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iPhone 3.1 Beta 2 Disables Unauthorized AT&T Tethering

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,490
30,731


One of the big changes discovered in the latest iPhone 3.1 Beta released tonight was that it seems to disable tethering hacks for AT&T customers in the U.S.

Tethering is the process by which you can share your iPhone's wireless internet connection with your laptop via USB or Bluetooth. This allows you to have access to the internet from your laptop, using your iPhone as a wireless modem. While tethering officially arrived with the 3.0 firmware, U.S. AT&T customers have been unable to officially take advantage of it.

Shortly after the release of the 3.0 firmware, however, several hacks began circulating allowing U.S. AT&T customers to unofficially enable tethering on their iPhones. The latest beta firmware, however, seems to disable this functionality.

AT&T plans to provide an official tethering solution later this summer, but will certainly require an additional charge beyond the standard data plans.


Article Link: iPhone 3.1 Beta 2 Disables Unauthorized AT&T Tethering
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2009/07/15/iphone-3-1-beta-2-disables-unauthorized-atandt-tethering/
ipedro

ipedro

macrumors 603
Nov 30, 2004
6,224
8,470
Toronto, ON
Sucks to be an AT&T customer :(

Tethering is great up here in Canada. Couldn't live without it now that I've had it.
 
smileyborg

smileyborg

macrumors 6502
May 12, 2009
267
0
Whoa...big surprise! (...not)

I think I'd rather AT&T allow me to tether with my iPhone for no additional charge, in exchange for making my "unlimited" data plan a "limited" plan of, say, 5GB a month.

There is no such thing as truly "unlimited," as the fine print reveals. So why advertise it as such...let me do what I want with what I pay for, and I will happily accept a less-than-infinite amount of bandwidth for my $30 each month.
 
S

scubasteve03

macrumors 6502
Dec 16, 2008
275
67
Tulsa, OK
haunebu said:
Aaand that's exactly why I won't be upgrading beyond 3.0.
Click to expand...

I second that. Why does AT&T have to be so money hungry? I understand they are a business and need to make a profit, but at what cost to them? If verizon gets the Iphone in 2010, AT&T are going to lose 75%+ of their iphone customers. We shouldn't have to wait to tether and pay the $60 EXTRA to tether. Look at all of the other carriers that are offering it to free or next to nothing. They are making a killing in profit because of all of the increased business. I am gone as soon as possible even if I have to pay the $180 early termination fee. Is anyone with me? And Apple...why are you biting the hand that feeds you. AT&T are not keeping you in business, WE are!
 
Nermal

Nermal

Moderator
Staff member
Dec 7, 2002
20,632
3,987
New Zealand
Anyone know whether this breaks XT tethering in NZ? I don't even own an iPhone but I know that quite a few people are using a "hack" for support over here.
 
iphones4evry1

iphones4evry1

macrumors 65816
Nov 26, 2008
1,197
0
California, USA
D'oh! :eek:

"On August 31st, 2009, AT&T enabled tethering to iPhone subscribers - the first of it's kind - for a low, affordable, nominal monthly rate of only $29.99, which is in addition to the $30 data plan that iPhone users already pay. An AT&T spokesperson was quoted saying 'this is a really, really good deal. iPhone subscribers should be very excited. this is a great time to be with AT&T.' The AT&T spokesperson was then overheard telling someone about a '12 month tethering contract.' When asked 'what if the tethering contract expires after the iPhone contract?,' he replied 'That's your problem. not mine.'"
 
jav6454

jav6454

macrumors Core
Nov 14, 2007
22,303
6,257
1 Geostationary Tower Plaza
iphones4evry1 said:
D'oh! :eek:

"On August 31st, 2009, AT&T enabled tethering to iPhone subscribers - the first of it's kind - for a low, affordable, nominal monthly rate of only $29.99, which is in addition to the $30 data plan that iPhone users already pay. An AT&T spokesperson was quoted saying 'this is a really, really good deal. iPhone subscribers should be very excited. this is a great time to be with AT&T.' The AT&T spokesperson was then overheard telling someone about a '12 month tethering contract.' He then quickly said 'oops. you didn't hear that.'"
Click to expand...

You forgot to mention the fine print saying the "unlimited" data has a cap at 5GBs. That is unless there is no tethering, then is it only truly unlimited.
 
iphones4evry1

iphones4evry1

macrumors 65816
Nov 26, 2008
1,197
0
California, USA
jav6454 said:
You forgot to mention the fine print saying the "unlimited" data has a cap at 5GBs. That is unless there is no tethering, then is it only truly unlimited.
Click to expand...

Knowing AT&T, the 5GB plan will be $29.99 additional, and if you want unlimited, it will be $39.99 additional. After two years, the $29.99 plan will mysteriously disappear (like the $29.99 voice minutes plan mysteriously disappeared about three years ago), and they will then require anyone who buys an iPhone to mandatorily subscribe to the $39.99 plan.
 
iphones4evry1

iphones4evry1

macrumors 65816
Nov 26, 2008
1,197
0
California, USA
scubasteve03 said:
I second that. Why does AT&T have to be so money hungry? I understand they are a business and need to make a profit, but at what cost to them? If verizon gets the Iphone in 2010, AT&T are going to lose 75%+ of their iphone customers. We shouldn't have to wait to tether and pay the $60 EXTRA to tether. Look at all of the other carriers that are offering it to free or next to nothing. They are making a killing in profit because of all of the increased business. I am gone as soon as possible even if I have to pay the $180 early termination fee. Is anyone with me? And Apple...why are you biting the hand that feeds you. AT&T are not keeping you in business, WE are!
Click to expand...

AMEN ! :apple:
 
acidfast7

acidfast7

macrumors 65816
Nov 22, 2008
1,437
5
EU
lulz at american mobile service providers. sometimes i'm quite glad that i left.

but honestly, this whole contract business is absolutely ridiculous.
 
jav6454

jav6454

macrumors Core
Nov 14, 2007
22,303
6,257
1 Geostationary Tower Plaza
acidfast7 said:
lulz at american mobile service providers. sometimes i'm quite glad that i left.

but honestly, this whole contract business is absolutely ridiculous.
Click to expand...

Honduran telecoms charge you $45 for real unlimited 3G connectivity. Here 3G is at 3.6Mb/s; however, its not like AT&T's 3.6Mb/s. AT&T's says 3.6Mb/s but you don't see that, you see something lower around 1.8Mb/s. Over here when they tell you 3.6Mb/s it is 100% 3.6Mb/s, even in heavy traffic.

Seems, telecoms have spent a great deal of money on a huge backhaul system. Trials for 7.2Mb/s are in way, but not scheduled for releasing for another 1-2 years.

Yes, even though technology advances slow here, it tends to be consistent and made to work.
 
madmax_2069

madmax_2069

macrumors 6502a
Aug 17, 2005
886
0
Springfield Ohio
Yeah they already make you get the data plan already with PDA phones like the iPhone (there is only a few that you dont have to get the data plan with), the sales person told me the iPhone is constantly sending data and if you didn't get the data plan with the iPhone you would get raped with the bill so they make you get the data plan.

i dunno know how much BS he was slinging or if he was telling me the truth. but isnt that why you have the data plan, it figures that AT&T would charge you for something that should be a feature of the iPhone. hell it was going to be above $100 a month just for service with 400 - 500 minutes, since i am not made of money they can keep the iPhone. i will just keep my current phone in all of its crappyness and buy a iPod touch. i am just waiting for Apple to update the iPod touch to 3GS like hardware.
 
ltldrummerboy

ltldrummerboy

macrumors 68000
Oct 15, 2007
1,534
9
People shouldn't stick with 3.0 just to avoid tethering fees. I think ATT can still charge you for tethering even on 3.0, they just haven't yet.
 
acidfast7

acidfast7

macrumors 65816
Nov 22, 2008
1,437
5
EU
jav6454 said:
Honduran telecoms charge you $45 for real unlimited 3G connectivity. Here 3G is at 3.6Mb/s; however, its not like AT&T's 3.6Mb/s. AT&T's says 3.6Mb/s but you don't see that, you see something lower around 1.8Mb/s. Over here when they tell you 3.6Mb/s it is 100% 3.6Mb/s, even in heavy traffic.

Seems, telecoms have spent a great deal of money on a huge backhaul system. Trials for 7.2Mb/s are in way, but not scheduled for releasing for another 1-2 years.

Yes, even though technology advances slow here, it tends to be consistent and made to work.
Click to expand...

we're already rolling 4G/LTE with 80Mb/s in rural and 150Mb/s in urban areas to cover the entire Swedish population (by the end of 2010, with stuff in the metro area by the end of the year). You can already enroll in the program, but I think it's capped at 21Mb/s until the end of the summer (or so).
 
Lazlow

Lazlow

macrumors regular
Sep 6, 2007
106
104
Surprise surprise... :rolleyes:

I'm sure the jailbreak community will provide a work-around. Yeah, I know there's already PDAnet, but the iPhone's native tethering feature is much more simple and easy to use. Just plug in your iPhone and you're ready to go! No dealing with ad hoc networks and such.

I'm just waiting for karma to come back and bite AT&T, as well as all American telecoms, in the ass. It will come, it's just a matter of when. Either Apple will ditch AT&T at some point, or the SEC will rule phone-carrier exclusivity deals as in violation of antitrust laws. I mean, I wouldn't count on either happening any time soon (ESPECIALLY the latter), but when it does, I will sit back in my chair and chuckle for hours.
 
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