Using my Incredible as a wireless modem

[bclasen]

Hi,

One of the reasons I was able to convince my office to get me an Incredible was that if I did so, I could drop my $60/month Verizon charge for my wireless device. I'm on the road a fair amount and need a laptop for software demos, etc.

I've been successful tethering my Droid to my laptop with a USB cable and using it as a modem - so far so good. However there are times (like most of the time) I'd rather not have to tether the unit. So I purchased an Iogear Bluetooth Micro Adapter (IOGEAR GBU421 Bluetooth 2.1 USB Micro Adapter - GBU421 - Buy.com) - what a cool little device. I've installed it and paired it with my Incredible, however on my Droid (under Bluetooth settings), I see my laptop but it says it is Paired but not connected. On my laptop's Bluetooth settings, the Droid shows up. I made the device passkey enabled and that works, as soon as I do so, the Droid comes up and asks me for my passkey so I know they are communicating. However I cannot connect this way. I have the latest VZAccess drivers for the Droid (or else I probably wouldn't be able to connect w/ my USB).

Any clues anyone?

Thanks!
B

 

[Qazme]

Not sure about the BlueTooth specific issues, but it may simply not work with your combination of devices and software. BlueTooth at the best of times for me has always been finicky.

I know this is more cost, but have you tried a different Bluetooth adapter?

 

[snookiesnoo]

It doesn't work with Bluetooth only a cable.

 

[dr.duct_mossburg]

Just to give everyone a little tip from a Verizon internal standpoint.

We are starting to monitor reports a lot more closely and any device that is not authorized to tether, and tether's will be subject to contract termination.

What this means is, if you get a droid incredible on a ne2 and pay $100 for it online after rebate, and ne2, and get caught doing this 3 months later. You get hit with a cancellation fee ($350, the per/kb charge, and the phone discount charge, $460 or so.) Your easily looking at a $1000 bill, and a dead device.

Obviously you will most likely get a warning or two, but I just think some people don't understand this and I just wanted to let my fellow droidcentral homies know. If you are doing day to day here and there website stuff then your fine.. Streaming, downloading, etc... Not so much.

 

[a4aaron]

Just to give everyone a little tip from a Verizon internal standpoint.

We are starting to monitor reports a lot more closely and any device that is not authorized to tether, and tether's will be subject to contract termination.

What this means is, if you get a droid incredible on a ne2 and pay $100 for it online after rebate, and ne2, and get caught doing this 3 months later. You get hit with a cancellation fee ($350, the per/kb charge, and the phone discount charge, $460 or so.) Your easily looking at a $1000 bill, and a dead device.

]

Im not following what you are trying to explain. Please tell more.

 

[bclasen]

It doesn't work with Bluetooth only a cable.

Thanks for the feedback Snookie. That's too bad, I really like that little bluetooth device. Not so sure what I'll do with it now - maybe bluetooth headphones.

 

[markhunsaker]

Im not following what you are trying to explain. Please tell more.

What he is saying is that Verizon, as a company, has taken a greater interest in monitoring people's internet usage. They will be looking to flag accounts that have a sudden spike in usage. The spike would only have come from unauthorized tethering. When a person hits a certain amount of usage, it couldn't possibly be coming from the actual handheld anymore, they will flag your account. They will warn and/or terminate your account plus charge you overage as it is their right. Unauthorized tethering is a huge no no and is outlined in detail in the TOS (terms of service).

This is/was a huge discussion on CrackBerry for tethering. There is no "way" Verizon can see if the data usage is coming from your laptop via tethering or your handheld, but they can tell by the actual amount of usage.

Proceed with caution!

 

[twinturbostang]

Anyone have a link to the TOS for the Incredible? I'd like to read this in more detail. Yeah, I know.. I skipped through it when activating my phone... just like everybody else.

 

[dr.duct_mossburg]

What he is saying is that Verizon, as a company, has taken a greater interest in monitoring people's internet usage. They will be looking to flag accounts that have a sudden spike in usage. The spike would only have come from unauthorized tethering. When a person hits a certain amount of usage, it couldn't possibly be coming from the actual handheld anymore, they will flag your account. They will warn and/or terminate your account plus charge you overage as it is their right. Unauthorized tethering is a huge no no and is outlined in detail in the TOS (terms of service).

This is/was a huge discussion on CrackBerry for tethering. There is no "way" Verizon can see if the data usage is coming from your laptop via tethering or your handheld, but they can tell by the actual amount of usage.

Proceed with caution!

Verizon can. It is my understanding that the reports can show the processing speed. Latency from a netbook, laptop, desktop, is greater than that of a handset.

 

[dr.duct_mossburg]

Anyone have a link to the TOS for the Incredible? I'd like to read this in more detail. Yeah, I know.. I skipped through it when activating my phone... just like everybody else.

Terms & Conditions

 

[Qazme]

Yeah basically it says you are only allowed to use the internet connection with the device it's activated on. If you want to tether it to a secondary device to share the connection you pay a total of $60 for your data so if you are on BIS on BB or simply a data plan on Android you end up paying $30 a month extra to tether if you pay for BES (exchange plan here) then you pay $15 extra month. Then you only have to worry about not going over that 5GB limit while tethered and you have to use the VZW Access Manager app to connect them etc etc.

You should really read your contracts. What dr.duct_mossburg is trying to tell you is if you tether against your TOS and get caught, they will charge you the rest of the retail price, your early termination fee, and full per/mb(he said kb but my contract reads different this is why you read the contract....) charges for any tethered data you have used.

So for instance you paid $99 with a NE2 and got the instant $100 mail in rebate, and you tethered for 18GB of data this month and they catch you.......

$529 - 99 = $430
Then early termination fee: $430 + $350 = $780

And now since you have been streaming music and youtube, maybe downloading a few games etc 18GB (1000MB per GB) .05 per/mb is 18000 x .05 = $900

Final bill comes in to cancel out the contract because you tethered and got caught = $900 cause your an idiot, and $780 because you didn't read your contract which comes up to $1680, not to mention paying for the partial month of service you've used.

Longer story short, you don't use your head a **** around with tethering and get caught you aren't going to be happy when they come a knocking.

 

[twinturbostang]

Customers who do not have dedicated Mobile Broadband devices cannot tether other devices to laptops or personal computers for use as wireless modems unless they subscribe to Mobile Broadband Connect.

Damn. So why do Palm users get this for free, and we're stuck paying an ADDITIONAL $30/mo. I mean, this is my first smartphone so I'm already paying an extra $30 just for that. How much farther can they shove the tent pole up our a**?!?!

 

[Qazme]

Verizon can. It is my understanding that the reports can show the processing speed. Latency from a netbook, laptop, desktop, is greater than that of a handset.

That isn't true. You can not pick up the processing speed of an internet packet. Request timing will still be the same, regardless of what is on the other end of the phone everything still goes through the phone. Verizon's network only will show the latency of the handset and all packets coming from a device into the handset get handled by the "modem". That would be like saying my ISP can tell if I'm using a Fast desktop versus a netbook with my home connection.

On a network the fastest hardware can only send, receive, calculate, and resend as fast as the slowest link, IE the phone you are tethered too, overhead on the network or distance to destination, is what causes latency from the destination not "processing" time. Each time your packet goes through a router the packet gets stripped of the addressing data block, directed to where it needs to go with new addressing data and sent forward, this happens almost instantly. Networking 101.

In your description if the network was computer --> phone --> verizon network --> server they could only measure the time from the phone to their network. Or from their network to the server. Giving them a latency time across from their network to your phone, or their network to the server. If it takes a packet 20ms to make this trip from your computer to the server it will not make a difference if you have a $4000 desktop ,$100 netbook, or surfing from the phone it will still take 20ms for the packets to reach the destination.

The only way latency can be faster, without going into a long textbook explanation, is to remove congestion points, IE switches/routers, from within their own network, not by putting in faster (processor wise) devices on the end user side.

Oh btw there is no latency between the handset and the computer hooked to it, it's a direct link meaning less than 1ms. Typical Verizon.

 

[Mark_Venture]

Terms & Conditions

That is the T&C's for the Broadband Access Plan, not the Incredible's. The BBA plan is an ADD ON.

winturbostang specifically asked about the Incredible's T&C's.


bclasen, Are you looking to tether via bluetooth while subscribed to VZW's BBA plan? or are you looking to tether without paying VZW additional monthly fees?

VZW usually only supports using their VZ Access manager via USB cable. They generally wont support VZAM via bluetooth.

 

[bclasen]

That is the T&C's for the Broadband Access Plan, not the Incredible's. The BBA plan is an ADD ON.

winturbostang specifically asked about the Incredible's T&C's.


bclasen, Are you looking to tether via bluetooth while subscribed to VZW's BBA plan? or are you looking to tether without paying VZW additional monthly fees?

VZW usually only supports using their VZ Access manager via USB cable. They generally wont support VZAM via bluetooth.

No, I have no problem paying for VZW's BB plan, it is a valuable service for me. I use VZAccess (I have for several years now) - I just would like to be able to use it w/ Bluetooth. Tethering is OK, but Bluetooth would be ideal.

 

[Qazme]

Tethering is a generic term for connecting data services between devices. Rather it's through USB or bluetooth.

Have you tried contacting Verizon Support? Also right now my bluetooth is acting extremely weird and there have been a few issues reported with this phone of headsets, radios, and computers not wanting to connect properly. Long story short I believe your bluetooth tethering will work sooner or later, it's just not going to work right now.

One other thing to keep in mind, using the cable should produce lower power usage while tethered and keep the phone charged at the expense of your laptop power. Which I don't believe should be an issue. Keep us informed on what you find out, I would like to know.

 

[markhunsaker]

For the terms of service, just go to your Verizon page and go to documents. It just states that you are not allowed to tether with a broadband plan.