T-Mobile Tethering Update/Fix - Nexus 5 General

Hi everyone, recently I been seeing from other threads and sections other than Nexus 5 about members having a hard time tethering their data to computers, video game consoles, tablets, etc. I have been tethering my phone to my PS3 ever since we were able to use 4G internet on Nexus 4's and T-Mobile stepping their game up.
I have been researching and trying out various apps to use my tethering to its full extent(mind you, I have the truly unlimited plan ever since it came out, with 500mb sharing data). Likewise, whether you abuse this glorious internet that T-Mobile has to offer, or have no other ISP other than T-Mobile, I'll share you my settings for making the tethering work.
Update: as of March(ish)/April(ish), I've noticed that tethering is a PAIN in the butt. However, I was able to still get tethering to work, and I hope this all applies to you all (not just the truly unlimited plans, but also prepaid and limited GB plans). There is but one problem I have experienced, and I'm not SURE if it's T-Mobile getting REALLY smart or my phone is in the brink of failing me, but I get disconnected 15 minutes later after connecting my phone to PS3 to play online (BO2). Back then, I would never have this problem. What's worse is my data would actually stall and not connect yet I'm still seeing full signal. Only fix is turning on airplane mode and off. Anyways, enough with the blabbering.
Note:I know some of these steps is not really necessary for me since I have truly unlimited, but I like to take pre cautions. YOU MUST HAVE ROOT
First: Download SQ Lite Editor on your phone (if you have one for your computer, by means go ahead). Locate the settings.db by going to data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db. Once you find it, go to global and insert a new entry "tether_dun_required" with the value "0". Once done, save and close. If you're using a computer, well, you should also know how that works.
Second: Download build prop editor on the Play Store. Add a new entry by pressing the pencil icon on the bottom that says "net.tethering.noprovisioning=true". Reboot phone.
Third: Head over to your APN and DELETE EVERYTHING. Add a new APN named T-Mobile GPRS(you can name it whatever you want), with the APN:"fast.t-mobile.com". MMSC:http://mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc
MMS Port:80
MMC:310
MNC:260
APN Type:default,MMS,dun
APN Protocol and Roaming Protocol both IPV4.
Save.
Now here's the app's I use.
Clockworkmod Tether: For computers. Since I have a desktop, this is the best USB tether connection IMO. Download the app on the store and download the drivers on your PC/Laptop and voila, insta connect. Now in terms of user agent switcher, I would download fiddle2 on your computer. This program monitors all IP's going thru. Open up fiddler, go to "Rules," "User-Agents," and select "Custom..." A window will pop up. Leave this blank and click okay. Now, all of the network traffic from that computer with have its user-agent string modified to "User-Agent:[blank]" Test this out on any browser on your computer and you should not be redirected to the upsell page.http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2493675 if you need more information. But on all honesty, just find a user agent switch on Chrome extensions and choose IE7. I been using that for years with no problem.
WiFi Tether Router: By far my favorite tethering app (shout out to the creator Fabio) for playing my ps3. I have tried this on my friends ps4 and it works. I also used this app to share my data to other peoples cellphones and laptops. If you don't have $2.50 to spare then idk what to say....anyways here's the setup.
WiFi Name:whatever you want.
Password: whatever
Channel:0
Interface: wlan0
Method: auto
Enable DMZ(for gaming)
On DCHP Setting: click "get default provider DNS" and then check mark DNS redirect and save config.
On advance WiFi setting please make sure to disable scanning always available. Now fire it up and see if all goes well. If you want source of where I got this setting, head on over to https://sites.google.com/site/wifitetherrouter/home/device-configuration
I hope these settings will help you guys. I hope someone else had the same problem with me randomly disconnecting and hopefully found a fix. As for T-Mobile, they have gotten smart about tethering. Hopefully they won't become another Verizon or AT&T. But in reality, please, if you're gonna download big files or movies, use your home internet. If you have truly unlimited, then use your phone to download them. Why do you have to tether to a computer to download torrents and whatever when your phone can do that? It's called smartphone for a reason. Wanna stream a movie? Get slimport or a Chromecast and hook it on the TV. Use the hotspot for small things and personal things such as home works, projects, research, etc.
Let me know if you have any other questions.

Don't be an A-Hole... There is a reason why no carrier provides Unmetered/Unlimited tethering.
Data usage from a computer is almost 5X more than a smart phone, as on a full PC everything isn't compressed while on on a smartphone data usage is much smaller.
Doing this will only further increase congestion from all data hogs like you.
See: http://www.tmonews.com/2014/08/clea...ing-data-misuse-is-not-widespread-throttling/
"A very small number of our customers are misusing their Simple Choice Unlimited data service in violation of their rate plan and terms and conditions by bypassing the default tethering feature or engaging in peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing. This type of usage can negatively impact our ability to offer affordable unlimited data. In order to protect all T-Mobile customers, we will be reaching out to these people to educate them on our terms and conditions of service, but if the misuse continues, they could have their data speeds reduced for the remainder of their billing cycle."

Tether_dun_required 0 and I can tether all day on system tether app.

markdapimp said:
Don't be an A-Hole... There is a reason why no carrier provides Unmetered/Unlimited tethering.
Data usage from a computer is almost 5X more than a smart phone, as on a full PC everything isn't compressed while on on a smartphone data usage is much smaller.
Doing this will only further increase congestion from all data hogs like you.
See: http://www.tmonews.com/2014/08/clea...ing-data-misuse-is-not-widespread-throttling/
"A very small number of our customers are misusing their Simple Choice Unlimited data service in violation of their rate plan and terms and conditions by bypassing the default tethering feature or engaging in peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing. This type of usage can negatively impact our ability to offer affordable unlimited data. In order to protect all T-Mobile customers, we will be reaching out to these people to educate them on our terms and conditions of service, but if the misuse continues, they could have their data speeds reduced for the remainder of their billing cycle."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not being an A hole, I'm just trying to tell people to use the tethering smartly. I have been tethering since T-Mobile only had 500mb of sharing. Not once have I went over the sharing data. I BARELY use my computer to surf the internet. Why would I need to use a computer to surf the internet when modern smart phones are capable of handling websites and flash. I even said I use slimport to see everything in a bigger view.

m52 power! said:
Tether_dun_required 0 and I can tether all day on system tether app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea this is all I needed too do. Some guy made a zip to do it automatically, I updated it to work with lollipop.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/goo...-tether-dun-required-0-flashable-zip-t2942756
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

T-Mobile Tethering
Not to be redundant here, But if your paying for the "unlimited data plan"
it includes Tethering! not sure what the data limit is but it's included in the cost.
While phones before the nexus 5 had to be hacked to change the setting so you could tether [on t-mobile AFAIK], they still can tell your on a pc.
Obviously there are ways around the limits, BTDT but theres no need on unlimited plan.

My unlimited plan doesn't have tethering. It's true unlimited with no cap or throttling on T-Mobile. My Galaxy Nexus didn't need any "hacks" to tether.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

My unlimited states it comes with 5gb of tethering

Related

Tethering? Do I really need to pay extra for it?

The guy at ATT store said last week when I bought my Tilt that in order to use it with my laptop I had to pay the extra ($59/month plan instead of the $39 I was hoping for) for my unlimited data plan.
My question is, if though I have the username and password (cause I called them for it) and am using the HTC ROM (instead of the ATT one), do I still need to be paying extra for the "TETHERING" service?
Thanks guys
Nope. Just need to connect your phone using the Internet Sharing program, and you should be good to go.
Blowfish64 said:
Nope. Just need to connect your phone using the Internet Sharing program, and you should be good to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is not necessarily true. If your data usage pattern (IE, large amounts of data) indicates you are tethering, you will get popped for excess data usage. If your tethering is light, then you should be alright.
Don't assume you can hook up your laptop and go to town web surfing.
While that is true, I think they're pretty lenient with it. I had around a GB of data one month and they didn't care. But yeah, keeping it under the radar is a good rule.
wanted to ask about this
With the 3125 I have I was able to use ICS with the 20 dollar media plan or whatever. I work for different companies and I would use that to get to the net privately. Anyway, I went to another company and I couldn't get ICS to work on that network for some reason.
I'm a developer so I compiled up an internet proxy server to run on the phone. So basically when activesync is not active I could run the server and set my browser to that proxy server. Anyone know if that could avoid tethering? I don't have the proxy running on my Tilt yet. I was going to put a nicer UI on it. I'm wondering if anyone around here would have a use for it.
att as of right now has not been able to catch people tethering other than by exorbant data usage (obviously d/ling 20 GB a month on your kaiser without a tethering plan is going to get you caught), but if it wouldnt take you too long im sure there are a lot of people here who would have a use for that.
adam.hodge said:
With the 3125 I have I was able to use ICS with the 20 dollar media plan or whatever. I work for different companies and I would use that to get to the net privately. Anyway, I went to another company and I couldn't get ICS to work on that network for some reason.
I'm a developer so I compiled up an internet proxy server to run on the phone. So basically when activesync is not active I could run the server and set my browser to that proxy server. Anyone know if that could avoid tethering? I don't have the proxy running on my Tilt yet. I was going to put a nicer UI on it. I'm wondering if anyone around here would have a use for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont follow... ICs is for when you are out and about and want to use your laptop over your phone's data connection... so unless your new company arent paying for any data, then it will work regardless.
And apart from excessive data usage, the only way a network could potentially check up on tethering is if you use it for weird and wonderful things and thus use different ports.
no i'm talking about the local machines network. for some reason ics would not work there. so i run a proxy server on the phone. That worked for internet access without using the modem OR ics.
I rarely tether so data usage will probably not be an issue. The thing is on the rare occasion when I do I don't want to have to pay an extra $20/month. That is BS...
I just took a very rare road trip over the weekend and tethered using ICS so we'll see what happened when the bill comes next month.
h0mersimps0n said:
I rarely tether so data usage will probably not be an issue. The thing is on the rare occasion when I do I don't want to have to pay an extra $20/month. That is BS...
I just took a very rare road trip over the weekend and tethered using ICS so we'll see what happened when the bill comes next month.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please post the result when you get your bill. I am a IT person and once in a while I need to RDP to the office to fix something while I'm on the road. I really don't want to pay $20 more every month for those rare cases.
Blowfish64 said:
Nope. Just need to connect your phone using the Internet Sharing program, and you should be good to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was this application removed from the Tilt? I am not seeing it in Programs, Tools, or Settings. Thanks.
madmatt079 said:
Was this application removed from the Tilt? I am not seeing it in Programs, Tools, or Settings. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check your comm manager.
DeniaL said:
Check your comm manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You won't find it under Comm Manager or under Settings... Connections. AT&T has hidden the program (deleted the shortcut), but it's still there, and it works just fine:
Create a shortcut in \windows\start menu\programs (or wherever you want to put it) for the following program:
\windows\IntShrUI.exe
Run it, and you're done.
AT&T settings
H0mersimp0n what are the settings youare using that at&t gave you, I have another post on this forum looking for those. Any help would be great!
Thanks
From a technology standpoint, you will be able to tether with pretty much any AT&T data plan. However, the issue is that doing so is technically a violation of the terms of service. (AT&T goes so far as to single out tethering as being prohibited, unless you are paying for a tethering plan.) In practice, I think most people have found that AT&T tends not to enforce this provision unless your data usage is ridiculously high - at a level that, based on their estimation, is just not consistent with handset use. This is pretty subjective and I think that if anyone got flagged for high usage, it would still be AT&T's burden to "prove" the tethering. (Having said that, while that person might be able to fight against being charged per KB, AT&T might still be able to cancel the contract, anyway)
If you take AT&T's terms of service literally, the vast majority of the data usage on a PDA would be prohibited. From their perspective, only web browsing, checking email and streaming media content that you bought from them would be permitted. Let's see how long AT&T keeps its smartphone/PDA customers if they start enforcing these terms literally.
goestoeleven said:
You won't find it under Comm Manager or under Settings... Connections. AT&T has hidden the program (deleted the shortcut), but it's still there, and it works just fine:
Create a shortcut in \windows\start menu\programs (or wherever you want to put it) for the following program:
\windows\IntShrUI.exe
Run it, and you're done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For anyone who needs it, the shortcut should be set to: 41#:MSINTERNET_SHARING?:intshruiapp
And to make it worse, AT&T is jacking with the prices for all internet service through the phone.
Personally I think that internet through Cell networks should be dirt cheap. Why? No "last mile" copper to mess with. The "last mile" is the copper to your house is a pain in the you know what for most provider companies to deal with. It is the highest expense for them. With cell networks, there is no "last mile" and much lower costs for them to keep the network running. Put that with the fact that cellular networks are so much slower than broadband so their connectivity costs are much lower than DSL and Cable. Bottom line is AT&T and others are making a KILLING on network access. The cellular bandwidth is very broad and can handle the data quite easily if more folks were using it real time for access. In the end it probably wouldn't even jump more than 10%, of which they are ready to handle right now.
Let them know you don't appreciate their pricing. It won't get better if we accept things as is.
Personally, I would have liked for this company to have taken off, if it weren't for the feds. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9770197-7.html Damn the man!
New to AT&T
h0mersimps0n said:
The guy at ATT store said last week when I bought my Tilt that in order to use it with my laptop I had to pay the extra ($59/month plan instead of the $39 I was hoping for) for my unlimited data plan.
My question is, if though I have the username and password (cause I called them for it) and am using the HTC ROM (instead of the ATT one), do I still need to be paying extra for the "TETHERING" service?
Thanks guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just got my Tilt and am new to AT&T. I am trying to setup tethering. With my old cellular ISP (Cellular South) I was able to setup my WM5 pda phone as a modem pretty easily.
I am not sure what my username and password is or what do enter to "dial".
With CS ISP the phone and the wireless modem setup just dialed #777.
Can some please point me in a direction?
Thanks!
If you do a hard reset on the tilt and soft reset before the customer configuration takes place, internet sharing icon will appear in the "Programs"
Internet Sharing
Does anyone have any experience with the "Wireless Modem" feature on the new AT&T Tilt?
It appears to offer the same function as Internet Sharing utility but I can't seem to make it work... Anybody know what the heck this Wireless Modem feature is and how to use it with our PDA Unlimited Plan?
I messed with it on my notebook when I was on the road and had no success at all with it...
Sincerely,
Charlie

AT&T Tether / Data Plans / WAP/ISP?

I come from the Verizon world, where you could not authenticate through tethering unless you paid the extra $15/month. (But PDANet did work just fine). I have seen posts (albeit older dates) that claim people were charged heavy data rates for tethering when they did not have a data plan that included it.
I am using a Tilt and have the $59.00 Tether data plan. I am able to tether using either APN: wap.cingular or isp.cingular.
My friend has a Tilt with the $49.00 data plan without tethering (but with SMS). I tested his phone and could only get it to connect using wap.cingular for tethering.
So my questions are:
1) Do I actually need the tethering plan or can I reduce my plan and use wap.cingular? (I know it works but it leads me to the next question)
2) If you use wap.cingular without the tethering plan will you get charged the outrageous data rates?
3) What is the actual difference between the two APN's?
Thanks for any info you can provide!
SC
#1 and #2. For tethering legally, yes, you must have laptop connect. With Internet Sharing on the newer phones, it makes it harder for AT&T to prevent you from doing this (without being charged), but they most likely will eventually get you.
For #2, see this thread, specfically the crumbfire post. He explains it excellently:
http://forums.wireless.att.com/cng/...thread.id=47397&view=by_date_ascending&page=2
Hi:
I have searched and searched with no luck. I am on an ATT Tilt, and would like to use PdaNet to connect PC to internet through phone. I have yet to be able to get it to work properly. I get dial up error=721 (state=8193). I used PdaNet on my Treo 750 (which I had prior to the Tilt), and it worked perfectly, so I'm just not sure what I'm doing wrong.
Any ideas what the problem could be?
I am on an unlimited pda plan, but don't want to incur additional charges (such as the tethering plan), for very minimal, occasional tethering use, so ideally I would like to connect in a way that I won't be "caught", lol.
Any help would really be appreciated!
I'm use Internet Sharing via Bluetooth or USB to connect my laptop via my phone for Internet access. This is without a tethering plan from AT&T. The plan I have is $39.99/month, however they have a cheaper plan - MediaNet w/unlimited Data and 200 TXT MSG. Others have been using this plan without any issues. I ma venture to try this soon.
cincy1020,
For your problem with dial-up, you're not adding a modem via your pc. Try it with the USB cable first -- go to Internet sharing on the phone and select USB and click Connect. Connect your USB cable to your laptop and it should detect a network card and get an IP address. No need for dialup. You will have to install Active Sync on your laptop (I find it easier).
I think you're trying to use a modem which will probably require a tethering plan and that's probably why you're having the dialup error.
cincy1020
Well here's the deal for GPRS. You do not need PDANet. So give your license to someone who is still on CDMA somewhere. You first need to install the driver for the HTC Kaiser/Tilt as a USB Modem. A few forum searches will find the inf to install in windows. Then you simply set up a DUN connection using that USB modem. The number should be *99# and make sure to add this line as extra init options:
ATZ+CGDCONT=1,"IP","ISP.CINGULAR"
For Bluetooth, first you need to install the latest Toshiba Bluetooth Stack for Windows. Don't use the microsoft one. Then just set up a BT Dun connection with the same settings.
Hope that helps...
i've seen a lot of posts about this subject and i'm clueless, now i read the thread form the link provided above and it helps a little, but were do look on my phone to find out what i have? also for at&t users, what's the difference between media max 200, the 19.99 plan and the data connect 39.99 plan, i know the text messaging etc and both are unlimited data, and you "can't" use media max w/a tilt even i've heard you can, but in terms of using the internet and surfing the web what's the difference. Thanks
eras2r said:
cincy1020
Well here's the deal for GPRS. You do not need PDANet. So give your license to someone who is still on CDMA somewhere. You first need to install the driver for the HTC Kaiser/Tilt as a USB Modem. A few forum searches will find the inf to install in windows. Then you simply set up a DUN connection using that USB modem. The number should be *99# and make sure to add this line as extra init options:
ATZ+CGDCONT=1,"IP","ISP.CINGULAR"
For Bluetooth, first you need to install the latest Toshiba Bluetooth Stack for Windows. Don't use the microsoft one. Then just set up a BT Dun connection with the same settings.
Hope that helps...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi:
Thanks for the reply. I already have WModem installed by default. Is this the same thing?
Thanks!
Just use internet sharing. No need to configure a dialup modem/etc.
brainlb,
There doesn't seem to be much difference between the two plans you mentioned. I spoke to AT&T about this and they told me since I have a PDA phone I need the PDA connect plans and according to their system the MediaMax 200 is not compatible with my phone. However, a few people in the forums said they are using the MediaMax 200 plan without any problems. I may try this one day but not sure as yet.
so were on my phone do i look to find out whether i have .wap or .isp, or something else? Thanks
SORRY TO THREAD JACK BUT,
I JUST WANT LIVE UPDATES ON MY PHONE, MOSTLY WEATHER ON MY BACKGROUND. WOULD I NEED THIS?
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-ph....jsp?LOSGId=&skuId=sku950103&catId=cat1510009
OR COULD GET A SMALLER DATA PLAN AND UPDATE EVERYTHING WHEN I CONNECT. WHAT IS THE BEST PLAN WITHOUT TETHERING?
Technically its supposed to be a PDA plan for our phones, However, I added the following plan to my sons phone and its been fine .. He doesn't pull tons of data so it hasn't flagged anything. If you don't need text messaging included then I'd look at the following:
Smartphone Connect Unlimited $19.99
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-ph...jsp?LOSGId=&skuId=sku1040059&catId=cat1510009
I chose that over the MEdiaNet plan as I figured it would cause less suspicion with the data being used.
PsyOpWarlord said:
Technically its supposed to be a PDA plan for our phones, However, I added the following plan to my sons phone and its been fine .. He doesn't pull tons of data so it hasn't flagged anything. If you don't need text messaging included then I'd look at the following:
Smartphone Connect Unlimited $19.99
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-ph...jsp?LOSGId=&skuId=sku1040059&catId=cat1510009
I chose that over the MEdiaNet plan as I figured it would cause less suspicion with the data being used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THAT PLAN SAYS YOU ARE CHARGED FOR THE DATA YOU SEND AND REVIEVE. WHAT IS MEANT BY DATA SENT AND REVIEVED?, DOES THAT MEAN DOWNLOAD, AS IN RINGTONES?
I JUST TALKED WITH A REP FROM AT&T. THEY TOLD ME THE SMARTPHONE CONNECT UNLIMITED ISN'T FOR THE TILT. ( <AS STATED BY WARLOARD, WHAT PHONE DOES YOU SON HAVE? )
CAN I GET THAT ON MY TILT ANYWAY, AND GET A FAMILY TEXTING PLAN
LIKE THIS, THEN I SHOULD HAVE UNLIMITED DATA AND MY WHOLE FAMILY HAS TEXTING.
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-ph....jsp?LOSGId=&skuId=sku980095&catId=cat1470003
I have a Tilt and am on a unlimited data plan. Now there is a legal way to tether that Att doesn't tell you about. Current plans selling at the ATT stores have PDA MEdia Connect with messaging. Starting at 39.99 and goes up from there with some referring to tethering. if you do not have a tethering plan you cannot connect to isp.cingular or suppose to. I called up ATT about a issue I had with VOIP needing to access a full internet instead of a wap.cingular proxy internet cause I was on the PDA Media Conenct plan. That how I found out about another plan called PDA Connect Unlimited for 39.99 without messaging that allows wap.cingular and isp.cingular connections. The ATT rep stated as long as you are authorized to connect to isp.cingular you can tether.
Savage Life said:
I JUST TALKED WITH A REP FROM AT&T. THEY TOLD ME THE SMARTPHONE CONNECT UNLIMITED ISN'T FOR THE TILT. ( <AS STATED BY WARLOARD, WHAT PHONE DOES YOU SON HAVE? )
CAN I GET THAT ON MY TILT ANYWAY, AND GET A FAMILY TEXTING PLAN
LIKE THIS, THEN I SHOULD HAVE UNLIMITED DATA AND MY WHOLE FAMILY HAS TEXTING.
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-ph....jsp?LOSGId=&skuId=sku980095&catId=cat1470003
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct most Reps will not add it as they know its not the proper plan. However you can add it yourself in most instances without going thru CS by logging into your ATT online account manager and going to Phone/Device and Add/Remove Features.
potpeye said:
I have a Tilt and am on a unlimited data plan. Now there is a legal way to tether that Att doesn't tell you about. Current plans selling at the ATT stores have PDA MEdia Connect with messaging. Starting at 39.99 and goes up from there with some referring to tethering. if you do not have a tethering plan you cannot connect to isp.cingular or suppose to. I called up ATT about a issue I had with VOIP needing to access a full internet instead of a wap.cingular proxy internet cause I was on the PDA Media Conenct plan. That how I found out about another plan called PDA Connect Unlimited for 39.99 without messaging that allows wap.cingular and isp.cingular connections. The ATT rep stated as long as you are authorized to connect to isp.cingular you can tether.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ATT Rep apparently doesn't seem to know what he was talking about which unfortunately happens a lot. They do need to train their CS reps better. Call 5 times and you'll get 4 answers.
First they wrongfully gave you help on VOIP as its against ATTs Wireless Data Services Terms and Conditions:
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/legal/plan-terms.jsp
PROHIBITED USES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, USING SERVICES: (I) WITH SERVER DEVICES OR WITH HOST COMPUTER APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WEB CAMERA POSTS OR BROADCASTS, CONTINUOUS JPEG FILE TRANSFERS, AUTOMATIC DATA FEEDS, TELEMETRY APPLICATIONS, PEER-TO-PEER (P2P) FILE SHARING, AUTOMATED FUNCTIONS OR ANY OTHER MACHINE-TO-MACHINE APPLICATIONS; (II) AS SUBSTITUTE OR BACKUP FOR PRIVATE LINES OR DEDICATED DATA CONNECTIONS; (III) FOR VOICE OVER IP; .....<rest snipped for brevity>....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And for tethering:
FURTHERMORE, PLANS (UNLESS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED FOR TETHERING USAGE) CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY APPLICATIONS THAT TETHER THE DEVICE (THROUGH USE OF, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, CONNECTION KITS, OTHER PHONE/PDA-TO-COMPUTER ACCESSORIES, BLUETOOTH® OR ANY OTHER WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY) TO LAPTOPS, PCS, OR OTHER EQUIPMENT FOR ANY PURPOSE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The CS Rep was correct that if you tether with a handset your supposed to use the isp.cingular APN (or else you'll incur additional data charges) but just because your provisioned to use that APN doesn't automatically mean your authorized to tether without being on a tethering plan. For instance I have the PDA Connect Unlimited plan which include the isp.cingular APN (unlike the PDA Max plans) and I can tell you tethering is not allowed. I've been thru 3 levels of data services support (business/premier support is a lot more trained) on this subject confirming the differences in plans doing research for the ATT forums under the username "Planet-Ed" helping others and working with the moderators their.
Beat em at their own game
ecltech said:
Just use internet sharing. No need to configure a dialup modem/etc.
brainlb,
There doesn't seem to be much difference between the two plans you mentioned. I spoke to AT&T about this and they told me since I have a PDA phone I need the PDA connect plans and according to their system the MediaMax 200 is not compatible with my phone. However, a few people in the forums said they are using the MediaMax 200 plan without any problems. I may try this one day but not sure as yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking at a few of the posts here, just wanted to throw in my 2 cents...don't know anything about the tethering, no need for it. As far as the different plans go, if you get an answer u don't like, just call 'em right back up. After I originally got the tilt back in Oct, the cheapest was the bbconnect, which the rep signed me up for, then couldnt tell me how to set it up and ended up taking it off.
you CAN sign up for a couple of the media max/smartphone connect plans on their website, but run the risk of getting charged down the line because those aren't technically data plans, can't remember the exact wording they gave, but not legal for the tilt or other devices which have full keyboards (PDA)...anyways, after about the 3rd call into the reps to get info, one of their geniuses signed me up for the media max unlimited plan w/ 200 messages for $20...he wasn't educated enough to know that it isn't supposed to be used w/ the tilt. The way I see it, they can't go back and overcharge me for being on the wrong plan if THEY signed me up for it...just work the system and use their stupidity for your benefit
potpeye said:
I have a Tilt and am on a unlimited data plan. Now there is a legal way to tether that Att doesn't tell you about. Current plans selling at the ATT stores have PDA MEdia Connect with messaging. Starting at 39.99 and goes up from there with some referring to tethering. if you do not have a tethering plan you cannot connect to isp.cingular or suppose to. I called up ATT about a issue I had with VOIP needing to access a full internet instead of a wap.cingular proxy internet cause I was on the PDA Media Conenct plan. That how I found out about another plan called PDA Connect Unlimited for 39.99 without messaging that allows wap.cingular and isp.cingular connections. The ATT rep stated as long as you are authorized to connect to isp.cingular you can tether.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi:
I am on a PDA unlimited data plan. Can you please tell me what settings you used to setup isp.cingular?
Thanks!
PS: I have searched and searched for the settings, and although I'm sure they are on xda, my search results sure didn't lead me to them.
EDIT: Although I was unable to find the info on XDA. I did find it elsewhere, I haven't yet tried them to see if they work properly, but if not, I guess I will have to spend hours on the fount with tech support to get the correct ones, lol. I will post the settings here just in case anyone needs them:
Under settings/connections/connections:
Look for MY ISP and tap on "add a new modem connection"
Enter a Name for the connection: REAL ISP or something like that
Select a Modem: cellular line (GPRS) for 8125/ cellular line (GPRS 3G) for 8525
use the access point name isp.cingular
On the next page, enter either ISP.CINGULARGPRS.COM or [email protected] (either will work) for username and CINGULAR1 for password (make sure they are all in caps)
Leave Domain name blank
Under advanced, make sure the only things selected are "Use server assigned IP address" and "Use IP header compression" - leave everything else unselected.
Click ok and then finish
PsyOpWarlord said:
And for tethering:
The CS Rep was correct that if you tether with a handset your supposed to use the isp.cingular APN (or else you'll incur additional data charges) but just because your provisioned to use that APN doesn't automatically mean your authorized to tether without being on a tethering plan. For instance I have the PDA Connect Unlimited plan which include the isp.cingular APN (unlike the PDA Max plans) and I can tell you tethering is not allowed. I've been thru 3 levels of data services support (business/premier support is a lot more trained) on this subject confirming the differences in plans doing research for the ATT forums under the username "Planet-Ed" helping others and working with the moderators their.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So do you happen to know if there IS a plan where tethering is allowed? I also have the PDA Connect Unlimited, and can tether, but don't want to get dinged on my bill so I've been judicious with my use (i.e. emergency only)...
Myabe a better way to ask my question is - how do you get Laptop Connect, do you have to call? It doesn't show up on the website, as I have a family plan - does it need to be a business plan? ugh...

How does WiFi-Tethering work and how do carriers detect it?

Hi!
In german boards there are several speculations about how the N1's WiFi tethering works and how carriers might detect it. But there are no real facts, it seems like there is no one, who really knows about it.
Maybe here are some kind of "cracks", who really know what they are talking about and can provide some real information about it.
How does N1-tethering work? I guess it uses NAT-routing. Is this right? And the probably most important part: How do carriers detect tethering? They officially claim, they could detect it. But the question is, which way do they do this? Can they only detect if you use tethering at all, or do they also have the ability to separate between tethered data and phone's data? Only in that case they would be capable to bill the tethered data (here in Germany some carriers do not prohibit tethering, they can only charge about 50 cent per MB).
Is it possible, that the carrier only detect several devices, that connect to the internet using tethering? I'm a vodafone-customer and I've tried tethering my iPad and my Linux-Netbook several times. Nothing has been charged. Other customers, having the same data-plan, reported, that they habe been charged for tethering within minutes.
Maybe someone can answer my questions.
I dont know how it works but "I would imagine the request headers are what the provider is reading in order to determine the device/browser that is making the request."
http://talk.maemo.org/archive/index.php/t-3757.html
If it really is like that, then I would just have to use Cisco-VPN on my iPad and they would not be able to read any requests anymore.
But someone in the official German vodafone-board said, the user-agent doesn't matter. And he seemed to be very sure about that. But unfortunately he didn't tell anything else. If you think of Dolphin for Android, which allows you to change the browser-identification, it really looks like this is nothing the carrier could make use of.
cymru said:
I dont know how it works but "I would imagine the request headers are what the provider is reading in order to determine the device/browser that is making the request."
http://talk.maemo.org/archive/index.php/t-3757.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe this to be accurate as phones are capable of changing their user agent to mimic a desktop browser, so it wouldn't be a reliable way of identifying a tethered connection.
IMO, there is no 100% fool proof way as it sits. The carrier can look at the traffic patterns though and might be able to figure it out though. Remember when you're connected to your carrier everything you do is going through their gateway, so they can see everything you're doing.
I agree that if you're wanting to make 100% sure they don't know, a VPN tunneling traffic would work. Once the traffic is encrypted, they have no way to tell what is happening, aside from the actual amount of data being transferred, which is why a lot of carriers in the USA or switching away from unlimited data plans and offering only limited ones (i.e. a 2gb or 5gb limit on plans).
It was discussed here a couple of months ago, I remember..
The discussion ended in - if the phone specifically didn't send the carrier any sign that it's tethering, detection of tethering would require heuristic scan patterns on the data that's being transferred - and would violate some "internet openness" rules in the process, and possibly allow a legal case against the carrier.
So, do you by any chance have custom ROM and your friends have official carrier ROMs? That might explain the difference.
People in spain have reported being charged more by vodafone (they charge you more if you tether and your plan doesnt cover it) by simply using an app on the phone that changed the browser's user agent to mimic a desktop one.
I dont know whether it is or it isnt legal to read the 'headers' of HTTP messages. It's more to do with the protocol than with the content, and both ends need to be able to read these things to actually work, some routers may even scoop just to adjust to different QoS patterns or whatever. So it might be legal after all.
Port activity can tell you're tethering or not; moreover, tethering does likely bypass proxy server which is used for phone only.
Ok, to find out more I've made a little research about how to generally detect Network Address Translation and I've made some tests.
As it seems, the Browser-Identification won't work. Maybe in spain there are some data-plans which only allow browsing with the special phone's browser and only using HTTP-Connections. But that's not suitable for a real data plan, which allows you, to send every data you like from your phone. On the other hand, at least in Germany, I think they wouldn't be allowed to read the data content of TCP-packets.
Then I've used a packet sniffer to find out, how different devices (N1, iPad and Kubuntu10.04) handle things like outgoing ports and packet IDs.
Both won't be very likely to use by the carrier, because Android doesn't increment them, but uses it by shuffle. The iPad also shuffles the packet IDs, but increments the ports. I think this will not matter, because the NAT will redirect the ports anyway. Only Kubuntu increments packet IDs and as they normally aren't changed by NAT, carriers could detect that. In general, all of the devices used outgoing ports between 35,000 and 55,000.
Possibly they could look at the time to live of the packets. The interesting question is, how the N1's NAT handels the TTL. Normally, a router decrements the TTL by 1. But it doesn't have to.
All of my tested devices use a TTL of 64 for outgoing packets (no one will wonder about that, because all those system are based on UNIX or Linux). So, if the NAT decrements the TTL, the carrier could detect tethered packets quite easily. Normal packets would reach the carrier's gateway with TTL 64, tethered packets with TTL 63. Maybe, the NAT doesn't decrement the TTL. Then the carrier wouldn't be able to detect it this way, except of this: As I read, Windows-Systems use a TTL of 128, so the carrier ould detect this immediately, no matter if it's decremented or not. This would explain why some people tell they could tether other phones without being billed, but getting charged when tethering their PC. This could only be covered, if the NAT would rewrite the TTL with 64. It don't think it does.
Maybe someone, who has a rooted phone (mine is not rooted, it's a normal FRF91), could install packet sniffer from the market and then catch some packets while tethering. Then we could have a look at the packet's headers and maybe find out, what the NAT does with the TTL.
FYI this isn't technically a problem in the US - it's illegal for carriers to monitor the actual data streams without a warrant.
My understanding is that tethering (WiFi/USB) can be accomplished in two different fashions.
1) The phone (in this case the Nexus One) acts as the modem and router and re-requests whatever the tethered device requested. Thus, the mobile operator sees the Nexus One as using the DATA rather than the actual device requesting the DATA.
2) The phone simply passes the requests to mobile operator along with some identifying info about the requesting device. (the preferred method by the mobile operators)
I have no idea which method the Nexus One (FroYo) employs, but I have a suspicion that it is method 1.
Dan
i Will say it does work as a wifi hotspot, so i connected using my ipad up to the ssid the nexus made, and connected fine, but un sure if charges will appear, i will keep a eye out on my next bill.. but they dont detect then that saves me $25/mon for the 3g data, if i can just use my phone $30 unlimited..
I was wondering about this as well. I have the current $25/mo 2gb plan and I sometimes need to use my laptop to check things that I need a larger screen for (Mostly graphic design attachments like illustrator and photoshop files). Would AT&T detect my using the Nexus One as a hotspot, and if so, would they charge?
I think the whole tethering thing is kind of ridiculous on AT&T. You're paying an extra $20+ per month to use the data you're already paying for except on your computer. They've been dealing with Apple for far too long...
In UK 3 know I'm tethering...
On using my Laptop tethered I get a 3 splash screen on first opening up a browser (IE or Firefox). There don't seem to be any other issues (everything else then works fine & dandy) ... yet...
Can't be that long before some carrier decides to clamp down on tethering some more...
Lodger
theartfullodger said:
In UK 3 know I'm tethering...
On using my Laptop tethered I get a 3 splash screen on first opening up a browser (IE or Firefox). There don't seem to be any other issues (everything else then works fine & dandy) ... yet...
Can't be that long before some carrier decides to clamp down on tethering some more...
Lodger
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus bought from their network? Rooted? What ROM?
The only viable (and probably legal) way for an operator to detech tethering is via looking data consumptions, other methods discussed over here although technically possible, would be administratively expensive even if legally allowed... I suggest if you are on an unlimited data plan and want to be heavy on tethering do it from the start not later on in order not to raise any flags on the operator side.
Cheers, sub
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
unknownrebelx said:
I was wondering about this as well. I have the current $25/mo 2gb plan and I sometimes need to use my laptop to check things that I need a larger screen for (Mostly graphic design attachments like illustrator and photoshop files). Would AT&T detect my using the Nexus One as a hotspot, and if so, would they charge?
I think the whole tethering thing is kind of ridiculous on AT&T. You're paying an extra $20+ per month to use the data you're already paying for except on your computer. They've been dealing with Apple for far too long...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using my N1 on AT&T to tether a pretty good amount and had no complaints. I even stream netflix movies and haven't heard a word.
obviously our phones send and receive data over wifi. when tethering, the phone is still sending and receiving data over wifi, it's just connecting to another device. not to be rude but it is a pretty easy concept. it is an amazing thing though.
right now i am on a camping trip, and i of course brought my phone and laptop with me so i have been tethering a bit. i just happened to be in an area with fantastic signal strength and speedtest.net shows that i am getting up to 2.5Mbps down, and about 1Mbps or so up. it's working GREAT! it's still not cable or fios fast, but it's fast.
Tethering on Talkmobile
I've recently get an unlimited data Talkmobile contract (UK) and I'm thinking of tethering (it's against T&Cs). Has anyone else done this? If they don't detect it, it's a great deal at only £12 month (though the unlimited deal which I have got is no longer available).
I was thinking, the mentioned methods of detecting tethering, even if they are viable and legal, might not be enough for the operators to prove that I was tethering, and hence they couldn't legally do anything about it. I don't know if this is the case or not (but I think I'll choose to believe that).
If I can tether, it means I can buy the PS Vita WiFi only and have as much connectivity as the 3G version!
Sounds like a good project for this weekend. I'll do some packet sniffing and post if I find anything. TMO in US, though.
would the carrier (Three in the uk) be able to detect tethering if i connected my phone to a vpn. because then surely all data would look identical?
HTC Desire, cm7.1

How I got tethering to work (3 different type of methods)

Hey all, I been reading all kinds of methods to tether with the Nexus 5 (also during the Nexus 4 prime), and helped a couple of members here at XDA how I got to tether my T-Mobile's truly unlimited data with 5 GB sharing (it used to be 500, then 2.5GB, now 5GB) connection to my PS3, PC, and other smartphones. Many have PM'd me to explain it further for them how to get it to work, and I figured "I should just make a thread on how I got it to work". In this thread, I will explain to you how I got tethering to work on my phone using T-Mobile's service (it might work for At&T and other carriers). I will tell you the three apps I use and the pros and cons of each app when it comes to tethering a specific device.
Please note:I am not responsible for any consequences you will face with your carrier using my method, nor will I be held responsible if you use my method without having a sharing data plan. This method is for use of a sharing plan that YOU pay for. If you decide to use this method without having a sharing plan, then do what you want, it's your plan, and your money. I have spent a lot of time doing trial and error in order for my tethering to work 100%. I even went over my 5GB of sharing data and I still was able to tether. I think I know why, read the last paragraph of this post. Again, THIS IS FOR MEMBERS WHO PAID FOR TETHERING SERVICE.
Without further ado, you will first need to edit a database located in /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db. You need to add a new entry that is called "tether_dun_required" with a value of 0. Google and T-Mobile decided to team up and provide a way for T-Mobile to sniff what devices you are tethering to, thus sometimes redirecting you to the T-Mobile page saying you need to add a sharing plan. You can either edit the database with a sqlite app/program, or simply install the install zip (thanks to yakman66). There is an uninstaller if you wish to revert back. I have no idea if you should reflash the zip after you install a new ROM or update it, but I did it anyway. If you need a deeper explanation, refer to the first 4 posts from this thread here:http://forum.xda-developers.com/google-nexus-5/general/fix-nexus-5-tethering-block-t2581035
Installer:https://github.com/marcandrews/hammerhead-hotspot-fix/releases/tag/v1.0
Uninstaller:https://github.com/marcandrews/hammerhead-hotspot-fix/releases/tag/v1.0u
Now we get to the apps. The three apps I use to tether are PDANET+/Foxfi, Clockworkmod Tether, and WiFi Tether Router
PDANET+/Foxfi: Note: There is a free version of PDANET/FOXFI, but you will be kicked off the tethered connection every 20-30 minutes,and I believe there is an a limit of how much MB you share daily. Purchasing the app is only $7.97.
Download from Play Store. Link:PDANET Foxfi:Foxfi Foxfi for At&T and Sprint:Foxfi (Sprint/AT&T Only)
Please make sure you download the correct Foxfi for you carrier. PDANET is for connecting via USB and Foxfi is for bluetooth and wireless. You must install the PC program located here. This app is pretty much self-explanatory. You just set up the network name and password if you decide to use wireless, or plug your phone in PC via USB with PDANET+ for Windows installed.
Pros:
No need to root.
Tethering for your computer: Pretty much instant. Easy setup. Just to be safe install a user switch agent and change it to IE 7.
Tethering for gaming: Using my PS3, I am able to play online with my friends. I am running around 30-40 ms ping, which is not bad for wireless. Smooth.
Tethering for other smartphones and tablets: Easy setup also.
Cons:
You have to pay the app in order to use the app for its full potential.
Computer: For some reason, I get kicked off for a couple seconds from my tethered connection and then connected again. I even enable "Hide Tether Usage" on the options with Google DNS checked on the settings. I think because T-Mobile blacklisted Google DNS (idk?)
Gaming: Your NAT type will never be opened. That means if you join a party that also does not have an open NAT, expect not to be able to join that person. If anyone knows a way to port forward your carriers IP address, please let me know.
Smartphones and tablets: Haven't experienced nothing wrong.
WiFi Tether Router:
Download: WiFi Tether Router
Configure your Network Name SSID, encryption type (whatever works best for you, I use wpa2-psk)m WiFi password, and then enable the tether.
Pros:
Much cheaper than PDA/FOXFI. Only $2.50
There are more setups you can do for this app. You can change the interface, method, drivers, WiFi Mode. There are also tweaks especially for consoles like MTU adjust, enabling DMZ, DMZ Port Forwarding, and DCHP settings. Perhaps you can port forward and have your Nat open with this app, but I'm not expert when it comes to these, perhaps someone out there can find a solution? Let us know!
Computer: Haven't tested it to be honest. If someone is willing to try please let us know how it went.
Gaming: Easy setup. Works just as good as Foxfi
Smartphones and tablets: Works just as good as Foxfi
Cons:
You can only use wireless, there is no USB.
Gaming: Same as Foxfi, Nat is not open.
Smartphones and tablets: None.
Clockworkmod Tether:
Download from Play Store: Clockworkmod Tether (no root)
After that install the drivers of your phone located here
Last but not least, install the tether software on your computer.
Mac: http://download.clockworkmod.com/tether/tether-mac.zip
Linux: http://download.clockworkmod.com/tether/tether-linux.tgz
Windows: http://download.clockworkmod.com/tether/TetherWindowsSetup.msi
Once installed, allow debugging on your phone to PC via usb and start the tether connection.
Pros:
Free, you just need root.
Computers: I don't get kicked out whatsoever tethering on my PC. Not once did I get disconnected for a second and reconnected. Like I said as a precaution switch user agent to IE7.
Cons:
Gaming: Won't accept USB.
Smartphone and tablets: it only uses USB tethering.
So there you go guys, these are the apps I use to tether my devices. You can choose whatever works best for you. When it comes to me playing online or sharing my net to smartphones and tablets, I use Foxfi because it is simple to set up. WiFi Tether Router I just use it as a backup. When it comes to tethering my PC, I use clockworkmod tether because I don't get disconnected from my computer.
I have been using these apps since Nexus 4 and not one time I got temporarily banned from sharing my net. Well actually I did, but it was the first time I ever tried it. Ever since then, I was able to use my tethering to its full potential.I use my data to play online (my home net sucks), and I have not been flagged. Playing online does not consume a lot of data (about 20-30 mb an hour).Here are a couple of ways to keep using your tether without being flagged by your carrier.
1. DO NOT DOWNLOAD BIG FILES ON YOUR GAME CONSOLES. Guys, please use your home internet to update your console version or downloading a patch. As soon as you download a file on your console you will be flagged. I have not tried it with the new 5GB sharing limit but I have tried it on 2.5 and I immediately got flagged, even though I was not close to my sharing limit.
2. Don't download torrents or pronz on your PC using your data. If you want to do that, I suggest going on your phone and downloading it via your phones browser or torrent app. This way your carrier will know you are downloading straight from your phone and not from a tethered device.
Other than that, use your tether how ever you like, but with responsibility. Tethering to other smartphones and tablets seem to not red flag T-Mobile at all. I shared 10gb of data to my coworkers and all they do is stream Pandora and YouTube. I hope this will clear things up and hopefully there will be better alternatives, but I think these methods should let you use your tethering service.
Sort of confused here, I use the built in WiFi tethering in my non rooted nexus 5 on T-Mobile without issue. Why does one need this?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Wait, what?
I've never had an issue using native tethering in stock Android on my Nexus 5.
So, are you saying enabling Tethering & Hotspot in the Settings menu doesn't work for you, and apparently many others?
I use built in tethering with the hot spot fix. No redirects to T-Mobile.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Never had an issue with tethering here
tethering using the default tether options work great for me with tmobile, without any modifications.
dmz not working with wifi tether router...
am i doing anything wrong?
You got tethering too work despite your network, you mean? The n5 tethers wireless, bluetooth, wired, perfectly. The restrictions of your data plan or network are another thing that is nothing to do with an unlocked n5

[Q] Tethering without my carrier knowing

I have a Samsung Ativ S which I have been using as a WiFi hotspot to connect my laptop and Nexus 7 to while I am working away. Recently got a text to tell me if I carry on I will be cut off on my mobile contract. I have a sim only deal that gives me unlimited calls, text and 3G internet so I'm a bit brassed off. It took an hour of searching to find the no teathering in the conditions of use.
Any way what I want to know are there any Windows Phone apps that will hide the teathering from my supplier? I am hung off a T Mobile/ Orange network.
Daedalus1
ATIV S can use wired tethering (search the forum for it, I posted instructions and drivers sometime last year). Even though my plan supports tethering, it's data-limited and when I use the wired tethering they don't list the data usage for it so I'm guessing it's not detectable, or at least not easily.
There's also an app called TetherX or something like that, which will act as a SOCKS proxy server on the phone; you then set your PC to use the phone as its proxy server. Won't work for non-proxy-aware apps but otherwise should do the trick.
Of course, this all assumes they're checking whether or not you're using the phone's tethering feature somehow, rather than doing something more nefarious like deep packet inspection. If they're checking "are you using the 'Internet Sharing' feature?" then I would expect them to just limit its usage; the phone has the capability to test whether or not tethering is permitted on your plan, and does so test by default. If they're using DPI and noticing traffic to/from PC clients (based on user-agent strings or something) then you're in trouble unless you can route all your traffic over SSL, which mostly thwarts packet inspection.

Categories

Resources