FoxFI versus Hotspot app

[turbofiat124]

I've got a Driod Mini with the share anywhere (everywhere?) plan with 2GB of shared data.

I was wondering what's the difference between using the FoxFi app and the built-in Hotspot app?

I understand that the reason behind FoxFi to beging with was to get around having to pay wireless carriers an additional fee for using their phones as a HotSpot or tethering device.

Then I read there was some FCC ruling that prohibited wirelss carriers (like Verizon) from charging customers this additional fee.

Yeah I know that I could burn up 2GB of data real quick but I wanted to use my computer on vacation where Wi-Fi is not available.

 

[Jonny Kansas]

You're correct. FoxFi is a workaround for people who don't have tethering included in their plan. At this point in time, those people are the ones that are still holding on to an unlimited data plan. The "More Everything" plan includes tethering (hotspot) access at no additional charge.

Foxfi actually even uses the stock "Hotspot" app in its workaround. There's really no point for someone on a plan like yours (and mine, though I have a larger data package) to use Foxfi instead of the hotspot app.

 

[turbofiat124]

You're correct. FoxFi is a workaround for people who don't have tethering included in their plan. At this point in time, those people are the ones that are still holding on to an unlimited data plan. The "More Everything" plan includes tethering (hotspot) access at no additional charge.

Foxfi actually even uses the stock "Hotspot" app in its workaround. There's really no point for someone on a plan like yours (and mine, though I have a larger data package) to use Foxfi instead of the hotspot app.

Thanks. I'll give it a shot this summer. I was just afraid to activate the hotspot for fear I might get charged some outrageous fee.

By the way. I was once on the unlimited data plan and it was costing me almost $300 a month. I called Verizon to ask if they could get my bill down and what as the most data I had ever used in one month. He told me between my wife and I , we only went over 2GB one time in two years so he dropped the data plan down to 2GB, which lowered my bill to $120 a month for two phones. I figure at $10 per GB, for every GB I go over is just an additional $5 (well $15 depending upon how you look at it).

Such as in the case when we go on vacation. If we use 4GB that month so what.

Looks to me like these carriers offer these unlimited data plans at a great price whenever they need to round up business or get people to swap, then when they get enough customers step up their rates slowly over time. Then before you know it, your paying out the nose. Then offer an incentive (like they did me) to drop down from unlimited to something else to get people off these unlimited data plans!

Does that sound accurate? I don't recall our unlimitied data plan costing $300 when I signed up for it.

 

[cr6]

Sounds a bit steep to me, but a lot of that depends on your voice & text plans as well. Our bill (including two unlimited data plans) is 178 and some change a month. But we both also pay the extra for insurance as well as Roadside assistance and a couple other "extras" on top of our voice & text plans.

S5 tap'n

 

[turbofiat124]

Sounds a bit steep to me, but a lot of that depends on your voice & text plans as well. Our bill (including two unlimited data plans) is 178 and some change a month. But we both also pay the extra for insurance as well as Roadside assistance and a couple other "extras" on top of our voice & text plans.

S5 tap'n

We had unlimited talk, text and data. I'm not sure why it was almost $300.

 

[cr6]

That could explain it. I only have 450 min voice & 500 text. My better half has 900 voice & 1000 text.

S5 tap'n

 

[turbofiat124]

That could explain it. I only have 450 min voice & 500 text. My better half has 900 voice & 1000 text.

S5 tap'n

Now I remember!

There was a "family matter" that was going about three years ago and my wife had used over 1000 minutes talking on the phone. The guy at Verizon called us and told us how many minutes we had used (and what our bill was) and she had no idea she was on the phone that much. My line was something like 20 minutes, here's was over 1000!

So we bumped our minutes up to unlimited text/talk/data which was probably what raised our bill. Seems like we still have unlimited talk/text but by lowering the data from unlimited to 2GB was what probably dropped our bill significantly.

 

[Amazonfemme]

I've got a Driod Mini with the share anywhere (everywhere?) plan with 2GB of shared data.

I was wondering what's the difference between using the FoxFi app and the built-in Hotspot app?

I understand that the reason behind FoxFi to beging with was to get around having to pay wireless carriers an additional fee for using their phones as a HotSpot or tethering device.

Then I read there was some FCC ruling that prohibited wirelss carriers (like Verizon) from charging customers this additional fee.

Yeah I know that I could burn up 2GB of data real quick but I wanted to use my computer on vacation where Wi-Fi is not available.

Jonny's right - you should be able to access the Hotspot without paying an additional fee.

That said, pay attention when you go to activate it. My husband has a Droid Mini, and when he tried to activate the Hotspot he got a pop-up message that he needed to subscribe for an additional $20/mo. I had to get on a chat with someone on Verizon's website to get it straightened out.


Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Jonny Kansas]

I dropped my unlimited to take advantage of the edge plan and get a new phone. I wasn't using 2GB a month either, since my speeds on my home wifi are twice what I get over LTE & I don't get out much. Haha!

They just ran a promo not long ago & I got to double that 2GB plan to 4 for the same price & I still have 1 extra GB each month for another year & a half or so.

Sent from my Note 4 via Tapatalk

 

[turbofiat124]

I maybe wrong but seems like one way Verizon can get you off their unlimited data plan is when it comes time to upgrading phones. Or they will knock off so much if you will agree to drop your unlimited data plan.

Eventually everybody will have to get a new phone sooner or later, no matter how much they like their current phone because the lifespan of Motorolla phones is about 3 years max.

Like I said I think they come up with these unlimited data plans to lure you in then when they get enough people, come up with incentives to get you away from unlimited data.

When I went from my LG Voyager to a Driod X2 with 3G, I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Then three years later, it was slower than whiz. You Tube no longer worked, phone crashed, etc.

Then when I got my Driod Mini, I was like "WOW!, this thing is fast compared to my X2". But eventually came to the conclusion that this phone really doesn't work any better (or is any faster) than my X2 did when it was brand new and 4G really doesn't seem any faster than what 3G was 3 years ago.

A co-worker and I were discussing this the other day. We are convinced that when Verizon came out with 4G, they just transfered all of their equiptment that used to be "3G" and now call it "4G" and now 3G is now using something ancient.

I have not done a speed test to confirm this!

 

[Mustang02]

I maybe wrong but seems like one way Verizon can get you off their unlimited data plan is when it comes time to upgrading phones. Or they will knock off so much if you will agree to drop your unlimited data plan.

Eventually everybody will have to get a new phone sooner or later, no matter how much they like their current phone because the lifespan of Motorolla phones is about 3 years max.

Like I said I think they come up with these unlimited data plans to lure you in then when they get enough people, come up with incentives to get you away from unlimited data.

When I went from my LG Voyager to a Driod X2 with 3G, I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Then three years later, it was slower than whiz. You Tube no longer worked, phone crashed, etc.

Then when I got my Driod Mini, I was like "WOW!, this thing is fast compared to my X2". But eventually came to the conclusion that this phone really doesn't work any better (or is any faster) than my X2 did when it was brand new and 4G really doesn't seem any faster than what 3G was 3 years ago.

A co-worker and I were discussing this the other day. We are convinced that when Verizon came out with 4G, they just transfered all of their equiptment that used to be "3G" and now call it "4G" and now 3G is now using something ancient.

I have not done a speed test to confirm this!

Upgrading a phone will remove unlimited as you need to select a new plan, unless you just buy the phone outright. The knock off is buying a subsidized phone, usually for $200 or $250 instead of $500 or $600.

Phones are like computers. They need to be wiped clean from time to time. Caches get corrupted, indices rebuilt, etc. Also apps get bigger and need more ram/processing power with upgrades. Eg. Windows xp uses less ram than Windows 7.

What??? No, 4G(LTE) is not 3G renamed. My speed tests on 3G we atrocious(500Kbps if that), now I'm seeing 40-60Mbps down and 6-10Mbps up.

 

[turbofiat124]

Upgrading a phone will remove unlimited as you need to select a new plan, unless you just buy the phone outright. The knock off is buying a subsidized phone, usually for $200 or $250 instead of $500 or $600.

Phones are like computers. They need to be wiped clean from time to time. Caches get corrupted, indices rebuilt, etc. Also apps get bigger and need more ram/processing power with upgrades. Eg. Windows xp uses less ram than Windows 7.

What??? No, 4G(LTE) is not 3G renamed. My speed tests on 3G we atrocious(500Kbps if that), now I'm seeing 40-60Mbps down and 6-10Mbps up.

I bricked my Driod X2. Although I got a new Driod mini, I did a factory reset on my X2 thinking it would fix it's problems and I would just use it like it was a mini computer whenever I was near a WIFI. Boy was I wrong. In order to reload the operating system, the phone has to call an operator or a computer but then it just stops and gives me some recorded error message. For lack of a better explaination. I don't want to "activate" the phone, just restore it to factory settings. Is there anyway to get this phone to work again? Just so I could use it as a mini computer?

As far as 3G versis 4G. That maybe so. But I just remember when I first got my Driod X2 running 3G, the phone worked great. Internet Radio and YouTube videos were clear and not choppy and I had no buffering issues. Then when they came out with 4G, my X2 running 3G had allot of buffering issues.

 

[Mustang02]

Agh that's easy. You want to SBF back to factory. Here's how to do it. Doing the FDR won't work if it's soft bricked.

HowTo Perform a SBF factory restore Motorola Droid X2 XDA Forums

 

[turbofiat124]

Agh that's easy. You want to SBF back to factory. Here's how to do it. Doing the FDR won't work if it's soft bricked.

HowTo Perform a SBF factory restore Motorola Droid X2 XDA Forums

Thank you very much! I'll give it a shot this weekend. Would this same procedure work on DroidX or just the Driod X2?

I'm using my wife's old Droid X as an internet radio here at work and from time to time it has some buffering issues and the touch screen is very slow to respond like something is bogging it down. If I had success with my X2 then I will try it on this one.