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Tether Launches HTML5-Based iPhone Tethering Solution
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This isn't an imagined 'fear factor', AT&T began going after people using jailbreak tether methods beginning about a year ago. There's plenty of reports of this on this forum and in the media.
Essentially they would send an SMS to your phone indicating that what you are doing is against the terms of your agreement and that they will automatically upgrade your account to a tether plan. So you essentially pay more and lose your unlimited.
I think that was more of the initial crackdown on high volume unlimited users. Indeed there were reports from non tetherers--but very high data users--who got the same message.
Since the throttling thing started last year I haven't heard much about cracking down on tethering. And I have never heard a report of them cracking down on non-unlimited users.
Moreover, cracking down on non-unlimited users is a much more slippery slope. I don't think they would do that. And not everyone in this thread is on unlimited. Personally, I think those people have little to fear.
Michael
They start at the high users but as it has been seen it has only been the iPhones getting nailed for tethering. Android users have not been hit yet. This leads us to believe how the iPhone tethers is very easy to detect so easy to get nailed. Android way of tethering on the other had is not easy to trace.
For the most part they are nailing people who are tethering.
Where? Show a current report.
More importantly, show one from a non-unlimited user.
Last reports I see are from last year.
Michael
Unfortunately, the new Mac/Windows app overwrites the previous version, so you lose the ability to connect to the original iTether iOS app over USB. Luckily, I was able to reinstall the previous installer and put it back the way it was.
Personally, I like the original USB version over this HTML5/Ad-hoc version (was flaky in my opinion), so I requested to cancel my service.
That's how it seemed at first, but eventually there were reports from people who had pretty minimal usage. They were able to determine the data was sourced from the iPhone itself.
I don't recall seeing any from report high-volume users getting called out for tethering when they didn't tether - they would get a notification about excessive usage, but that's a separate thing.
Again, show a CURRENT tethering crackdown report.
I for sure saw reports from non tetherers, who used a ton of Netflix, who got the exact same message (in 2011). I think beyond unlimited users they used two factors: identified as tethering and/or very high data consumption (where they just ASSumed it was tethering that caused it). But in all cases their target was seemingly to get people off of unlimited.
That is what I don't expect to change. If you are on unlimited you have a bullseye on your account.
As for me, I dropped unlimited and got the $25 2GB plan nearly a year ago. I don't ever go over even 1GB--usually not over 750MB. I don't tether much but I use MyWi occasionally and without fear. I have never gotten a tethering warning and seriously doubt I ever will. If I was on unlimited using the same amount I could not say the same thing.
Michael
Possibly most unimpressive piece of crap imaginable. Maybe I'm missing something but I doubt it
Tethering is allowed - if you pay for a contract that allows it. And if you had a contract where you paid for your actual data usage, ISPs wouldn't have any reason to disallow tethering; actually they would want you to use it because more data used = more money.
However, nobody pays for their actual data usage. People pay for using "up to X GB per month". So the more data you use, the less money the ISP makes. Actually, since the average usage of people with an "up to 2 GB" contract for example is probably less than half of that amount, someone using the full 2 GB probably costs the ISP money.
Compare this to a restaurant where you buy for each bit of food that you eat - they don't mind if you bring your family and a dozen hungry friends and feed them, and they don't mind if you take food home either. Now take a restaurant with an "all you can eat" offer. They _do_ mind if you pay for one person and then feed your whole family and take food home as well. And that is what the ISPs do today.
The system actually has advantages; measuring your usage and sending you a bill for exactly that amount and handling complaints by people whose usage has been measured incorrectly or who think it has been measured incorrectly costs money, and the end user pays for that. And if the _average_ usage of "up to 2 GB" customers is say 1.03 GB, then changing to billing for the exact usage would mean that 1.03 GB actual data costs exactly as much as "up to 2 GB" costs today.
Thanks for that. I was totally unaware. I just assumed if you could create a hotspot on your iP4 or 4S that in settings then another WiFi device could just connect and start using. WOW It makes this setting mostly useless in the US then I guess. Bugger.
Thanks for the explanation
I'm not in touch with this anymore, that's why I posed the question. Is there any thread or something I can reference where people basically surmise AT&T is not doing this? Please point me to it.
I was regularly using MyWi for light tethering use. When the report of AT&T doing this came down on this forum, I watched the thread until I saw a few reports of people using less than 2 gigs then I deleted it and moved on.
I am not going to prove a negative. If anyone thinks AT&T is still on an anti-tethering campaign it is up to them to prove it. The operative word there was "still."
Then you must be on unlimited and yes do have something to fear. But I still don't think they would bother you for tethering at this point in time. They have it covered with throttling.
Michael
Well I like our system better. 20 euros a month for unlimited data. I can download torrents 24/7 with 3G or 4G and ISP still is making huge profits every year.
Compare to restaurant? Who sells physical product that needs transportation, slaughtering, packaging, frying, serving.. Gotta pay for waitresses, cooks, rents, gas bills, electric bills... And you compare all that to ISP's that just transfer data trough air and 10gbit/s fibre cables which are in every cellular tower....
Elisa puts 200 million euros a year to new cellular tower tech. And STILL they are making profit and stock prices rising high.
Hehe you tell me that it is advantage to know how much ISP is billing you.. Well I know it before every month. It is 20 euros and thats it. It includes SMS messages, calls and unlimited internet data transfers.
So.. US Carriers seem to have brainwashed you nicely there.
I'm not asking you to prove a negative. If there's recent threads discussing people actively using MyWi and the like and not getting bothered by AT&T, great. If not then I don't see how any conclusion can be drawn.
I don't think anyone is going to start a thread like that but they for SURE would if they got notified by AT&T about tethering. And that is what has not happened since, you guessed it, the throttling began.
Besides that I see plenty of people mention in other thread that they still are using MyWi (including this thread!). They don't need to say that AT&T didn't crack down because they would not be using or needing MyWi if they did.
Michael
Anyone know if I can use this to tether my iPad off of my iPhone? Most of the examples talk about tethering a PC off the iPhone.
Well, the use case is for the non-phone getting Internet from the device connected to 3G/4G. Since the program is HTML5, it can naturally install on the iPad. There may be a need for an app on the iPad, but that would have to be sold through the store. I see no reason why this kind of tethering won't work. Of course, if you do it extensively, you'll run up against the caps anyway. The only reason the phone nets are not allowing it is to collect a second monthly charge. Which, I'm sure, if you go over both accounts, would be a tidy bit of overage charges. They're not throttling bandwidth if you pay more. Lots more.
Do a search of this thread, it has already been discussed but I don't remember the answer.
You have to look threw nothing more than these forum boards. Look at all the screaming here of people getting those Text messages and several of them are tethering as few times as once.
Compare that to Android, I have yet to see a single post from an Android user who got the tethering warning.
Well, what they show is an app for Windows to do that.
It is possible to start an "ad hoc" account on the Mac, you go to the website and sign up. I'm sure that comes with directions. I've set up an ad hoc on the mac, it's just a bit confusing. A little guidance from them is all it needs.
What it is, anyway, is the use of a browser to run HTML5. This is a business outside of the Apple Store, because Apple won't sell it. On the other hand, Verizon seems to be saying there will be no charge. However, there IS extra charges for using up bandwidth. Putting two devices on this link doubles the amount of Internet your iPhone will be drawing from its telephone signal. Welcome to the throttled.
I'd like to propose that all politicians look to financing a vast increase of bandwidth available to the consumer, and to allow cities, churches, unions, or whoever, to form co-ops to give its members cheap and plentiful bandwidth. Talk about a job creator.
The problem is that you US citizens wont pay your own phones, but always the operator has to pay Apple and therefore they are forced to rip you off with these tetherings and data limitings.
http://www.strandreports.com/sw3501.asp IPhone -an operator's worst friend
9. Across the world there is a huge market for unlocked iPhones. People purchase a phone that has been marketed, sold and subsidised by an operator who thereafter does not receive the data traffic and revenue from that handset. These phones are most often used on other non-Apple partner networks, resulting in the Apple iPhone partner operator ending up with a high SAC, while another non-Apple partner only needs to sell a SIM-only product with a low SAC and attractive voice and data prices.
You just answered your own question.
Their networks are creaking under the load already. They charge for tethering because (a) no legal or market force prevents them, (b) people will pay for the privilege at least here in the U.S., and (c) they really don't want you to use all the bandwidth you've paid for, and tethering definitely increases your consumption.
Browsers existed on cell phones before the iPhone. Granted, they were crappy, but they existed. Then the iPhone came and carriers were brought to their knees by the sudden demand. Widespread tethering has the potential to do that again. Tethering fees help keep demand modest. I don't see the practice going away. Carriers are shoveling billions and billions into network upgrades, constrained in large part by regional regulatory hassles. Demand is simply outpacing supply. Eventually, physics will get in the way [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon's_law], putting a cap on how much bandwidth is ever going to be available unless the spectrum allocation is overhauled or something like the recently-demonstrated "vortex waves" [http://iopscience.iop.org/1367-2630/14/3/033001/article] pans out.