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FYI: AT&T Clamping Down on MyWi Tethering
- Thread starter poloponies
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Every device that access the internet has a MAC address. This is part of data packets when accessing the internet. I have cheap free sniffer tools and can detect all sorts of stuff about a network, pretty sure AT&T can see how their data is being used and by what devices. IF they want to shut it down they can, they have been turning a blind eye for a while now and probably those people using crazy amounts per month on the old iPhone unlimited plans are going to get busted.
I have/am using MyWi and my normal usage is probably in the 4 to 6gig per month with a spike last month of 10.5 because I got a new Slingplayer and was messing around at work. I normally monitor my usage and stay under 5gigs but not all that worried either way. I was considering moving to the tethering just so I don't have to jack with JB my iphone and keep up with that. I use a fair bit of data and still unless I am streaming Slingplayer 4 or 5 hours a day at work I don't go over 5gigs, so worse case I would spend $55 on 5gigs if I go over the 4gig plan.
If they do stop my unlimited WyWi tethering I will have still saved a ton of cash over the past year so whatever they feel the need to do is fine. I'll be moving to VZW as soon as I can for LTE anyhow.
MAC address is a layer 2 construct, and as such is link local. What this means is a packet from your tethered device has that device's MAC as a source, and the MAC of your iPhone's WiFi or Bluetooth as a destination. When the iPhone sends it along, source MAC is the iPhone's GSM radio, and destination MAC is AT&T's router at the cell tower. The tethered device is no longer visible.
You mean the customers who abuse their plans in the first place by tethering when they're not supposed too? Hows that any represent the 75million plus they have, when it seems <5,000 may get this email??? really bro?
Why wouldn't they? You agree to the terms of service when you sign up. Failure on your part to read/understand ToS doesn't exempt you from the terms.
So a quick lookup revealed this chunk of the ToS: (From AT&T's site)
Seems pretty clear.
I'm all for bending the rules a little here and there, but when it comes time to pay the piper, you don't have a leg to stand on since you agreed NOT to tether using your phone on a plan not designated for tethering.
It's sometimes the goal of a company to encourage a particular group of customers to go elsewhere.
Why do you think certain auto insurance companies go to the trouble of setting up ways to compare their rates to other companies? They can then up the price of certain categories they'd rather not carry (i.e. high risk and/or minimum coverage) and show them they can save money by going elsewhere.
You think AT&T wouldn't LOVE to encourage the highest usage customers to either pony up the extra money or go elsewhere? So they piss you off, where are you going to go with your iphone? Verizon? And when they do the same thing, where to then?
I understand the frustration, and agree that it's an artificial limitation to charge extra for tethering -- pay for a data bucket and it should be yours to use as you want. But cries of indignation are laughable; AT&T doesn't give a darn. To paraphrase a very old term, "They're the phone company, they don't have to care."