question about tethering

[sliqx]

i had a quick question about tethering... i've been doing it a lot lately because the place where i work at doesn't offer wireless. I was told that we're not supposed to tether unless we have a tethering plan...and that if we do get caught tethering without the tethering plan that we could get charged for it? Is that true? If so... i better stop tethering lol

 

[Backnblack]

If you get caught, You can be charged and your account cancelled.....

Are you using wireless for work? or personal? just curious on this...

 

[neubanks89]

I'd stick to the pdanet type tethering that is freely available on the market and usable without any phone mods rather than using a root app if you're worried about it. As far as others have suggested, it seems as if Verizon could tell if you're tethering just like they could find out if you're rooted if they really want to but haven't ever don't anything about it.


Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[RW-1]

I hate this arguement, unless they really dig into it, there isn't a way to know that you were tethering, they can only track usage. They cannot tell if you are rooted either, but may be able to tell what OS you are running, and in thay way defer that you rooted to get that OS.

OP: Just be smart in your tethering usage, and you will be ok. That's all that needs to be said.

 

[sliqx]

I tether for my own personal usage... checking emails...forums, etc. Just small things . I don't do any downloading because it's too slow but i do use the free software pdanet. I should be okay, right?

 

[gmmurphy]

I would say you are ok. If your checking email and forums the data used is minimal. Start downloaing or streaming video may be another story. As you know unlimited data is capped. Check your data usage and see where you are. If your grabbing 10g a month on a consistant basis I'm sure they will nab you eventually. I have been tethering since my lg dare days and have streamed music and video. No problems yet.:greendroid:

 

[christim]

Lots of threads exist on this.

I have yet to see an article where someone has had their account canceled or been issued a much bigger than normal bill for tethering.

That doesn't mean one day they won't make an example out of the 100 biggest tetherers and send them a bill for 1000's of dollars either though. However, that has not happened since folks have been able to tether with the droid, and I don't think the droid was the first phone with tethering capabilities.

While normal usage is hard to track, if someone on a droid today was using flash, for instance, then they would know the phone was rooted.

If anyone using tethering was using their xbox to connection through the cellular network to play games there would be traffic your phone just plain couldn't make use of, and they'd know you were tethering.

It can be tracked but nobody has taken any action. Like most things in life, if you are the person tethering to torrent movies and consuming 200gb of bandwidth a month while tethered on your phone you are a far bigger target than myself who has tethered 5-6 times for a total of 3 hours to do some work at home when the power was out over the last 6 months. If they want to make an example out of someone to scare the rest, guess who they will mostly go after?

I use it if I need to, as a tool, not as recreation, and feel reasonably safe doing so.

 

[MichaelW]

I asked this question of Verizon directly.

If I have a plan that allows me to surf for unlimited i.e. up to 5gb. What difference does it make it it is tethered or just surfing the web? It is still using the same bandwidth at the time I am using it.

I was told that the device and OS does not support tethering that is the problem.

OK.

2.2 or Froyo lists tethering as a supported feature in the new OS due out in about a month. Then what?

I have not received answer yet.

My real question is that if I get a plan that supports up to 5gb of data. And I don't even use that much on my air card now and it is my only source of internet. Why should I have to buy a plan that gives me 5gb using the phone and another 5gb plan for phone as a modem?

You know that once Verizon realizes that 2.2 supports tethering, they will come up with a plan (or add the Droid X to the existing offering) for a tethered phone. And you will have to purchase both plans to be 100% legit in their eyes.

I am not out to steal any extra bandwidth. I am not out trying to violate a TOS. I certainly am buying a phone and a network. And I do not mind paying for what I use.

But I don't want to be taken advantage of.

 

[SwollenTiki]

A few months ago I called Verizon and directly asked about tethering my Droid. They had a special rate on the tethering package and I thought I would ask about details on it. I was told that I could not get that tethering option with my Droid. The rep even told me to get PDANet and it would work. I asked two more times to make sure that by using PDANet to tether my phone to my computer that I would not be breaking Verizon's rules. She said that I would not be breaking their policies that the Droid didn't have a tethering option so using PDANet was fine.

I almost feel like I should have gotten that in writing, but either way I bought PDANet for the additional features. I have to admit though, I've only had to tether a couple of times.

Take that for what it's worth. I don't know if that is just for the Droid 1, or the lady didn't know what she was talking about, or if that is Verizon's stance. But with the new Droid phones that offer WiFi tethering with an additional cost it makes me wonder if any type of tethering without a paid tethering package would be violating their policies.

 

[Humpa]

I asked this question of Verizon directly.

If I have a plan that allows me to surf for unlimited i.e. up to 5gb. What difference does it make it it is tethered or just surfing the web? It is still using the same bandwidth at the time I am using it.

I was told that the device and OS does not support tethering that is the problem.

OK.

2.2 or Froyo lists tethering as a supported feature in the new OS due out in about a month. Then what?

I have not received answer yet.

My real question is that if I get a plan that supports up to 5gb of data. And I don't even use that much on my air card now and it is my only source of internet. Why should I have to buy a plan that gives me 5gb using the phone and another 5gb plan for phone as a modem?

You know that once Verizon realizes that 2.2 supports tethering, they will come up with a plan (or add the Droid X to the existing offering) for a tethered phone. And you will have to purchase both plans to be 100% legit in their eyes.

I am not out to steal any extra bandwidth. I am not out trying to violate a TOS. I certainly am buying a phone and a network. And I do not mind paying for what I use.

But I don't want to be taken advantage of.

2.1 also supports tethering. The X comes with a tethering app.

Do not worry though. Verizon will not let a device have a tether app unless it is setup correctly so that they can block its connection if you don't have the tethering plan. Rooters will be able to bypass this, as usual.

Also, of course you can use the exact same bandwidth on your phone as on your laptop. But the reality is that I use about 1000 times more bandwidth on my laptop as I do on my phone. Believe me, Verizon does not want to just let us laptop users run rampant on the "network". Plus, the tether app allows 5 computers, not just 1.

And one more "also". Those reps are often clueless about the ins and outs of data in the first place. Call them three times and ask the exact same question about this. I bet you get three different answers. (see SwollenTiki's conversation with a rep above as an example)