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Tethering on Metro **GSM**? Tell us HOW you're doing it

OcalaFlGuy

OcalaFlGuy

Android Expert
According to this new thread http://androidforums.com/metro-pcs/753351-new-metro-tethering-problem.html T-Mo's anti-tethering apparently works better and is harder to go around than Metro's. A quick search in the T-Mo forum shows mixed results with the usual user agent switcher methods.

Yet just One More reason to more securely attach my safety line to the CDMA Metro Mothership instead of heading to the T-Mo side. I don't tether much but when I need to, I NEED to.

Maybe if you don't usually tether, how about trying it out your Metro *GSM* phone and see if you can get it to work. (We Already Know it's no big issue to get it to work on CDMA Metro.)

Please be sure and post what phone you have, if rooted, if and what user agent switcher you used and if and what WiFi tether app you used.

Hopefully those on the new combined network can use this thread to find out how to do it on Their new phone.

Thanks in advance,

Bruce in Ocala, Fl
 
Hopefully we get some responses I am very curious about this myself. Did not know it was an issue till somebody posted about it last night. Thanks for starting this post.
 
Ok, I'm on a Spirit so I can't try this but this seems to me a fairly popular option for T-Mo, using a VPN. You can do that either rooted or not. It seems to work best for everyone.

How to tether using T-mobile unlimited 4G without getting blocked | ferGeeks - Guides fer Geeks

That thread suggest using Hide My Ass VPN but it's a pay one. (I can vouch for HMA simple Proxy as I use that to bypass our local newpapers subscriber only noose.)

A search for FREE VPNs points to CyberGhost as being a good one.

So here's one option someone with a GSM phone can try if the usual User Agent Switcher method doesn't work.

Bruce in Ocala, Fl
 
If you are posting *Known Tried Solutions* (or at least something close to that) PLEASE try and be as complete with your help as possible. Ie; Foxfi is nice to know but was that With a User Agent switcher or not, VPN or not?

It also helps Most *if you've actually tried it on a Metro branded GSM phone or BYOD* and please let us know Which One of those. The Whole Reason for this exercise is that apparently it's being discovered that all the OLD methods that DID work For Sure may NOT work under the new combined networks. We really don't need to know what worked 6 months ago...

Thanks!

Bruce in Ocala, Fl
 
From what i took from the other thread was he would have been able to tether just fine once he added the feature to his plan.
 
There are a large percentage that rarely tether. Like me. I may use it a couple times a week for maybe 15-30 min of simple non-streaming surfing. (Most of that isn't critical tethering as an hour later, my Wifi will likely be back to "normal".) I am NOT paying Anything More per month to do what I can do now for Free.

Period.

Bruce in Ocala, Fl
 
And thats fine. I'm a firm believer in that people shouldnt be using tethering without going through their carrier. Nine times out of ten the people who complain that the network is slow/crappy are the same jerks who abuse and are tethering to download 3+gigs.

but seeing as we are talking about GSM people you can either pay 60 bucks a month for unlimited, or pay 55 bucks a month to have 2.5GB's and tether. so to them its not costing them more, its purely they wish to abuse the system.
 
Well TMobile also has the ability to meter tethering on all their plans even the unlimited ones. If you have their unlimited plan you get 500mb of hotspot free. Metro only offers it on their 2.5gb plan which is not enough for me. If they offered 500mb or 1gb of hotspot a month for free or like $5 I would sign on. Like others have said I don't do it all the time so I can live on 500mb. If there is no easy work around I may have to suck it up and go to TMobile. I'll be losing my $55 plan anyway when I go GSM.
 
Just downloaded and tested using FoxFi on my Metro branded GS3 and works without a problem. I am rooted and running a custom ROM Liquidsmooth.

Again the issue that happens with tethering is when you use it to a laptop. If you use it to a tablet then its fine cause it registers as a mobile device.
 
n4zty said:
if ya rooted try iswat tether unlocker theres a free version that has ads
Click to expand...

It Does Appear there is something to that "if ya rooted" part.

There are a couple recent Youtubers of S4s tethering on T-Mo but ALL of them are doing it with a Root Only Wifi app And the usual User Agent Switcher on your pooder. I can't find any recent ones on T-Mo with un-rooted phones. :( (They vids I looked at were uploaded in the past month.)

Definitely highlights the need for BOTH rooted and unrooted methods if possible.

Bruce in Ocala, Fl
 
I knew when switching to gsm it would be difficult to tether but in my case i can just switch to my esteem and use metro cdma if i wanted too..but right now.there is no need since i have wifi bit it would be good if theres a workaround..ill def. Root my device in the future if thats all you need..
 
In the other thread, firenemesis7 mentioned Open Garden. That should work for light browsing so long as you have Bluetooth connectivity on all devices involved.
 
I am currently using the GS4 from MetroPCS and I got USB tethering to work with PDAnet+/FoxFi with User Agent Switcher on Chrome (The User Agent Switcher I used on chrome is the one that has 22 different profiles to pick from). When I first tried to connect, I got the MetroPCS popup that told me to add the hotspot feature to my plan. I went to Google and it connected just fine. From there, I switched the User Agent to the iPad profile and went to YouTube and I was able to play a video. The only problem is that PDAnet+ and FoxFi have a data usage limit and you will either have to unlock the full version or reset the USB tether to keep using it. I was wondering if someone can try this same method for BYOD. I hope this helps Bruce.

Michael in Hialeah FL
 
I'll repost what I wrote on the other thread:

I've been using PdaNet+ since I got this phone. It works great with the usb cable using the level 1 hide tether usage settings, but I can't do anything with wifi. I've tried so many apps and settings. I got it to work once using https, but I haven't been able to recreate it.
 
the hulk said:
foxfi worked for me on my BYOD, haven't tried it on my metro branded device yet, I will update when I do.
Click to expand...

Same here i have been tethering on the BYOD and a message pops up on my laptop screen asking me to pay for the add-on,but i just bypass it. The message doesnt pop up when tethering to mobile devices though. And do i jave to have the tethering add-on if i have the $60 plan? I mean its UNLIMITED DATA
 
It's Unlimited Data (and at some currently unknown speeds) as Long as you use it in the manners specified in Metro's TOS that You Agreed to. Which Excludes tethering without the add on.

The "is it right" argument varies from those that follow (or SAY they do) the letter of the law above to those who BLAST thru 60 Gs and then wonder why their speeds suck.

To the (NO!) free tethering fundamentalists, I'd use me as an example. I am 2/3's into my month right now. My tethering so far this month is 34.9 Meg. The next highest use is my Weatherbug with 59.3 Meg, next lowest is Woot check with 34.3 M. Tethering is 8th on my data usage list. Buried.

While I probably don't follow the Letter of the Law, I'd certainly argue that my tethering IS within Normal customer network usage amounts.

Bruce in Ocala, Fl
 
I will say that I was able to visit different sites on chrome without user agent switcher but this was through USB tethering. Some sites didn't work like they should (YouTube wouldn't play any videos but the page would load). I know wi-fi tethering is more convenient but I will take USB tethering if it works. I'm like Bruce I don't use it more than twice a month but when I do use tethering, it is because I need it.
 
When I DO need to tether I'll say with the Spirit it's easy peasy. Use the native app and Ultimate User Agent switcher. The closest I have to a problem is that the UUAS Extension won't stay saved to my Chrome for some reason.

It will DEFINITELY Not get me to go to GSM any quicker (METRO!) if I have to jump through more hoops to use my data HOWEVER I wish to use it if I'm still just using "normal" amounts (3-5 G). I'm not particularly thrilled about HAVING to root a brand new phone to tether but I'll do that if I have to (when I finally switch over).

Bruce in Ocala, Fl
 
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Lg spirit phone i finally found that works for me pdanet(foxfi), then i went ahead and bought the unlock key and have had no issues...:)
 
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