T-Mobile $30 4G plan

[ser_solace]

Anyone know if the T-Mobile $30 unlimited text and data with 100 minutes allows tethering? Or does that cost extra?

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[droiddekka]

Anyone know if the T-Mobile $30 unlimited text and data with 100 minutes allows tethering? Or does that cost extra?

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2

Root your phone.

Sent from my LG-VM670 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Andrew Martonik]

Anyone know if the T-Mobile $30 unlimited text and data with 100 minutes allows tethering? Or does that cost extra?

Yes, with a Nexus you get to tether without anything special on your plan's end.

Root your phone.

Don't have to root on a Nexus. There's no carrier firmware to remove.


T-Mobile "detects" tethering by seeing if you're using a desktop or mobile browser UAstring. It seems to be relatively random whether or not they try to check in on your usage, but if they decide to, you'll see your browser redirect to a hotspot information page if you're on a desktop browser.

Problem is that the Chrome for Android browser also shows up as a desktop UAstring when visiting sites, so they've started to shy away from this method because they're selling their own devices that are either compatible or preloaded with Chrome.

Long story short is they can detect browser UAstring whether you're using the built in tethering or some root app or anything else, so it doesn't matter what you do. Just tether away and if they redirect you, that's something you can manage when (or if) you get there. One quick fix is a browser UAstring switcher you can apply to Firefox/Chrome that'll mask it. Works.

 

[2defmouze]

Yes, with a Nexus you get to tether without anything special on your plan's end.



Don't have to root on a Nexus. There's no carrier firmware to remove.


T-Mobile "detects" tethering by seeing if you're using a desktop or mobile browser UAstring. It seems to be relatively random whether or not they try to check in on your usage, but if they decide to, you'll see your browser redirect to a hotspot information page if you're on a desktop browser.

Problem is that the Chrome for Android browser also shows up as a desktop UAstring when visiting sites, so they've started to shy away from this method because they're selling their own devices that are either compatible or preloaded with Chrome.

Long story short is they can detect browser UAstring whether you're using the built in tethering or some root app or anything else, so it doesn't matter what you do. Just tether away and if they redirect you, that's something you can manage when (or if) you get there. One quick fix is a browser UAstring switcher you can apply to Firefox/Chrome that'll mask it. Works.

Sweet info... can you recommend a good one for Chrome by any chance? Just checked a couple and the reviews were inconsistent..

 

[Andrew Martonik]

Sweet info... can you recommend a good one for Chrome by any chance? Just checked a couple and the reviews were inconsistent..

I've used this one: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/user-agent-switcher-for-c/djflhoibgkdhkhhcedjiklpkjnoahfmg

It's worked for me. Selected an old version of Firefox as my UAstring.

 

[2defmouze]

I've used this one: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/user-agent-switcher-for-c/djflhoibgkdhkhhcedjiklpkjnoahfmg

It's worked for me. Selected an old version of Firefox as my UAstring.

Thanks again, definitely will try it out. I hardly ever tether, really only in emergencies, but it's good to know about the things to look out for to cover yourself

 

[qreepii]

So using WiFi Hotspot would apply in this situation? I currently use a mobile Hotspot device for my Nexus 7, and am looking toward using the Nexus 4 to keep my 7 online.
That Tmo $30 plan looks pretty good.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[DC Damien]

Also T-Mobile just announced more cities with HSPA+ and more to come.

 

[Andrew Martonik]

So using WiFi Hotspot would apply in this situation? I currently use a mobile Hotspot device for my Nexus 7, and am looking toward using the Nexus 4 to keep my 7 online.
That Tmo $30 plan looks pretty good.

Tethering = Wifi Hotspot. Same things apply.

Also T-Mobile just announced more cities with HSPA+ and more to come.

No, they announced more locations with 1900MHz HSPA+, which is part of their rollout to try and get unlocked iPhone users to come to their network.

T-Mobile is working farm popular markets from 1700/2100MHz (AWS) to 1900MHz so they're compatible with AT&T's devices.

 

[vietmode]

i've chatted with a T-mobile rep online and they said I had to buy the kit from walmart, for the $30 100min, unlimited text+data. Is this true? how did anyone with this plan go about getting it, what steps were taken?

 

[Andrew Martonik]

i've chatted with a T-mobile rep online and they said I had to buy the kit from walmart, for the $30 100min, unlimited text+data. Is this true? how did anyone with this plan go about getting it, what steps were taken?

They only offer the kit via Walmart and online. The $30 plan is a new customer online-exclusive offer. Just buy the SIM Activation Kit online for $0.99 (free shipping) from their website. Once it arrives (about a week) you can activate it online. If you need help transferring a number or anything, they can do that over the phone as well. Saves you money over having to buy it in a store.

Prepaid Phones | Pay as You Go Android Cell Phones | T-Mobile

 

[dwd3885]

yep I just bought on the T-Mobile website, spend $1.07. Haven't decided if I'm going to cancel my AT&T and pay the ETF yet, so I haven't activated yet.

 

[digitalslacker]

I'm going to be making the move over to the N4 using some type of Prepaid, the $30 Walmart plan first but I'll be moving to an ATT Straight talk plan if service isn't that good.

One thing I've been researching is how femotocells work with these prepaid plans. I've used them on both Sprint and VZW and it's been my experience that with post paid plans it's pretty easy to get the carrier to toss you a free extender of some kind to hook up at home if you get poor signal at your house.

Has anyone had any luck doing this with the Walmart plan for TMO? I would imagine with the Straight talk plans it would be tougher because they are MVNOs.

It's probably still cheaper to buy one outright compared to going postpaid.

Just curious! thanks!

 

[moosc]

You say unlimited data. But is it really unlimited or the 5gb cap.

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[2defmouze]

You say unlimited data. But is it really unlimited or the 5gb cap.

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It is unlimited, but after 5 gigs in 1 month you get throttled to 2g speeds I believe for the rest of the month. Something to consider, but for me no big deal. I have full unlimited on VZW and have never used more than 5 gigs in a month, lol.

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[teleclimber]

I don't have any first hand experience with this (yet) but there are things other than the UA string that can give you away if you tether your computer to your phone.

The most obvious I can think of is software updates. If you connect your PC to the internet MS Windows might connect to the update servers to look for security updates or whatever. This is a dead giveaway that you are not using your phone! If Tmo is serious about detecting unauthorized tethering and they have half a brain you can be sure they are sniffing for that kind of traffic. Same goes for other software update sites, like Adobe's, anti-virus definition updates, and countless others.

I think to be on the safe side you could set up special firewall rules that block all outbound traffic except from your browser. Besides, imagine Windows decides to download a mega update while you are on your phone's connection. Your 5 gigs will be flushing away for no good reason.

 

[qreepii]

The only place I've seen it is through their website.

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[moosc]

I'm a date whore. And living ina 2g speeds is so 90s

It is unlimited, but after 5 gigs in 1 month you get throttled to 2g speeds I believe for the rest of the month. Something to consider, but for me no big deal. I have full unlimited on VZW and have never used more than 5 gigs in a month, lol.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Xparent Cyan Tapatalk 2

 

[Andrew Martonik]

If Tmo is serious about detecting unauthorized tethering and they have half a brain

They're not. And they don't.

T-Mobile really doesn't wanna do much to make customers mad. They're just happy you're a customer .

 

[Andrew Martonik]

You say unlimited data. But is it really unlimited or the 5gb cap.

I'm a date whore. And living ina 2g speeds is so 90s

As its explicitly listed on the T-Mobile site, you're throttled after 5GB of usage.

If you actually (somehow?) need 35GB of data a month but want to cut your bill, you should look into T-Mobile's Value Plans. They're 2-year contracts, but you don't pay a device subsidy. That means that your bill is nice and cheap. Since its postpaid, you get all of the postpaid options like nights/weekends, etc.. Best of all they offer truly unlimited data to postpaid subscribers that they won't throttle or cut off.