My first question and doubs. AT&T threats me about tethering

[dragoneyes]

I have a question to all Iphone Users.
Last month, I started using tethering with MyWi. I downloaded some stuff, about 12gb.
I received a letter today about being automatically switch to a limited tethering plan for $45 and 4gb, if I continue tethering.

Is there any way AT&T will notice that I have connected my Laptop.

Let's say that I do not use last month 12 gb. But just connect my laptop for regular browsing. Will they detect this wifi connection?

Is there any app to prevent this?

AT&T will start charging for tethering and eliminate the unlimited data plan for must of the users tethering.

My argument was that Apple updated their OS and why will they charge their customers for a feature of the phone. It is like charging for playing a game.

Robert.
God Bless You All

 

[hoserama]

Ouch. I don't know the answer but have subscribed to see what others have to say.

 

[Yakuzagang5]

I have a question to all Iphone Users.
Last month, I started using tethering with MyWi. I downloaded some stuff, about 12gb.
I received a letter today about being automatically switch to a limited tethering plan for $45 and 4gb, if I continue tethering.

Is there any way AT&T will notice that I have connected my Laptop.

Let's say that I do not use last month 12 gb. But just connect my laptop for regular browsing. Will they detect this wifi connection?

Is there any app to prevent this?

AT&T will start charging for tethering and eliminate the unlimited data plan for must of the users tethering.

My argument was that Apple updated their OS and why will they charge their customers for a feature of the phone. It is like charging for playing a game.

Robert.
God Bless You All

It is a feature of your phone, that you SIGNED a contract on saying you will pay for tethering if you use the phone for tethering. So technically, they have the right to terminate your contract right now if they wanted. I just dont like when people complain and say they cant do what they are doing...

But, as of right now, I dont believe there are any apps or tweaks to block them from noticing, my guess is this would be big news and all over the web.

 

[Dave12308]

I find it a bit ironic that the OP signs his post "God Bless You All" when the post itself is asking how to steal a service that AT&T has already kindly asked him to stop stealing. Just saying.

 

[beezy]

I find it a bit ironic that the OP signs his post "God Bless You All" when the post itself is asking how to steal a service that AT&T has already kindly asked him to stop stealing. Just saying.

Haha I am on this super secret torrent site that has several christians on it. I got in trouble for swearing on there! Apparently its perfectly fine to steal anything that can be stolen on the internet as long as we sensor our curse words. Who am I to judge?

Anyway, the big question is, do they know you are tethering or are they bluffing based off of an increase in usage. I have no clue. What makes you wonder is why have they waited till now to pull peoples cards? I suppose the benefit for them is terminating your unlimited plan. They will get everyones somehow. I have the JB app installed. I think its wrong for them to charge you for a line you are already paying for. Even if you dont have unlimited you cant just use your 2 gigs. You have to pay for 4 wether you use it or not. IMO ATT is unethical. Not the person trying to keep their bill under 100 bucks a month. Nice scam they have going. I never have tethered but its installed out of principle.

 

[dragoneyes]

Tethering is not illegal. I don't see that as stealing. You are using you phone as you will, if you download something from the internet using you Iphone.

Will you call that stealing?

AT&T is buying now T-Mobile. This is a monopoly the are creating. They will charge at will. Forget about unlimited plan, even on phone calls.

 

[dragoneyes]

Tethering is a feature included on the most recent updates.

For example, if Apple comes with a feature that allows you to use it as a netflix online movie playing device, do they have the right to charge you for the amount of data being downloaded by watching the movie, which is a new feature of the phone?

I think they are not in position of doing that.
They are trespassing our rights to privacy by monitoring all activities on our personal cell phones.

 

[dragoneyes]

I find it a bit ironic that the OP signs his post "God Bless You All" when the post itself is asking how to steal a service that AT&T has already kindly asked him to stop stealing. Just saying.

Haha I am on this super secret torrent site that has several christians on it. I got in trouble for swearing on there! Apparently its perfectly fine to steal anything that can be stolen on the internet as long as we sensor our curse words. Who am I to judge?

Anyway, the big question is, do they know you are tethering or are they bluffing based off of an increase in usage. I have no clue. What makes you wonder is why have they waited till now to pull peoples cards? I suppose the benefit for them is terminating your unlimited plan. They will get everyones somehow. I have the JB app installed. I think its wrong for them to charge you for a line you are already paying for. Even if you dont have unlimited you cant just use your 2 gigs. You have to pay for 4 wether you use it or not. IMO ATT is unethical. Not the person trying to keep their bill under 100 bucks a month. Nice scam they have going. I never have tethered but its installed out of principle.

I think they noticed the increase in usage, but not sure about that.

The letter says:

We've noticed your service plan may need updating.
Many AT&T customers use their smartphones as a broadband connection for other devices, like laptops, netbooks or other smartphones– a practice commonly known as tethering. Tethering can be an efficient way for our customers to enjoy the benefits of AT&T's mobile broadband network and use more than one device to stay in touch with important people and information. To take advantage of this feature, we require that in addition to a data plan, you also have a tethering plan.
Our records show that you use this capability, but are not subscribed to our tethering plan.
If you would like to continue tethering, please log into
your account online at www.wireless.att.com, or call us
at 1-888-860-6789 Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. CST
or Saturday, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. CST, by March 27, 2011
to sign up for DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering.
Here are details on the plan:
DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering
• $45 per month
(this gives you 4GB in total, combining both your smartphone data plan for $25 and the tethering feature, $20)
• $10 per each additional GB thereafter, added automatically as needed
• Mobile Hotspot capabilities are included for compatible Smartphones
If we don't hear from you, we'll plan to automatically enroll you into DataPro 4GB after March 27, 2011. The new plan – whether you sign up on your own or we automatically enroll you – will replace your current smartphone data plan, including if you are on an unlimited data plan.
If you discontinue tethering, no changes to your current plan will be required.
It's easy to track your usage throughout the month so there are no bill surprises. For example, we send you free text messages when you reach 65, 90, and 100 percent of your plan's threshold. If you would like to monitor your account more closely, go to www.att.com/dataplans to learn about other ways to track your data usage.
As a reminder, our smartphone data plans also include unlimited usage of Wi-Fi at no additional charge. AT&T smartphone customers can use Wi-Fi at home or on-the-go at any one of our more than 23,000 U.S. hotspots already included in your data plan.
Thank you for bringing your account up to date. We appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve your mobile broadband needs.
Sincerely,
AT&T

 

[Dave12308]

Tethering is a feature included on the most recent updates.

For example, if Apple comes with a feature that allows you to use it as a netflix online movie playing device, do they have the right to charge you for the amount of data being downloaded by watching the movie, which is a new feature of the phone?

I think they are not in position of doing that.
They are trespassing our rights to privacy by monitoring all activities on our personal cell phones.

You don't seem to understand. It's THEIR network, not yours. The terms of your contract dictate what you can and cannot do with your connection. Most likely, it specifies that you cannot use your device as a modem for your PC unless you pay for a tethering plan. Since you signed the contract, you are bound by its terms. Just because the necessary software to tether is included in the update does not mean they have to let you use it for free. The software is simply there to allow it to be used at all.

Since AT&T offers tethering as an additional cost item, taking measures to get around paying for such a plan is technically theft of services. It is terms for immediate termination of your service, should AT&T see fit. I think people should consider themselves lucky that AT&T is sending out warnings, and not adding huge data charges to their bills. Back in my Blackberry Storm owning days, people were getting hit with multi-thousand dollar data charges when they got caught tethering without a plan.

 

[Yakuzagang5]

Tethering is a feature included on the most recent updates.

For example, if Apple comes with a feature that allows you to use it as a netflix online movie playing device, do they have the right to charge you for the amount of data being downloaded by watching the movie, which is a new feature of the phone?

I think they are not in position of doing that.
They are trespassing our rights to privacy by monitoring all activities on our personal cell phones.

You don't seem to understand. It's THEIR network, not yours. The terms of your contract dictate what you can and cannot do with your connection. Most likely, it specifies that you cannot use your device as a modem for your PC unless you pay for a tethering plan. Since you signed the contract, you are bound by its terms. Just because the necessary software to tether is included in the update does not mean they have to let you use it for free. The software is simply there to allow it to be used at all.

Since AT&T offers tethering as an additional cost item, taking measures to get around paying for such a plan is technically theft of services. It is terms for immediate termination of your service, should AT&T see fit. I think people should consider themselves lucky that AT&T is sending out warnings, and not adding huge data charges to their bills. Back in my Blackberry Storm owning days, people were getting hit with multi-thousand dollar data charges when they got caught tethering without a plan.

VERY correct. The OPTION TO ALLOW tethering was included in the update, it is made available through your carrier, just like with the Verizon iPhone.

There. lol

 

[TonyB]

I got the impression that Apple includes specific network counters in their tethering application, which the networks must obtain to determine if you are tethering.


If you happen to use large amounts of data, a network cannot simply say
that you are tethering and would need some form of proof, before they could say that you were in breach of your contract. So ask them for the proof that you were tethering.


I used a Nokia N97 here in the UK on Vodafone and used an application called Joikuspot to create a hotspot (tethering) which Vodafone were not bothered about. Now that I want to do the same thing (and I do not use much of my allowance) they want to charge me seperate for that.


Is it right that a network charges only Apple customers more to use their data allowance for tethering ? I would say that how I use my data allowance is something for me to decided and not for the network to make of some restriction. They used to try and limit the number of PCs connected using a broadband connection but could not maintain this as broadband router manufacturers did not provide them with the means to
impose these restrictions.

There are Cydia software that provides tethering and may possibly not supply the network with data they require. I will be trying one of these in future to see what it does.

I do feel that the networks and Apple are acting in an anti competiteve manner by restricting tethering only on Apple or certain mobile phone contracts.

 

[DaytonAnnie]

I thought the AT&T and T-Mobile deal fell through?

 

[Skyjacker07]

No body really answered the guys question, their are ways around it but I won't say on this forum, basically mywi uses the same "portion" or channels that AT&T uses for their tethering plans, it doesn't matter if you use 3mb or 1tb they notice because the channels that Mywi uses ate the same, so your choices are stop using the app, pay for tethering, or find the app your looking for, that will use correct channels so at&t doesnt notice, and as for the rest we shouldn't judge if he wants to steal, or not, in the religious aspect of the conversation, in Christian eyes sin is sin, stealing is the same as looking at a girl and wanting to sleep with her, so if he wants to steal it, it's his decision, it's not any different than the rest of you who, eat your too ages food, or pick that change up off the ground and keep it, or cheating on your girlfriend, no one is perfect get over it and drop it.

 

[dragoneyes]

Ended up with a downgrade to 2 gb. They insisted I was tethering, even when I stopped using it for that purpose.

I just went and took an iphone4 this past month. 2gb is not enough for me. I passed by 48k / 1024k yesterday and my cycle ends today. So they will charge me $10 extra for maybe less than 5mb.

Do you think tethering is stealing. I am not taking anything from anyone. I was just paying for the same services everybody pays. Tethering did not exist when I signed up with the plan. That was a last minute move by AT&T to get rid of unlimited data users.

The AT&T and T-Mobile deal, I don't think it will be approved, because of the antitrust law. WIth that move, I am pretty sure they will cover more than 50% of users nationwide, though not sure of the details of the law. That is my opinion.

Summary: I took the iPhone4 in white with 2GB. Otherwise, they were pushing me to pay a monthly fee of $145 for the 2gb + data pro. So I was tired of arguing with them. Now I will keep paying the $90 month but with 2gb. It is very annoying being limited to download things I used to DL. Now I always have to wait for a wifi connection if I want to download things. Really annoying!!!

Did I steal AT&T? Did I affected their network stability? I don't know, I was just using the services I was paying for. There is no place in the contract saying anything about tethering.

As for the reasons, PDANET has a new feature that says HIDE. Not sure if that's for avoiding detection.

God Bless You!!
AGREE with SkyJacker. Everyone sins.
Let me think... I must confess I stared at a girl yesterday while being with my gf.

 

[DaveM]

I just went and took an iphone4 this past month. 2gb is not enough for me. I passed by 48k / 1024k yesterday and my cycle ends today. So they will charge me $10 extra for maybe less than 5mb.

I have to ask about this. You say that you have the 2GB terms now and this is the last day of your cycle so they will charge you extra. 1024KB would be just over one megabyte. Was this just a typo? If not, you've got a long way to go to get to 2GB.