Enabling plural computing devices to communicate using a master account

A method, performed by a physical communication system, for interacting with plural computing devices, including at least a master device of a plurality of master devices and a candidate device, comprising:

• receiving condition information;
• defining, based on the condition information, a tethering relationship between a master device of the plurality of master devices and the candidate device;
• sending instructions to the master device to set up the tethering relationship;
• sending instructions to the candidate device to set up the tethering relationship;
• and
• communicating with the candidate device via the master device, as per the tethering relationship,
• wherein the condition information includes (i) an indication of a distance between the candidate device and the master device and (ii) a bandwidth parameter relating to an amount of bandwidth that communication between the master device and the candidate device would use.

A computer readable memory for storing computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions providing a communication system when executed by one or more processing devices, the computer readable instructions comprising:

• a configuration module configured to recommend at least one master device based on an assessment of a suitability of the master device for performing master device tethering functions;
• a communication enabler module configured to receive an indication of a distance between a master device and a candidate device, and to determine whether the distance is less than a threshold distance;
• a communication module configured to communicate with the candidate device if the distance is less than the threshold distance;
• and
• an account management module configured to receive usage data pertaining to communication resources consumed by the candidate device in the course of communicating, and to associate the usage data with a master account that applies to both the master device and the candidate device,
• the master account specifying an amount of available communication resources which can be utilized by the master device and the candidate device,
• wherein the configuration module has independent access to past usage information indicating a manner in which a user has used the candidate device in the past, and
• wherein the assessment is based on (1) the past usage information and (2) condition information forwarded from the candidate device describing communications capabilities of the candidate device.