Do I need developer's edition to wifi tether?

[goffredo]

Hey guys,

I'm interested in the Droid RAZR MAXX HD; I see it's now available from Verizon for $299 on 2-yr contract. I know Motorola will also be offering a developer's edition of this phone that has an unencrypted bootloader for retail price. I'm not sure which phone is the best one for me, can you guys help? Here are my requirements:

* Able to SIM-unlock the phone, either legally thru the carrier or simply by rooting and sim-unlocking using nefarious apps, so that i can use European SIMs on it
* Able to broadcast the phone's cellular data connection over wifi ("wifi tether"?), so my wife and i can use the phone to provide internet to our laptops when we travel

That is it. Simple needs. I had this exact setup working on my DINC2, but I had rooted it in order to SIM-unlock it and to install a decent wifi-sharing app (Wifi Tether, I think it was). Otherwise, I could care less about rooting, alternative firmwares, etc -- I'm over all of that.

Thanks for your help!

 

[djspy]

There's no need to root for Wifi tether if you use FoxFi. To unlock SIM i don't know. i think you do. Best bet would be to call Verizon. BUT, if you don't have an unlimited data plan Mobile Hot Spot app is free to use.

 

[goffredo]

Thanks. I've emailed the FoxFi people to see if their app supports wifi tether on this new phone -- the website says it works on "most Motorola phones" so it's not clear.

I believe in theory I can simply request that Verizon provides a free permanent SIM unlock on the phone, provided I meet a few criteria (account is in good standing; had account for at least 6 months; etc), but I just don't trust them. Maybe I should take a random sampling of phone reps and see if they have a consistent story in this regard.

As for Mobile Hot Spot -- I would like to use wifi tether when running from a foreign SIM card's cellular data plan; I seem to recall Mobile Hot Spot only worked when running on Verizon's native network, but I could be wrong. But anyway if FoxFi works on the phone, and it doesn't have any horrible problems with it like some of the wifi tether apps do (phone gets really hot; inexplicably can't connect to it from iPad; other weirdness), it's a moot point I think.

I currently have the old unlimited data plan for my 3G DINC2, so I believe I will have to "upgrade" to the new "limited" data plan in order to benefit from LTE. Sigh.

 

[TisMyDroid]

I assume that the Razr HD will work the same as the Razr's regarding using it with an foreign sim. When the Razr's got ICS, their global radios were unleashed becoming true global phones. At that time, if you were to ask Verizon, you were told that it was locked and could only use Verizon international data (they do not want you to think any differently because they would like your money). But if you asked Motorola, they let you know that you could use a foreign sim. The latter proved to be true. See http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-razr-maxx/212942-international-travel-razr-maxx.html

My Razr M has the same gsm global radios that my Razr Maxx has, so I assume it will be able to use a foreign sim just as the Maxx is and that it will be the same for the HD's.

 

[AuD14]

Hey guys,

I'm interested in the Droid RAZR MAXX HD; I see it's now available from Verizon for $299 on 2-yr contract. I know Motorola will also be offering a developer's edition of this phone that has an unencrypted bootloader for retail price. I'm not sure which phone is the best one for me, can you guys help? Here are my requirements:

* Able to SIM-unlock the phone, either legally thru the carrier or simply by rooting and sim-unlocking using nefarious apps, so that i can use European SIMs on it
* Able to broadcast the phone's cellular data connection over wifi ("wifi tether"?), so my wife and i can use the phone to provide internet to our laptops when we travel

That is it. Simple needs. I had this exact setup working on my DINC2, but I had rooted it in order to SIM-unlock it and to install a decent wifi-sharing app (Wifi Tether, I think it was). Otherwise, I could care less about rooting, alternative firmwares, etc -- I'm over all of that.

Thanks for your help!

There is a thread over in the Maxx forum and people had no issue swapping euro sim cards in when they went overseas on 3g GSM networks. Just have to change APN settings to get data connection (or just use wifi as its available most places).

 

[goffredo]

Ok, so it sounds like the RAZR Maxx HD works fine with non-Verizon (i.e., non-vodafone) SIM cards. In other words it is, or can easily be, SIM-unlocked through legal channels, so that no rooting would be necessary. I guess my only concern, then, is the ability to run a stable wifi tether app without having root access... if this is possible, I don't see any reason why I would need to root the device, and therefore no reason to buy the developer's edition.

 

[TisMyDroid]

I have not tried Fox Fi on my Razr M yet. I will try to find time today and report back. I would guess if it works on my M then it would also work on the HD's. It worked well on my Razr Maxx though.

 

[TisMyDroid]

Latest info from the FoxFi app description in play store is that it is not supported on jelly bean yet but works on Razr M... as long as it remains on ICS. I wonder if they will try to fix that given the new Razr's will be getting Jelly bean soon. I hope so.

 

[geoff5093]

A few things.

First, are you on a share everything plan? If you are, tethering is included at no additional charge, and you can use the built-in tethering feature. Two, are you looking to get the phone subsidized? You can get it for $300 from Verizon, but you need to pay full retail from Motorola.

 

[dan.dar]

I thought I saw a thread on M forum that foxfi was not working on it. Since I'm everything share plan I could just use the built-in hot spot app so I didn't install foxfi. Now with HD Maxx out I think it would be in the developer's best interest to update fox-fi so it works with it.

 

[TisMyDroid]

Geoff raises a good point...about whether you are unlimited or on their tiered plans. Two things to know regarding this:

1. You can keep your unlimited data plan if you buy the phone at full price (or get it from swappa, ebay, craigslist, etc).

2. If you end up going the tiered share everything plan, using the hotspot is free (only free on tiered plans, not on unlimited).

 

[goffredo]

Great, sounds like I have my bases covered. I didn't know Verizon's hotspot app was free on tiered plans, but it makes sense if you think about it.

Since I want to preserve my grandfathered-in unlimited data for $29.95/month deal until Verizon does away with unlimited entirely (June 28 2014 is the date I've read), I will be paying full price for the phone. Therefore, I will just wait until the developer edition of the Razr Maxx HD comes out; that way I get unlocked bootloader for what is essentially the same amount of cash. With bonus of unlimited data and no service contract.

 

[maxxhd]

FWIW I've tried nearly every wireless tether app possible and none of them work on the MAXX HD. I tried at least 15 different apps including foxfi, barnacle and the 'ol trusty "wireless tether" & variants. Hopefully they will update and fix soon.

 

[thedillyoh]

FWIW I've tried nearly every wireless tether app possible and none of them work on the MAXX HD. I tried at least 15 different apps including foxfi, barnacle and the 'ol trusty "wireless tether" & variants. Hopefully they will update and fix soon.

Same. What a buzzkill. I thought maybe rooting and using the ol' wifi tether would work too. Rooting went fine, but tether is a no go. Clockwork tether doesn't seem to work either. Erk!

 

[AuD14]

Any one tried PDAnet yet?