NetShare Unlikely to Return to U.S. App Store

[swrdfghtr]

Ok, so let me get this straight. If you pay for unlimited data transfer through AT&T with an iPhone plan, right? And both Verizon and Sprint permit tethering. So if you pay for unlimited data, why is it not permitted? If a customer want something, be it a good or a service, it is in a company's best interest to provide said good or service to them, even if there is an extra charge for it. All AT&T is doing is just slowing down progress, while continuing on with all of this contract nonsense, IMO.

"Unlimited" in the plan's terms of service refers to data sent to and from, and used on, the device itself. This isn't new with the iPhone; all of AT&T's "PDA' data plans work this way. Tethering plans are available and cost more. AT&T does it to try and preserve some control over the network; the amount of data you'll send and receive from a PDA (iPhone) is in theory less than the bulk you'd do with a PC. PC's have MANY more applications that deal with much larger data.

Same idea as behind the App Store's 10MB limit on apps which can be downloaded via EDGE or 3G; anything larger must be downloaded via WiFi or synced from iTunes.

Think of it this way: Auto registration fees provide unlimited use of the road. However, states recognize that certain types of cars place a greater burden on the system, like semi trucks, and so the fees for those are higher. (I realize it's a simplistic analogy.)

 

[Zwhaler]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5A347 Safari/525.20)

Then Apple can refund my $9.99.

it says you can continue to use it.

 

[wizofodd]

Att does offer a tethering plan for the iPhone...
That is why the app was removed.

Where did you see this? I haven't seen anything on at&t's site where they provide this service.

 

[synth3tik]

pisses me off that I was busy at work when the app appeared, then again when it re-appeared. I don't know that AT&T expects to get out of this. Simply put. If I am not around an access point I will use my phone, whether tethered to my MBP or not, I would never pay to get the service for my computer. So either way (at least with me) AT&T is raking in the same cash.

DOUCHE BAGS!!!!!!!

 

[gcmexico]

Att does offer a tethering plan for the iPhone...
That is why the app was removed.

&T
AT&T does not offer tethering for the iphone...for the other phones yes, but not the iphone...unless I'm wrong here, any proof that AT&T offer tethering for iphone?

 

[markgamber]

Well, the part the really sucks is, if this is true, Apple can pull anything they want from the app store for any reason. Or no reason at all. If I write an app and get it posted tomorrow and a month from some company about to release something similiar doesn't want me eating into their sales, all they need to do is wave a check or a lawyer under Apple's nose and mine goes away. No explanation. I wonder how many "little guys" are going to bother writing for a crippled platform controlled by the fattest checkbook? Personally, I bought an iPhone exactly for the purpose of development. When Apple yanked NetShare "for no reason", I bought a Tilt and shelved the iPhone. If it doesn't return and Apple doesn't even extend the courtesy of an explanation, I'm shelving the development, too. For all the whining and crying Apple jihadists like to do about evil Microsoft, at least I've never had to worry about their preventing something I wrote from reaching the market. Never even crossed my mind. Herr Jobs uber alles!.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Apple doesn't make the User Contracts for the Telcos. There is no doubt this got pulled upon request by the Telcos to see what sort of relationships and legal documentation needs to be put in place before, if ever, it is allowed to be redeployed.

It's not that difficult to grasp that such an application would eventually test the boundaries of ISPs and their relationships.

 

[Quincy9219]

okay.. common sense question here.

So it's not allowed per ATT's terms, so it was dropped from the App store. But if this is allowed on other networks outside of ATT (Rogers, O2, Telstra, Vodafone, etc.) wouldn't it be logical to throw it up on the App stores for those particular countries? and if possible, couldn't you point your copy of iTunes to the App Stores outside the US (I assume there are others, not just the single App Store), or download an int'l version of iTunes, start it up, buy the app there, sync it to your iPhone, and off you go again?

Or am I way off base?

BL.

You are way off base here. Sorry, but when you activated your iTunes, you gave them a credit card account, an American credit card account, I am assuming. That means that your account is locked to the US, when you gave them that credit card, they figured out you are an American, in the US. As you have pointed out, there are other networks that permit tethering (and so does ATT, it just costs more money), and presumably, they might allow this app to go through, however, you can't get to that App Store because Apple's servers identify you as an American. Also, even if you could access and use another country's iTunes App Store, you would still be on ATT's network, and using their bandwidth.

 

[bigmc6000]

Quick question - I haven't stayed in touch with the iPhone SDK but are you allowed to put an app on your iPhone without paying the $99 to get into the dev program?

i ask because if you can then someone can just disseminate the code to set up something just like Netshare and we'll be able to do it without any restrictions from Apple or AT&T

 

[essinger]

It's not that difficult to grasp that such an application would eventually test the boundaries of ISPs and their relationships.

You know there is already an application to do this built-in to WinMo. Unless you bought a locked phone from your provider, there isn't any way for them to stop you from tethering, no matter what your data plan is.

 

[PhaserFuzz]

Okay, so I snagged this app before it was pulled out of the store. Am I alright if I use it for simple web browsing here and there? I'm not planning on downloading any large files while using it. What are the chances of me getting an outrageous bill for using it? I'm in a band that's on the road a lot, and this app will definitely come in handy for times when there's no WiFi available.

Thanks for any help.

 

[manhattanboy]

I just made the iphone update and I lost the netshare app, how can i get it back?
thank you

1st don't connect your phone to the computer.
Then open up your music folder-> iTunes-> apps-> look where Netshare is
Copy it to some other location so you have just in case.
Then redrop the copy onto Itunes and then reconnect and then manually update your iphone and select the Netshare app.

Hope that helps!

Okay, so I snagged this app before it was pulled out of the store. Am I alright if I use it for simple web browsing here and there? I'm not planning on downloading any large files while using it. What are the chances of me getting an outrageous bill for using it? I'm in a band that's on the road a lot, and this app will definitely come in handy for times when there's no WiFi available.

Thanks for any help.

Its a SOCKS 5 proxy meaning all traffic will appear as if you are web browsing on your iPhone (I believe).

I will sell you my iPhone with netshare on it.

$999

I AM RICH!!!!

Not really... all the jailbroken phones can not only use Netshare, but they can use ANY software they downloaded for F-R-E-E
It turns out some of the best things that enRICH life are free

 

[Stridder44]

This really sucks... What a great app and with "unlimited" data what the heck is the problem. I wish that ATT was not so money hungry and were more concerned about customer service. THIS SUCKS!!! I wasn't one of the lucky ones to get in on this when it was available. Maybe I'll just go the other route and jailbreak my phone and switch back to T-mobile

Seriously. This is BS. You should be able to use a connection however you please. You're paying for it, after all.

First $20 for unlimited texting, and now this. Ugh.

 

[bradl]

You are way off base here. Sorry, but when you activated your iTunes, you gave them a credit card account, an American credit card account, I am assuming. That means that your account is locked to the US, when you gave them that credit card, they figured out you are an American, in the US. As you have pointed out, there are other networks that permit tethering (and so does ATT, it just costs more money), and presumably, they might allow this app to go through, however, you can't get to that App Store because Apple's servers identify you as an American. Also, even if you could access and use another country's iTunes App Store, you would still be on ATT's network, and using their bandwidth.

This brings up another question.

Say I go overseas (read: out of the country), and connect my iPhone to someone else's machine that has iTunes installed. That copy of iTunes wouldn't have anything to do with my account, so unless the information is attached to the phone, it shouldn't know (care?) which phone it is, right?

I'm just wondering if Apple has thought of things like this; not just for the sake of NetShare, but what if some apps are available at App stores not local to your home country.

BL.

 

[jfuehner]

!!!..online Petition..!!!

We iPhone users in the US need to band together and start an online petition like our friends to the North did and perhaps we can get AT&T to listen...

Who's with me..!!!

 

[Quincy9219]

Ummm...you bought an iPhone for a reason people. 90+% of what you want to do from your computer you can do from your phone. You pay for unlimited data for your phone, not your computer. But, my point is why do you want to tether your computer. The things you can't do from your phone would hog too much bandwidth anyway, videos, flash animations, etc. So, in reality, why are you tethering? To be able to say you can? I don't see the practicality in that

 

[ShiggyMiyamoto]

I'm glad I got this app (NetShare). I'm almost always within WiFi range given I barely take my MacBook out anymore, but when I'm not (for example on the train / bus) I'll be able to get online very easily!

I did a speedtest when I had it setup, and here was my result (at that moment anyway):

That's pretty good if you ask me. It's gonna be good to use my MacBook on the go, and since I do most of my stuff online this is gonna be awesome.

Should AT&T yell at me for such usage I'll stop using it so much, but until then I'll use it as I have to. ^_^.

Ummm...you bought an iPhone for a reason people. 90+% of what you want to do from your computer you can do from your phone. You pay for unlimited data for your phone, not your computer. But, my point is why do you want to tether your computer. The things you can't do from your phone would hog too much bandwidth anyway, videos, flash animations, etc. So, in reality, why are you tethering? To be able to say you can? I don't see the practicality in that

It's practical because not everyone wants to stare at a small screen for everything, and if you have a laptop with you why not view your Internet content on it?

Say you're going somewhere with a friend on a bus/train and they wanna see what you're doing. You could pivot your laptop to them instead of them practically hugging you to see the 3.5" iPhone screen. I mean that's a nice size screen, don't get me wrong.

 

[SilentLoner]

Right, I got this app before it was yanked and it still works on my iPhone but how do I make a backup in case iTunes balls it up and deletes it in the future? It's such a genius idea I don't wanna lose it.

 

[ShiggyMiyamoto]

Right, I got this app before it was yanked and it still works on my iPhone but how do I make a backup in case iTunes balls it up and deletes it in the future? It's such a genius idea I don't wanna lose it.

I literally copied the app itself to my external HDD. Try that out.

 

[SilentLoner]

I literally copied the app itself to my external HDD. Try that out.

How do I do that? Can you pm me instructions as I'm in bed with the mrs on the iPhone typing this LOL so won't be able to check and this is gonna get ally of replies so will take ages to find my post LOL

 

[neurobound]

pisses me off that I was busy at work when the app appeared, then again when it re-appeared. I don't know that AT&T expects to get out of this. Simply put. If I am not around an access point I will use my phone, whether tethered to my MBP or not, I would never pay to get the service for my computer. So either way (at least with me) AT&T is raking in the same cash.

DOUCHE BAGS!!!!!!!

It's typical ATT/Pacbell/Cingular/SBC bull. It's why I left them for t-mobile, it's why I didn't get the iphone originally... I can't express how much I dislike ATT - they excel at poor customer relations. If the Iphone wasn't such a great device, there's no chance in hell I'd have signed on with ATT.

The day I can legitimately use the iphone on another network is the day I'll be switching.

What a waste of a company. Then again, I can't say that it makes me think very highly of apple for agreeing to partner with them.

 

[ShiggyMiyamoto]

How do I do that? Can you pm me instructions as I'm in bed with the mrs on the iPhone typing this LOL so won't be able to check and this is gonna get ally of replies so will take ages to find my post LOL

Haha. Okay well, if you're on Mac OS X open up your Macintosh HD (or whatever you might have renamed it to) and click on the Home folder in the OS X Sidebar. Then navigate to Music ==> iTunes ==> Mobile Applications and you'll find Netshare.ipa. Take that and copy it to another location, like a flash drive or CD to burn.

If you're on XP/Vista, then you're out of luck. Heh. I don't use my phone with XP/Vista.

 

[runeasgar]

I don't know why everybody is jumping on AT&T for not allowing tethering. They do for every other device they carry. Surely they would be more than happy to sell that feature to iPhone customers too. Remember how Apple bragged about how they were setting the terms in their relationship with AT&T. Apple is the one that doesn't allow the iPhone to have a tethering plan . . . yet. I suspect Apple was already working on a full-fleged tethering app and will offer it as a feature upgrade to the iPhone in the near future.

This is hilarious. You honestly believe Apple is behind the lack of tethering functionality?

Have you even read AT&T's TOS? They don't want to give you ANY bandwidth.. and they charge out the ass for what little they give you. Just like every cellular company, they are a complete rip off.

 

[SilentLoner]

Haha. Okay well, if you're on Mac OS X open up your Macintosh HD (or whatever you might have renamed it to) and click on the Home folder in the OS X Sidebar. Then navigate to Music ==> iTunes ==> Mobile Applications and you'll find Netshare.ipa. Take that and copy it to another location, like a flash drive or CD to burn.

If you're on XP/Vista, then you're out of luck. Heh. I don't use my phone with XP/Vista.

cheers! I'm a mac boy through and through!

 

[gcmexico]

Right, I got this app before it was yanked and it still works on my iPhone but how do I make a backup in case iTunes balls it up and deletes it in the future? It's such a genius idea I don't wanna lose it.

*
look for the file in your itunes library folder...it's in the Mobile Applications folder I think, then just copy the file and move to a separate windows computer, you just can't trust Apple anymore!!!