AT&T Continues To Clamp Down On Unofficial iPhone Tethering
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I just got arrested for mywi or was it dwi, DUI ahh well don't do it... Remember only you u can prevent forest fires. Can you hear me now? Ok so I lied... But AT&T just needs to relax! Let's go have another drink. But ur paying... Go magic!!!
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Neither MyWI not PdA net forward the user agent data.But, if you want to be safe, get a browser like atomic or icab, and tell your iPad that it's iPhone safari....ot tell AtT to oiss off and that you use a browser like atomic or icab to browse business websites, and they look better when you set it to iPad safari or Mac Safari if you are tethering a Mac.I'll lawyer up real quick if ATT catches me being dishonest.....guaranteed.
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i just decided to pay the 15 bucks more cos i will need the tethering
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ive been tethering for more the i year and i have an unlimited plan i go over 15gb of data and i never gotten a message
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I completely agree, tethering is simply an excuse to print money as the service providers do nothing to provide this service. If we pay for a particular monthly bandwidth then we should lawfully be able to go up to that bandwidth by whatever means we like. I wouldn't min being throttled or even charged for extra bandwidth if I went over my monthly allowance. The truth is that their infrastructure isn't fit for purpose and if everyone exercised their rights to use their monthly quota the service would grind to a halt. There should be some law to ensure these service providers guarantee both speed and bandwidth. If any other line of business took your money then failed to provide an adequate service the lawyers would have a field day!
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im running iphone 4 4.2.1, and i got the damn message, i had to call and make a fuss and swear up and down that i was not tethering and i had no idea what they were talking about, they believed me but i dont wanna risk it and lose my unlimited so i had to take mywi off my phone, i use my unlimited plan like crazy, oh well :/
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i have a grandfathered contract with unlimited data. at&t finally sent me the infamous text. i do not go over a gig a month. i am also technically not in a contract becouse of expiration. so to that i would like to see them change mine to teathering. they have thier bases covered. but just like any other legal matter it is argumentative. I think we the customers could kick thier legal team in the ass in court. we the customers should do like the dude said when he threatened to keep his internet going all the night. if you have a limit make sure to max it out at the end of the month. what at&t is doing is monopolizing our data usage. there are laws against that too. i could come up with plenty of arguments to circumvent that bulls/8t contract clause.
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Here's what I suspect is most likely happening: AT&T management decides to start doing a systematic review of highest-data usage account holders (eg. 25+GB / month), using one or more packet inspection methods (eg. TTL) to identify active tether users. They then notify those users who have been identified as tethering to cease such activity.Once they clear the first batch of accounts, they work their way down to the next batch of users (eg. 10+GB / month), and so on. I suspect they will eventually work their way down to those even using less than 5GB / month.As for those who think AT&T is NOT systematically identifying those who are tethering via packet inspection or some other networking method, and believe AT&T is simply going after "high data users", that would not only be extremely unproductive (think of how many Netflix and Slingbox users are out there would create false-positives this way), but probably also subject AT&T to needless customer lawsuits down the road.For those who are unfamiliar with the various methods AT&T network engineers could potentially identify tethering, take a look at this reddit thread: http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/g62wv/i_woke_up_this_morning_to_this_lovely_email_from/?limit=500
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This is the nail in the coffin for AT&T, I'm done with them and the iPhone world... Selling 2 of my iPhones on eBay to cover termination fees, should be enough $ to do it, than I'm going to sprint and an android phone where I can tether all I want, **** you AT&T! I been with them since 2003 and they just bitting the hand that feeds them...
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Plus Sprint is cheaper ;)
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I really don't know how they can tell if you are tethering, maybe someone smarter than me can shed some light on this? I travel a lot and use my phone heavily on the road. How do they know I am not watching Netflix all day to eat the bandwidth?
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That's because Verizon's internet is so slow they better not complain you're not using it right. Plus, every time you get a phone call it interrupts your internet.
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I use anywhere from 6-10 gb/mo depending on how much my kids' jb iPhones tether to mine. I really don't think att can tell that we tether using mywi. I think they intimidate people into admitting it. I got the message below on 4/7. I haven't called them, they haven't called me and I'm into a new billing cycle with no changes from either side. "AT&T Free Msg: Did you know tethering your Smartphone to a computer requires a tethering plan? Pls call 877-446-5250 for details or visit att.com/dataplans."
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What about apps that use a ton of data, such as the netflix app? I have unlimited data,. on my plan and use this app like crazy,. so wouldn't that look like I was tethering?I haven't received any txt msg, but If I do I'll tell the to f*ck off. IDK ATT is full of sh*t unlimited means unlimited!
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One way to distinguish the type of access (tethering or not) is possibly through the browser and the websites. Though ATT can use the high data volumes as a distinguisher of tethering, it can also monitor what websites are being visited and also what browsers are used.For example, when visiting websites through your mobile browser, in most cases, you will be directed to their respective mobile site. On the other hand, if you visit the same website when tethered via PC/MAC using a desktop browser then you are directed to their default site. Websites can detect the type of browser that is being used to visit their site because the browser info is sent with the data stream (i.e Safari on PC/MAC or Safari on iPhone/iPad). Now put ATT or any provide in the middle of the browser & website, they have all the information too. It's not an absolute but with this type of info, it would raise a red flag if an iPhone reports using a desktop browser or visits non-mobile websites. Though the browser type is a greater red flag than the websites. I'd like to hear from any one tethering an iPad with an iPhone. If they have stayed under the radar of high data usage (< 5Gb) and received a tethering warning from ATT. In this scenario, the iPhone will still report a mobile safari browser.My guess is that they do not have the methodology completely vetted out. In some most) cases, they're probably fishing with the obvious high data usage and making people nervous enough to stop on their own accord and pass the word.I wonder if there is a way to use a mobile browser on a PC/MAC? That would also be a great test as long as you stay below the data usage radar.
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Awesome choice. Remember it is not that easy to "root" Samsung phones. HTC phones are much easier. That is all.
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PDADoc (or any other person with a legal background), That is interesting news but I am still a bit curious about the legality of this. I guess where my confusion comes in is, when I got my grandfather unlimited plan activated, there was no such thing as a tethering plan to even purchase, so using that logic, its impossible for me to violated their terms of use if there were no terms to begin with. So again how would this be legal now? If a feature is created after your contract has been initiated and that new feature comes with terms and conditions, how can those terms and conditions be forced upon me without my consent? This is actually for anyone in the legal field..I'm genuinely curious about this?
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I too use mywi and the unlimited plan. I also have not been contacted from AT&T.I use it for my mac and my iPad for at least a year now.
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Here's a thought, if AT&T were to change someones plan wouldn't that user be able to get out of their contract at that time since AT&T is effectively nullifying their old contract? I know if AT&T breaks a contract we can get out of them without the early termination fee but since in this case it would be the user who would be seen to be breaking the contract would the fee still apply?
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Okay so correct me if I'm wrong but, if you're switching to Sprint claiming that you can tether all you want... Don't you still have to pay for the tethering service??? Either way every company makes you pay for tethering... Nothing is free. Or is your argument being that going to Sprint will allow you to PAY for unlimited tethering? If that's the case it makes sense.
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once you use a vpn, the only thing your carrier can see, is that you exchange a flow of encrypted data back & forth with the vpn host server.it cannot tell what's inside: mobile safari, genuine ios app (chat or whatever), which url you visit, or the connexions of a full internet café with tens of desktop computers leeching through your phone (excessive?) ;)
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OpenVPN is a military-grade encrypted virtual private network. So GuizmoVPN (found on Cydia (default repos) or http://www.guizmovpn.com) puts itself between the radio/modem communications, intercepts them and routes everything through your VPN. So like Spotify,etc... isn't allowed within the US, using RoadWarriorVPN.com (a VPN service) I can use a server say in Germany and route my traffic through Germany instead of the two US-East/West coast servers. So communications without a VPN would be iphone through at&t servers to destination server. Comms with a VPN would be iphone->encrypted tunnel through AT&T servers (encrypted tunnel/packets)->RoadWarriorVPN.com servers-> destination and reverse the route backwards but encrypted up to your iphone. RoadWarriorVPN.com is the provider I selected, however there are many other free/apaid services available. Checkout the GuizmoVPN.com website I referened. It comes with a default list and is pretty easy to setup on your phone.
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Hi Mar, read my reply above your question for your answer. I think I answered both of the questions at once. :)
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I wonder if AT&T are checking the return IP address and know its not on their network. I think possibly the PC requests go through the phone and are repackaged before being sent on. It may just be a case of unpacking each packet to determine the ip route taken? Just a theory!
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i can care less bout the tethering when i have wifi on spot at my house at&t is in it for money and thats it plain and simple sure i have mywii installed on iphone 4
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Too bad Sprint's 3G is slow as ****. I tried it never could even get to 1Mb/s. Tethering at that speed is just about useless. They claim 4G is in my area, but you can rarely find it.
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@Reggid EvargI do not think at&t is checking the user agent in the data stream. That would be sniffing and should be illegal. Now if the user goes to an at&t website then they can see the browser type without sniffing the traffic. With this in mind I think your right.. they do not have a solid method to prove you are tethering and are just trying to scare folks into buying the plan or just coming up with a justification to charge the users for the plan.Either way - they suck it
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Here is my question, How can at&t force you to pay for a service as it's a monopolistic practice. My first question to at&t would be "When i first bought the iPhone, you navigation app costs 9.95/mo. and it was the only thing avaialable. Soooo, now that i can buy and app like tomtom or navigon for navigation for a single one-time cost, and I don't need your $10/mon plan, how is any different from people having a third party app for tethering?" As long as I don't abuse my data plan, where is the problem. Having to pay $25/mo for 2gb is already higay robbery, at least let me use it however i choose. If you have unlimited data plan, I think abuse of it should be punished though. For the guy who use 121gb/mo above, your the reason this is happening. There is no reason to use this much data on your phone in 1 month, none. I already pay for an internet plan at home and use the wi-fi whenever in range (unlike some of those who use tethering to provide internet for their home pcs), so i don't see where at&t has the legal right to dictate data usage as long as it falls within the confines or your plan.
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How do u possibly use that much data my all time high was only about 40 gb ( mostly Netflix app )
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If you "root" your android (the equivalent of jailbreaking) you can tether. So far no one from Sprint has said anything. I think because they are trying to build their customer base they dont care right now. Hopefully it stays that way.
