[Tutorial] How to enable a WiFi Hotspot on the Optimus V

[shawnf1986]

Its by sergej... It has a green icon

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

 

[Bigtuna00]

Its by sergej... It has a green icon

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

Unless I'm missing something obvious, that one doesn't work. No option to toggle Hotspot.

Hotspot Widget works fine though.

 

[joshua.worth]

Bigtuna you don't have Launcher Pro?

 

[Bigtuna00]

Naw, never got excited about it enough to try it on my EVO and I like the fact that the Optimus is a "stock" Android experience. I'm waiting for the ROM situation to settle down a little and then I'll really start tweaking.

 

[anon(141613)]

Unless I'm missing something obvious, that one doesn't work. No option to toggle Hotspot.

Hotspot Widget works fine though.

You have to drag the HotSpot setting up into the visible settings to enable it in Quick Settings. There are videos about how to do this with a V on YouTube...most people have figured it out. HotSpot Widget works as well for most folks.

YouTube - Use at Own Risk: Virgin Mobile's LG Optimus V setup as a WiFi Hot Spot

 

[Johnny Z]

I'm just trying to help and throwing in what I personally would do myself. Keep in mind the way I've done this is not a feature of Launcher Pro but a hidden feature within this devices OS itself. Oh and Launcher Pro Plus is sweet. I can't see anyone being happy using the stock Launcher if they've used Launcher Pro

Thank you Josh!!! I tried hotspot widget and quick settings, but neither worked. Your method was the only way I could create the hotspot so THANKS! down with the haterz

 

[joshua.worth]

Your welcome Johnny

 

[michaelglasscook]

...There are videos about how to do this with a V on YouTube...

YouTube - Use at Own Risk: Virgin Mobile's LG Optimus V setup as a WiFi Hot Spot

I literally laughed out loud when I read "Use at your own risk" in the title of that video. I then watched it to find out why it would possibly say that. I had never considered wifi tethering would be against the Virgin TOS, as the video comments claim. How would Virgin catch you doing something like this? Just by looking at your data usage and figuring it is way more than you would use on a phone only? Anyone have any educated guesses as to how likely it is to be caught doing this and having service terminated?

I was kind of planning on using the phone with wifi tether as my only internet after I move, but don't want to end up with no phone and no internet. If this is a stupid question, please feel free to laugh out loud at me like I was laughing at that video title before the same video ended up scaring me.

 

[joshua.worth]

I'm thinking not very likely or provable.

 

[anon(141613)]

I literally laughed out loud when I read "Use at your own risk" in the title of that video. I then watched it to find out why it would possibly say that. I had never considered wifi tethering would be against the Virgin TOS, as the video comments claim. How would Virgin catch you doing something like this? Just by looking at your data usage and figuring it is way more than you would use on a phone only? Anyone have any educated guesses as to how likely it is to be caught doing this and having service terminated?

I was kind of planning on using the phone with wifi tether as my only internet after I move, but don't want to end up with no phone and no internet. If this is a stupid question, please feel free to laugh out loud at me like I was laughing at that video title before the same video ended up scaring me.

I'm not sweating getting "caught" with an activated HotSpot feature, I think the YouTube poster was trying to make sure he didn't get blamed or sued if someone eventually screwed up their phone, or account, somehow. VM may try to disable it at some point in a phone update, same as Sprint may try to disable same on the Optimus S. If you don't accept an OTA update, I don't think they can disable it, even if they wanted to.

I've used wired tethering for many years with Sprint phones and will go back to that for $10 total if need be to buy the full version of Easy Tether. If they somehow blocked all tethering, I'd find another carrier.

As I remind people, Sprint bought their first tethering software to sell on their phones from PDANet years ago, well after PDANet had been offering tethering software for those same Sprint phones.

There are reports over at Howard that VM will throttle your phone's speed after 10GB for the remainder of the month. For most folks, 10GB is hard to reach.

 

[Bigtuna00]

I literally laughed out loud when I read "Use at your own risk" in the title of that video. I then watched it to find out why it would possibly say that. I had never considered wifi tethering would be against the Virgin TOS, as the video comments claim. How would Virgin catch you doing something like this? Just by looking at your data usage and figuring it is way more than you would use on a phone only? Anyone have any educated guesses as to how likely it is to be caught doing this and having service terminated?

I was kind of planning on using the phone with wifi tether as my only internet after I move, but don't want to end up with no phone and no internet. If this is a stupid question, please feel free to laugh out loud at me like I was laughing at that video title before the same video ended up scaring me.

It would be trivial to detect with a little packet sniffing. The user-agent alone would be a red flag and further analysis would make it obvious whether or not it was a desktop device (downloading a bunch of flash content, for example, would make it obvious since the V doesn't support Flash). And in the end, they have complete control to terminate your service without even providing a reason.

On the other hand, given that Virgin didn't remove the feature (Sprint actually removes the feature and doesn't just "hide" it), it would seem they aren't too worried. Keep in mind Virgin isn't a telco: they lease the network from Sprint. So why would they care if you suck up the bandwidth? They don't have to pay to add new infrastructure.

On the other hand there is no way I would rely on it as my primary internet. For one thing it's WAY too slow. Also my phone usage is under 1GB/month. My desktop usage is many many GB/month. It would be pretty obvious to anyone looking if you used tethering as your primary access, IMO.

 

[agianne]

Keep in mind Virgin isn't a telco: they lease the network from Sprint.

That was true once, but is no longer.

Sprint Nextel Corporation bought Virgin Mobile USA in 2009. Virgin Mobile USA is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Sprint Nextel Corporation and as a result, VM's interests and Sprint's interests are very much aligned.

If you are engaging in conduct that is objectionable (because it uses more bandwidth than either Sprint or VM think is appropriate, because your usage is causing network congestion, because some Sprint or VM executive responsible for stand-alone data plans gets annoyed and becomes convinced thethers are hurting his revenue stream, whatever) you could get it. Best case scenario: tethering ends by overall policy change or by sending offenders a warning notice. Worst case scenario: your account gets terminated and you lose your TN (you can't port a disconnected TN to another company).

 

[Bigtuna00]

That was true once, but is no longer.

Sprint Nextel Corporation bought Virgin Mobile USA in 2009. Virgin Mobile USA is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Sprint Nextel Corporation and as a result, VM's interests and Sprint's interests are very much aligned.

I think you're overstating the relationship (unless you're one of the execs ). Are there really any Virgin techs driving around in company vans working on cell towers? That's what I mean about who runs the infrastructure.

The fact is there are two different issues here: what is the stated policy vs. what are they actually doing to enforce it.

If it was ATT I'd be more worried because they saturated their network with iPhones. Sprint hasn't had performance issues thus far and now that they're offloading much of it to 4G it leaves us with plenty of 3G headroom.

Be that as it may your point about consequences is perfectly valid. This is a use-at-your-own-risk scenario for sure.

 

[LeslieAnn]

Are there really any Virgin techs driving around in company vans working on cell towers? That's what I mean about who runs the infrastructure.

Pretty sure Virgin has always piggybacked Sprints network, so no, there are no VM techs running around. Which is one reason they are cheap, you give up the guy behind the counter and working on towers.

 

[shawnf1986]

"On the other hand, given that Virgin didn't remove the feature (Sprint actually removes the feature and doesn't just "hide" it), it would seem they aren't worried"

Actually the feature is not removed it is hidden... It was found in the hidden settings with no app needed.. U would know this if u read josh's post about launchpro plus



Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

 

[joshua.worth]

This works even with the free version of Launcher Pro. But Shawn I think whoever your responding to was referring to the Optimus S

 

[mase123987]

Hotspot works get! As long as you don't play games or do heavy duty torrent downloading, this works just fine as your main internet source!

 

[mase123987]

Just noticed that when using hotspot, my phone has only charge like 1% in the last 45 minutes. Is everyone else experiencing about the same? BTW, I am charging it through the wall outlet.

 

[agianne]

I think you're overstating the relationship (unless you're one of the execs ).

No, I'm just a customer. I don't understand the "overstating the relationship" part of your comment. Virgin Mobile USA, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sprint Nextel Corporation. You can't over or understate something like that. It's just a fact. (It can be verified by accessing Sprint Nextel Corporation's 10-K SEC filing). Virgin Mobile is not an independent unit that operates with no oversight - it is subject to the directives of Sprint Nextel Corporation senior management.

So why would they care if you suck up the bandwidth? They don't have to pay to add new infrastructure.

Since Sprint Nextl owns 100% of Virgin Mobile USA, Inc., any problems, congestion, abuse, etc. caused by VM customers ultimately have to be addressed by Sprint Nextel. That could mean policy changes, enforcing some clause in the Terms and Conditions or spending $$$ on the network. VM's problems are Sprint Nextel's problems.

Under the old arrangement when VM USA was just an MVNO and not 100% owned by Sprint Nextel, it's true that VM didn't have to make infrastructure investments, however, VM would have been paying to Sprint Nextel by the MB for your data usage, so VM would have had an incentive to drop the boom on you anyway. Sprint Nextel has 100% visibility of VM's customers and their network usage at the individually identifiable level. Being a VM customer won't "hide" you anymore.

Are there really any Virgin techs driving around in company vans working on cell towers? That's what I mean about who runs the infrastructure.

Since you asked... Sprint Nextel outsourced the installation and maintenance of its network to Ericsson, so the I/M of the physical layer is done by contractors (Ericsson employees). If that deal is structured like most, the Sprint employees who were doing the impacted functions were transferred in place over to Ericsson and are now doing the exact same work as before but are now Ericsson employees. (I have no insider knowledge about that particular deal, but that scenario is pretty typical.) I don't know what assets (such as vans), if any, were transferred to Ericsson. Because of liability issues with motor vehicles, the vans were probably transferred to/bought by Ericsson, otherwise Sprint Nextel could be sued by anyone who is hit by a Sprint owned van, even if it was driven by an Ericsson employee. Deals like this are complex and literally as thick as a phone book, so anything is possible.

All that stuff aside, if VM customer use of "unauthorized" tethering causes network problems, Sprint Nextel is going to know. Sprint Nextel would be very reluctant to spend money to fix a problem being caused by an "unauthorized" use that does not bring in any incremental revenue. The cheapest solution would be to identify individuals responsible and take punitive action. Punitive action could mean to specifically ban the practice and/or to disconnect accounts. If enough customers are doing it to justify the cost of creating a product ("Add tethering for an additional $10 per month!"), then they would probably do that. Corporate politics can get in the way, though, when executives say things like "If they have sophisticated needs like that (tethering), we need to ban the practice on VM, and transition those customers over to "traditional" post paid accounts on the Sprint brand. We'll offer them a free phone so they don't freak out as much. Blah, blah corporate speak, etc." I can only guess.

As others have said, use at your own risk. Tethering falls into a gray area of acceptable use as defined by the T&C's, so I just want us all to go into it understanding some facts and some possible consequences so that we can each make an informed decision.

 

[drmorse]

No Hotspot available

Anyone if you can help. I jut purchased a new LG Optimus and downloaded and installed Quick Settings. Opened the app and there was no option to enable the hotspot. Just wondering if the phone I purchased from Target has some new software feature that won't allow a hotspot to be activated? One other thing I have a question about does the app not show a hotspot activation if you are not in a 3G area.

Thanks,