Using Foxfi

[Foxspeed]

Don't you guys have the built in tethering app?

I'm with 'Three' network in the UK with an unlimited data allowance plan but part of the deal is to not let me tether to other appliances although I can tether to other phones/ipads etc.

A few weekends ago my home internet went down so I was unable to surf the 'net using my PC. I didn't want to use my phone to tether to it because I thought I might get a surcharge.
Would using FoxiFi or another app help me with this problem if it happened again?

 

[marksatterfiel]

You don't even need FoxFi to get a portable hotspot. From what I can tell, any widget that lets you activate the hotspot (without going into the Settings menu) will bypass the account check and turn on the wireless hotspot.

For example, I downloaded the SwitchPro widget. Essentially, it's just a heavily customizable Settings widget. I made it look like the stock ICS Power Control widget, added on the hotspot toggle, and voila - the hotspot turns on immediately when I hit the button. Works with the configuration in the Settings menu so there's no need to set up a third party app to get it all set up.

Well, I'm new to Android, but how exactly does this work? For example, who is providing the DHCP to the connected device? I suspected FoxFi is activating DHCP, but from your post it seems something other than what I thought.

~~ Mark

 

[marksatterfiel]

Thanks for the quick reply and help. As far as market information I know they have some access to your google account. You can (or at least for a while could) have market purchases billed to your Verizon account.

Think about this tho for a minute. When I worked for AT&T dsl there was a tool that could access any yahoo users personal data, even people not using AT&T. Emails, pictures, anything that used a yahoo login. That tool was heavily monitored and abuse was punished with immediate termination. Customers had no idea what we could do, and no one afaik abused it. We have no idea either what Verizon can do, but im sure there is a similar policy incase someone went poking where they don't belong.

Oh really? Please tell us more. Are you saying that ATT snooped on the open http requests? Seems that is somehow illegal or something.

But even more, why does it matter? That is, what does "abuse was punished" mean? Abuse, as in... people were not supposed to use Yahoo? I'm sure I'm just misunderstanding.

~~ Mark

 

[KarlT2112]

To answer the original question, yes any carrier can detect tethering. When any type of internet device sends a request for something on the internet both the requesting device and sending device embed their Mac I'd within each data packet. Internet data works on Mac addressing (device to device) and uses IP addressing simply as a way to rout the request.

So... if your carrier suspects you are in breech of your service agreement due to higher than normal data use they can enable high level monitor in sw to capture the requesting/sending Mac I'd and see if it matches the devices Mac id. When it does not match the Mac I'd of the device the carrier has a number of options because at that point you are breaking your service agreement with them.

Most carriers do not aggressively hunt down tethering users, mainly the data hogs causing others users off that tower service issues are the ones the carrier goes after.

 

[SweatyPits]

Hey just discovered FoxFi (works Amazing) But would I would like to know is there anyway Verizon can detect that your tethering your device without paying for It???

only if someone were to idiotically stream movies/music. just surf the web and you'll be fine-it's the same bandwidth whether you're surfing the web on your phone or tethering on your pc/tablet.

 

[cindyl0801]

000

 

[Bren S.]

Don't you guys have the built in tethering app?

I'm with 'Three' network in the UK with an unlimited data allowance plan but part of the deal is to not let me tether to other appliances although I can tether to other phones/ipads etc.

A few weekends ago my home internet went down so I was unable to surf the 'net using my PC. I didn't want to use my phone to tether to it because I thought I might get a surcharge.
Would using FoxiFi or another app help me with this problem if it happened again?

I thought that the GNex had that option built in as well?? I haven't tried it yet though to know if it works?

 

[adam355]

Has anyone tried foxfi with the gsm nexus on a network like t-mobile?

 

[dhworph]

This question often comes up. From what I have read, most users do not get hit by the carrier, and I've never heard of any verifiable cases of it happening. I don't doubt that they could detect it and stop it or charge for it if they wanted to, but just like digital property copyrights, etc... they can stop it one way, but the computer world will find a way around it. The only way to stop it completely is to stop all data.

Of course, common sense tells that one should be frugal about it's use. For example, if you use 1GB of mobile data monthly, then don't tether 10GB. Watch out though, tethering is easy to chug the data down quickly...

I think about it as a cost benefit analysis... they are pretty much golden with most users moved to tiered data plans, and with throttling (I haven't experienced any, not noticeably), that pretty much fixes the rest of the problem. The amount of "illegally" tethered data is probably minuscule compared to the data that is used within the plan rules. Why would they invest many $ into stopping a behavior that doesn't hurt their profits by at least the cost of implementing the tech to stop the behavior?

Also, most "illegal" tether users would not pay for tethering if they couldn't tether for free. Kind of like how the movie industry complains about downloaders... most downloaders would probably not go buy, rent, or otherwise pay for the stuff they download. So you can just add 1,000,000 x $15 per dvd and say they lost $15,000,000 in revenue... no they probably lost 10% of that at most (minus legal fees and other costs of enforcement)...

I think it would be a net loss of $ to VZW to enforce free tethering bans, otherwise they would do it...

 

[theresamorrison]

hi ive installed foxfi on my galaxy s3 but i cant connect none of my devises. ive tried to change the name of the hotspot everything but nothing works. please i need help thanks

I'm interested in the answer to Cindy's question too: Will FoxFi work on the Verizon Galaxy S3? Anybody know?

 

[Bren S.]

I see tethering as a "only when necessary " type of thing that is done for only very short periods of time on occasion.
The people who use it as a replacement for home internet are the ones who wreck it for everyone else. That type needs to grow up and pay for home internet not abuse their phone data.

 

[FramCire]

I'm interested in the answer to Cindy's question too: Will FoxFi work on the Verizon Galaxy S3? Anybody know?

Probably better to ask on S3 forum.

 

[Iraspecial1]

Yes, foxfi works on GS3 if side loaded.

 

[magentawave]

My understanding is that you can fool your cellphone providers system from detecting that you're using your phone as an access point. You need to install what is known as a user agent addon with an Android header to your computers browser so it appears to your cellphone provider that your high data usage is coming from your phone and NOT from an external device.

I just installed the 'User Agent Changer 2.6.8' addon to Firefox for Mac on my computer and imported all the other stuff including the Android header.

If anyone knows how I can test this so I'll know absolutely 100% for sure that its working I would greatly appreciate it...and also how to do the same with an iPad too.

 

[drbugsmn]

My understanding is that you can fool your cellphone providers system from detecting that you're using your phone as an access point. You need to install what is known as a user agent addon with an Android header to your computers browser so it appears to your cellphone provider that your high data usage is coming from your phone and NOT from an external device.

I just installed the 'User Agent Changer 2.6.8' addon to Firefox for Mac on my computer and imported all the other stuff including the Android header.

If anyone knows how I can test this so I'll know absolutely 100% for sure that its working I would greatly appreciate it...and also how to do the same with an iPad too.

Isn't this what the foxfi addon proxy does?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEwMiwiY29tLmZveGZpLmFkZG9uIl0.

 

[magentawave]

I didn't have a need for creating a mobile access point until now so this is all new to me. Point being, I just heard about FoxFi so I really don't know what its capable of doing. Do you know if it works on rooted Android phones? Does it hide from cellphone providers that you're using your phone as an access point? If it does that then it sure seems simpler than what I was going to do!

Isn't this what the foxfi addon proxy does?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEwMiwiY29tLmZveGZpLmFkZG9uIl0.

 

[drbugsmn]

I didn't have a need for creating a mobile access point until now so this is all new to me. Point being, I just heard about FoxFi so I really don't know what its capable of doing. Do you know if it works on rooted Android phones? Does it hide from cellphone providers that you're using your phone as an access point? If it does that then it sure seems simpler than what I was going to do!

Without seeing the source code, I have no idea how much scrubbing the foxfi proxy does. I'd submit a question to the dev from that link above. If you do, please post the response, I'd be interested in seeing it!

I don't have a rooted gnex, so I can't help you there, though I would suspect it would work fine.

 

[magentawave]

I downloaded FoxFi and it does work as a hotspot on my rooted phone. Yes I will contact the developers to see about the other stuff. Thanks.

 

[Bramsy]

I'm interested in the answer to Cindy's question too: Will FoxFi work on the Verizon Galaxy S3? Anybody know?

it does, and i'm up to 36 gigs!

2 Steam computer games, a few movies and Xbox Live

 

[Bramsy]

I see tethering as a "only when necessary " type of thing that is done for only very short periods of time on occasion.
The people who use it as a replacement for home internet are the ones who wreck it for everyone else. That type needs to grow up and pay for home internet not abuse their phone data.

hmm.. i pay ~$175 for "unlimited" 4G, with a dumbphone on the same line...

my phone isn't a replacement for home internet, but with the current prices and the way things "are" for lots of people, F Verizon!

 

[OverByter]

hmm.. i pay ~$175 for "unlimited" 4G, with a dumbphone on the same line...

my phone isn't a replacement for home internet, but with the current prices and the way things "are" for lots of people, F Verizon!

You're not F'ing Verizon, they get theirs no matter what. Your screwing your tower neighbors by causing slower downloads for all. And if using 36 gigs of mobile data isn't being used as a replacement for an ISP what would you call it?

 

[magentawave]

And have any of you guys figured out yet if FoxFi does NOT make it appear to our cellphone provider that we are using our phone as a hotspot?

 

[Bramsy]

You're not F'ing Verizon, they get theirs no matter what. Your screwing your tower neighbors by causing slower downloads for all. And if using 36 gigs of mobile data isn't being used as a replacement for an ISP what would you call it?

i'm not f'ing Verizon by crippling a tower? ok. so when you drop a call or have slow data speeds, you blame people on the network or service provider...

36 gigs is a record for me... pretty impressive! 2 games on steam, xbox live and a few movies on netflix.

i use about 6-8 gigs monthly sometimes using netflix, google play music and various stuff... all legit.

 

[Bren S.]

i'm not f'ing Verizon by crippling a tower? ok. so when you drop a call or have slow data speeds, you blame people on the network or service provider...

36 gigs is a record for me... pretty impressive! 2 games on steam, xbox live and a few movies on netflix.

i use about 6-8 gigs monthly sometimes using netflix, google play music and various stuff... all legit.

So if you're using that much ....why don't you just get actual home internet service?

And if it's legit how about calling up Verizon and asking them how "legit" it is?

 

[slyd]

You don't even need FoxFi to get a portable hotspot. From what I can tell, any widget that lets you activate the hotspot (without going into the Settings menu) will bypass the account check and turn on the wireless hotspot.

For example, I downloaded the SwitchPro widget. Essentially, it's just a heavily customizable Settings widget. I made it look like the stock ICS Power Control widget, added on the hotspot toggle, and voila - the hotspot turns on immediately when I hit the button. Works with the configuration in the Settings menu so there's no need to set up a third party app to get it all set up.

Does using a widget like switchpro create a free hotspot? Really?