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I have the samsung vibrant and recently downloaded pda net so I can tether my phone. then this morning I wake to a discouraging text message that says my data has been slowed for the billing cycle. definitely a problem for me. because according to my contract I have unlimited 3g data not capped 3g. is there any way around this.
Sent from my futuristic phone
Yea I got that too but I still got 3g connection
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
Wrong, the contract says unlimited data. It doesn't specify a speed.
evilkorn said:
Wrong, the contract says unlimited data. It doesn't specify a speed.
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And being that that contract actually says unlimited I should the able to call them and have them give me back my full speed
Sent from my futuristic phone
ironlood said:
And being that that contract actually says unlimited I should the able to call them and have them give me back my full speed
Sent from my futuristic phone
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u dont get it right?
unlimited data doesnt mean unlimited full speed
Sent from my rooted 030 x10i using XDA App
I don't think they're capping your data. They're capping your speed, slowing down your data connection. So when they say unlimited data, it still is unlimited data. I'm no longer a T-Mo customer, but from what I remember, they don't guarantee speeds.
Just so it is clear. Read your T&C for more details.
T-MobileUSA recently started enforcing data throttling. This is different from a data cap. Specifically, if you use more than 5gb of data in your billing cycle, T-mo may throttle your speed down to a slower speed. This is to discourage people from tethering their phones to their computers for internet, and push the use of their usb data rockets.
A simple google search for "tmobile data throttling" will provide you with even more information.
Yea thats right. After hitting the 5gb data usage you get that txt msg and supposedly they will throttle to a lower speed. But like I mentioned before. They didnt do that to me. So OP. Check first before you want to complain. And yes its unlimited data. Just be glad tmo doesnt charge us more for hitting past 5gb. Other carriers throttle past 2gb. I know before our cap was 10gb.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
tribalb said:
Yea thats right. After hitting the 5gb data usage you get that txt msg and supposedly they will throttle to a lower speed. But like I mentioned before. They didnt do that to me. So OP. Check first before you want to complain. And yes its unlimited data. Just be glad tmo doesnt charge us more for hitting past 5gb. Other carriers throttle past 2gb. I know before our cap was 10gb.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
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Yeah definetly must have over looked that part in a fit of I just got throttled rage
Well I think in turn all t-mobile users should tether their phones and attack data intensive sites and devour the limitless data
Hopefully they add a solution for tethering because the vibrant is due to get froyo and the ability too tether is included without apps even a 5 dollar fee to prevent throttled data would be nice
Sent from my futuristic phone
Give me a break, using >5G of data on your mobile phone is CLEARLY not using the data ON the phone, therefore they should have the right to do whatever they want to limit you at that point.
I'm sure T-Mobile has a plan that's intended to be used as your main internet connection. What you have is intended to feed your phone, not your torrents.
khaytsus said:
Give me a break, using >5G of data on your mobile phone is CLEARLY not using the data ON the phone, therefore they should have the right to do whatever they want to limit you at that point.
I'm sure T-Mobile has a plan that's intended to be used as your main internet connection. What you have is intended to feed your phone, not your torrents.
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that's not true, I have used well over 5 gb and have never tethered my phone. downloading roms takes a lot of usage. I am on verizon though and never been throttled
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
khaytsus said:
Give me a break, using >5G of data on your mobile phone is CLEARLY not using the data ON the phone, therefore they should have the right to do whatever they want to limit you at that point.
I'm sure T-Mobile has a plan that's intended to be used as your main internet connection. What you have is intended to feed your phone, not your torrents.
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I don't tether or download torrents or anything like that with my data plan. I dont even download ROMs. What I do use it for is to use applications on my phone like the MediaHUB, beyondPOD and amazonMP3 and i watch tv shows, movies and pod casts and buy music. you know, like the Avatar movie that came with my phone so they could show off how great it is for doing that sort of thing.
To then throttle my speed because I use the phone to download content from apps that come installed on my phone when I bought it is bull. They claim that only 1% use over 5GB a month, but that is the same thing they said when it was at 10GB throttle point. Is that 1% counted from only the people that have unlimited data plans? do they include phones that don't have really have many apps that are data centric, like the sidekicks, blackberrys and even winmo... Are they going to throttle everyone that exceeds 5GB a month on the Galaxy S Tab too?
camalot said:
I don't tether or download torrents or anything like that with my data plan. I dont even download ROMs. What I do use it for is to use applications on my phone like the MediaHUB, beyondPOD and amazonMP3 and i watch tv shows, movies and pod casts and buy music. you know, like the Avatar movie that came with my phone so they could show off how great it is for doing that sort of thing.
To then throttle my speed because I use the phone to download content from apps that come installed on my phone when I bought it is bull. They claim that only 1% use over 5GB a month, but that is the same thing they said when it was at 10GB throttle point. Is that 1% counted from only the people that have unlimited data plans? do they include phones that don't have really have many apps that are data centric, like the sidekicks, blackberrys and even winmo... Are they going to throttle everyone that exceeds 5GB a month on the Galaxy S Tab too?
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I don't download torrents I tether my phone to my home computer because its easier to work with a full keyboard (not too mention streaming netflix).
The fact that they cripple or cap the functionality of the data is unfair. I understand that they have a data modem that they try to promote but they shouldn't force you into its arm's.
I still ask what they will do when FroYo introduces tethering ... Will they cap everyone who exceeds the 5 gb limit
Sent from my futuristic phone
You did agree to the terms and conditions of their service, right?
It may have changed since you signed up, but here is the current one:
http://www.t-mobile.com/Templates/P...&PAsset=Ftr_Ftr_TermsAndConditions&print=true
Some of the highlights that I believe have not changed for a few years now are:
Number 1. Acceptance.
Number 5. Our Rights to Make Changes.
Unfortunately those two topics are seen with almost any provider. You can continue with T-mobile and pay less per month, or you can always go to Verizon where they (so far) haven't put a throttle in place and pay more per month.
I thought they already announced a tethering plan for an additional 15$ with the unlimited data so 40$ a month is what it still cost .well in my neck of the woods
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
T-mobile is planning on charging for tethering just like every other company is already doing..You should be happy your able to get more than 2gb unlike at&t..The cap was 10gb before they introduced Hspa+ I'm not complaining..Like i said be happy you actually have unlimited data
Wow I don't think you realise how lucky you are being capped at 5gb.... here in the UK most networks cap "unlimited" at 500mb! I'm with vodafone and I get 1gb, if I exceed that then I instantly get charged £5 per 500mb (even 1kb over and I'm charged!)
sent from my Dell Streak (rooted 2.2 v1.0 by dj_steve) using Tapatalk
Im on vodafone uk and theu told me i had unlimited data but its only one gb cap ****ing lying scum bags
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
ironlood said:
I don't download torrents I tether my phone to my home computer because its easier to work with a full keyboard (not too mention streaming netflix).
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Wait...so you use your phone as your home internet connection?
Edit: Also, saying you want everyone to start tethering their phones and basically flood their network, to punish them? More than likely that would just cause them to put a data cap on their plans, like every other provider is doing. I'm on Verizon, so I don't care, but shooting yourself in the foot isn't exactly smart.
khaytsus said:
Give me a break, using >5G of data on your mobile phone is CLEARLY not using the data ON the phone, therefore they should have the right to do whatever they want to limit you at that point.
I'm sure T-Mobile has a plan that's intended to be used as your main internet connection. What you have is intended to feed your phone, not your torrents.
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it is SOOOOO EASY to get that much data usage ON a phone. Simply just keep pandora or other internet radio constantly running along with the fact that you can multi-task and use data for other **** too and before you know it you're over 5gb
Hi community, I'm a noob to posting and I'll apologize up-front. This is my first XDA thread, but I've been a silent creeper on here since the Windows Mobile 6/6.1/6.5 era. After searching here, Google, and other forums, I am still at a loss for the proper procedure for doing what I'm about to request. I have an LG Incite (CT810), which is a Windows 6.1 phone. I'm familiar with network settings, access codes, registry edits, ROMS, etc.; however, I'm new to Android and I won't even pretend to have a solid idea of what I'm doing.
Here's the situation: with my Incite, I have a "smartphone exclusion" and "data opt-out" features on my plan. This meant that for 3 years, I did not pay for data for any of the lines on my grandfathered family plan as the data network is mostly unusable in my portion of north Florida. Where I live, work, and go to school all have wi-fi and I have been largely successful managing things that way. On the Incite, you did the following to prevent all data requests from going from the phone to the network...Start>Settings>Connections>Connections>Advanced>Select Networks. Relatively straight-forward.
I now have a new SGS2 i777 sitting on my desk with both the new and old SIM cards available (as I have not yet activated it). After working extensively with premier/enterprise customer care, my plan now looks like it did 1 month ago when I was promised that I could upgrade to anything "other than an iPhone" and maintain my contract "as-is" (i.e. no data plan). I signed into my account last night and sure enough, the Enterprise Data Pro 2GB had been removed and the Data Opt-Out had been reinstated. I've been reading about IMEI crawlers and network connection monitors...and though I can't do anything about the first, I was wondering if there's anything that can be done to prevent the second from the phone side (like my Incite did). For example, making all background and active data refer to the wi-fi connection and throw an error if it wasn't connected.
I still have 2 weeks left in my "buyer's remorse" period to activate or figure out what to do. Basically, I don't want to pay for something I can't use--especially since I'm on a fixed income. In summary, are there internal settings to prevent network data or is there more work I need to do from the customer care side?
Thank you ahead of time for your patience with me.
You ight get more help in the i727 skyrocket forums, your posting in the Original SGS2. There is a big difference in phones. Sorry I am not of any further assistance since I am not running stock samsung roms so I havent tried what your wanting to do. I am on CM7 builds. I believe in CM7 there is a spot to choose 2G, 2G+3G, and other settings. But I am not aware on stock samsung roms. Take a look or see if your post can be moved to the Skyrocket forum for better help.
Sent From My KickAss ATT SGS2 SPORTING CM7
Headslap moment...it's an i777 SGS2 normal (non-Skyrocket) sorry about that. lol told ya I was a n00b.
I'm interested in all options: rooting, roms, apps, stock settings, etc.
Does anyone know if there's a code you dial that will take you to the engineer menu to adjust modem settings? (e.g. the Incite is 5476278#*#) 3G in this area is poor and 4G is non-existent so I probably don't need those either.
lo-fi_engineer said:
Headslap moment...it's an i777 SGS2 normal (non-Skyrocket) sorry about that. lol told ya I was a n00b.
I'm interested in all options: rooting, roms, apps, stock settings, etc.
Does anyone know if there's a code you dial that will take you to the engineer menu to adjust modem settings? (e.g. the Incite is 5476278#*#) 3G in this area is poor and 4G is non-existent so I probably don't need those either.
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If I understand what you want correctly, you are looking for a way to completely disable data service over the cell network on the phone side, while maintaining the ability to use data over wifi? If that is the case, I don't know of a way to do this on stock firmware, but many custom firmwares include the option to disable data. Perhaps I'm missing your goal though...
Edit: menu>settings>wireless and network> mobile networks> enable packet data. If this is accessible on stock (can't remember, it's been a while) that might do what you want
Sent from my SGH-I777 using XDA App
I don't know how you managed to keep your old non-data plan as any new smartphone requires a minimum data plan, no ifs, ands or buts.
Miami_Son said:
I don't know how you managed to keep your old non-data plan as any new smartphone requires a minimum data plan, no ifs, ands or buts.
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I gave my girl my captivate ( she had some old slider phone) and she just put her sim in and uses everrything on wifi. Didn't upgrade to a data plan.
If I understand OP correctly, then i think it's too easy to do.
I don't fully capture what OP's first or second mean but, my take
1. If you already "data opt-out", then you cannot receive any data, meaning you cannot access their network.
2. If you don't want to use their mobile network but just wifi, then turn off their network under Wireless and Network/Mobile Data (or DAta network) settings.
In fact, I turned it off frequently, for this month billing statement, I only consume 2.3MB so far LOL
Miami_Son said:
I don't know how you managed to keep your old non-data plan as any new smartphone requires a minimum data plan, no ifs, ands or buts.
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Persistence mostly. I don't know if it will stick when I move my SIM card over though. See screenshot below
votinh said:
If I understand OP correctly, then i think it's too easy to do.
1. If you already "data opt-out", then you cannot receive any data, meaning you cannot access their network.
2. If you don't want to use their mobile network but just wifi, then turn off their network under Wireless and Network/Mobile Data (or DAta network) settings.
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+1 I'll definitely check that out when I get a chance to charge it. I just ran it down until it shut off so it'll be on the charger for a while once I get to my residence.
Idk if data opt out is same as data block but I use that on one of my lines with an Inspire 4G. With that route you lose mms though. Same with blocking it under wireless settings.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
Changing phones does not affect your plan unless you buy a subsidized phone that requires a minimum data plan. I went from an Incite with an old unlimited plan and kept it when I went to a Tilt 2 that I bought off eBay. I simply swapped my SIM and it worked just fine. When I used my upgrade for the Captivate I was forced off my unlimited plan. If you go the full 30 days with that phone I suspect you will see yourself put on a 200mb plan. Did you get a new SIM with the phone? I got one with my SGSII and if I didn't activate it within the 30 days they would have charged me the full price of the phone.
Apndroid shuts off data through changing the apns for you.
The manual way is to type up a new apn with bad settings. Voice calls will still work, but data will never be able to connect. Wifi will be unaffected. No special settings needed anywhere else on the phone.
Sent from my páhhōniē
Settings>Wireless and Network>Mobile Networks>Use Packet Data
Uncheck the box at the menu above and you will not use cell data. WiFi data will work just fine. Just verified this on an unmodified, completely bone stock ROM. Changing the APN settings to incorrect values can be done as an added defense, but shouldn't be necessary. Hope this helps.
ou812bkewl said:
Settings>Wireless and Network>Mobile Networks>Use Packet Data
Uncheck the box at the menu above and you will not use cell data. WiFi data will work just fine. Just verified this on an unmodified, completely bone stock ROM. Changing the APN settings to incorrect values can be done as an added defense, but shouldn't be necessary. Hope this helps.
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+1
Even better
Sent from my páhhōniē
disable data connection on sgs2
I'm using the app Android Task Manager Pro Ver 2.2.6 it really helps on stopping the data connection so i wont go over my data plan.
Miami_Son said:
Changing phones does not affect your plan unless you buy a subsidized phone that requires a minimum data plan. I went from an Incite with an old unlimited plan and kept it when I went to a Tilt 2 that I bought off eBay. I simply swapped my SIM and it worked just fine. When I used my upgrade for the Captivate I was forced off my unlimited plan. If you go the full 30 days with that phone I suspect you will see yourself put on a 200mb plan. Did you get a new SIM with the phone? I got one with my SGSII and if I didn't activate it within the 30 days they would have charged me the full price of the phone.
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After speaking to enterprise business customer care many, many times, I was advised that there are extremely limited instances where business users can upgrade their plans and continue to use their old settings. I offered to buy an SGS2 on Newegg or Amazon at full price, so that I could maintain my plan (like you can with an unlocked phone and a T-Mobile Value-1000 plan utilizing the "bring-your-own-phone provision"), but the agents told me that I would be "upgraded" to a data plan based on the IMEI change from my Incite to my SGS2. Two t2 agents told me that buying a full-priced phone and then correcting the account was unnecessary as EBCC could correct the plan after the fact (even with an upgrade). I followed the instructions to a "t" and bought the phones via the EB OLAM, received them, emailed the agent 3x over the course of a week, but never heard back.
After 3 calls to EBCC, I reached a veteran tier 2 agent who said that correcting the plan based on my circumstances was "easily" done, but that the agent whom provided her email address had "owned" the problem and needed to get one last opportunity to take care of it. She said she emailed the prior agent and to call back and request tier 2 or a supervisor if she didn't contact me. Idk if she was just avoiding doing it or what, but I waited as instructed. I called back and reached a tier 1 agent who recited the normal stance regarding smartphones. Several tier 1 agents later, I reached one who spoke to her supervisor whom read the litany of notes and approved the plan adjustment. Will this work for anyone else? I doubt it, but who knows. ...probably won't work for me either lol...
The screenshots in my previous post were generated 5 minutes before I posted them--they are accurate. My concern from here on out is that the phone will attempt to download data or connect to 4G (2 of the 3 conditions that will generate a forced data plan--IMEI is the 3rd, but understandably, people don't like discussing that one on here). I'll try out the bone stock packet disable setting suggestion shortly and see what happens.
So with a quick search for a similar phone, I found *#*#INFO#*#* Which took me to the Testing Menu. From there, pressing Phone Information>Preferred Network Type>GSM Only. I'm not yet activated, but I'll reply back if that worked.
...making progress!
I saw a Captivate earlier, but has anyone had success keeping a 3.5/4G phone data plan-free?
Miami_Son said:
When I used my upgrade for the Captivate I was forced off my unlimited plan.
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How did they get away with that? I've been grandfathered for years, even when I got my first 3g phone. I don't know anybody who was actually forced down to a tiered plan.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
mkosmo said:
How did they get away with that? I've been grandfathered for years, even when I got my first 3g phone. I don't know anybody who was actually forced down to a tiered plan.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
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When you buy a subsidized phone you have to agree to their terms. That requires you to sign a new contract, which did not give me the choice of keeping my old plan. Maybe I could have made a stink, but at the time they no longer offered unlimited plans and I really wanted the Cappy.
That's only true if you upgrade through 3rd party retailers. Even that, you can call AT&T to get your unlimited data plan back. No, you are no forced to give up the unlimited data when signing a new contract. The problem is most 3rd party retailers can't keep your unlimited with their computer systems, only AT&T stores can do so.
Success!
I swapped out the sim cards without formal activation earlier tonight...no dreaded "We noticed that you're using a smartphone..." text! (At least not yet). Packet data was enabled in the network settings--it seemed to have no effect. From as far as I can tell, the process involves the following...
I came from a grandfathered plan with a smartphone exclusion and data opt-out. I upgraded online and then called [enterprise] customer care and got both items added back along with getting my IMEI updated as available for the opt-out. That seems to be it. Nothing on the phone side. From what multiple tier 2 agents have told me, that will absolutely not work with an iPhone, but who cares about iPhones anyways
I'm curious which combination of data block, smartphone exclusion, and IMEI database update are necessary to make that work for others in situations similar to mine (useless data network where I live/ commute). Will this work with a dumbphone and a data opt-out (block)? I don't know. Perhaps someone who's in a position to upgrade could try it. Using a 3G sim card in a dumbphone, call customer care (611) and request a wix block/ data opt-out on that line. I doubt they'll put the smartphone exclusion on it if it's not a smartphone--if it is then they'll probably put a data plan on instead. After you can log into the online account management, check the features on the line and verify the data opt-out and then try to put your 3G sim into a 4G smartphone and make some calls. Warning: in the event that you weren't intending to upgrade to a smartphone anyways, you might cause yourself a lot of headache getting the data back off once your sim is back in your original non-smartphone (assuming that data block by itself isn't enough to curb the data). Please chime in if it worked because I'm sure there's at least a few members who would be interested.
Loving the Samsung Galaxy S II and XDA...I can't wait to decide which mods I'm going to do first...
Response to the "Dandrumheller":
YES, the stock ROM has that option. It is the best solution that doesn't require any hassle.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
Just got a Google Nexus 7 and went to connect it to my SII as a mobile hotspot only to find out that this feature is blocked by AT$T. I found an app in the Play Store that makes it work. Used the trial to test before spending the $15 on the Pro version. Before I do I want to know if there's any way AT$T can determine I'm using the phone this way and shut me down? I don't plan on tethering or using huge amounts of data, just want the convenience of using the tablet when and where I want. It's my data and it should not matter how I use it or on what device. Can AT$T tell that I'm using my phone this way?
Miami_Son said:
Just got a Google Nexus 7 and went to connect it to my SII as a mobile hotspot only to find out that this feature is blocked by AT$T. I found an app in the Play Store that makes it work. Used the trial to test before spending the $15 on the Pro version. Before I do I want to know if there's any way AT$T can determine I'm using the phone this way and shut me down? I don't plan on tethering or using huge amounts of data, just want the convenience of using the tablet when and where I want. It's my data and it should not matter how I use it or on what device. Can AT$T tell that I'm using my phone this way?
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I've tethered several times with no problems but it has been only very minimal data. If large amounts of data is being consumed through tethering then possibly but I cannot guarantee anything
People getting busted has been on the rise. There's actually a handful of threads detailing the mixed experiences, here. It can be done, that's pretty clear, whether you're targeted for suspicious data traffic, or data hops, or if you're randomly screened, however it's happening, it is becoming prevalent. That aside, I don't recall if foxfi was free, but I know if it wasn't it wasn't very expensive, as I'm pretty cheap lol that is if you're still looking for low cost effective tethering work around.
I've been tethering my tablet for the last few months. Usually just play store updates and some internet browsing. I have received no warnings yet. I think if you don't go hog wild and stream music/videos it will increase your chances of flying under their radar.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
I understand that high data usage will trigger suspicion from the carrier. What I want to know is can they tell if you are doing this regardless of the level of traffic? Is there some identifier when you are tethering or hot-spotting that alerts AT$T even before you go crazy with data? I don't expect my usage to increase much with the tablet, but I would like to be able to connect it to my phone to download more Kindle books or check my FB without worrying that AT$T might shut me down even if I stay under my 2gb monthly plan. The program I found for enabling wifi hot spot on the phone is the best out there, but at $15 I just want to make sure AT$T won't be able to identify my using it and shut me off pretty quick somehow.
There are many theories on how they detect tethering. User agent strings. Packet times. Etc. None are proven.
The only way you can be 100% sure they won't do anything to you is get the At&t plan.
P.s. I didn't pay for any tethering app. Most of the custom roms have the hot spot feature enabled.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Red_81 said:
There are many theories on how they detect tethering. User agent strings. Packet times. Etc. None are proven.
The only way you can be 100% sure they won't do anything to you is get the At&t plan.
P.s. I didn't pay for any tethering app. Most of the custom roms have the hot spot feature enabled.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
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What he said. There is no need to pay for an app. There are free ones out there, and more often than not, it's built into the ROM.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Well, I have no desire (or need) to run a custom ROM. I'm on stock, rooted ICS and it works fine for my needs. Reading the reviews of the free ones it appears almost all of them have issues running on ICS. The one I tested did not, so I went ahead and paid for the Pro version and it runs great. Did a little Netflix and YouTube viewing, some Slacker listening and never lost connection on the Nexus 7. more importantly, when I disconnect from the hotspot there is no need to do a reboot, unlike some of the free apps. Here's hoping AT$T has no way to tell (beyond abnormal data usage) or doesn't care.
Best of luck! I know they haven't bothered me yet.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Guys - I've just come from an HTC Sensation on JBMIUI to a Lumia 620. There is no 620 forum yet but the same question applies AFAIK to all WP8 phones and this is currently the most active WP8 forum - so apologies - I hope this sparks some useful discussion.
I'm on a Vodafone UK work contract with a meager 500MB data allowance each month. Having watched the Jimmy McGee video on the front page of XDA about why he has given up on WP8 (one key reason was his data use trebled from his Android handset), I'm now seriously worried about my own data use.
Vodafone UK don't support Data Sense and won't cap my data use through their systems (as Tesco's can do with one click in their web based account manager - Yea! Go little guys!). Voda do however like to royally stick it to you for exceeding your allowance. One month when they had accidentally removed my data bolt-on, I got a bill for over £400 for just under 700Meg of data - no warnings of approaching or exceeding my limit or of running up a bill 20 times my normal monthly amount - the bastar... er... not nice people!
Thankfully they eventually backed down and even apologised for that little mistake and I am a low enough data user to never have exceeded my data allowance on any other occasion.
BUT - accidentally running up this sort of bill would count as a disciplinary matter with my employer - so - is there any other way anyone has found to accurately monitor / track data usage? If not I'm going to have to switch off data and only turn it on when I absolutely need to - a major pain in the ass and one which kinda defeats the purpose of having a smartphone in the first place
Any suggestions gratefully received, equally, comments from longer term Lumia users who have managed to run their phone without sky-high data use would be good to hear!
BelfastLad said:
Guys - I've just come from an HTC Sensation on JBMIUI to a Lumia 620. There is no 620 forum yet but the same question applies AFAIK to all WP8 phones and this is currently the most active WP8 forum - so apologies - I hope this sparks some useful discussion.
I'm on a Vodafone UK work contract with a meager 500MB data allowance each month. Having watched the Jimmy McGee video on the front page of XDA about why he has given up on WP8 (one key reason was his data use trebled from his Android handset), I'm now seriously worried about my own data use.
Vodafone UK don't support Data Sense and won't cap my data use through their systems (as Tesco's can do with one click in their web based account manager - Yea! Go little guys!). Voda do however like to royally stick it to you for exceeding your allowance. One month when they had accidentally removed my data bolt-on, I got a bill for over £400 for just under 700Meg of data - no warnings of approaching or exceeding my limit or of running up a bill 20 times my normal monthly amount - the bastar... er... not nice people!
Thankfully they eventually backed down and even apologised for that little mistake and I am a low enough data user to never have exceeded my data allowance on any other occasion.
BUT - accidentally running up this sort of bill would count as a disciplinary matter with my employer - so - is there any other way anyone has found to accurately monitor / track data usage? If not I'm going to have to switch off data and only turn it on when I absolutely need to - a major pain in the ass and one which kinda defeats the purpose of having a smartphone in the first place
Any suggestions gratefully received, equally, comments from longer term Lumia users who have managed to run their phone without sky-high data use would be good to hear!
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I'm in the same boat on GiffGaff PAYG.. I ate through £10/data in one day. The trouble is WP8 still has an active data connection even when wireless is turned on. I am not sure if it's just the small period when wireless kicks in from wake, or if it's on all the time, but either way there is unnecessary data usage and no way to disable account sync like you would on Android.. (bar disabling data completely). In my opinion this is a huge bug...
Battery saving seems to disable data sync well, however it also disables location services.
marky9074 said:
I'm in the same boat on GiffGaff PAYG.. I ate through £10/data in one day. The trouble is WP8 still has an active data connection even when wireless is turned on. I am not sure if it's just the small period when wireless kicks in from wake, or if it's on all the time, but either way there is unnecessary data usage and no way to disable account sync like you would on Android.. (bar disabling data completely). In my opinion this is a huge bug...
Battery saving seems to disable data sync well, however it also disables location services.
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When the phone is asleep, Wifi is also asleep unless a background app specifically calls for it. Any data access the phone needs while it is asleep is done over the data connection. There fore your phone will always use data when it is asleep, even if you are in a wifi connected area that the phone is setup for. It does this to conserve the battery as seeking a wifi connection all the time uses more battery that the phones radio does.
Solarenemy68 said:
When the phone is asleep, Wifi is also asleep unless a background app specifically calls for it. Any data access the phone needs while it is asleep is done over the data connection. There fore your phone will always use data when it is asleep, even if you are in a wifi connected area that the phone is setup for. It does this to conserve the battery as seeking a wifi connection all the time uses more battery that the phones radio does.
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Which is ridiculous imo, neither android nor apple have this behaviour (I have both). Presumably leaving wireless on would be a workaround.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
marky9074 said:
Which is ridiculous imo, neither android nor apple have this behaviour (I have both). Presumably leaving wireless on would be a workaround.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
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Depends on the Android. My HTC Inspire was setup so it would use data while asleep and wifi was only active when it was awake. This maybe a default setting that AT&T phones have. I say this becuase my Desire was also an AT&T phone although I was running energy ROM on it but that ROM worked the way I just described as well.
This is only an issue for those who have very limited data packages and IMO should not be using a smart phone if that is the case in the first place. I had a 2GB package and it was close to being over used each month. So when I got my 920 I went to a 3GB package which is just right for my use. If I go over they charge me 10 bucks for each GB of overage.
If you are unable to get a similar plan in your area then it seems to me the provider is trying to put a cap on smart phone users and that would mean it may not be a good idea to have a smart phone on that provider unless you have money to spare. Just my opinion of course.
Solarenemy68 said:
Depends on the Android. My HTC Inspire was setup so it would use data while asleep and wifi was only active when it was awake. This maybe a default setting that AT&T phones have. I say this becuase my Desire was also an AT&T phone although I was running energy ROM on it but that ROM worked the way I just described as well.
This is only an issue for those who have very limited data packages and IMO should not be using a smart phone if that is the case in the first place. I had a 2GB package and it was close to being over used each month. So when I got my 920 I went to a 3GB package which is just right for my use. If I go over they charge me 10 bucks for each GB of overage.
If you are unable to get a similar plan in your area then it seems to me the provider is trying to put a cap on smart phone users and that would mean it may not be a good idea to have a smart phone on that provider unless you have money to spare. Just my opinion of course.
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I had a HTC Desire before the Galaxy Nexus, and I do remember it turning off wireless when asleep, however it never reverted to a data connection. I can't remember how the GN was, always on I think. I've used all three phones on the same contract and the WP8 is the only one that has made a data connection whilst asleep (I would have seen it before in the last three years of use, and its only happened since using this phone).
Agreed that most people have a plan. On Giffgaff in the UK you can buy a plan for a month (a goodybag), however if you use virtually no data (because you are always within the vicinity of wireless) its even cheaper to stay PAYG. Ordinarily I can make £10 last a couple of months for calls and texts (free intra network). But I burned £10 on data in one day last week, and I never even touched the phone!
This is the article I was referring to when I said I thought it was a 'bug':
http://wmpoweruser.com/no-universal-data-counter-feature-in-wp8-as-data-sense-is-carrier-dependent/
Adding insult to injury, Windows Phone 8 still hasn’t solved some of the painful problems of Windows Phone 7: it still leaves mobile data on even when connected to WiFi, and turns WiFi off when the screen is locked, which together can lead to completely unnecessary usage of mobile data. Arguably, solving these two trivial problems would be much more useful to the majority of Windows Phone users than introducing carrier-exclusive data-saving features.
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marky9074 said:
This is the article I was referring to when I said I thought it was a 'bug':
http://wmpoweruser.com/no-universal-data-counter-feature-in-wp8-as-data-sense-is-carrier-dependent/
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Hasn't this issue been partly rectified with the Portico update? They added a setting to keep WiFi on behind the lock screen. Also If you do not want to use data and sync your accounts manually you can turn on battery saver, as that stops most if not all background syncing and makes you do it manually to save battery, in this case it is more about saving data.
I would highly recommend turning on battery saver and seeing if this reduces your data usage. However just remember you will have to manually sync all your accounts to get updates.
Bjd223 said:
Hasn't this issue been partly rectified with the Portico update? They added a setting to keep WiFi on behind the lock screen. Also If you do not want to use data and sync your accounts manually you can turn on battery saver, as that stops most if not all background syncing and makes you do it manually to save battery, in this case it is more about saving data.
I would highly recommend turning on battery saver and seeing if this reduces your data usage. However just remember you will have to manually sync all your accounts to get updates.
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Battery saver works well, but (i'm pretty sure) it turns off location services as well, which is a shame.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
marky9074 said:
Battery saver works well, but (i'm pretty sure) it turns off location services as well, which is a shame.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
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I just tested it and you can turn on location with battery saver on. I fired up Nokia drive and everything worked.
Bjd223 said:
I just tested it and you can turn on location with battery saver on. I fired up Nokia drive and everything worked.
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So it does took forever in drive beta, but in HERE Maps worked straight away...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
So I am using a stock rooted rom, and using the built in tethering hotspot in android. Now I got a letter from at&t saying to stop tethering or they will remove my unlimited plan.
How do they know if I am tethering or not and what can I do about it? Is it just that they know because it's a stock rom and maybe it sends data back to them?
I read using a vpn may work, but should the vpn be on your phone or on the devices connected?
Nobody around here seems to know for certain how they are monitoring. Of course AT&T knows, but they aren't saying.
Its been theorized that is probably on the network side, its not ROM (phone) related. I've seen it stated that tethered data packets are tagged differently than non-tethered, and its easy to tell the difference (others have contested this, I'm not personally knowledgeable enough to say either way). And there are almost certainly other factors involved. For instance, tethering volume might make a difference. I've tethered just a little here and there, and never been caught. While others have claimed to tether lots of data, and never caught. The amount of non-tethered data is probably irrelevant. I consistently go close to the 5 GB throttle limit on my unlimited plan, and sometimes tethering is a small portion. So its not just volume alone, but likely a variety of "red flags" they use to enforce the policy.
Is there anything you can do about it? I'd say no. I haven't seen any mod that successfully "masks" tethering usage. Try not to get caught again. If they catch you again, you lose your unlimited plan.
Have you been tethering large volumes of data?
It is network side,after a certain amount of data the system will redflag your account for high data usage. No way around it other than to stop tethering or they will automatically change your account based on usage and you will loose "unlimited" account. Or i have seen a termination of accounts as well.