T-Mobile $30 4G plan

[Andrew Martonik]

Just edited my post. You are correct. The sender needs to be on Sprint. But again, I can swear I got an MMS from a friend on T-Mo. Let me test it.

Edit: MMS sent from a T-Mo phone didn't work.

Yup. its only that very specific case of Sprint users and GV users together being able to just receive MMS.

i'm on the monthyly 4g $30 plan.

I was at the airport with my unlocked (not rooted though) samsung galaxy nexus on my macbook streaming video from amazon prime with tethering. AFter a while the video stopped and I got a notice that redirected me to tmobile's site to purchase tethering.

Right... as I said, you were browsing on a laptop, with a desktop UAstring, via your T-Mobile connection and it redirected you. Exactly how I explained lol.

Either pay for tethering to stop the redirects, or try a UAstring switcher to make your desktop browser look like something other than a modern desktop Chrome release. I seem to have luck with using an old Firefox UAstring (like FF4).

 

[castroyy]

I have been using the T-Mobile $30 plan for a few days now with my N4. I knew ahead of time that T-Mobile's service around me was shoddy.... And it is.. I am getting terrible coverage... So I ordered an AT&T Sim from Straight Talk and they will be my next try... I wanted T-Mobile to work but it just won't work out now. AT&T has much better coverage around me so hopefully it will be better. I have used 5GB a month before on Verizon but I rarely go over 1-2. I am normally on WIFI. Hopefully when I need the extra data they don't boot me.

I also ported my old Verizon number to GV and it took exactly 24 hours + or - 5 minutes!!!

 

[dwd3885]

I have been using the T-Mobile $30 plan for a few days now with my N4. I knew ahead of time that T-Mobile's service around me was shoddy.... And it is.. I am getting terrible coverage... So I ordered an AT&T Sim from Straight Talk and they will be my next try... I wanted T-Mobile to work but it just won't work out now. AT&T has much better coverage around me so hopefully it will be better. I have used 5GB a month before on Verizon but I rarely go over 1-2. I am normally on WIFI. Hopefully when I need the extra data they don't boot me.

I also ported my old Verizon number to GV and it took exactly 24 hours + or - 5 minutes!!!

the beauty of prepaid is you can go around and try anything you want out!

 

[castroyy]

Yeah that's for sure. Like I said I was hoping that the $30 plan would work.... I was worried about the 100 minutes to be honest! So the coverage is bad in my area and I will have to try AT&T. I know AT&T's coverage is MUCH MUCH better in my area. I am just not sure about their speeds... It can't be worse then the 3.13 MBPS I am getting now!!

 

[howarmat]

I have been using the T-Mobile $30 plan for a few days now with my N4. I knew ahead of time that T-Mobile's service around me was shoddy.... And it is.. I am getting terrible coverage... So I ordered an AT&T Sim from Straight Talk and they will be my next try... I wanted T-Mobile to work but it just won't work out now. AT&T has much better coverage around me so hopefully it will be better. I have used 5GB a month before on Verizon but I rarely go over 1-2. I am normally on WIFI. Hopefully when I need the extra data they don't boot me.

I also ported my old Verizon number to GV and it took exactly 24 hours + or - 5 minutes!!!

my first day with the tmobile service here and its pretty hit and miss too... lots of switching from 3G to 4G and back. Not a good sign. Might have to try att and pay a little more also

 

[castroyy]

Yeah If I look at the TMO coverage map it's terrible around me. And when I say terrible I mean 2G Everywhere. AT&T'S Map is pretty damn good... Plus the 100 minutes would be rather tough. I was planning on using a VOIP program but now I won't have to. $15 more a month isn't the end of the world... I just wanted T-Mobile... Hopefully Straight Talk doesn't about my data usage... Like I said I am mostly on Wireless but I can't promise that I won't hit 2-3 GB one month! Most of the time I am under 1GB a month!

 

[dwd3885]

Yeah that's for sure. Like I said I was hoping that the $30 plan would work.... I was worried about the 100 minutes to be honest! So the coverage is bad in my area and I will have to try AT&T. I know AT&T's coverage is MUCH MUCH better in my area. I am just not sure about their speeds... It can't be worse then the 3.13 MBPS I am getting now!!

I just got on the T-Mobile $30 plan. The 100 minutes is iffy and Vonage and GrooveIP seem to have too many issues with the other person not hearing me well all the time. I can't have that really.

- - - Updated - - -

my first day with the tmobile service here and its pretty hit and miss too... lots of switching from 3G to 4G and back. Not a good sign. Might have to try att and pay a little more also

And I think this is a reason why people are getting bad battery life. Trying out T-Mobile and realizing coverage isn't great, that's when your battery dies quickly.

 

[Fleury14]

When I signed up for the t mobile plan I put that they could take extra money out for minutes if I went over the 100. I think it's like .10 a minute

 

[koeylondon]

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.

I leave you with this

 

[Andrew Martonik]

my first day with the tmobile service here and its pretty hit and miss too... lots of switching from 3G to 4G and back. Not a good sign. Might have to try att and pay a little more also

This is how T-Mobile works. When the connection is "idling", you're on "3G" (UMTS). Once you start transferring data, it'll switch to "H" (HSPA+) and stay that way until its done transferring, then go back to 3G. This is a battery saving measure.

Now, if you were regularly going down to E (EDGE), then yes that's a coverage problem.

I leave you with this

And? Rooting doesn't change T-Mobile's ability to see the UAstring of your browser when you eventually hit a web page. There's no special firmware that T-Mobile has installed magically on your Nexus to let them detect tethering, they do it all via UAstring.

 

[Patrik69]

qqq

 

[Patrik69]

@John Smith

It's called porting. Porting your current phone number is really easy. Normally all you need is the phone number and the PIN for that account. If you don't know your PIN call your current cell phone carrier's customer service and ask.

The whole process can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a day. I've ported my number twice in less than six months and each time it only took about 30 minutes before the number was transfered to my new phone.

 

[koeylondon]

And? Rooting doesn't change T-Mobile's ability to see the UAstring of your browser when you eventually hit a web page. There's no special firmware that T-Mobile has installed magically on your Nexus to let them detect tethering, they do it all via UAstring.

But rooting does give you access to several other methods to change your UAstring or occlude it so that tethering can't be detected by that method. Also, it's just a good idea. There are a lot of reasons to root that aren't, "I like to hack phonez," and most of them are security and access to better application support... including better tethering options.

 

[Andrew Martonik]

But rooting does give you access to several other methods to change your UAstring or occlude it so that tethering can't be detected by that method. Also, it's just a good idea. There are a lot of reasons to root that aren't, "I like to hack phonez," and most of them are security and access to better application support... including better tethering options.

No it doesn't. If you're tethering to your computer, then T-Mobile is seeing the UAstring on your computer. This is why rooting doesn't make a difference. When you finally get all the way to requesting a web page on your computer, then the UAstring will be requested and you'll be done. That's why the only thing that seems to potentially work is a UAstring switcher on the computer, not any modification on the phone. The phone is just the way your computer is accessing the internet.

I'm not making any broad generalization about rooting at all, I'm simply pointing out that in this case, rooting won't solve any problem. When using an unlocked device on T-Mobile, this is how they "detect" tethering, and rooting won't keep them from doing that. Other carriers use special firmware to detect tethering, and in those cases root apps may be required to get around it. I agree that there are plenty of great reasons for people to consider rooting. That's a completely different conversation, however.

 

[2defmouze]

No it doesn't. If you're tethering to your computer, then T-Mobile is seeing the UAstring on your computer. This is why rooting doesn't make a difference. When you finally get all the way to requesting a web page on your computer, then the UAstring will be requested and you'll be done. That's why the only thing that seems to potentially work is a UAstring switcher on the computer, not any modification on the phone. The phone is just the way your computer is accessing the internet.

I'm not making any broad generalization about rooting at all, I'm simply pointing out that in this case, rooting won't solve any problem. When using an unlocked device on T-Mobile, this is how they "detect" tethering, and rooting won't keep them from doing that. Other carriers use special firmware to detect tethering, and in those cases root apps may be required to get around it. I agree that there are plenty of great reasons for people to consider rooting. That's a completely different conversation, however.

Well said, sir

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[acegolfer]

I got this plan set up 2 days ago when I received n4. I came from Sprint sero.

Took almost 2 days to set up a capable voip solution to avoid using minutes.

My voip set up is

Google voice
SipDroid with speex code if not on wifi
PBXes.org routing to n4 and n7



Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[tcat007]

Wow! Just noticed this plan. I'm on VM $25 with an Optimus-V. Thinking of buying the Nexus 4 with this $30 plan. I don't talk much, use GrooveIP when I do, and have wifi at work and home. Why would you port your GV number? If you do, don't all incoming calls use your minutes? I have 300 minutes on my VM plan, and seldom use 50. I only use phone minutes when on 3G (seldom). THis plan sounds ideal... really only $28.50 per month? (callingmart -5%). I also get zero reception on VM (Sprint) at home. T-Mobile map "says" excellent... but who knows.

 

[zedorda]

Didn't the FCC just rule that tethering can not incur additional fees? That the data you pay for is your data and is not subject to scrutiny by what device you use to have access to it as long as the host device is registered with your carrier? Hence why Verizon now includes tethering in all their new data plans. Correct me if I am wrong and it does not apply here.

 

[2defmouze]

Didn't the FCC just rule that tethering can not incur additional fees? That the data you pay for is your data and is not subject to scrutiny by what device you use to have access to it as long as the host device is registered with your carrier? Hence why Verizon now includes tethering in all their new data plans. Correct me if I am wrong and it does not apply here.

If your plan has unlimited data (even if it gets throttled, as this one does after 5 gigs), they are within their rights to prevent you from abusing it.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[nexus4backordrsuckz]

Probably a stupid question but from what I have seen it takes about 24 hours to port a number to tmobile from your current phone. If I did port my current number to tmobile would I be able to use it for the 24 hours it takes to transfer or will I be out of a phone for a day

Sent from my VM670 using Android Central Forums