Hi.
I'm running windows 7 and use n900 as a modem via USB connection.

I would also like to be able to ssh into the phone while the connection is still active.

USB Networking could possibly help me in this task, but I don't like the idea of configuring routes. Modem is much simplier and easier operated through PC desktop.

Are there other options?

Can I use the modem and connect to the device via Wi-Fi in adhoc mode simultaneoulsy?

Is the n900 acting as a dial up (mobile data) modem or passing through it's wi-fi connection? I'm assuming the former.

Have you tried running MobileHotSpot while using the usb connection? (This will allow you to join it's network over wifi.) Does it still work when usb connected? can your win7 connect to both networks at the same time?

or of course simply use the N900 as a wifi hotspot in the first place.

Doesn't the device prefer WiFi over GPRS when available?
(apart from using hte Joiku software)

It sounds like you want Wi-Fi ad-hoc or Bluetooth. Does your laptop have bluetooth? I use Windows 7 bluetooth PAN to connect to the N900. You have to update the bluetooth.conf file to allow bluetooth networking. I then assign static IP to n900 and windows BT interface and connect.

Make sure you are root!

I changed /etc/bluetooth/main.conf here:
(I also enable input for Bluetooth keyboard and mouse)
Reboot.

To assign an ip to the bluetooth network do:
Use whatever private ip you want.

On windows you go to the bluetooth adapter and change the network settings to static. Use an IP in the same subnet like

Yes you can.

The downside, however, is that you won't be able to access the internet on your N900 as long as the WLAN connection is active. USB routing overcomes this problem and makes internet on PC, SSH to N900 and 3G/GPRS on N900 available simultaneously.

Cheers!

Ok, I got the Mobile Hotspot working. Gets me both Internet tehtering AND network access to the device itself (via WiFi).

The drawback is N900 overheats like hell. Perhaps wifi output is too powerful.