Great tip for "tethering" /GS3 users with unlimited data from Tmobile.

Hello! I'll start by saying this may work with other Tmobile phones, but I haven't had the chance to test this on any other phone besides the GS3. I have the unlimited data plan with Tmobile. It was a hard decision to make the switch from the 5gig plan that included tethering to unlimited. I would almost always use the 5gigs up before the end of the month so figured I'd sacrifice the tethering for unlimited data. I would tether to my nexus 7 quite a bit, because I don't have Internet at home right now. I wanted to find out if there was a way to get tethering even though tmo says that you can't tether with unlimited data. I'd figured there probably is a way to get tethering working, but I'm sure it would require root, if someone has figured it out.

ANYWAY...... I found out that if you use Open Garden, it will tether to another device via bluetooth! (the nexus 7 at least). Open Garden creates a vpn/mesh network using wifi direct as well, but I haven't been able to get the two devices connected that way.

(I'm not sure if there's a problem with the GS3 or the N7's wifi direct capabilities but I've tried a bunch of times and can never get either of them to connect to each other, or even see each other when searching for devices. Even when trying to send a file from one to the other doesn't work.)

The bluetooth solution using open garden MOSTLY works. Certain Apps are able to see the Internet connection, and certain apps aren't. And some apps will see and use the connection for some things but not others. For example if you try to use the plan store, you can search for things and look around at apps and stuff, but when you try and download anything, it just sits there and says waiting for network. BUT, the browser (chrome) works just fine, so it's a good solution if you just want to browse the Internet. Again, some other things do work but it's kinda hit and miss whether the app will see the connection. The open garden devs, I believe on their website, acknowledge this problem and said that it's an issue of the way android deals with bluetooth connections for Internet, and that's why some apps work and others don't because the devs have to build it in their app a certain way.

Hope this is helpful to some people looking to get some tethering functionality with their Tmobile unlimited data plan.

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