Verizon catching on to tethering apps?

[Jux]

Heads up to fellow TB users ... anyone noticing anything like this yet?


Verizon Stops Illegal Tethering, Follows AT&T - Mobiledia - The Mobile Future - Forbes

Verizon today began blocking customers from tethering their data through jailbroken apps, following in AT&T?s footsteps as the company fights to stay on top of the U.S. wireless market.

The Basking Ridge, N.J.-based carrier now requires users have a hotspot-capable data plan if they want to tether data from their smartphones to other devices. Users who try to tether through jailbreak apps like MyWi will be redirected to a Verizon webpage where they can upgrade to a capable plan for an additional $20 a month.

 

[NotJustAPhone]

It was just a matter of time. If you have unlimited data, you can add unlimited hotspot for 30 bucks a month.

Sent using Tapatalk

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

I just tested it... Still working on mine, tethered my galaxy tab to it.

Kinda stinks for me if this is the case. I rarely used the tether and definitely don't abuse it, but simply don't have enough of a need to justify paying $30/month. I'm definitely not the type of person they're trying to stop, but I do like having a wifi tether available, even if I rarely need to actually use it...

 

[sound48]

From what I had read in an older post, if you only plan to use unlimited hotspot for a small amount of time and then cancel for the rest of the month, they won't charge the full rate. They just charge you for the time you would use. You may want to look into it further.

 

[wildman]

Seen this coming and I cant wait to see the outcome to all that has bragged about how much data they go through using apps like this and used the Unlimited Data excuses as a defense.... First the removed Unlimited Data plans and went to tears and then this.... Do you still think Verizon isn't noticing?

Other are paying for users not seeing the light.


I have signed for the unlimited Hotspot app so I am good but something tells me this option wont be offered to heavy users of the illegal method..

 

[keving75]

If a rooted phone has WirelessTether or Barnacle installed, how would VZW know if they are tethering?

 

[TauntingBull]

If a rooted phone has WirelessTether or Barnacle installed, how would VZW know if they are tethering?

I think the towers can determine the type of connection based on # of simultaneous hits coming from the device. I believe a PC sends a lot more hits in the same amount of time as compared to a Phone. I had read this somewhere but cant find the link right now.

But I completely agree with wildman. A few people will ruin it for all of us. Why cant people just do stuff with out abusing the network? On one of these forums a guy was claiming to have consumed 27 GB by the middle of his billing cycle.... 27 GB?!!?!?!?!

and if you are going to use 27 GB, then get a tethering plan for heavens sake. Pay the provider.... its only fair.

 

[bplewis24]

I'm typing this from my laptop which is currently tethered to my D1 with WirelessTether. So there must be more to the story.

Brandon

 

[wildman]

I am hoping more developers will start leaving the stock hotspot app on the devices for the users that choose to pay and use it without bypassing network security.... I have only seen 2 or 3 roms that doesn't remove this app and the bad part is that due to changes to rom the stock app just cant be just reinstalled to use it...

I love and appreciate the amount of work that the developers has done for the forum but in the pass they allowed you the option to restore stock apps if needed and they would still work, now this isnt a normal practice any more..

I'm typing this from my laptop which is currently tethered to my D1 with WirelessTether. So there must be more to the story.

Brandon

This is probably just another rumor but with the level of changes Verizon had been doing lately including blocking tethering apps from being shown on the Market... This situation will be fact sooner than later, other carriers has already implement methods to stop and charge customers for doing this, just dont get upset when you get a surprise bill..

Thank that with grain of salt, but this is something to think about.

 

[Christopherg]

Well, I like Verizon's idea of a page to show they caught you. No wondering and waiting for a notice. I'm sure that when it happens, if it happens, that some developers will accept verizons gauntlet that has been thrown down and will offer us an alternative.

 

[dms76]

VERIZON cracks down on tethering

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/08/09/0048216/Verizon-Cracks-Down-On-Jailbreak-Tethering

According to slashdot verizon will start cracking down on jailbreak tethering. I thought jailbreak was a term used for iphones so will this apply to all users?

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[Jux]

I have signed for the unlimited Hotspot app so I am good but something tells me this option wont be offered to heavy users of the illegal method..

Money is money, they'll gladly take the monthly fee from anyone willing to pay it.

 

[Ed Witles]

noted on the slashdot link:

Verizon has poisoned EVERY phone with Gingerbread - they have modified the OS so that activating any hotspot app, even if the phone is rooted, to trigger the NAI change and show the phrase "Tethering or Hotspot Active." The only SAFE way to tether on a Verizon phone is to run Froyo, then use free-wifi-tether's 3.x version. Alternatively, install CyanogenMod and then you can tether.

 

[lockandloadlabs]

I only tether my android tabletn using wifi tether. How would they know?

 

[nate44]

These are just scare tactics IMHO. If you're not abusing the privilege for wireless tether, than I don't think you'll have much to worry about. Like others have said, I'm not paying $30 more per month for something I don't use that often.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

I only tether my android tabletn using wifi tether. How would they know?

I wondered the same thing, since that's what I mainly would use tethering for. If the following is true, than it wouldn't really matter though...

noted on the slashdot link:

Verizon has poisoned EVERY phone with Gingerbread - they have modified the OS so that activating any hotspot app, even if the phone is rooted, to trigger the NAI change and show the phrase "Tethering or Hotspot Active." The only SAFE way to tether on a Verizon phone is to run Froyo, then use free-wifi-tether's 3.x version. Alternatively, install CyanogenMod and then you can tether.

I'm guessing just turning on the tether would tag all data sent from the phone, so it wouldn't really matter what type of device you're using (even the phone itself), they could potentially know that you have a tether connection turned on.

Verizon Cracks Down On Jailbreak Tethering - Slashdot

According to slashdot verizon will start cracking down on jailbreak tethering. I thought jailbreak was a term used for iphones so will this apply to all users?

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

Funny, I was gonna say the same thing. If we're talking about Android phones, they should really use the term "Root Apps" vs. "Jailbreak Apps".

In this case, I'm pretty sure this is a case of the author using the term "jailbreak" indiscriminately, rather than suggesting it applies to iPhones and not Androids...at least that's how I read it.

 

[wildman]

If you have noticed, a number of user and developers have classified rooting and jailbreak in the same group, I understand the term is incorrect but people keep placing iPhone and Android in same group..

I only tether my android tabletn using wifi tether. How would they know?

Depending on the network connection method used by mobile device but it is possible to identify that a tether option is being used because the device is allowing access to other devices to the web similar to a home network router which means that multiple IP address has to be generated through one gateway.

Plus I am pretty sure that since the tethering feature creates a static type address to allow the device to handle larger data packets compared to a standard connection to allow multiple devices to have a less restricted bandwidth transmissions this can be identified by network.

Computers can be programed to monitor traffic to the smallest kb and you don't think they can track traffic to the same connection when each device has to be identified to the network. Try hooking up 2 computers to a router and have service provider check the number of IP connections and see if they can identify the exact number of pc connected to the network at that time.. And you would be surprised.

Just because Verizon hasn't attacked the customers directly like other carriers does not mean they don't know.

 

[Christopherg]

news to me, would like to know more. i use garden tether

noted on the slashdot link:

Verizon has poisoned EVERY phone with Gingerbread - they have modified the OS so that activating any hotspot app, even if the phone is rooted, to trigger the NAI change and show the phrase "Tethering or Hotspot Active." The only SAFE way to tether on a Verizon phone is to run Froyo, then use free-wifi-tether's 3.x version. Alternatively, install CyanogenMod and then you can tether.

 

[Mortiel]

So, um, not to question the validity of the person who wrote that news article, but Verizon's stance on "illegal" tethering (its not really illegal since its not against the law, just Verizon's ToS) has been the same for a while. Hell, the Thunderbolt had a fun hidden background app called "Tethering Guard" since it launched! It was made visible after MR1, but you still cannot access it.

Not to mention, Verizon's stance also has not changed on how they react to it... as AT&T will automatically sign you up for a tethering package, Verizon just asks you to sign up.

I think whomever wrote this was trying to use a busted-ass tethering app and it was not working. I have tested multiple tethering apps without a tethering plan recently with no issues, but I finally just added the $30 MHS feature since its unlimited and more convenient.

 

[Grimsin]

Okay so... as one of the 5% of verizon customers who use their phone as their primary internet connection and does things such as work online with it and plays mmo's with it... I had a droid 1 for a long time and ran buggless beast with the wifi tethering ability the entire time. When i upgraded to the TB i flat out told them i would not do so unless they could grandfather in my unlimited data plan and i still got free wifi tethering. I also told them flat out i would be rooting and using a free wifi tether app, they encouraged me to do so. My free wifi tether apps work fine, also i noticed right away the direct tether ability built into the TB does not work. PDANet how ever does and even has the ability to hide your data usage. Its also back on the android market for download straight from the phone as apposed to the temporary computer install version that was being used when PDANet was banned from the market. Verizon told me that only 5% of its customers use anywhere close to 2gigs of data a month and that they are not concerned with that 5% of "super" users who have unlimited plans and use free wifi tethering. So i find it highly unlikely that they will do anything major to stop any of it. Of course they will take a few steps to prevent the average joe from figuring it out and of course they will do what they can to suck every penny out of the average joe. In other words its not worth their money to try to stop those who would use it because they are few and far between. Oh i should mention i use over 2gigs of data transfer PER DAY! and they have never said a word to me about it.