Im just curious if it is legal and what could AT&T do to stop it. I use it a lot and have an outrageous amount of data used (thank god for unlimited). Im just wondering because recently nothing of mine has been able to connect to the internet whenever I try to use it. Maybe im just doing something wrong to where it is not working.
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Is MyWi illegal?
- Thread starter WillRuth
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It's illegal in the sense that it's a breach of contract.
Which implies that AT&T could sue you for damages and/or terminate the contract.
However, from a practical standpoint, neither of those things will happen, unless of course you are doing something criminally punishable with mywi, for example downloading Child Porn, but I digress.
Which implies that AT&T could sue you for damages and/or terminate the contract.
However, from a practical standpoint, neither of those things will happen, unless of course you are doing something criminally punishable with mywi, for example downloading Child Porn, but I digress.
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)
It's my data (unlimited), I'm going to do with it what I want
It's my data (unlimited), I'm going to do with it what I want
Basically what others have said is correct. It's not illegal per se, it's just a violation of your private contract with AT&T. If you go using an obscene amount of data, you will get a warning letter from them, and if you continue they will just cancel your contract, at no penalty to you.
It's your data to use on that device, not tethered to another one.
Its called Terms of service. You signed it when you started your contract.
That logic is like going to an all you can eat buffet and insisting you can take food home with you or insist that the admission should include your friend's meal..
In other words, it is unlimited on that device, not via a laptop
Not the best analogy. All the data is ultimately flowing through the iPhone, and all the network traffic is coming from and going to the iPhone, then being transferred to a computer. The buffet analogy only works if you take the food, put it in your mouth, then put it directly into your friend's mouth. I'm not judging or anything, but that's not my thing.
Not the best analogy. All the data is ultimately flowing through the iPhone, and all the network traffic is coming from and going to the iPhone, then being transferred to a computer. The buffet analogy only works if you take the food, put it in your mouth, then put it directly into your friend's mouth. I'm not judging or anything, but that's not my thing.
No, it's a very good analogy. You are taking your food and putting it on another plate. It might touch your plate (the iPhone) but it's not meant to go to other plates after that (other devices). The use of programs like this to get tethering on the iPhone is getting that all you can eat salad at the restaurant, and sharing with all your fellow diners. That's not how it's meant to work.
Note, for those with limited data, it totally suck that AT&T is trying to rip a new one for tethering (and without giving you extra data!) but the unlimited data was just for the iPhone's own use, not other devices.
LOL, this caused me to chuckle.
Contrary to the naysayers, your analogy was actually really good
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It is illegal, but maybe not immoral. First is just a fact. Second is up to opinion. Don't confuse the two
The United States has no law against tethering without a tethering plan. It's breach of contract, nothing more.
Actually your ToS explicitly forbids unauthorized tethering. Thanks to laws passed to prevent cable service theft, it's arguably theft of service (a potential federal offense). Analogous to the old days of paying for basic cable, and using your access to obtain premium channels.
However AFAIK it has never been tested, and probably never will since it's not a widespread issue for cell providers.
For the record, I'm not claiming that it's illegal, rather that there is uncertainty.
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I bet he does take food home when he goes to a buffet. That is why he thinks that way.
If I use MyWi and I have an un limited plan from Verizon does that mean there is no "2GB" limitation?
That's correct.
As far as Verizon is concerned, the data you are using is directly from the handset.
I am starting to wondering about that myself, the other day I downloaded PDANet from Cydia because over the weekend my Comcast connection was down, I used it to surf the net for a day, I am on the AT&T unlimited plan as well. I am wondering if AT&T can somehow detected that I was using my Macbook on the 3G instead of the iPhone.
Yes they can and the next time you do it they will send 220 volts down your cellular connection and fry your iPhone and Macbook so don't have your iPhone in a front pocket or it will also fry your cajones.
This topic is number 3 behind (1) When will the next JB come out and (2) When will the next unlock come out as the most asked question. The answer is if they can, they are not doing anything about it.
Legal questions aside.. I'm not a lawyer so won't pretend to know the answer that most do.
I've used MyWi tethered to various laptops/iPad's for a few years now, or at least 18 months give or take. Normally I don't use but 4 or 5 gigs a month, but have gone well over 15gigs with Slingplayer app on my iPad tethered. Usually during the NCAA tourney I go way over but have yet to hear anything from AT&T.
If they wanted to stop it, they would have by now, but then again they approved the Slingplayer app for the iPhone and it's sucking down the 250-300mb's an hour so the fact I pick up that signal on another device or not seems rather pointless for them to pursue when the end result is me switching carriers. (not always a bad thing for the customer).
I've used MyWi tethered to various laptops/iPad's for a few years now, or at least 18 months give or take. Normally I don't use but 4 or 5 gigs a month, but have gone well over 15gigs with Slingplayer app on my iPad tethered. Usually during the NCAA tourney I go way over but have yet to hear anything from AT&T.
If they wanted to stop it, they would have by now, but then again they approved the Slingplayer app for the iPhone and it's sucking down the 250-300mb's an hour so the fact I pick up that signal on another device or not seems rather pointless for them to pursue when the end result is me switching carriers. (not always a bad thing for the customer).
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So you can't download an App and sync it to your computer? You can only use certain data, which is not explained in the TOS, with conjunction with your computer. It's not a good analogy.
Further, to those saying it's only a breach of contract and not illegal, a contract is private law and breaches are thus anything that is a breach of contract is illegal. It's just a question of whether courts will enforce the contract.