Can no longer tether my phone for free since updating to Jellybean

[tmorgan]

I still have unlimited data on my phone and usually I USB tether my phone to my laptop to use the internet. After updating to Jellybean this morning it will no longer let me tether (with the USB cable or with apps like Firefox) without subscribing and paying $30 a month. The only reason I am still with Verizon is because I have unlimited data on my plan so it is needless to say that I will not be payin the $30 to continue tethering my phone. I am not sure if this has been covered on here or not but all the threads I did find made no mention of some monthly subscription from Verizon.

Is there any way around this? I have heard some say their apps still worked fine after the update but my husband (who is on my plan and has unlimited data also) also got the "you have to pay" message when he tried to tether. I don't use the browser on my phone unless I am desperate because the phone itself is super slow and takes forever to do anything and force closes the browser and apps all the time. I am not super phone savvy so all this is really confusing to me.

 

[jenni032]

PDANet is what I've used for a few years now. There's a free demo version but I can't remember how long that lasts. Nonetheless, its well worth the one time ever charge of $18 (best I can remember) that I paid a few years ago. I've changed phones a few times since then and have never had a single issue re downloading it to my new phone and tethering it to my laptop and PC. I even used it for a little while as the only internet connection I had at home. I would tether to my PC and I could surf pretty easily as well as my kids on their computers through the wireless router. You can't go wrong with it for sure. Hope this helps.

 

[tmorgan]

I Tried Downloading PDAnet And It Said I Had To Install Some Stuff Onto My Computer But Even Following The Directions It Gives You I Couldnt Figure It Out. I Dont Know How To Move Anything From My Phone To The Computer, Much Less Download Software From My Phone Using The USB ConnectioN.

 

[galleria2k]

I use FoxFi or Easy Tether, depending on the OS on my computer. Both worked fine on ICS. I am updating to Jelly Bean as I am typing this & hope it will still work. It's possible that Verizon found your tethering & put a block on it. They can trace the usage & I have been warned about tethering too much. It was during a move when I didn't have internet at my new home. I tethered for several hours a night for about 2 weeks. Verizon was not happy with me. I have been with them (or their previous incarnations) for 23 years, so they didn't take away my unlimited data. But they can.

 

[Craigf]

I have been blocked from usb tethering as well, after an involuntary upgrade to Jelly Bean. When I called Verizon I was told "the Motorola rep" says this feature will no longer be available and I do not have option to downgrade back to old version of Android. The only was to tether USB or wi fi is to spend the $30 a month according to Verizon. So this "upgrade" could cost us $360 a year if I still wanted to tether. Sounds like only Verizon benefits from this "upgrade" and it just made my phone worth less to me than it was two days ago. I don't want wi fi tethering, I was happy with occasional use of USB.