I'm not very experienced in coding.

[VaradGupta23]

Thanks for your question, @Nessiza!

Gnirehtet should not block incoming mobile network calls, as it operates strictly on the data interface (via a VPN over USB) and does not interfere with cellular voice services directly.

However, on certain devices — especially Samsung models like the Galaxy S21 — enabling a VPN connection (which Gnirehtet uses) can cause:

Mobile network fallback issues

Or temporary unreachability if:

Wi-Fi calling is enabled and fails to resolve properly

VoLTE (Voice over LTE) services are tied to a data session being overridden by VPN

Suggested Workarounds: Disable Wi-Fi Calling Go to: Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi Calling → Turn it off This ensures voice calls go over the cellular network, not data.

Use 2G/3G for Calls (Temporarily) Switch network mode temporarily to 2G/3G (not LTE), which may decouple voice from data and bypass VPN conflict.

Pause Gnirehtet for Important Calls If none of the above helps, you might need to disconnect Gnirehtet while expecting important calls.

[Nessiza]

Thank you so much for your detailed explanation and solutions. This helps a lot.