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Warning: Beware swapping iPhone 4 sim into iPad 2 for data usage

I read an article about this at work yesterday...

AT&T can tell and does not want customers to be swapping sim cards between the iPhone and the iPad.

AT&T will first warn the customer to stop using it but if the customer does not listen... AT&T will reserve the right to put the customer on the appropriate tethering plan which is $45 for 4GB of data.

The customer will lose grandfathered status if they had the Unlimited data plan if they ignore the warning and are put on the 4GB tethering plan.

So, yes, take AT&T's warning seriously...
 
Has anyone tried using an off network SIM like t-Mobile in your iPad? I am curious about that because we have a carrier here that has CHEAP data.. Like $20 unlimited/mon.. I would consider a month to month plan for my iPad.. It's a local company so wouldn't work well for traveling, but I rarely travel..
 
BobbieM629 said:
Has anyone tried using an off network SIM like t-Mobile in your iPad? I am curious about that because we have a carrier here that has CHEAP data.. Like $20 unlimited/mon.. I would consider a month to month plan for my iPad.. It's a local company so wouldn't work well for traveling, but I rarely travel..
Click to expand...

The ipad is unlocked. It's not limited to only att.
 
AT&T saw how people were swapping the iphone SIM into the ipad, but they chose not to do anything then. It's curious that they're enforcing things now.
TwoSocEmBoppers said:
I just wanted to throw my support behind OP in that I too tried this on my iPad 1 and I received a text and an email from AT&T "suggesting" that I enable 3G on my iPad. Really annoying.
Click to expand...
 
You know it would be nice of the FCC would get off this net neutrality BS and actually do something that will help consumers.

Bandwidth you buy should be bandwidth you can use as you see fit. If you bought 2 gigs of bandwidth for you iPhone, you should be able to use that as you see fit. The only differences is the fact that we don't have enough competition to prevent greed like this.
 
What is funny is how so many people wish and hope AT&T can't detect such things, when they are fairly trivial to do.

Although people will keep convincing each other it is just a coincidence, or they can't really tell, same with illegally tethering off the iPhone.



aerospace said:
Just jail brake your phone and tether to iPad wifi. Cheaper iPad and no monthly add on

...it's how I'm writing this post. I'm also grandfathered into unlimited data on my phone so I don't have to worry about overuse on the iPad. :)
Click to expand...

Probably not a good idea to encourage people to break the law.
 
It doesn't matter what we all feel is fair. I'm all for being able to use the data any way I want... BUT it boils down to the signed agreement So, next time, instead of spending all this time and energy trying to seek out hacks and different ways get get around the system, maybe spend the time to actually READ the contract and service agreement you sign with AT&T, before you sign up for something you're not going to happy with down the line.
 
USA, you will see providers offering unified data use plans eventually, along with free tethering and free hotspot use. It's quite normal in Europe, you've just gotta wait until one of the providers offers it then dive on them; the others will follow suit.

Also, I think it's possible this concept is currently held back in the US because you guys are so affixed on 'unlimited data'. This unlimited data plan is a holdover from when cellphones weren't physically capable of heavy data usage, which is clearly no longer true, and why providers are trying to get rid of it today. If you had a fixed amount of bandwidth use per month, ATT wouldn't care if you switched sims between devices. And if that worries you, monitor your cellphone bandwidth usage. Even the heaviest unlimited users are often using less than 2GB per month. It's only a minority of unlimited data users who use excessive amounts of data (doing what, I don't know) and who cause these wider problems for the rest of you.
 
I did this when I first got my ipad and didn't receive the message. (oct 2010)
I bought my ipad specifically because it had an unlimited data plan. 1 year later I am still using my ipad sim in my iphone 4 with the apn of broadban/blank. (I know it's the opposite of what the op states.)

But here's an interesting story...

One month my bank details changed and my grandfathered data plan failed to renew. OH NOES! I desperately called At&t's ipad division to ask about renewing it and not getting dropped.

"No problem" They said, "you have 7 Days grace any time it fails to renew."
Whew.

After we confirmed payment she said she needed to lookup my account and walk me through some steps of connecting to random websites to verify it was working before she let me go. (like purple.com and some other weird stuff) I'm sure that, like sprint, she can easily see the device based on the IMEI. But she said nothing and thanked me for my business.


6 months later a few pixels went out. I went to the apple store and they wanted to confirm the replacement was working fine. I said, "Can I use an Ipad real quick? I can't remember the apn settings." He laughed when he heard my setup and finished up my paperwork with no problem.

Obviously this is a story from the other side. But in my case, neither company seems to care.


p.s. with mywi 4.0 I can tether anyone's iphone, laptop, etc on my unlimited data plan with no problems.
 
Do we still have to pay for the data service

I was wondering if I still have to pay for the data plan after AT&T disables it for SIM swapping. I really dont need the 3G data on my iphone as there is wifi everywhere i go, but AT&T wouldnt activate a voice only service plan on the iphone.
 
phokat said:
I was wondering if I still have to pay for the data plan after AT&T disables it for SIM swapping. I really dont need the 3G data on my iphone as there is wifi everywhere i go, but AT&T wouldnt activate a voice only service plan on the iphone.
Click to expand...

Of course you do. That's why you get to buy the phone for so much less than the unlocked price. Data plan is required per the contract you signed.
 
I'm bringing back a old thread.. I'm wondering if this still applies for grandfathered iphone data users in the new verizon ipad.. Are we still running into the same issues despite our iphone data plans being capped at 3 gb?
 
marksman said:
........Probably not a good idea to encourage people to break the law.
Click to expand...

I don't see how this would be a legal matter (as in cops and going to jail) but is probably a civil matter. So only thing I seem them doing is cutting off your service. No biggie, go sign with Vrz.
 
Been reading issue re swapping sim from iPhone to iPad.
Was quite happy using personal hotspot on iPhone and piggybacking the iPad off the signal.
After about an hour the Internet connection on my iPad failed and the personal hotspot on iPhone disappeared.
When I found it again there was a message saying that if I wanted to set up a personal hotspot then I have to contact my network provider who in this case is UK T-Mobile.
Will jail breaking the iphone 4 sort this out?
 
Yes, there are ways of "fixing" it via jail breaking - but it's quite long winded (you have to patch commcenter, then edit the plists, then force load the plist again). Look for info on the CommCentre patch.

Depending on how much data you use, it might be easier to buy an iPhone 4/4S microsim from TMobile for £10, activate it in your iPhone 4 (this is important), and when you get a text saying your "12 months free web is active" swap it to the iPad. It gives you 500mb a month for 12 month, all for the cost of the initial £10 top up.
 
Charlie Sheen said:
How can they tell what device is using the sim?
Click to expand...

The sim card rats you out. Once connected to the network, your service provider is able to tell what device you are using. Pretty much by the device id/esn/imei; it is logged and saved in the account history.

AT&T just doesn't want their customers to use any more data period. Their 3G network just can't handle it and they're no longer investing in it. All carriers are focused on the new 4G standard (LTE).
 
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marksman said:
What is funny is how so many people wish and hope AT&T can't detect such things, when they are fairly trivial to do.

Although people will keep convincing each other it is just a coincidence, or they can't really tell, same with illegally tethering off the iPhone.





Probably not a good idea to encourage people to break the law.
Click to expand...

1. There is no such law.
2. Consumers should not be restricted to ONLY using the service providers "mobile hotspot software", as the device itself by design/hardware is able to tether with any other software programs. This however, IS illegal (see antitrust law).


It's just like how Verizon blocked GPS capabilities on certain devices and asked for a monthly fee for GPS use. They eventually were sued.
 
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+1 It's against TOS only.

Also, the jailbroken app tetherme will enable undetectable native tethering.
I personally prefer mywi 4.0 but tetherme is super cheap.
 
willpower101 said:
+1 It's against TOS only.

Also, the jailbroken app tetherme will enable undetectable native tethering.
I personally prefer mywi 4.0 but tetherme is super cheap.
Click to expand...

not true i use tetherme and got a email saying my unlimited could be suspended for violating the TOS
 
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