New Sprint data caps on tethering

[burkett1974]

Since Sprint has announced the new data caps on wifi tethering, I was wondering if that will effect the wifi tethering hack as well. I assume there is a way for Sprint to tell how the data is being used, but I also know that there is a way to mask the data like others did with the Moto phones and Verizon. Is there a way to perform similar actions on this phone to mask tethering data or is that not necessary?

 

[Jessicalt1]

As far as I know (and I could be wrong) tethering just shows as plain data usage to Sprint if you're rooted and using something like wireless tether as opposed to their integrated hotspot.

 

[sfhub]

Data caps on official 3g hotspot were 5GB for a while, then they mysteriously went away, now they are coming back, but this time the 5GB applies to 3g *and* 4g combined data, where before 4g was unlimited. Not that 4g matters for Optimus users.

 

[burkett1974]

Thanks for the input. I wasn't sure how Sprint monitored the data. I never go above 1Gb a month as I only use it while traveling at the airports and such, but was curious if they had a system like Verizon that monitored the different manners that data was being used.

 

[jefboyardee]

Can I assume that USB tethering is not involved?

 

[burkett1974]

So I was talking with an Engineer over at Sprint named Reggie and he said that Sprint can tell which method you are using for data even if you do not use the dedicated tethering app. There are command strings (3 or 4) that designate which method the information is being used. He said Sprint did not actively monitor this in the past unless someone was using an exorbitant amount of data and then Sprint would verify that they are paying for tethering. He told me that this will be looked at closer now because Sprint is placing data caps on tethering, and not on the data used strictly for the phone; so monitoring is necessary for all users at this point.

This could be scare tactics, but considering this was a personal conversation during non working hours and he had nothing to gain by telling me that info, I tend to believe this is the case considering the rest of the carriers use similar methods to monitor data. I still plan to run with the wireless tethering option in the Reborn Rom and see how it plays out for now.

 

[iBowToAndroid]

Yes, wireless carriers can definitely tell the difference between data being sent and received by the phone, and outside data being transmitted to another device. I wouldn't worry about it for Sprint as long as you're not abusing the system - so far they have shown no indication of cracking down on illegal tethering, like ATT did.