You're replying to someone talking about tethering their tablet onto their phone by wifi access point ... and suggesting they plug their phone into their computer.

I have experimented - in both Debian and Windows 7 - using plugged-in / USB connectivity, but a) it's a bit spotty, b) it means I need a cable connection and that's often not ideal when on the go, c) it doesn't (as noted) work with tablets, and d) it doesn't solve the underlying issue of slave devices thinking they have non-mobile(3g,4g,lte,etc) network connectivity and sucking down lots of data.