Question about Unlimited Data...

[Laurence5905]

Ok - I've read the sticky-post about unlimited data. As long as you're not tethering, you've got unlimited data. If you are tethering, you've got a 5GB cap per month. Seems simple enough.

So, how does Verizon know if I've been tethering or not? (Other than by charging me a $15 fee per month for the option to tether.) I mean, if I do hit 5GB in a given month, and I've NOT been tethering, how do I prove to them that it was not tethered data? I'm just imagining a call from Verizon saying "Sorry, you've hit 5GB this month, and we think it was through a tethered connection." How do I prove that it wasn't?

Alternatively, what if I have a combination of tethered and non-tethered data? How do I prove that, yes I tethered, but I only received 2GB of data while tethered?

I know this topic is a sore point with the admins, but the sticky-post didn't answer these questions, and I couldn't find a definitive answer anywhere else.

[tktouch12]

i think they assume you cant hit 5 gb without tethering, but i dont really know past that
im curious too

[Laurence5905]

i think they assume you cant hit 5 gb without tethering

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm afraid of... I want to be able to prove to them exactly how much (if any) data I received while tethered.

[JayMonster]

i think they assume you cant hit 5 gb without tethering, but i dont really know past that
im curious too

That is *EXACTLY* how they do it. (for untethered accounts). They list examples of how you can hit 5 GB a month (all of which violate their terms of service), and say that should you surpass 5GB a month that they will assume you are violating your terms of service.

[Mojo]

Verizon can tell when your paying the tethering fees and using the vzw access manager. When I pull up a customers account and look at their data usage I can see two different types of usage. It shows KB used and tethered usage separately.

If you are using a third party software to gain access they mostly use different methods to gain access to the network. For instance look on Tether BlackBerry | BlackBerry Modem | TetherBerry. I had used this software to for a long time with my blackberry and went undetected.
There are still ways they can determine that you are tethering though. By looking at spikes in usage by having a continual data connection for a extended ammount of time. So by using third party tethering services if you was to say just jump on and check your email for a few minutes a day you will not be noticed or caught. But if you stay on for a extended amount of time you would have a big spike in usage.

Point is if you tether by 3rd party means a risk of getting caught is there. But if you don't abuse it you most likely will not be caught.

[New2u]

Yup, as of right now there is only one way to do tethering, and that is by 3rd party. If you get caught there could be a pretty heafty bill coming in your way (from what i've been told). But as gixxerjoe said, as long as your not abusing it, the chances of getting caught are very low. If your a person who thinks downloading like 10GB's worth of crap on a normal phone within like a 1 week window is ok, then your most likely going to get caught.

[Laurence5905]

Verizon can tell when your paying the tethering fees and using the vzw access manager. When I pull up a customers account and look at their data usage I can see two different types of usage. It shows KB used and tethered usage separately.

So, it seems to me that you're saying when tethering is officially available for the Droid, we can pay the $15 a month to use the VZW Access Manager, thus being able to prove how much data we've received via tethered and non-tethered connections. Good.

Now, if I'm NOT tethering, I'm not using the VZW Access Manager, right? If I happen to hit 5GB during any given month will they assume I've been tethering with a 3rd-party app, and charge me for the data? Doesn't that mean that there IS a de-facto limit of 5GB on non-tethered data, unless you're paying $15 a month to use the VZW Access Manager? Or am I not understanding the VZW Access Manager correctly?

To be clear -- I have no plans to tether without paying the $15 a month for the tethering on my contract (when it's available). I'm just concerned that if I don't tether, and I do happen to hit 5GB in one month, how will I prove it wasn't by a 3rd-party tethering app?

[Mojo]

If you was to hit 5gigs in a billing cycle then no that would not flag your account for tethering. Your plan is unliminted. You would not be billed for anything even if you went over your 5gigs in a cycle.

But look at the senerio in this aspect. If you hit your 5gigs in say a week, then continued to have a high stream of data flow thruout the billing cycle your account may be really reviewed and monitored. In this case you would probably contacted by Verizon. I say this because. For that high of usage it is very unlikley for a phone to use in such a short time frame. But again you really, really have to be consuming a ton of data to get their attention.

[New2u]

If you was to hit 5gigs in a billing cycle then no that would not flag your account for tethering. Your plan is unliminted. You would not be billed for anything even if you went over your 5gigs in a cycle.

But look at the senerio in this aspect. If you hit your 5gigs in say a week, then continued to have a high stream of data flow thruout the billing cycle your account may be really reviewed and monitored. In this case you would probably contacted by Verizon. I say this because. For that high of usage it is very unlikley for a phone to use in such a short time frame. But again you really, really have to be consuming a ton of data to get their attention.

That's basically what i was lead to believe from all the other reps. Glad to have it confirmed again . Thanks for the info.

[Mojo]

No problem.