Has any other aria users got the dreaded att tethering text warning? i got one today and was wondering if this was just a ploy to scare us into stoping / changing plans or can they really tell.
i read something about changing the TTL number in our device cause that is tipping them off. Also read about different APN's being used for phone / tethered use.
I have been tethering for well over 2 years now, averaging between 5 to 10 gigs of data a month, so if they can tell that it is tethering and not phone usage why have they waited till now to try and stop me?
Does any one have any advice?
My guess (and this is strictly a guess, I don't have any inside knowledge or anything) is that they likely went after the biggest, easiest target group of people who were tethering without tethering plans first - which I would guess are jailbroken iphone users. After that, they are probably going after the biggest data users. at 5-10 GB per month, I'd guess (again I don't know) that you probably don't qualify in this category either. Maybe they've finally gotten around to going after the small-ish heavy data users??
Ha I got one of those txt msg today too. Mine didn't have any warning or anything it simply said something about tethering and to call them for details.
I don't think they can change your plan without your permission.
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App
Bryan583 said:
Ha I got one of those txt msg today too. Mine didn't have any warning or anything it simply said something about tethering and to call them for details.
I don't think they can change your plan without your permission.
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure they can. Stick a sim with no data plan in a smart phone and watch how fast they throw a data plan on the line without your permission.
Sent from my LG-P925 using Tapatalk
CallMeAria said:
Sure they can. Stick a sim with no data plan in a smart phone and watch how fast they throw a data plan on the line without your permission.
Sent from my LG-P925 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They definitely will change it. Heard it straight from AT&T guy.
Sent from my Atrix
I know they can change your plan of you violate the TOS, which I am by tethering. But it is my under standing that with iphones there is something in the software that is telling them. That is why they cracked down on iPhone users first. Butt I am on a fully rooted aria with CM7. So there is nothing software wise that squealing on me. So is it the way the data is transferred ( apn, ttl, ???), or are they just guessing based on data usage.
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App
whitebrw said:
I know they can change your plan of you violate the TOS, which I am by tethering. But it is my under standing that with iphones there is something in the software that is telling them. That is why they cracked down on iPhone users first. Butt I am on a fully rooted aria with CM7. So there is nothing software wise that squealing on me. So is it the way the data is transferred ( apn, ttl, ???), or are they just guessing based on data usage.
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nerds just know.
Sent from my Atrix
andrew.cambridge said:
Nerds just know.
Sent from my Atrix
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ROFL
Sent from my LG-P925 using Tapatalk
Moved to proper section
ha. When you said 5-10 gigs I was taken back. I went to the ATT store about a month ago and asked how much data I used last month. 125 mb!!!! This is because I am always on wifi unless I am traveling. After hearing this I almost began tethering!
mikelebz said:
ha. When you said 5-10 gigs I was taken back. I went to the ATT store about a month ago and asked how much data I used last month. 125 mb!!!! This is because I am always on wifi unless I am traveling. After hearing this I almost began tethering!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use around 10gb a month easily. The way I see it I'm paying for unlimited data so I'm gonna use unlimited. Recently it seems like I've been throttled back a bit (just a guess not positive) .
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App
Are you using a stock rom? I assume since you actually have the hotspot software installed you are using a 3rd party rom.
Not all roms remove the AT&T apn that you connect to when using hotspot instead of basic tethering. (AT&T paid tethering uses isp.cingular, while your normal data connection, and the apn you should tether through is wap.cingular).
Im a heavy data user (5-10gb+), never gotten a text message to upgrade my account (MediaNET) or to stop tethering (using wap.cingular only)
Also, Ive had this discussion on xda a long time ago, but it seems a very few of us might be grandfathered in. Last time I got a phone (and updated my contract) from AT&T was back when they were AT&T the first time around. Before Cingular. Still buying new/used phones on ebay, and keeping my unlimited MediaNET account. My wife has a BB, and I use an Android phone, and neither one of use has ever been forced into a new data plan.
Ive also always paid my bill on time, and online, and I literally have never called AT&T for any sort of problem. (which from what Ive read, the CSR will instantly upgrade your plan if they see anything awry with your account.)
Check your rom, make sure you're using the correct apn, remove the tethering data plan using your online account tools, and try not to tether so much. (surf, don't download.)
Root
You can root your aria by useing unrevoked... When you have done that download liberated 2.2 rom and flash it...When that is done and click wifi hotspot and there you go.. THis willl also unlock unknown sources option and allow you to get non market apps (Swype) Hope this helped!
Bumping an old thread.
After years and years, I finally got the txt message, and a letter in the mail today!
(the tethering letter, not the "we're going to force upgrade your plan" letter)
Going to stop tethering (haven't tethered in months at all, but did use ttorrent, a native android torrent program over the past month)
Been out of contract forever, would hate to have to buy new phones, but would consider changing providers if they get rid of our cheap data plan.
Good opportunity for a bump, yes. I have my own recent experience.
I remember a few months ago trying to manually set up an APN to get around it... and what finally worked was to install unrevoked and then Liberated. Then I could run the wireless hotspot without trouble.
However... I started having issues downloading MMS... pictures just wouldn't download easily or at all sometimes... I had this problem for a few months, while the wifi hotspotting worked fine. I googled this "network error" I was getting while trying to download MMS attachments, and it said that the Aria has problems switching between two different APN's.
SO... I removed the second APN. Now, I'm not sure if it's the one I originally created BEFORE Liberated, or if Liberated installed its own secondary APN. What I *DO* know is that removing my second APN (and leaving just the locked "MEdia Net" one) fixed my MMS problem... BUT... IT RETURNED THE DAMN "no tethering" notification when I tried to run the hotspot again!!!
WTF??
I hate this. WHAT is it that generates that message?
EDIT: SO I re-created the second (unlocked) APN profile.. I called it "root" and copied all the info from the locked MEdia Net APN profile, and I somehow apparently remembered that the password was CINGULAR, because now when I try the wifi hotspot it works without the error.
SO... it needs to use a fresh profile, because something in the original locked "MEdia Net" APN profile is what triggers the damn wifi error "call 611" message.
I just hope I don't get more MMS problems again. I wish there was a way a guru could get into the "locked" MEdiaNet APN and see what is causing the lockout, and how to remove it, so we can just have ONE APN profile.
But meh. I got tethering back.
NOW... to answer some questions that some of you have raised here... I spoke to two different AT&T techs on the phone.. I made sure to get North American call centers, one in Kentucky I think and the other was in northern California. Both of them said essentially the same thing:
Throttling back will occur with the TOP 5% of data users. These are people who use somewhere around 15-20 gigs a month (which is way beyond the common tiered 2GB limit).
NOW, for those of us who tether, it depends. If you're streaming crap, downloading programs and lots of media, then YES, you're going to push yourself into the higher bracket. However, one of the techs mentioned that he uses Pandora with his Inspire on the HD setting, and he listens to it in his cubicle at work every day, and on the way to and from work in his car. He said he still never goes beyond his 2GB limit. I had been using Pandora on my Aria without the realization there was an HD setting (so apparently I've been enjoying the lower bandwidth stream without issues, sounds fine to me). I haven't even put a dent in my usage.
The only people who truly need to worry about tethering and bandwidth and throttling and Aria phones (and pretty much all the Android phones, won't speak for iPhone on this) are those power users who are tethering their phone to their computer CONSTANTLY, and raping the net for all sorts of streams and media downloads... bittorrents, emule feeds, etc. People who are indeed abusing things and doing so not for one month, but he said for a few consecutive months. Honestly, those are the people who SHOULD be throttled IMO. I don't mind the idea of someone going over their 2GB limit, or in the case of the few remaining people on Unlimited data plans (such as myself), doing so a few months scattered throughout the year is one thing, but consistently syphoning at high transfers every month in a row... yeah, that's not 99% of us.
So really, I'll keep tethering my Galaxy Tab to my phone, rather than pay for my Tab's data plan. I *can't* do any hardcore data hogging on this Galaxy Tab. It just makes sense to take advantage of my Aria's 3G data, since I can use it more comfortably on the tablet than on the tiny Aria. Truth be told, that's why I got the Aria... small and a great phone, able to serve the tablet data, and on those rare moments where all I have on me is the phone, do pretty much most the basic Android things.
Anyways I hope this contributes some to the thread.
Suleeto said:
Good opportunity for a bump, yes. I have my own recent experience.
I remember a few months ago trying to manually set up an APN to get around it... and what finally worked was to install unrevoked and then Liberated. Then I could run the wireless hotspot without trouble.
However... I started having issues downloading MMS... pictures just wouldn't download easily or at all sometimes... I had this problem for a few months, while the wifi hotspotting worked fine. I googled this "network error" I was getting while trying to download MMS attachments, and it said that the Aria has problems switching between two different APN's.
SO... I removed the second APN. Now, I'm not sure if it's the one I originally created BEFORE Liberated, or if Liberated installed its own secondary APN. What I *DO* know is that removing my second APN (and leaving just the locked "MEdia Net" one) fixed my MMS problem... BUT... IT RETURNED THE DAMN "no tethering" notification when I tried to run the hotspot again!!!
WTF??
I hate this. WHAT is it that generates that message?
EDIT: SO I re-created the second (unlocked) APN profile.. I called it "root" and copied all the info from the locked MEdia Net APN profile, and I somehow apparently remembered that the password was CINGULAR, because now when I try the wifi hotspot it works without the error.
SO... it needs to use a fresh profile, because something in the original locked "MEdia Net" APN profile is what triggers the damn wifi error "call 611" message.
I just hope I don't get more MMS problems again. I wish there was a way a guru could get into the "locked" MEdiaNet APN and see what is causing the lockout, and how to remove it, so we can just have ONE APN profile.
But meh. I got tethering back.
NOW... to answer some questions that some of you have raised here... I spoke to two different AT&T techs on the phone.. I made sure to get North American call centers, one in Kentucky I think and the other was in northern California. Both of them said essentially the same thing:
Throttling back will occur with the TOP 5% of data users. These are people who use somewhere around 15-20 gigs a month (which is way beyond the common tiered 2GB limit).
NOW, for those of us who tether, it depends. If you're streaming crap, downloading programs and lots of media, then YES, you're going to push yourself into the higher bracket. However, one of the techs mentioned that he uses Pandora with his Inspire on the HD setting, and he listens to it in his cubicle at work every day, and on the way to and from work in his car. He said he still never goes beyond his 2GB limit. I had been using Pandora on my Aria without the realization there was an HD setting (so apparently I've been enjoying the lower bandwidth stream without issues, sounds fine to me). I haven't even put a dent in my usage.
The only people who truly need to worry about tethering and bandwidth and throttling and Aria phones (and pretty much all the Android phones, won't speak for iPhone on this) are those power users who are tethering their phone to their computer CONSTANTLY, and raping the net for all sorts of streams and media downloads... bittorrents, emule feeds, etc. People who are indeed abusing things and doing so not for one month, but he said for a few consecutive months. Honestly, those are the people who SHOULD be throttled IMO. I don't mind the idea of someone going over their 2GB limit, or in the case of the few remaining people on Unlimited data plans (such as myself), doing so a few months scattered throughout the year is one thing, but consistently syphoning at high transfers every month in a row... yeah, that's not 99% of us.
So really, I'll keep tethering my Galaxy Tab to my phone, rather than pay for my Tab's data plan. I *can't* do any hardcore data hogging on this Galaxy Tab. It just makes sense to take advantage of my Aria's 3G data, since I can use it more comfortably on the tablet than on the tiny Aria. Truth be told, that's why I got the Aria... small and a great phone, able to serve the tablet data, and on those rare moments where all I have on me is the phone, do pretty much most the basic Android things.
Anyways I hope this contributes some to the thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that's a BIG bump... it's probably a pimple .
Update
i figured i would give an update to everyone. after making my initial posts i checked my data usage for the month prior to getting the "text warning" and i used 38+ GB (damn torrrents). ooops! hehehe. i guess that explains it.
Some side info, Duh! yes i am rooted. cm 7.1, Using wap.cingular APN
I called ATT, got the special division that was set up to deal with this issue. told the lady that i didn't tether i just streamed constantly. she didn't know anything about how they detected that i was tethering but as long as i didn't tether after sept 30th nothing would be changed on my account. i am still tethering as we speak and no changes have been made to my account. the only thing that i changed (besides a lot less usage) was the default TTL number on my PC.
I guess we will see when this months bill comes in. I'll keep everyone posted.
I too called the special dept. And told them a similar story that I stream from YouTube, Pandora, etc. I've also told them I've never tethered and my aria wouldn't let me. I tried it once and got a message to call 611 to enable this feature.
But now I'm a month or so into it and still no bill change.
Side note- I found a couple apps in the market that are torrent apps so now I download to my phone. Megaupload downloaded, mediafire, file serve, ect. And just surf with the tether.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Well, another bump...
Even with the WAP.CINGULAR APN profile I am now getting the dreaded "611" popup. Rebooted twice. Reselected the custom APN multiple times. Still nada. And I only tethered a few times a week for surfing, and only a few minutes each time. So make of that what you will.
What to about my tethering issue
The whole reason I signed up for ATT was so I could tether my Atrix and play online poker (10MB/hour.)
All I did was root my phone and change a PostSQL value to enable tethering. I played poker fine, but eventually got greedy and started D/L all sorts of crap going well over my 2GB/month contract and was billed.
I just recently got the nastygram from ATT and haven't called them yet.
Could someone please explain to me what I need to do so after I call ATT I won't be detected tethering again?
I'm a semi-android newb, but certainly no linux/computer newb. Thanks for help
Found some old posts, back in May, where people were discussing whether PDANet could truly hide tethering from AT&T, or other providers. I was tethering with my rooted SGS2 and received the text, email, and snail mail notices from AT&T that I would lose my unlimited data and be forced to by a tethering plan if I continued to tether. I was utilizing the stock rom with the tethering manager frozen.
Has anybody utilizing the 3.02 version of PDANet been contacted by AT&T to c&d? If so, could the c&d be attributed to tethering done before installing PDANet?
thanks,
retnuh
I'd like to know as well.
I don't think pdanet does anything special...i use approx 3-5gigs a month all mostly teathering. I have never received any notices of any kind.
I think as long there isn't any high spikes in data usage, you'll be safe.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using XDA App
This is just an unproven theory by myself, but don't use internet explorer on the device you are tethering to.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using XDA App
Personally, I use Firefox with User Agent usually set to Iphone, but obviously if there was a galaxy s 2 user agent I would use it. I din't tether to much- maybe 500 meg a month, but I've never been caught.
I got hit with the top %5 text the other morning...managed to use just under 12gigz this billing cycle..MOSTLY from wifi tether Phone 2 Phone and i maybe used an hr tethering to a laptop..I work for the bastards..doesn't matter what you use...all ill say is the network is alot smarter than people think..trust me..
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Supposedly Barnacle "hides" it and it's a free app. Google it.
I wonder if using an SSH connection would encrypt the connection enough to hide anything they sniff out to detect tethering.
If your rooted and have root explore just delete tehtering manager. Apk in system/app and if your on a custom rom it is more than likely already removed for you. Now if I could just get decent data speeds I would use it
Sent from my SGH-I777 using XDA App
That's the way I was tethering when I was told by AT&T to c&d. That's why I'm trying to find a way to tether and not get caught.
Hmmm odd you must have had huge data spikes because without that app they can't tell besides seeing you use like a gig a day. Interesting any thoughts guys?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using XDA App
If somebody knows for sure if PDANet stealth mode works - I'd really, REALLY like to know too! Had AT&T's "Unlimited" plan for a few years now. Been teathering, but for completely trivial amounts of data - during most months my usage didn't go over a gig or two. This month I went over 4 gig for the first time ever, and suddenly all hell broke loose. I get repeated "5%" messages over text and email, warning they will throttle down my 3G speeds (they are already a complete joke here in NY-NJ). So I stopped using all data for about a week now, but the messages never stopped, and now I am getting the tether notices.
I got the letter last May when I had an iPhone that was jailbroken. Now I got the rooted Android and I just don't want to lose unlimited data. I tried once with PDA bored at an airport and wanting to do basic surfing on my laptop. I used it again the other night on my laptop for simple surfing as my main internet went down and so far as I know (/knock on wood/) I'm okay.
Most say TTL is how they find out. My problem is they have intricate logs of every phone call and text you ever sent but can't tell me a MAC addy, time, etc. of when I tethered. Fact is known that only those with unlimited data plans were the ones attacked as it seems they are slowly trying to phase these out.
I just make sure to not have Windows Updates enabled when surfing on my laptop with tethering. It's obvious any mobile phone shouldn't be accessing this site.
I dont know how they can tell but it seems they are always able to. I used my android to tether with an iphone to download Wifi only updates and after about 3 months i got the notice saying I need to not tether or they will remove unlimited.
Apparently they say that the notices aren't always Instant (I was figuring i would get it right after i used tethering). I know for a fact i had not tethered after the last time so it was roughly 3 months behind.
I do not believe sirs (referring to OP)
I have been using my Xperia x10a to tether for the past year. Recently ATT&T has sent me a letter in the mail saying that if I do not discontinue tethering that they will automatically add me to a $45 plan instead of the $30 that I pay now for the internet usage. AT&T stated that they are giving their customers until December 31st to stop tethering if they do not have the plan after I called them. My question is, did AT&T recently figure out a way to track tethering for I have also done it on my Iphone 3g since 3 years ago?
Bump...please help
hum
I think tracking tethering on android is not posible...I mean..they have to see exactly what programs are you using....and how do you use them...thats invading ur personal space...i think the way they are tracing tethering...is on looking how much bandwidth you use....and if they have like a apk that installed and sents them info oin how you use your tethering you can just block it with a firewall....just an opinion.....
As far as I know, they can't track android tethering. The iphone uses an alternate apn for tethering, so they're easily tracked. The android uses the phone's normal apn. They would have to scan your data packets to determine where your data is going/coming from. Which I doubt they will because that would become expensive. I would assume thats an invasion of privacy as well.
I use my tethering all the time and I've only had one message from att, which was about two months ago, regarding tethering. I had got a warning saying my data was at 90% then later I got one saying i should change to a tethering plan if i want to tether. It never said anything about them changing my plan automatically if I used it. So I'm thinking they just noticed it was used up quickly. I had tethered to my console to watch netflix on the TV, which took about 1.4gb, and it played perfectly.
- X10a Wx v6c, uBL ~ via XDA App
I would like to be able to tether my HTC View to my iPhone 4 via bluetooth to share the internet connection. It works successfully via MiWi with the wireless hotspot. I would like to use the bluetooth instead though since the wifi hotspot kills my battery and makes my phone physically hot to the touch after a few hours of it. Is this possible?
The 2 devices do pair through mywi using bluetooth. But when i click to connect and use for internet access the View just sits there and says connecting.
iPhone is running 5.0.1 and is jailbroken
HTC View is running 3.2.1 and is rooted and s-off
jonesychris said:
I would like to be able to tether my HTC View to my iPhone 4 via bluetooth to share the internet connection. It works successfully via MiWi with the wireless hotspot. I would like to use the bluetooth instead though since the wifi hotspot kills my battery and makes my phone physically hot to the touch after a few hours of it. Is this possible?
The 2 devices do pair through mywi using bluetooth. But when i click to connect and use for internet access the View just sits there and says connecting.
iPhone is running 5.0.1 and is jailbroken
HTC View is running 3.2.1 and is rooted and s-off
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I don't have a solution for you. I was just more curious if your wireless carrier has found out about you tethering and tried to force you into a tethering plan? I really want to jailbreak my iPhone for tethering but it sounds like there isn't a fullproof way of not letting carriers find out you are doing this.
I would like to do the same. I've read on other forums that some have success with honeycomb connecting to 4.0 miwi
I've been using tethering for about 6 months now. In the beginning it was only when wifi wasn't available for my laptop, or my wife's iPhone on trips (she has 200mb data)
They have not complained yet but it was very low data usage before. I'm sure my data will increase now so I will have to see. I work in IT, everywhere I go has wifi. I've used 702mb of data this month (1/2 through cycle). I'm normally around around 300 - 400mb of data a month. I'm also grandfathered into unlimited plan, so they get $30 a month from me for data. I doubt they are complaining much since i'm such a light user. This bill will be my first full month with the view, so we will see if I ever get any complaints.
jonesychris said:
I've been using tethering for about 6 months now. In the beginning it was only when wifi wasn't available for my laptop, or my wife's iPhone on trips (she has 200mb data)
They have not complained yet but it was very low data usage before. I'm sure my data will increase now so I will have to see. I work in IT, everywhere I go has wifi. I've used 702mb of data this month (1/2 through cycle). I'm normally around around 300 - 400mb of data a month. I'm also grandfathered into unlimited plan, so they get $30 a month from me for data. I doubt they are complaining much since i'm such a light user. This bill will be my first full month with the view, so we will see if I ever get any complaints.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah ok, well keep us updated. I too am grandfathered in on unlimited data on my iPhone 4. And I also am a fairly light user (< 1GB/month), but everyone makes it sound like the carriers are jumping on illegal tethering pretty hard. Regardless of how much data is actually used, they know from the ports that tethering is happening. I almost wouldn't mind paying for a tethering account, but the worst part about doing it is that you lose unlimited regular data.
Reading your posts, I can't understand why tethering is "illegal" or forbidden. I you pay for a data plan, why can't one use it on any device?
Because they want to charge for it. Not sure
No one has successfully tethered with bluetooth?
Sent from my PG41200 using Tapatalk
I found this article with some searching.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1374213&highlight=bluetooth+tether
I wonder if this would work with the View. Same WPA file work?
tito12 said:
Reading your posts, I can't understand why tethering is "illegal" or forbidden. I you pay for a data plan, why can't one use it on any device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not "illegal", in that I don't think you can get thrown in jail or sued for it.
But you agree to the carrier's Terms & Conditions when you sign up to use their network, whether you like it or not (or bothered to read them). Violation of the Terms means that the carrier can terminate your service, add charges to your account, or other repercussions, depending on what the Terms state.
Not sure what carrier's policies are in Israel. But in the US, most of the big carriers have specific statements in their Terms of Use, that prohibit tethering other devices to your phone without a tethering specific plan. If you are caught violating this policy, they reserve the right to add that plan to your account, or even drop your account if they want.
And yes, its of course so they can charge you extra. I completely agree that data should be data. And if you pay for a certain amount of data, or on an unlimited plan, then ideologically it should not make a difference if you are tethered or not. But there are many times in life where the most logical or fair concept is not what happens in reality. Especially in the for-profit business world.
No one has any ideas? Surely i'm not the first person who has tried to do this.
I just posted a possible solution related to this except I did it on the View:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1469997