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iPhone 5 on Three - tethering issues

D

dopeytree

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 9, 2007
153
23
UK
Hi anyone on three with an iPhone 5 - does your personal hotspot work?
In order for it to work you'd need to be on the one plan which includes tethering.

On my phone sometimes it turns on & other times it says contact three to enable this feature etc

I've had a replacement phone, tired reset network settings, restore, etc

They three say it is an apple software bug. But if so why hasn't it been fixed!

The only thing left is to try a new SIM card but they said I'd have to have a new number which I believe is wrong.. There must be a way to just replace a faulty SIM card.

Cheers Ed

Ps one last thing when using personal hotspot surely you should still be able to use the Internet on the phone itself in case of important emails etc on my phone enabling personal hotspot seems to just literally divert the Internet.
 
Where does it say this?

On your computer (as a web page) when you try and tether?

A message box on the iPhone?

In a text message?
 
I'm on tmobile on the $60/mo plan and I tether all time. I just went to my aunt and I must have burnt some 400mb.
 
Sorry yes it's an official pop up notification on the phone when you press on to turn on personal hotspot.

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chestvrg said:
I'm on tmobile on the $60/mo plan and I tether all time. I just went to my aunt and I must have burnt some 400mb.
Click to expand...

When tethering (non jailbreak) are you also able to use the internet on your phone. IE while watching youtube on your laptop, check your emails on your iPhone.

In my experience the personal hotspot turns the phone into a sole hotspot device & thus renders the phone no longer a phone if that makes any sense. Such as the internet is only available to other devices not the phone itself while tethering is on. Is this your experience?
 
In my case sometimes it cuts off, but it might be related with my PC going to sleep/hibernate mode after 15 or so mts.
 
Three, One Plan here too. Not had any similar problems with mine. Also, I can tether and use the phones functions as normal simultaneously. My only advice, if you're not aware, is to leave it on the Personal Hotspot screen, otherwise it sleeps the connection after a bit.
 
Last edited:
yegon said:
My only advice, if you're not aware, is to leave it on the Personal Hotspot screen, otherwise it's sleeps the connection after a bit.
Click to expand...

So that's where my problem is, it is the iPhone sleeping on the connection.
 
Yeah, try it. Odd behaviour really, I only know this from reading it as a tip in some forum.

The tether will stay active while you're doing other stuff in other screens, but sleeps when the phone is inactive and not left on that screen. Ime anyway.
 
It seems to be an issue that pops up if the device that's connected drops wifi to save power then fails to reconnect. The iPad is like this. If the iPad screen goes off the hotspot times out fairly quickly. If your using a laptop on battery for example the wifi card sleeps as part of the powersaving features.
 
I have an iPhone 5 with 3 on the one plan, and have no issues.
Only when I lived in Camden the connection used to be pretty choppy, and had to enable/disable flight mode every now and then to refresh the network, but I guess that's just because central London is so busy.
 
I'll try keep touching the home button every 3mts or so to keep it active when tethering.
 
chestvrg said:
I'll try keep touching the home button every 3mts or so to keep it active when tethering.
Click to expand...

You shouldn't have to. So long as you leave it on the Personal Hotspot screen, it should stay active even after screen off.
 
Works for me, and I've only ever seen that particular screen when I've not been on The One Plan. Normally if you tether using that, it'll then briefly disable data entirely on the handset (reboot/airplane mode solves).

I can also use the phone and tethered device at the same time - it doesn't stop the phone from operating as a phone/internet device. Also occasionally have the same problems re the connection 'sleeping' if I move from the hotspot screen, although it's been much better of late.
 
I'm on 12.90 unlimited data and 200 mins 5000 texts. No tethering included (£5 add on required). However I have enabled tethering via settings and it works fine. 120GB on current period. No charge for last 8 months on bill. Cheeky but works!

Phone them if you get a message about SIM002 error. Say you're not tethering, and after a few calls they will disable entirely.

No need for one plan unless you need the minutes!
 
I've tethered quite a few times this past month

Also on three one plan - iphone5

Afaik tethering is a boolean option set by the network. I can only assume your iPhone is having trouble receiving an answer from your local three equipment / authentication servers.

If tethering is an issue in different areas that theory is a lot less credible.
 
bp1000 said:
I've tethered quite a few times this past month

Also on three one plan - iphone5

Afaik tethering is a boolean option set by the network. I can only assume your iPhone is having trouble receiving an answer from your local three equipment / authentication servers.

If tethering is an issue in different areas that theory is a lot less credible.
Click to expand...

While Apple allows carriers to disable tethering on accounts where it's not enabled, I don't think Three has ever used that feature.

Other networks in the UK do though.
 
Both of my iphone 5s have issues with tethering. Sometimes it takes one press to be seen on others' wifi networks, other times I have to turn it on and off several times to be seen. Must be an iOS 6 issue.
 
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