Root Thunderbolt or Get 4G mifi

[criggs]

Easy Tether Lite

If you're only using a computer, it should be fine. There are limitations to the free versions like blocking https, etc but even the paid versions are cheaper than 1 month of mobile hotspot.

Blocking https???!!! Remember this would be my only Internet connection, so I would need full access. So, in my case, I would need the Easy Tether Lite version that can handle https. Does that cost money? How much? Is it easily removed from my phone should I decide this is not working out and assuming I choose to return the phone to Verizon Wireless before the end of the 14-day period?

 

[PJnc284]

It's $9.99. The market only has a 15min return policy so try it and make sure it works immediately. And if you return the phone you can easily uninstall it like any other app or it'll be wiped when doing a factory reset

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mstream.easytether_polyclef

 

[criggs]

It's $9.99. The market only has a 15min return policy so try it and make sure it works immediately. And if you return the phone you can easily uninstall it like any other app or it'll be wiped when doing a factory reset

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mstream.easytether_polyclef

There's no way a newbie like me will be able to check it out in 15 minutes (unless someone wants to give me a gorgeously written and extraordinarily clear step-by-step), but that's okay, I'll eat the $9.99.

So, you're saying that if it doesn't work out I have the option of either uninstalling or of doing a factory reset, either of which will remove traces of the app before I return it to Verizon Wireless, correct?

 

[Dfresh]

I rooted my thunderbolt for the free hotspots with wifi tether and it works great it is comparable to the verizon hotspots app. That wasn't the only reason why I rooted my tbolt but the free hotspot is a bonus.

Sent from my rooted bolt

 

[criggs]

To Root or Not To Root?

I rooted my thunderbolt for the free hotspots with wifi tether and it works great it is comparable to the verizon hotspots app. That wasn't the only reason why I rooted my tbolt but the free hotspot is a bonus.

Sent from my rooted bolt

My question remains the same:

Since the only purpose of my getting this Thunderbolt will be to use it as a modem for my computer,

and since the only reason, as far as I can see in terms of my own usage needs, to root my Thunderbolt is to enable certain forms of tethering,

and since it now transpires that rooting is not an essential part of tethering,

what, then, is the argument for me to root my Thunderbolt at all? Is there any such argument left, in fact?

 

[PJnc284]

If you don't need wifi tether, custom roms or any of the other benefits of root, then you should be just fine with one of the usb tether apps like easy tether or pda net. It's just like any of the other apps on the market, you can install and remove it at will. If you end up returning the phone, you'll want to do a factory reset and wipe the sd card before doing so anyway.

As long as you're not downloading a huge amount you should be fine. Fall in the top 5% and you'll likely get throttled. To what or at what amount is considered top 5% we don't know. That's a consequence of both wireless tether w/root and the non-root apps so neither provides an advantage there.

 

[criggs]

If you don't need wifi tether, custom roms or any of the other benefits of root, then you should be just fine with one of the usb tether apps like easy tether or pda net.

Easy Tether is a USB ap??!! Okay, that's not something I'm actually interested in, since I want to be able to drive more than one laptop from the Thunderbolt, if need be. So I'm only interested in wireless tether.

Since I'm only interested in wireless tether, does that mean I MUST root? Or are there wireless tether aps that don't need the Thunderbolt rooted?

And thanks again to all for helping me out with these questions; I very much appreciate it!

 

[SpaceCracker]

The easy root will work for you. A version of it is already out from what i read. If your in an LTE area your speeds will be way faster than Sprint. I'd do it myself but im stuck in a 3g verizon zone so my Thunderbolt goes back Its a really nice phone.

 

[criggs]

The easy root will work for you. A version of it is already out from what i read.

Easy root. Okay, that's also a new one on me. Where would I find that, please?

 

[Bighedstev]

Easy root. Okay, that's also a new one on me. Where would I find that, please?

Give a man a fish, he eats for the night. Teach a man to fish, he eats forever.

Here's your answer for where to get easy root:

Let me google that for you

Enjoy!

 

[Mortiel]

So to dispel some information here:

First, the Thunderbolt (and once its released, the Charge) have unlimited, free hotspot use until May 15th. Once that date comes, we will be releasing new mobile tethering/hotspot plans for 4G devices. The current $20/2GB MBBC/MHS plan is for 3G devices only, and most likely will never reach a 4G phone.

Now, just to be clear (or unclear, actually), there was a rather vague statement we saw that 4G MBBC/MHS plans will always tap into your normal data bucket (in other words, if you have, for example, a $15/150MB data plan, that can be for general phone use AND hotspot). I logically think this was just miswritten, but its possible.

Secondly, VZW has no currently policies that I have seen to charge overages to someone that uses excessive amounts of normal phone data if they have an unlimited data plan. I did seen a PSA that top brass at VZW did announce something about throttling the top 5%, but I have talked in depth with users that topped well over 150GB of data usage on 3/4G and never noticed a decrease in speed. Maybe there are people that use well over that, maybe that policy has not gone into effect... I do not know.

I do not know what data plans will look like later this year... will the $29.99/unlimited plan stay? Will MBBC/MHS plans get cheaper or more expensive? What I do know is that I bought a Thunderbolt despite knowing the battery life may be poor because I like HTC *and* because I want to make sure I have my unlimited data plan on 4G just in case things go south. That's just me speaking on a personal level.

Now, speaking outside of my professional standpoint, I personally am not sure (others may be able to answer this) if root-access wireless tethering supports LTE yet. It would make sense that it does, but I have not done it personally.

A temporary root is like being granted temporary administrator access on your Windows PC. It last until you do a factory data reset. I have seen with temp roots that custom ROMs/kernels tend to not work as well. A permanent root can only be undone by unrooting the phone. A factory data reset will NOT remove a permanent root. Be wary of rooting if you intend to return in a hurry. We do check to see if the software, firmware, baseband, ROM, kernel, and system file has been tampered with. If that happens, VZW will charge you the full retail of the device, which is like $570. If you intend to return it, do not mess with rooting if you are unsure. I only recommend rooting the device if the device is stable by itself (in other words, you will not have to return it), and you have no intentions on returning it. You bought it, you own it, do what you want.