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Does using Mywi violate ATT contract?

B

Bodhi395

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 23, 2008
817
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With all this talk about jailbreaking and it being legal, I was thinking of jailbreaking my iPhone and installing Mywi.

I know ATT makes you pay $20 a month to tether, so would using a nonauthorized wifi tethering app violate some sort of term in your ATT contract? Does anyone know of a specific clause in the contract that prohibits these sort of apps?
 
It does violate their posted 'wireless data terms and conditions'. Whether or not they actually monitor for it is a different thread. :)

Furthermore, plans (unless specifically designated for tethering usage) cannot be used for any applications that tether the device (through use of, including without limitation, connection kits, other phone/smartphone to computer accessories, BLUETOOTH® or any other wireless technology) to Personal Computers (including without limitation, laptops), or other equipment for any purpose.
Click to expand...
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/legal/plan-terms.jsp#data
 
I don't know of a specific clause, but I'm sure there is something related to a prohibition on the installation of unapproved 3rd party software, which is what MyWi would be.

I wouldn't worry about it too much...with all the people who use MyWi and have jailbroken phones, I haven't seen a single story of AT&T causing a ruckus...yet.
 
jlmitnick said:
I don't know of a specific clause, but I'm sure there is something related to a prohibition on the installation of unapproved 3rd party software, which is what MyWi would be.
Click to expand...

NO, there is nothing about installing 3er party app (all app are 3er party to AT&T, well most of them)

MyWi Doesn't breach your contract directly, but it does Indirectly.

Explain: MyWi is against the TOS (term of service) and your contract say that you will stay within the TOS while using the AT&T network. So breaking the TOS is breaching your contract.
 
Bodhi395 said:
With all this talk about jailbreaking and it being legal, I was thinking of jailbreaking my iPhone and installing Mywi.

I know ATT makes you pay $20 a month to tether, so would using a nonauthorized wifi tethering app violate some sort of term in your ATT contract? Does anyone know of a specific clause in the contract that prohibits these sort of apps?
Click to expand...

It is prohibited. I believe this is the clause that they would refer you to in your contract:

Prohibited and Permissible Uses:
(vii) .... Furthermore, plans (unless specifically designated for tethering usage) cannot be used for any applications that tether the device (through use of, including without limitation, connection kits, other phone/smartphone to computer accessories, BLUETOOTH® or any other wireless technology) to Personal Computers (including without limitation, laptops), or other equipment for any purpose.


However if you have an unlimited data plan there is really no way they could know that you are using MyWi unless you go into a store and tell them you are using it. I can't see how they can offer free tethering on other phones, i.e. blackberry, but somehow charge iPhone users $20/mo. I say use MyWi just to spite the whores at AT&T
 
If they catch you, you are subject to fines and imprisonment in teh AT&T jail.


....I heard
 
Your contract requires you to abide by the TOS. The TOS specifies that you cannot use your account for tethering without paying the tethering charge. So, yes, MyWi violates your contract.
 
aristobrat said:
It does violate their posted 'wireless data terms and conditions'. Whether or not they actually monitor for it is a different thread. :)
Click to expand...

They do monitor for it. Whether or not they will act on the data is a different thread. :)
 
err404 said:
They do monitor for it. Whether or not they will act on the data is a different thread. :)
Click to expand...

The monitor flag accounts, if you have an average of 200MB a month, and all of the sudden you start using 200 and 400MB a day, your account will be flag by the system to be review by a human.

You got to be smart about it, if you going to use it more often don't crack it up all at once, do it slowly.

That is not only for Data, they do this for voice too, making sure they are "selling" you the right plan. believe or not they want to sell you a larger plan, instead of charging you overage usage. It works better form them.
 
phatjoe88 said:
It is prohibited. I believe this is the clause that they would refer you to in your contract:

Prohibited and Permissible Uses:
(vii) .... Furthermore, plans (unless specifically designated for tethering usage) cannot be used for any applications that tether the device (through use of, including without limitation, connection kits, other phone/smartphone to computer accessories, BLUETOOTH® or any other wireless technology) to Personal Computers (including without limitation, laptops), or other equipment for any purpose.


However if you have an unlimited data plan there is really no way they could know that you are using MyWi unless you go into a store and tell them you are using it. I can't see how they can offer free tethering on other phones, i.e. blackberry, but somehow charge iPhone users $20/mo. I say use MyWi just to spite the whores at AT&T
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's the clause I was looking for, and thought it probably was in there.

I agree with some others that it makes no sense to charge $20 a month for tethering, because to ATT and its network, it makes no difference at all! They charge you by how many bytes of data you use, so I don't see why they care how you use that data, whether its through your iPhone or through a tethered laptop. To them, its all just data. If the tethering plan included an extra couple GB of usage, I'd say the $20 a month was fair, but it doesn't!

I think ATT customers should rise up and expose this completely unfair and unjustifiable practice by ATT and shame them into offering tethering for free!
 
IBradMac said:
If they catch you, you are subject to fines and imprisonment in teh AT&T jail.


....I heard
Click to expand...

I also heard that you could be sentenced to do 10 long, hard years of AT&T service with no way out! Be careful- use at your own risk!
 
maturola said:
The monitor flag accounts, if you have an average of 200MB a month, and all of the sudden you start using 200 and 400MB a day, your account will be flag by the system to be review by a human.
Click to expand...

They do both. The network engineering capacity team logs usage statistics from header analysis based on packet forwarding from your device (the fingerprint of MyWi). The business teams do not use these logs for anything at this time, but the logs do exist and they go back about two years.
 
err404 said:
They do both. The network engineering capacity team logs usage statistics from header analysis based on packet forwarding from your device (the fingerprint of MyWi). The business teams do not use these logs for anything at this time, but the logs do exist and they go back about two years.
Click to expand...

Logs are present everywhere, by Monitor I meant someone actually looking at your that data, as i said, they only do it on flag account, you account can be flag for many reason.
 
I was thinking about this and, I may be way off, but doesn't AT&T offer turn by turn directions for your iPhone? It's an extra $2.99 a month, but they do offer it. No one hardly gets it because, well, there's an app that doesn't require a monthly subscription. Isn't this kinda the same thing?? Bypassing AT&T's own offer and getting an app?

While it does violate the TOS, I really don't see an issue if you're staying within the monthly data that you pay for? I pay $25 for 2GB, and I'll rarely even use ONE gb, even with occasionally tethering to my iPad. The people who have the grandfathered unlimited data and use upwards of 10GB a month, I can see a problem. It's just abuse. But then there is a age old argument, "I pay for unlimited..." Can AT&T really make a big fuss about using mywi and still using the same amount of dataB?

Any thoughts?
 
Stuart21 said:
Just curious what can AT&T do? Would they cancel my service?
Click to expand...

It is unlikely that they would do anything; however, if they did It would probably be among the following:
1) Ask you to cut back
2) Change your plan to the "correct" 2GB plus tethering ($35 + $10 per GB over your limit)
3) Cancel you contract
 
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