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Root Free Verizon mobile hotspot
- Thread starter MDeLiso
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- htc thunderbolt
scotty85
Extreme Android User
to more accurately answer your question,no,none of the custom roms unlock verizons hotspot and let you use it without paying for it. free wifi tethering is accomplished with 3rd party apps,wich may be included in some roms. but,as mentioned,this cannot be discussed here,unfortunately.
carriers are able to tell the difference in data used for web surfing,etc, and data used for tethering. are they going to waste resources checking every customer whose data usage is within reasonable levels? prolly not, but it is possible so keep that in mind before you persue this much firther.
Sorry, I guess I shouldve read that. My bad
UPDATE 1/27/2012: Revised Android Forums Tethering Policy - PLEASE REVIEW
I don't want you to feel you've violated any cardinal rule. It's an honest mistake and a very common question. However it's important for everyone to understand AF's current position on the topic.
Current Tethering discussion policy:
OLD POLICY:
What members should not discuss in the open forums:
What you should do if you see offending material:
What can be done in the open forums:
If you have any questions, any staff member will gladly assist you.
I don't want you to feel you've violated any cardinal rule. It's an honest mistake and a very common question. However it's important for everyone to understand AF's current position on the topic.
OLD POLICY:
What members should not discuss in the open forums:
- Instruct other members on how to bypass carrier restrictions in the ToS agreement (aka. contract).
- Post direct links to those instructions.
- Post links to apps that facilitate violating carrier restrictions for the sole purpose of violating them.
What you should do if you see offending material:
- Report it. If it's an innocent post, a mod will edit the post and PM the OP. If it's a repeat offender who has ignored previous warnings, action will be taken.
- Be polite and refer to the carrier's policy,if so inclined, otherwise let the staff handle it.
- Carrier policy can be found in sticky posts at the top of each carrier's forum.
What can be done in the open forums:
- Discuss carrier policy both practically and philosophically.
- Assist members with tethering questions who have either paid for the tethering plan or are using a carrier that permits tethering without a plan (pretty much everywhere other than the U.S.)
- Post links to apps or roms for specific solutions that may have tethering functionality, but are not the main focus of the post.
If you have any questions, any staff member will gladly assist you.
3ricG
Well-Known Member
Could you elaborate? Has the ban been lifted?
offanairplane
Android Enthusiast
Yeah, what gives? Why was the ban lifted on discussing free mobile hotspots?
edit: Nevermind I read the linked new TOS.
Also, how can Verizon tell how you are using your data?
Someone said they can, but I wanted to know how. Can you just post me a link if there is a thread already about this? Thanks!
edit: Nevermind I read the linked new TOS.
Also, how can Verizon tell how you are using your data?
Someone said they can, but I wanted to know how. Can you just post me a link if there is a thread already about this? Thanks!
offanairplane
Android Enthusiast
I am not sure that is true. Correct me if I'm wrong, please because you know more about this than I do.
But I am running Liquid GB 3.2 on my Tbolt, and to turn on hotspot, I simply go to network settings menu and enable it. I don't have to launch any apps. So are you saying that there is an app integrated as so it looks like part of the OS, but really it's an app?
I've used it to connect my Wii to the internet a few times to watch Netflix, when my home DSL was down for some reason. I liked the speed so much that pretty soon I will be replacing our At&T DSL service with a dedicated Verizon 4G mobile hotspot device.
scotty85
Extreme Android User
i assure you its true. im not an expert on it either,by any means,but if you search for it youll find alot of info and different ways that you could be caught. from monitoring usage patterns,to the ip adress generated when you start your phone as a hotspot,to inspecting your HTTP traffic and look at the user-agent flag.
the general opinion of most everything you read is that the means are definately there,tho are not practical or worthwhile on a small scale to catch people using a few MB. as long as you dont abuse it,youll prolly be fine.
offanairplane
Android Enthusiast
I wonder how much data I use watching a movie on my Wii via the 4G hotspot.
Partially I wonder this because I don't want to use too much data on my unlimited data plan. Secondly, if I am considering a 4G Mifi for my home internet use, those plans are not unlimited, and I need to know if 5Gb or whatever per month would be enough. Between my wife uploading pix of our kids to shutterfly, and watching netflix movies on the Wii, those are the two big data drains that we have.
Maybe I'll try and find an app that can let me know how much data I use for watching one movie, so I could estimate our monthly usage.
offanairplane
Android Enthusiast
I wasn't saying that it wasn't true that Verizon couldn't tell if you were using a 4G hotspot. I was saying it might not be true that no rom has this integrated, and that it always must use a 3rd party app.
I am not trying to steal data. I am mainly trying to find out how 4G would work as my home internet if I were to go with a 4G-Mifi from Verizon. As of late, I am not terribly satisfied with my AT&T DSL service. It slows to a crawl (and even temporarily drops out) during prime time every day. It never used to do that. It just started in the last 6 months or so. 4G is more expensive, but it appears to be considerably faster, and without the prime time slow-downs that my DSL experiences. I think more and more people are streaming shows and movies over the net to their TV's like we do, and it's just taxing the networks pretty hard. My wife is convinced that my phone is interfereing with the WIFI at our house somehow, because the internet works fine until I get home from work. But i don't even have WIFI enabled on my phone at home, because I have a strong 4G signal and unlimited data, so why use Wifi? I think it's because the time of day that I get home, most of our neighborhood is also getting home, and they get online, or start streaming TV shows, making skype calls, or Vonage or whatever, and it drags the system down. Anyway, if I could establish that we would not go over our data allowance I am pretty sure I'll be switching our home internet to a 4G-Mifi hotspot. Win for Verizon. Sorry for getting on a rabbit trail.
First off, once you S-Off you can use tethering with your original stock rom your phone came with. Second off, if you want to check you Data usage from verizon, check your account it has an option for data usage and if your on the grandfather contract with unlimited data, then your NOT stealing data, hint the name unlimited. Lastly, Verizon is not going to bust you for tether and using to much data, I have liturally walking in to several different Verizon stores, told them my phone is rooted and I use my mobile hotspot all the time. They said go for it, why pay for internet service when you already pay 20-30 bucks a month for a bundle package. I've been tethering with my Thunderbolt since it came out in what march 2011, I used 40-60gigs a month and never have a problem. I don't know where these stories come from, and frankly never ran into anyone who has had a legal problem. I go to devry University and my major is computer information systems and computer forensics and as far as I learned that Android is an open source, which takes it beyond any kind of legal issues for that reason. Thats the reason we can root our phones because they are ours to do as we please, it's like having a PC and themeing it or removing unwanted bloatware that comes on the system when we buy it. And the same Idea when we find WiFi hotspots with no secure networks, you can connect right into them, do we consider that stealing? Besides, if your on a new contract from verizon, they charge for going over a certain amount of gigs, i think it's 2 gig's. I truly believe that it's unnecessary to charge to use mobile hotspot of your already paying for the cell service and a bunlde package on top of that plus mobile hotspot, sorry it doesnt settle well with me.
I think you misunderstood or are being provided with erroneous information. Just because something is open source, does not abrogate any legal obligation or circumvent local statutes. All it means is that the source code is available while still restricting it's use and distribution via the GPL (General Public License).
There are things that we do that are are not proscribed by statute or law that still carry consequences. In most cases, rooting your phone will void the manufacturer's warranty and nullify any claims you may have from damage, even if you have insurance. While the likelihood of damage from rooting and flashing a custom rom is minimal, you still must accept the risk.
Your opinion is shared by many. However, just because you believe it is perfectly fine to tether without the plan, Verizon does not. Please review Verizon's policy on the matter. If you upgraded a phone or modified your contract in any way within the last year and a half, you most likely have signed a contract with the new terms and policies in it. Since I am not a Verizon customer, I don't know about the past policies, but it is possible that they wrote into them that they could change the policy without prior notice. In any case, you are violating your terms of service agreement which may carry consequences should Verizon wish to pursue it.
offanairplane
Android Enthusiast
Watching a 45 minute TV show on Netflix on my Wii, tethered to my TBolt uses about 230MB for anyone that wants to know.
That tells me that I wouldn't want to do that very often without a tethering plan, because that would add up quick. Also it tells me that a 4G verizon Mifi hotspot with a 5Gb plan would never be enough data for my home internet. 4 movies would equal 1Gb. 20 Movies would equal 5Gb. We easily watch 20 movies on Netflix per month, not to mention all the other things we use internet for at home. That stinks.
I do think it's morally wrong for them to call their data plan unlimited and then in a very real sense limit it by not allowing tethering. But it's their service, and they have the right to make the rules, and I have the right to take my business elsewhere if I don't like their rules. I am not going to tether anymore, but I think it's crappy that I am not able to without violating the TOS.
That tells me that I wouldn't want to do that very often without a tethering plan, because that would add up quick. Also it tells me that a 4G verizon Mifi hotspot with a 5Gb plan would never be enough data for my home internet. 4 movies would equal 1Gb. 20 Movies would equal 5Gb. We easily watch 20 movies on Netflix per month, not to mention all the other things we use internet for at home. That stinks.
I do think it's morally wrong for them to call their data plan unlimited and then in a very real sense limit it by not allowing tethering. But it's their service, and they have the right to make the rules, and I have the right to take my business elsewhere if I don't like their rules. I am not going to tether anymore, but I think it's crappy that I am not able to without violating the TOS.
At one point, Verizon was offering their unlimited data plan customers unlimited tethering for $30 a month. If you're on an unlimited plan, you may want to contact them and see if they'll still do it.
offanairplane
Android Enthusiast
I will check on that, but it has to be an actual 4G mifi hotspot, one of those devices specifically designed for that. Because my wife needs internet at home when I'm at work, and she doesn't have a smartphone.
Yeah, it's $50 per month for 5Gb, and $80 per month for 10Gb, and 10 Gb wouldn't even be enough.
AT&T said they can switch me to U-Verse which bumps me up from 3Mbps to 18Mbps for $50 per month with a 250Gb limit. That is probably what I'll do.
Ahh gotcha. That will be a separate bill then. The $30/mo was for the phone mobile hot spot.
U-Verse has a 250gb limit? Yikes. I'll be avoiding them, then.
offanairplane
Android Enthusiast
Yeah, I thought my DSL was unlimited. But they said it had a 150GB limit.
And I never exceed that, so I figure I'll be even better with 250Gb.
Kinda makes me wonder if any data plan is really unlimited.