The described embodiments include a tethering device that provides a tethering service to client devices. Generally, the tethering service enables a client device to share the tethering device's access to a network. For example, a client device may share the tethering device's access to a cellular network, through which the client device can access the Internet. In the described embodiments, a client device and the tethering device are configured so that the client device causes the tethering device to activate the tethering service without a user performing one or more operations for manually activating the tethering service on the tethering device.