Sprint and hotspot?

[Bigballer]

Since this phone is completely unlocked and out of sprint's reign, can we use the hotspot feature without sprint barging in and disconnecting before the connnection is even estalbished?

 

[Woosh]

Since this phone is completely unlocked and out of sprint's reign, can we use the hotspot feature without sprint barging in and disconnecting before the connnection is even estalbished?

I think you're just gonna have to wait and see. Sprint still has control over its network so my guess is that if they want to stop tethering then they can.

 

[Bigballer]

I think you're just gonna have to wait and see. Sprint still has control over its network so my guess is that if they want to stop tethering then they can.

They did so before with software updates that cripped the hotspot. You can't cripple something that you can't control

 

[Woosh]

They did so before with software updates that cripped the hotspot. You can't cripple something that you can't control

I'm not an expert but I believe when you open something(like a webpage)while tethering than it is detectable on the carrier end. They may not be able to break the tethering "ability" but perhaps when you open a web page it'll redirect you to something like "You must purchase a tethering plan to use this".

 

[csloomis]

It is possible for carriers to block certain connection types on their network, but I am sure it is a hassle. When I first got my N4 I was on T-Mobile prepaid, which at that point didn't allow tethering. But I was able to tether without an issue.

 

[Bigballer]

I'm not an expert but I believe when you open something(like a webpage)while tethering than it is detectable on the carrier end. They may not be able to break the tethering "ability" but perhaps when you open a web page it'll redirect you to something like "You must purchase a tethering plan to use this".

With my current Sprint Galaxy Nexus, if you even enable tethering, it just shuts down the cellular radios. That's definitely software.

 

[gameaddict8]

That's a sprint gn though. N5 is thru Google

Posted via Android Central App

 

[soma4society]

I'm not an expert but I believe when you open something(like a webpage)while tethering than it is detectable on the carrier end. They may not be able to break the tethering "ability" but perhaps when you open a web page it'll redirect you to something like "You must purchase a tethering plan to use this".

What he said. They can certainly detect the tethering through user string and TTL outputs, but as to whether they actually remotely disable it on an N5 I'm not so sure. Question is, why would they bother. If they were dead set on you *not* doing it, I suppose they could likely do a redirect as Woosh suggests. Or just contact you via text or a call and threaten to alter/eliminate your service. I doubt they'll bother with this though, unless you go absolutely buckwild with hotspot activity. On the other hand, ATT went hard on users who tethered during their crackdown...whether you did 30 MBs worth or 3 gigs worth.