Yes thats my feeling, Leave the ones who are reasonable alone...............I was laughed at when I posted this would happen............Look who's crying now?
All of us!
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ATT Says I'm tethering but I'm not?
- Thread starter Dwalls90
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Yes thats my feeling, Leave the ones who are reasonable alone...............I was laughed at when I posted this would happen............Look who's crying now?
All of us!
I guess the question of whether Verizon knows about this is answered here.
AT&T is telling users of free tethering that they have three options:
1. Stop using free tethering.
2. Contact AT&T to activate a legitimate tethering plan and start paying up.
3. Go ahead and keep tethering, and AT&T will automatically sign you up for a tethering plan and bill you.
Also known as mobile hot-spotting, the official tethering service provided by both AT&T and Verizon costs an additional $20 per month on top of data and voice plans. Free, unauthorized tethering has been accessible on the iPhone for years, and AT&T is only now beginning to crack down on people using the service without paying.
Weve just begun sending letters, e-mails, and text messages to a small number of smartphone customers who use their devices for tethering but arent on our required tethering plan, an AT&T spokesman told Wired.com. Our goal here is fairness for all of our customers.
AT&T told Wired.com that its able to determine if a smartphone customer is using the device as a broadband connection for other devices, which isnt surprising, because telecom carriers carefully monitor our mobile activities, counting the number of texts we send, voice-call minutes placed, and data used per month.
Its unclear whether Verizon will take similar action on smartphone customers using free tethering tools. Verizon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
AT&T is telling users of free tethering that they have three options:
1. Stop using free tethering.
2. Contact AT&T to activate a legitimate tethering plan and start paying up.
3. Go ahead and keep tethering, and AT&T will automatically sign you up for a tethering plan and bill you.
Also known as mobile hot-spotting, the official tethering service provided by both AT&T and Verizon costs an additional $20 per month on top of data and voice plans. Free, unauthorized tethering has been accessible on the iPhone for years, and AT&T is only now beginning to crack down on people using the service without paying.
Weve just begun sending letters, e-mails, and text messages to a small number of smartphone customers who use their devices for tethering but arent on our required tethering plan, an AT&T spokesman told Wired.com. Our goal here is fairness for all of our customers.
AT&T told Wired.com that its able to determine if a smartphone customer is using the device as a broadband connection for other devices, which isnt surprising, because telecom carriers carefully monitor our mobile activities, counting the number of texts we send, voice-call minutes placed, and data used per month.
Its unclear whether Verizon will take similar action on smartphone customers using free tethering tools. Verizon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
I'd like to know this as well. It seems like people getting notices are on unlimited plans and using a great deal of data.
Yes thats my feeling, Leave the ones who are reasonable alone...............I was laughed at when I posted this would happen............Look who's crying now?
All of us!
Agreed I was getting very worried when idiots would post bragging they used 90 gigs in a month from tethering. Jack wagons ruined it for those of us who only did it sparingly when needed
My son, is JB, tethers, used less than 3gb last month, and got one of those texts yesterday. I used more than 5 gb (streaming Netflix), don't tether, and haven't received a notice yet. So, I'm not so sure about all the assumptions, that it is based on the amount data usage alone.
I also applaud AT&T for this.
I had the unlimited plan that I happily changed to their tethering plan as soon as it was available with 4.3.
I barely ever came close to even 1gig a month.
Its the s-bags that are using 10gb+ a month that ruined it for everyone.
Waiting in your truck all day watching Netflix???
Streaming Pandora/Sirius all day?
Now, go ahead, enjoy yourself and actually pay for the data you use.
Don't get me wrong, I think tethering should be part of your regular plan.
But was very happy to see them sweetening the deal with 2 extra gigs a month.
Boy am I glad I didn't give MiWi $10.
Something tells me their sales will soon drop.
I had the unlimited plan that I happily changed to their tethering plan as soon as it was available with 4.3.
I barely ever came close to even 1gig a month.
Its the s-bags that are using 10gb+ a month that ruined it for everyone.
Waiting in your truck all day watching Netflix???
Streaming Pandora/Sirius all day?
Now, go ahead, enjoy yourself and actually pay for the data you use.
Don't get me wrong, I think tethering should be part of your regular plan.
But was very happy to see them sweetening the deal with 2 extra gigs a month.
Boy am I glad I didn't give MiWi $10.
Something tells me their sales will soon drop.
Makes you wonder if they're just bluffing about being able to determine whether or not you're tethering. I hope they're ignoring those who tether with the Data Pro 2GB plans. That way at least if I receive a notice I'm going to be losing my unlimited data plan and forced into their tethering plan I can just call them back and switch to the 2GB plan. I don't go over 2GB's when I tether anyways so it'll suffice.
AT&T is fully within their right to do this, so no one should be complaining. It's in the TOS, if you don't like it start your own cell network.
That being said, the $25 2 GB plan should include tethering. Since you're getting a fixed amount of data, you should be able to use it in ANY legal way you choose.
You were before. The plans used to be $25 for 2 GB of data without tethering, or $45 for 2 GB of data with tethering. However, they changed the plans to be $25 for 2 GB tethering, or $45 for 4 GB with tethering. Under the old plan, you WERE paying for the same service (2 GB of data) more than once, but now it's much more fair.
That being said, the $25 2 GB plan should include tethering. Since you're getting a fixed amount of data, you should be able to use it in ANY legal way you choose.
You were before. The plans used to be $25 for 2 GB of data without tethering, or $45 for 2 GB of data with tethering. However, they changed the plans to be $25 for 2 GB tethering, or $45 for 4 GB with tethering. Under the old plan, you WERE paying for the same service (2 GB of data) more than once, but now it's much more fair.
At some point in the near future, they're going to have to openly admit how they're making this "determination", because this is exactly the sort of thing that is making some lawyer somewhere salivate at the thought of a class-action lawsuit. Accusing customers of something they didn't do, then changing their plans to far more expensive ones? I don't care what the TOS says, somebody somewhere will sue over this.
Ya think?
I just hope this does not mean the end of the once-in-a-while teather user. I use ~ 5 to 10 mb per month with HandyLight and would hate to have that taken from me.
Any company will go after this kind of thing........you would too if you ran the company!
This link is a post on The Register (UK) which supposedly tells how to prevent AT&T from telling if you are tethering:
http://forums.theregister.co.uk/post/1016691
The method, which is for Windows, involves setting your computer's TTL (time to live for IP packets) to 65. Presumably there is a way to do this on Mac as well.
http://forums.theregister.co.uk/post/1016691
The method, which is for Windows, involves setting your computer's TTL (time to live for IP packets) to 65. Presumably there is a way to do this on Mac as well.
My take on why this is BS!
I pay for internet at home. I'm not told it's only tied to one device. I can connect as many devices as I want.
Suppose Shell decides that if you fill up a gas can, you can only use it for your car. Your lawnmower, chainsaw, trimmer etc can't use that gas.
Suppose Ford sells you a car but you can't drive it on highways because they are too crowded.
Suppose my electric company says I can't run an extension cord outside my house. No portable electric. Or that only televisions can use the electric. You'll have to pay more if you want lights connected.
One might say don't sign the contract. Ok, but then what. Where do I turn? Verizon, T_Mobile...they are all in on it with their hands out. There are no other choices other than to give in to the legalized extortion. It's all the telecomms. That's why there needs to be some regulation of this.
I pay unlimited data and I should be able to do with it what I choose. Maybe if they'd get rid of the BS ADVERTISING on all the apps, it would cut down on network clutter. How's that for a start.
I pay for internet at home. I'm not told it's only tied to one device. I can connect as many devices as I want.
Suppose Shell decides that if you fill up a gas can, you can only use it for your car. Your lawnmower, chainsaw, trimmer etc can't use that gas.
Suppose Ford sells you a car but you can't drive it on highways because they are too crowded.
Suppose my electric company says I can't run an extension cord outside my house. No portable electric. Or that only televisions can use the electric. You'll have to pay more if you want lights connected.
One might say don't sign the contract. Ok, but then what. Where do I turn? Verizon, T_Mobile...they are all in on it with their hands out. There are no other choices other than to give in to the legalized extortion. It's all the telecomms. That's why there needs to be some regulation of this.
I pay unlimited data and I should be able to do with it what I choose. Maybe if they'd get rid of the BS ADVERTISING on all the apps, it would cut down on network clutter. How's that for a start.
They already did. There are no longer unlimited plans. Frankly it was a mistake for them to have ever offered unlimited data. Wireless systems just dont have the spectrum to support large numbers of users who consume cell data as if it were their only source for internet access. Wireless spectrum is a finite resource. You can not simply add infrastructure to increase capacity.
If you're going to put extra strain on the network, you are still free to do so, you just have to pay more.
For the record, I agree that tethering should be allowed on any of the volume limited plans. I expect that this will be allowed in the future, but for now we have the hold-over from the older unlimited TOS verbiage.
BTW - The cost for 4GB of data is the same if you have tethering or not ($25 for the first 2GB + $10 for each additional 1GB). Tethering basically requires a minimum pre-pay of 4GB.
There is more than one way to figure out if the traffic is likely being used for tethering or not, without doing packet inspection, and only traffic volume, source and destination.
For example, there is no World of Warcraft client for mobile devices. So when a mobile device connects to the game servers (instead of say, their website), it's somewhat obvious that tethering is involved. The same is true for any service where there is no current mobile client, and there is unlikely to be one.
Because you have to send your data across their network (much like sending a letter in the mail), they need to know where it will go. That sort of information can still be used to develop a profile, and certain addresses are a fingerprint for the type of activity being done by the person. Much like I can guess that someone sending mail to their local IRS office is likely paying their taxes or getting a refund.