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Has anyone using PDAnet's "Hide Tethering" level 2 feature actually been caught and sent the text message of death by Att???
 
“Jailbroken iPhones typically use the same tethering technique as a standard iPhone, the one that’s already present in iOS. This method exposes tethering activity quite readily, because the iPhone, when in tethering mode, sends traffic through an alternate APN (AT&T access point/router) for the express purpose of identifying the traffic as tethered data. This makes it extremely easy for AT&T to identify whether or not an iOS device is utilizing tethering, and just how much of their data is consumed via tethering.

Some tethering applications for iOS make use of alternative methods and route tethered traffic through the phone’s normal data APN, but by and large, most jailbreakers stick with the stock application because it’s easy to use and doesn’t require any complicated setup. In fact, many iPhone users jailbreak for the sole purpose of avoiding AT&T’s tethering fees (for why, see next section). These are the people AT&T’s is going after.”

So it appears, apps that use the special data APN get noticed by AT&T’s systems, hence the strong-arm tactics. Popular jailbreak app MyWi works just as described by AndroidPolice – using the tethering APN. What we need is an app that uses the same APN as your iPhone does for its own data. According to the iPhoneDownloadBlog, that app is PdaNet.

that is just one of many ways they can pick it up.

Deep packet sniffing is legal because they really are not looking at the data part of the packet. All they are looking at is the header on the packet (over head part) and that is where the give away is going to be.

They know for example the exact number of hopes any data packets should have from Phone central routing point. If that hope is 1 higher than it should be they know you are tethering as Computer to phone is 1 extra hop.

Another way is they can see if it is certain types of services that are running that a phone should not be able to run. Big example is bit torrent. If you are running a bit torrent service Boom nailed you for tethering. It just looking for certain things and most of it is in the header itself in the data packets.
 
“Jailbroken iPhones typically use the same tethering technique as a standard iPhone, the one that’s already present in iOS. This method exposes tethering activity quite readily, because the iPhone, when in tethering mode, sends traffic through an alternate APN (AT&T access point/router) for the express purpose of identifying the traffic as tethered data. This makes it extremely easy for AT&T to identify whether or not an iOS device is utilizing tethering, and just how much of their data is consumed via tethering.

Some tethering applications for iOS make use of alternative methods and route tethered traffic through the phone’s normal data APN, but by and large, most jailbreakers stick with the stock application because it’s easy to use and doesn’t require any complicated setup. In fact, many iPhone users jailbreak for the sole purpose of avoiding AT&T’s tethering fees (for why, see next section). These are the people AT&T’s is going after.”

So it appears, apps that use the special data APN get noticed by AT&T’s systems, hence the strong-arm tactics. Popular jailbreak app MyWi works just as described by AndroidPolice – using the tethering APN. What we need is an app that uses the same APN as your iPhone does for its own data. According to the iPhoneDownloadBlog, that app is PdaNet.

Still tethering away and not a message from AT&T - I actually just tethered earlier this morning. Either they really love me as a customer or are targeting heavy overall data users.
 
“Jailbroken iPhones typically use the same tethering technique as a standard iPhone, the one that’s already present in iOS. This method exposes tethering activity quite readily, because the iPhone, when in tethering mode, sends traffic through an alternate APN (AT&T access point/router) for the express purpose of identifying the traffic as tethered data. This makes it extremely easy for AT&T to identify whether or not an iOS device is utilizing tethering, and just how much of their data is consumed via tethering.

Some tethering applications for iOS make use of alternative methods and route tethered traffic through the phone’s normal data APN, but by and large, most jailbreakers stick with the stock application because it’s easy to use and doesn’t require any complicated setup. In fact, many iPhone users jailbreak for the sole purpose of avoiding AT&T’s tethering fees (for why, see next section). These are the people AT&T’s is going after.”

So it appears, apps that use the special data APN get noticed by AT&T’s systems, hence the strong-arm tactics. Popular jailbreak app MyWi works just as described by AndroidPolice – using the tethering APN. What we need is an app that uses the same APN as your iPhone does for its own data. According to the iPhoneDownloadBlog, that app is PdaNet.

So curious, anyone know if Handylight does it through the APN or some other way? (not that I have ever used it honestly, I downloaded it just to have it before they banned it but have honestly been too paranoid to use it just for paranoia that AT&T had a way of finding out and honestly, I barely ever get any reason to tether. Last time I may have had any reason was 3/4 of a year ago and honestly, probably just easier to use my phone for internet connection anyways - I was camping at the Osh Kosh air show. Plus if I had looked around some, there were some hot spots I could have taked my laptop to if I was that inclined).
 
What???

My guess is that it is mostly a blind guess on their side based on data usage (or patterns of usage) .... but I could also imagine that they look (through some automated process) at the http headers and get suspicious if IE8 shows app as user-agent from your iPhone data plan ....



finally a sensible comparison - paying for unlimited food (=data) for one person (=phone) does not allow you to feed all persons (=computers) in your household. .... Best analogy, thank you, I have to remember that one - I hope I may quote this whenever needed.

Your thinking is a bit wrong.... it's more like this:

paying for unlimited food (=data) for one person (=ONE PERSON) at a buffet using more than one UTENSIL (iPad, Laptop) means I feed myself faster - yet it is still unlimited!!!! I can agree that if people tether and let others use their tether - that is not right. But really? What's the difference if I use my iPhone or my iPad? same person! Nuff said!
 
Your thinking is a bit wrong.... it's more like this:

paying for unlimited food (=data) for one person (=ONE PERSON) at a buffet using more than one UTENSIL (iPad, Laptop) means I feed myself faster - yet it is still unlimited!!!! I can agree that if people tether and let others use their tether - that is not right. But really? What's the difference if I use my iPhone or my iPad? same person! Nuff said!

You've got it completely wrong. When you go to an all-you-can-eat buffet you're paying for unlimited food(data) for yourself(phone). Wtf do utensils have to do with this? I know I'm being a complete hypocrite by saying this but at least I can admit it. I really do keep my data consumption to a minimum with roughly 400MB's of my monthly usage being attributed to tethering. My total data usage varies from 500MB's to 1.5GB's. If one of these days AT&T tells me to get on their tethering plan I'll suck it up and do just that. At least they're giving me 4GB's of data I can use however I want.
 
Your thinking is a bit wrong.... it's more like this:

paying for unlimited food (=data) for one person (=ONE PERSON) at a buffet using more than one UTENSIL (iPad, Laptop) means I feed myself faster - yet it is still unlimited!!!! I can agree that if people tether and let others use their tether - that is not right. But really? What's the difference if I use my iPhone or my iPad? same person! Nuff said!

Not that I agree with Att doing this tethering upgrade whatsoever... but how would Att ever know whether or not your tethering for just yourself or for your whole house?
 
Your thinking is a bit wrong.... it's more like this:

paying for unlimited food (=data) for one person (=ONE PERSON) at a buffet using more than one UTENSIL (iPad, Laptop) means I feed myself faster - yet it is still unlimited!!!! I can agree that if people tether and let others use their tether - that is not right. But really? What's the difference if I use my iPhone or my iPad? same person! Nuff said!

I disagree with your analogy, but even if we assume its correct, you essentially answer your question in the bolded part above. There is no simple way for AT&T to determine whether one person is using the tethering service.

To use your analogy, you could potentially be using that second utensil to feed someone who snuck in and is hiding under the table. :)
 
Absolutely, the cheapest and easiest way would just be that somewhere in the firmware it routes anything considered tethering through a different APN. That's the easy way.
 
I got a text, but haven't tethered in at least 1 1/2 weeks. Looks like they've looked at historical activity (presumably within the current billing cycle).

iOS 4.2.1
 
Up to 20 million Americans 'overcharged' by AT&T for data usage

AT&T are 'systematically overcharging' up to 20 million Americans who use their iPhone or iPad to access data on the go, an investigation has uncovered.
The lawsuit alleges the phone giant routinely over charges customers between 7 and 14 per cent, and in some cases up to 300 per cent.
In tests, engineers said they found the company charged for downloading data and surfing the web even when the iPhones remained untouched.


They found that in every case AT&T overcharged by between 7-14 per cent, and in some cases by as much as 300 per cent.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...stematically-overcharged-AT-T-data-usage.html
 
I'm just going to go straight to the end of the OPs post. As far as the contract you signed... well, the last one I signed with ATT nearly 3 years ago said... well, I can't qoute it verbatim, but the legal gist of it was that AT&T has the right to changes the terms of the contract you signed, dynamically, with no need to notify its users about doing so.

They've also got a nice clause that says you can't sue them if you are under contract with them. That likely wouldn't hold up in court, but still amusing.

I can't explain how these companies are able to get away with half of what they do, but they do it somehow. Sit down sometime and read your contract. You'll likely have to have surgery to reattach your jaw once you've finished.

The contract does include an amendment clause which explains the process under which the agreement can be modified. When you signed the contract, you agreed to the whole document, including the amendment clause.

So you've already agreed to a predetermined process that will be used to arbitrate any future proposed changes that AT&T brings forward to modify the contract, provided those AT&T makes all the efforts specified in the amendment clause to bring those changes to your attention, and provided AT&T gives you the opportunity required by the amendment clause to reject the proposed modification.

If you exercise your option under the amendment clause to reject the proposed modification, then, in accordance with the clause (which, by the way, you've already agreed to), your only remedy is to terminate your account. You have already agreed to be bound by the rule that there will be no provision to allow you reject the proposed amendment but still keep your account under the terms of the original contract.

If you fail to respond to the proposed modification within the time line specified by the amendment clause, then in accordance with the clause, you will have automatically agreed to accept the proposed modification.
 
Just to answer a couple of questions I have seen here.

First, People have posted in the other threads here about this topic that they HAVE gotten texts and emails from ATT about tethering with using PDANet and there level 2 protection. So yeah, this method is likely not totally safe for tethering without the tethering plan.

Second, I have also seen several reports of people getting texts from ATT for tethering and they said they had not tethered for months, and in some cases for over a year. Some people stated that they tethered on prior iphones, but not their current iphone and still got texts as well about tethering. This all makes this whole thing seem very odd to me. I don't know how, or even why it would be worth it for ATT to go through past users data to see if anyone ever tethered or not. It would seem like an expensive waste of time to me. :confused:
 
Tethering Detection System

Within the industry, it is well known that AT&T has partial use of a KH-11 satellite owned by the CIA. They pay them a fee for it's use and can detect tethering electronically, and even have facial recognition of the violators.
 
Pea Brains

Using the logic of those few of you on the side of the cellular companies we are then stealing Internet Service with our cell phones every time we connect them to our home networks. Why then gives me the right to use AT&T's cellphone to use my WiFi? If you tether the phone then you are just using it as a Gateway for a device with a larger keyboard to access the same sites you can access with a full browser in the phone.

To say we are bankrupt because we tether are phone is ludicrous. How does that pea brain of yours work. AT&T just offered 15BILLION dollars for T-Mobile so they can F the rest of us. They are so broke from me tethering that they can still do this. Do you have any idea of the real cost of them providing DATA? I know you don't or you would not be responding this way.

They sold phones with this capability and the LAW says it is LEGAL to unlock that phone as the user. Good Lord do I hope GOOGLE creates a cell company next. 5 MB for 80 bucks a month is obscene.
 
As pissed as I was with AT&T - I let them know if they are trying to cut down on usage - I wasn't going to comply.... I was going to run the crap out of Netflix and quadriple my usage - just to prove a point - I can be an ass too. They didn't like my statement to much!

That's right, stick it to the man! And I'm pretty sure that if you can't make spontaneous changes to the contract, then they can't either...unless in the original contract it states that contract terms are subject to change at anytime and somehow weaseled you into agreeing to it by means of fine print.
 
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