Hotspot Confusion

skysailing · Dec 22, 2012, 06:33 PM

Can somebody who has/understands how Mobile Hotspots work help me? I have put money away for the next generation iPhone and I am getting a Retina MacBook Pro in March. I go to A LOT of places that have SUCKY wifi and I want to know what the hell a Mobile Hotspot is and how it works. I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan from AT&T. What am I supposed to buy? Is it a freaking device or an add-on? Will it hurt my plan?

SnowLeopard OSX · Dec 22, 2012, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skysailing

Can somebody who has/understands how Mobile Hotspots work help me? I have put money away for the next generation iPhone and I am getting a Retina MacBook Pro in March. I go to A LOT of places that have SUCKY wifi and I want to know what the hell a Mobile Hotspot is and how it works. I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan from AT&T. What am I supposed to buy? Is it a freaking device or an add-on? Will it hurt my plan?

Not sure about how it'll affect your current grandfathered AT&T unlimited data plan (so you might want to call them up and check before you add mobile hot spot capabilities).

Adding a mobile hotspot option to your data plan allows you to tether data from your mobile device to another device over a WLAN. This allows you to tether and consume data from your mobile device pretty much anywhere you're able to get signal from your carrier's network to pretty much any sort of device -- including your notebook/laptop and your tablet.

Definitely look into getting one of these if you're constantly in non wi-fi zones or really crappy wi-fi zones and you need access to a faster data network:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotspot_(Wi-Fi)

skysailing · Dec 22, 2012, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnowLeopard OSX

Not sure about how it'll affect your current grandfathered AT&T unlimited data plan (so you might want to call them up and check before you add mobile hot spot capabilities).

Adding a mobile hotspot option to your data plan allows you to tether data from your mobile device to another device over a WLAN. This allows you to tether and consume data from your mobile device pretty much anywhere you're able to get signal from your carrier's network to pretty much any sort of device -- including your notebook/laptop and your tablet.

Definitely look into getting one of these if you're constantly in non wi-fi zones or really crappy wi-fi zones and you need access to a faster data network:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotspot_(Wi-Fi)

Thanks

Applejuiced · Dec 22, 2012, 07:03 PM

You can't tether on an unlimited plan on AT&T.
They will make you switch plans to have official tethering enabled.

radioking · Dec 22, 2012, 07:05 PM

The only plans that include tethering on AT&T are the $50 5gb plan and the mobile share plans. The only way to tether on the unlimited plan is to jailbreak, but once they figure out you are doing it they will send you a warning that if you do it again they will take the unlimited plan away.

Bob Coxner · Dec 23, 2012, 08:38 PM

In another thread users were touting tether.com It runs through your browser, so apparently can't be tracked by your carrier as a tether.

Here's a story describing how it works: http://lifehacker.com/5892090/tether...aking-required

Dec 22, 2012, 06:33 PM	#1
skysailing macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2012	Hotspot Confusion Can somebody who has/understands how Mobile Hotspots work help me? I have put money away for the next generation iPhone and I am getting a Retina MacBook Pro in March. I go to A LOT of places that have SUCKY wifi and I want to know what the hell a Mobile Hotspot is and how it works. I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan from AT&T. What am I supposed to buy? Is it a freaking device or an add-on? Will it hurt my plan?
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Dec 23, 2012, 08:38 PM	#6
Bob Coxner macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2011	In another thread users were touting tether.com It runs through your browser, so apparently can't be tracked by your carrier as a tether. Here's a story describing how it works: http://lifehacker.com/5892090/tether...aking-required __________________ MBA i5 13/4/128, iPad 1, iPad 3, iPod Touch 5g
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Dec 22, 2012, 07:03 PM	#4
Applejuiced macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: At the iPhone hacks section.	You can't tether on an unlimited plan on AT&T. They will make you switch plans to have official tethering enabled.
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Dec 22, 2012, 07:05 PM	#5
radioking macrumors member Join Date: Nov 2012	The only plans that include tethering on AT&T are the $50 5gb plan and the mobile share plans. The only way to tether on the unlimited plan is to jailbreak, but once they figure out you are doing it they will send you a warning that if you do it again they will take the unlimited plan away.
	1