WiFi Tether on VZW GN - What Did I Just Stumble Upon?

[LabRat]

come to think of it, will Verizon Wireless bother to close this loophole
if it only works on the Galaxy Nexus? There aren't that many Galaxy
Nexus smartphones out there... I can see them shutting this down
immediately if this loophole was discovered on the iPhone 4 or 4S.

My unrooted Galaxy Nexus works fine.... just tried the same trick on
my co-worker's Moto RAZR and a couple of HTC phones...
doesn't work on them... not really sure why. Perhaps VZW bloatware
on those phones can prevent it?

Try it again on the other phones after they get their ICS update.

 

[Davest]

Did you say you have a wifi tether app (for rooted) users installed already?

Uninstall it, reboot phone, and then try flipping that switch and see what happens.

And why would any rooted user pay for tethering? Downloads - android-wifi-tether - Wireless Tether for Root Users - Google Project Hosting

Because I worry that VZN has a way of tracking / detecting such things, and I wouldn't want to risk losing my unlimited plan. Do you have any info on whether they can detect streaming? I used wifi tether on my OG droid, but I've been reluctant to do so on my GNex.

 

[ekinnyc]

nice!! works using free widget
though, i think 4g is down again, maybe just in NYC area? my and a coworkers GNex are getting nada with 4g turned on.

as for closing the loophole... i dont think big red can read the state of tethering on the phone. if a widget circumvents the subscription check, i dont see how vz can track that you are tethering... maybe if there is excessive data usage?

 

[Danv1369]

Sweet just tried this out on my finace's ipad and was surprised how fast the web pages loaded. Sorry no speed test but it was fast. Now I will bring my IconiaTab with me everywhere I go

 

[DolfanCole]

nice!! works using free widget
though, i think 4g is down again, maybe just in NYC area? my and a coworkers GNex are getting nada with 4g turned on.

as for closing the loophole... i dont think big red can read the state of tethering on the phone. if a widget circumvents the subscription check, i dont see how vz can track that you are tethering... maybe if there is excessive data usage?

I think there may be some identifiable information that is sent when doing the handshake for the connection, as well as the traffic flow. VZW may be able to filter through it and detect it. But, it seems like quite a bit to go through to detect it.

Also, my suspicion on why the widget works is that it's simply setting a flag on/off via an operating system interface, in effect doing what the user interface would do. But, the restriction by Verizon may only be with the user interface, and not through direct access from another software. And that's why a piece of software can set it and not the user. This has nothing to do with the ability to track tethering as they're really separate issues, particularly if what is actually happening behind the scenes is as I describe.

 

[gecko]

if Verizon Wireless only charges $10 extra per month for hotspot feature, I'm sure a lot of people
will sign up.... instead, they want $30/month and I don't know anybody who has this feature actiavated
on their phone.

perhaps we should stop discussing/replying to this thread... or else Verizon will find out soon..

not an option.
Anone who made it in under the unlimited plan is literally locked into what they have.
I checked when I bought the phone. Adding hotspot to your phone changes your plan and therefore forces you to LOOSE your unlimited plan.

When I pointed out that htis was a $h!tty policy to enforce just to trick people out of their unlimited plan the employee just said "google pdanet you will be fine... but you didn't hear it from me"

Frankly this is in my opinion why they cant just "add on" tethering to your plan if they catch you... it would be changing your plan which would reguire your permission.

they can warn you and or throttle you. but not change your plan. (i think)

 

[rickjs]

Haven't purchased the Nexus yet....using an unrooted Incredible. The portable wifi hotspot takes me to an active hotspot without the Verizon subscription notification, BUT when I open the browser on my connected tablet, it takes me to a Verizon page and not to my normal homepage. I haven't seen anyone else mention this. Doesn't that indicate that Verizon would in some fashion have notice of using the mobile hotspot?

 

[nalpakj]

They might be able to determine the state. I know on my Incredible there was different authentication (found in 'hidden' service menus). The default authentication id for normal data access was <phonenumber>@vzw.blahblah.com but the default authentication id for wireless tether was <phonenumber>@dun.vzw.blahblah.com. You could get free tethering on the dinc simply by changing the tether id to the id without the 'dun.'. But I suspect there is a similar configuration somewhere within the nexus and as long as they have that...they could easily check if you have paid for the service.

 

[RyMac04]

Just confirmed the free app Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot Widget works on an UNROOTED Nexus. I had my friend connect his iPhone 4 to my phone and load espn.

My questions: -

Can I change the default password?

If Verizon WERE to catch this, do they have the right to charge us for using a free official app from the Android market on an unrooted phone? I wouldn't think so. A slap on the wrist, maybe.

 

[Mrpeeng]

Yes you can change the password, I just installed and tried it out with a coworker. Works well.

 

[waldo15]

My questions: -

Can I change the default password?

Yes you can. Once you have it enabled, pull the notification bar and click on the Tethered icon. It will take you to the WiFi Hotspot settings and there is an option there to change the name of the network and password.

If Verizon WERE to catch this, do they have the right to charge us for using a free official app from the Android market on an unrooted phone? I wouldn't think so. A slap on the wrist, maybe.

Normally, other carriers have the following stance: if they realize you are tethering your phone, they will send you a "gentle" notification that they know you are doing this, and if you continue to do so they will automatically "upgrade" or "add" you to the convenient $30 a month for the Hotspot feature within a certain timeframe (14-30 days). They cannot change your contract without you explicitly telling them to do so or without them giving you a heads up that things may change.

 

[Touchpaddle]

not an option.
Anone who made it in under the unlimited plan is literally locked into what they have.
I checked when I bought the phone. Adding hotspot to your phone changes your plan and therefore forces you to LOOSE your unlimited plan.

When I pointed out that htis was a $h!tty policy to enforce just to trick people out of their unlimited plan the employee just said "google pdanet you will be fine... but you didn't hear it from me"

Frankly this is in my opinion why they cant just "add on" tethering to your plan if they catch you... it would be changing your plan which would reguire your permission.

they can warn you and or throttle you. but not change your plan. (i think)

???

That can't be right. I have grandfathered unlimited data. I have activated hotspot twice
when I went on a long trip. I deactivated hotspot after I no longer needed it. VZW only
charged for that month of hotspot usage. (once in August and once in October)

My unlimited plan remains unaffected. Checked it again just now... still says unlimited.
(although I have no even come close to using more than 1GB per month in the last
two years )

 

[Touchpaddle]

Yes you can. Once you have it enabled, pull the notification bar and click on the Tethered icon. It will take you to the WiFi Hotspot settings and there is an option there to change the name of the network and password.

I also changed the default name from AndroidAP to something more generic.
No sense in alerting the neighbors that someone is using smartphone hotspot.

I was playing with again today and I was able to connect to my GN from as far as
15 feet away... is this normal? I thought smartphone hotspot wifi requires the
phone and laptop(or iPad) to be right next to each other?

 

[RyMac04]

???

That can't be right. I have grandfathered unlimited data. I have activated hotspot twice
when I went on a long trip. I deactivated hotspot after I no longer needed it. VZW only
charged for that month of hotspot usage. (once in August and once in October)

My unlimited plan remains unaffected. Checked it again just now... still says unlimited.
(although I have no even come close to using more than 1GB per month in the last
two years )

So you are confirming that you officially activated WiFi Hotspot with Verizon, and were able to later de-activate it without losing your unlimited plan, or incurring charges after discontinued use?

Great!

 

[Davest]

not an option.
Anone who made it in under the unlimited plan is literally locked into what they have.
I checked when I bought the phone. Adding hotspot to your phone changes your plan and therefore forces you to LOOSE your unlimited plan.

This is incorrect. When I had a Bionic, I added the tethering option to my plan, as I live in an area where satellite internet is my only other option and my unlimited 4G plan is now my main internet connection at home. Now that I have the GNex, unlocked and rooted, I'll probably cancel the option and tether for free, once I can verify somehow that doing so won't cost me my unlimited plan.

 

[Revolutionary]

I was playing with again today and I was able to connect to my GN from as far as
15 feet away... is this normal? I thought smartphone hotspot wifi requires the
phone and laptop(or iPad) to be right next to each other?

It's wifi -- so it will work as far as wifi works (which is theoretically 300 feet, if you're in an open field with no wind, etc).

 

[zswap]

I wonder if the "official" 4.0.3 will close this loop. Any thoughts?

 

[ScooberJake]

It's wifi -- so it will work as far as wifi works (which is theoretically 300 feet, if you're in an open field with no wind, etc).

Right, but wifi distance depends on source strength (among other things). A phone doesn't have the same antenna or power source of a typical wireless router, so you won't get anywhere near 300 ft. 15 ft is pretty impressive, but seems possible.

 

[Jet300]

Haven't purchased the Nexus yet....using an unrooted Incredible. The portable wifi hotspot takes me to an active hotspot without the Verizon subscription notification, BUT when I open the browser on my connected tablet, it takes me to a Verizon page and not to my normal homepage. I haven't seen anyone else mention this. Doesn't that indicate that Verizon would in some fashion have notice of using the mobile hotspot?

It hasn't done that for me. When I made the original post I posted it from my iPad tethered to the GN on 3G. Received no such warning messages or redirects. Nothing of note when I tether my co-workers iPhone. Everything works like a charm with either the Switch Pro Widget or the Portable WiFi Hotspot Widget. I'm sure the other widgets that are posted here as working are fine too.

All of us are on GN's using 4.0.x, you said you are on an Incredible, I assume on 2.3 .. Maybe that makes the difference?

Maybe someone else here with a DInc could test this out??

 

[Touchpaddle]

So you are confirming that you officially activated WiFi Hotspot with Verizon, and were able to later de-activate it without losing your unlimited plan, or incurring charges after discontinued use?

Great!

I do NOT work for VZW. I'm just a VZW customer like you guys.
IIRC, I became a VZW customer around 2004.

Here is what I can confirm, as a VZW customer:

(1) I have the grandfathered unlimited data plan, originally signed back in early 2010
(2) in Aug ust 2011, I called VZW and asked to turn hotspot feature on
(3) at the end of the August billing cycle, I called again and asked to turn hotspot off
(4) I was billed $30 hotspot fee for that month
(5) did this again in October and was also charged the one month fee of $30
(6) as of today, 1/5/2012, my VZW is still clearly showing that I have the unlimited data plan

Of course, I do not know if VZW has changed anything between October and today.
If they did, I'd love to hear about it.