How to tether without getting caught?

[RockRatt]

Hell yeah thanks Rock I didn't know any of this!

Sent from my SGH-I777

I did more digging and 1 it doesn't seem to effect other carriers at this time but MAY in the future. Since IF any of the providers need to get more frequency bands for expansion then the same requirements from the FCC will effect the service providers the same way it has effected Verizon. So hopefully as they all expand the wireless needs then things might look better.
2 it does not and will not effect people on unlimited data plans the same, we are NOT capped on data so we cannot use or see the future changing for us with it. The FCC said anyone on data for plans with a fixed limit can use their data anyway they want on that certain frequency band. So Verizon let it go for everyone EXCEPT for those on unlimited data plans.

http://lifehacker.com/5933152/the-right-to-tether-what-the-verizonfcc-settlement-means-to-you

Sent from My SGH-I777 Running Red Reaper Rom

 

[CallMeAria]

I got the warning once when using my iPhone back in the day with MyWi.

I have yet to get caught (knock on wood) using the Galaxy S2 on my grandfathered unlimited plan. I've used it a handful of time (road trip Slingbox on my laptop for streaming TV and in airports waiting for a plane).

What I've done on the PC end is disable anything that would try and access the internet other than the web browser. If your computer is let's say...looking for Windows Updates that's pretty obvious it's not coming from a phone. So that's one of a few services I disable when I opt to tether the laptop to the phone.

Been doing this for a year now and okay (/knocks on wood/)

Yeah I've gotten one notice from ATT, via text of all things (like I'm gonna take that serious ). That was probably 2 years ago. I never stopped tethering and have never received another notice. These days I typically only use it if I'm staying in a hotel that charges for wifi (which is quite often with my cheapo boss..).

 

[Phalanx7621]

How is it legal for AT&T, or any company for that matter, to tell us how to use the service WE are paying for? If I'm paying 50 bucks a month for data, it should be MY choice if I wanna surf the internet in my phone, or on my computer. If I wanna look at pron all day with my data plan on my computer, that should be MY choice. Not theirs. So.....how is this legal?

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[Nosferatu.]

How is it legal for AT&T, or any company for that matter, to tell us how to use the service WE are paying for?

because they still own the service

 

[CallMeAria]

How is it legal for AT&T, or any company for that matter, to tell us how to use the service WE are paying for? If I'm paying 50 bucks a month for data, it should be MY choice if I wanna surf the internet in my phone, or on my computer. If I wanna look at pron all day with my data plan on my computer, that should be MY choice. Not theirs. So.....how is this legal?

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I'm sure its somewhere in that contract none of us read

 

[RYANWSCOTT]

I'm also have the unlimited date plan from the 3gs day's but i just recently got a text message from ATT saying that im close to reaching my monthly cap of 3gb and any data use after wil be at a reduced speed, i noticed no speed difference i just kept on using up data.

 

[ferrocene]

I was wondering WHY and HOW ATT can still be charging for it? Courts recently ruled in a Verizon case that they HAD TO offer free tethering on ALL plans. I will have to look up the link but I am sure I read it in yahoo news. So if that is the case and a judge declared it, then HOW can ATT get away with it. Your paying for you 2Gb, 3Gb, or like in my case Unlimited data plan. So if you use YOUR DATA up to what you pay for (2Gb/3Gb data) it should NOT MATTER HOW YOU USE IT. PERIOD...

Sent from My SGH-I777 Running Red Reaper Rom

---------- Post added at 09:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:39 PM ----------

Here are some links to what happened. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57...ns-fcc-tethering-settlement-means-to-you-faq/
http://www.sprintusers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=230212

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Verizon uses a totally different spectrum allocation from the FCC, one that came with stipulations.

Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda app-developers app

---------- Post added at 03:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:56 AM ----------

How is it legal for AT&T, or any company for that matter, to tell us how to use the service WE are paying for? If I'm paying 50 bucks a month for data, it should be MY choice if I wanna surf the internet in my phone, or on my computer. If I wanna look at pron all day with my data plan on my computer, that should be MY choice. Not theirs. So.....how is this legal?

Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

Unless forbidden by the FCC they can do whatever then hell they want.

Welcome to capitalism.

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[Fusion777]

How is it legal for AT&T, or any company for that matter, to tell us how to use the service WE are paying for? If I'm paying 50 bucks a month for data, it should be MY choice if I wanna surf the internet in my phone, or on my computer. If I wanna look at pron all day with my data plan on my computer, that should be MY choice. Not theirs. So.....how is this legal?

Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

Legal for them to define their own terms of service. Also legal for you to tether anyway, but almost definitely a breach of contract, suggesting AT&T could sue and collect damages. They wouldn't dare, though. Theyre too damned hated already. That backhanded 'pity us' baloney for trying to upsell FaceTime. Shameless money grubbers they are

As for avoiding being caught tethering, as already mentioned a few times tethering isn't natively obvious to the carrier. The phone NATs your data, effectively making your tethered devices invisible/masquerading as your phone. But phones don't typically generate Internet explorer traffic, windows update traffic, that kinda thing. Phones also typically request 'mobile' versions of sites, although this trend is diminishing. So for tips to stay under the 'tether police' radar:

- Shut down any ambient data using apps like steam, windows update, etc. ESPECIALLY apps that only exist on pc/Mac
- Keep your general data usage low (don't stream videos and stuff to your pc)
- Avoid pc/Mac only apps like safari, torrents (mainly cause almost nobody does that from an actual mobile device plus all that data usage),

For tethered android devices I wouldn't sweat it. It's way harder to detect and we all know AT$T is a "low hanging fruit" pack of animals.

i777 w/ CM10 JRO03L... yet sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

 

[CallMeAria]

Legal for them to define their own terms of service. Also legal for you to tether anyway, but almost definitely a breach of contract, suggesting AT&T could sue and collect damages. They wouldn't dare, though. Theyre too damned hated already. That backhanded 'pity us' baloney for trying to upsell FaceTime. Shameless money grubbers they are

As for avoiding being caught tethering, as already mentioned a few times tethering isn't natively obvious to the carrier. The phone NATs your data, effectively making your tethered devices invisible/masquerading as your phone. But phones don't typically generate Internet explorer traffic, windows update traffic, that kinda thing. Phones also typically request 'mobile' versions of sites, although this trend is diminishing. So for tips to stay under the 'tether police' radar:

- Shut down any ambient data using apps like steam, windows update, etc. ESPECIALLY apps that only exist on pc/Mac
- Keep your general data usage low (don't stream videos and stuff to your pc)
- Avoid pc/Mac only apps like safari, torrents (mainly cause almost nobody does that from an actual mobile device plus all that data usage),

For tethered android devices I wouldn't sweat it. It's way harder to detect and we all know AT$T is a "low hanging fruit" pack of animals.

i777 w/ CM10 JRO03L... yet sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

Technically they don't have to sue. They can just slap it on your bill as they see fit if they see you tethering.

As far as anybody I know though, a warning is all ATT ever hands out :roll eyes:

Also, those are great tips on tethering discretely!

 

[Fusion777]

Technically they don't have to sue. They can just slap it on your bill as they see fit if they see you tethering.

As far as anybody I know though, a warning is all ATT ever hands out :roll eyes:

Also, those are great tips on tethering discretely!

True about the retro billing, but you could then dispute the validity of the billing. This would force court action before collections could kick in. Then the burden if proof would be on them to prove to a judge you in fact did tether.

They could win it, but its a pain in their ass and will they push it that hard with all the pro-consumer-tethering press? I wonder.


Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[CallMeAria]

True about the retro billing, but you could then dispute the validity of the billing. This would force court action before collections could kick in. Then the burden if proof would be on them to prove to a judge you in fact did tether.

They could win it, but its a pain in their ass and will they push it that hard with all the pro-consumer-tethering press? I wonder.


Sent from my Nexus 7

That's probably why they just issue those warnings rather than actually take action.

 

[Nosferatu.]

As for avoiding being caught tethering, as already mentioned a few times tethering isn't natively obvious to the carrier. The phone NATs your data, effectively making your tethered devices invisible/masquerading as your phone. But phones don't typically generate Internet explorer traffic, windows update traffic, that kinda thing. Phones also typically request 'mobile' versions of sites, although this trend is diminishing. So for tips to stay under the 'tether police' radar:

- Shut down any ambient data using apps like steam, windows update, etc. ESPECIALLY apps that only exist on pc/Mac
- Keep your general data usage low (don't stream videos and stuff to your pc)
- Avoid pc/Mac only apps like safari, torrents (mainly cause almost nobody does that from an actual mobile device plus all that data usage),

For tethered android devices I wouldn't sweat it. It's way harder to detect and we all know AT$T is a "low hanging fruit" pack of animals.

i777 w/ CM10 JRO03L... yet sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

X2 like I said earlier.

I have yet (/knock on wood/) gotten caught on Android like I did on iPhone (got a thing in the mail along with SMS about tethering). I'm on the "unlimited" plan still.

Shutdown anything that isn't coming from a phone potentially (e.g. windows update etc.)
Streaming videos CAN WORK. I was on a road trip and instead of using slingbox on my 4.3" Galaxy S2 I wanted to tether to my laptop and watch on a nice 17" in 720p. Worked great I streamed for over 2 hours a live sporting event from my house (set streaming to 1Mbit/sec (128k/sec)). Worked like a charm and that was months ago (NHL Playoffs).

Just be smart and don't over do it. Other than that road trip and sitting in an airport bored I don't tether.

 

[Skv012a]

Interesting thread. Kinda why I prefer to get intl. phones- 10/mo "unlimited" since the phone isnt/wasnt in their system, so its as good as a regular phone to their system. Only real problem is when trying to keep up with the trends and save some money.

 

[Glitch01]

Small claims

When using my Galaxy S rooted, At&t never noticed tethering. Now that I'm on my Note 2 using Fox fi, I got a lettter from At&t saying stop tethering or we'll charge you for it anyways. I have no idea when they sent the letter because it went to my old address, but I have noticed an extra $20 dollar charge on this month's billing with no discription or listing for the $20.

I tether because it's just plain easier to deal with websites in full format than messing with it on the phone - for example typing on forums like such this one, paying my bills, and so forth.

My data usage tethering is much less than my data usage on the phone alone. For me it's like an isp giving you access, but restricting use of a wireless router at your home.

I don't know, but it may be something worth looking into. At&t has lost a several small claims court case for data throttling.

---------- Post added at 08:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:09 PM ----------

I would post links to the court case, but I'm under 10 thread entries and cannot post links.

 

[Nick281051]

When using my Galaxy S rooted, At&t never noticed tethering. Now that I'm on my Note 2 using Fox fi, I got a lettter from At&t saying stop tethering or we'll charge you for it anyways. I have no idea when they sent the letter because it went to my old address, but I have noticed an extra $20 dollar charge on this month's billing with no discription or listing for the $20.

I tether because it's just plain easier to deal with websites in full format than messing with it on the phone - for example typing on forums like such this one, paying my bills, and so forth.

My data usage tethering is much less than my data usage on the phone alone. For me it's like an isp giving you access, but restricting use of a wireless router at your home.

I don't know, but it may be something worth looking into. At&t has lost a several small claims court case for data throttling.

---------- Post added at 08:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:09 PM ----------

I would post links to the court case, but I'm under 10 thread entries and cannot post links.

So what does this have to do with the AT&T galaxy s2 and why was it necessary to bring up a thread from August.

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[Glitch01]

So what does this have to do with the AT&T galaxy s2 and why was it necessary to bring up a thread from August.

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Not directly dealing with the Galaxy S2, but more so with tethering. I was just reading up on tethering. This was just the first xda forum I came across, but if there is something more recent I guess I can do a search within the forums.

 

[Nick281051]

Not directly dealing with the Galaxy S2, but more so with tethering. I was just reading up on tethering. This was just the first xda forum I came across, but if there is something more recent I guess I can do a search within the forums.

That would probably be a better idea

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[zelendel]

This argument has been beaten to death already. In the end ATT has the right to block tethering if you dont have a plan for it.


Thread closed