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

[Jet300]

OK .. Somehow, I am using the built in WiFi together feature on my VZW GN with NO subscription ...

Here's what happened.... Today I was playing around setting up my widgets and such and decided to nose around the new version of Switch Pro Widget since I haven't touched it in AGES .. Anyways, I notice that there is a WiFi hotspot toggle now so I added it to my widget. When is selected the toggle I thought it would activate the WiFi tether app (rooted) I have installed. Low and behold when I hit the button it takes me to the hot spot page in Settings under "Wireless & Networks" ---> "Tethering & Portable Hotspot". The "Portable WIFi Hotspot" box checks automatically and the built in tether app starts. Very strange I thought.

So I turned the button off in the Switch Pro Widget and tried to initiate the hot spot manually through the same menu in Settings ... When I do this the phone says its "Checking Subscription Status" and then pops up a menu asking me to subscribe for $30 per month... I obviously cancelled. I tried it manually three times and each time got the menu ..

I have since initiated the hot spot a dozen times on and off through Switch Pro and get no such subscription check or message from VZW. Very weird... I never did connect a device.

I got home and have tried this hotspot with my iPad and it works perfectly. No warnings or anything. Several speed tests show normal 3G speeds with the 1 bar connection I normally get at my house.

Did I inadvertently stumble upon something here? Very curious to know. Thanks.

I'm sending this from my iPad tethered to my GN right now. Gonna stop and go back to normal WiFi. Don't want to get in trouble with Big Red. . Have WiFi at home .. No need to tether.

 

[gcims]

Did you check your vzw on line account to see if your activation of the Wifi hot spot registered in their system or billed you? also are your rooted? i will be checking back here...

 

[Terrigno]

Heh, thats weird. Im staying non rooted at the moment so Ill be waiting back to hear from you also.

 

[MegaSoundwave76]

This happened to me on my Thunderbolt and it looks like it stuck with me on the GNex. I get free WiFi tether on my line. But then again I'm on a corporate discount, so they might have let me have it for free because of that.

 

[Jet300]

Did you check your vzw on line account to see if your activation of the Wifi hot spot registered in their system or billed you? also are your rooted? i will be checking back here...

Checked my plan this morning and verified no hotspot features have been added to either mine or the wife's account. Still working as of this morning.

Yes, my Nexus is rooted. Maybe someone without root can try this on their phone. All you need is the Switch Pro Widget....

 

[brfd1512]

Tried it this morining and it worked for me too 20meg down 5 up 4g lte nothing on my bill (yet) not rooted

 

[Jet300]

Tried it this morining and it worked for me too 20meg down 5 up 4g lte nothing on my bill (yet) not rooted

All right! ... Good to hear!

 

[Mooem]

I'm on only on 3G at the moment (not that it matters I think), but I was able to enable hotspot using the switchpro widget. If I try directly from the settings screen it will then check for my subscription status and then deny me. Also I'm not rooted.

Nothing changed on my account yet.

Haha, nice find! Better take advantage for a while before this is plugged up.

 

[Nechasin]

You can do the same thing with Extended Controls Widget.

 

[funkyreuben]

I tried installing a free hotspot widget (Hotspot Widget) and it didn't seem to work. Nothing happened when I hit the widget to turn it on.

 

[TabGuy]

I used to use this with my Droid Incredible for the same purpose. Glad to see it's still working.

 

[zulu308]

is this the correct one?

https://market.android.com/details?...lt#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImFsZWkuc3dpdGNocHJvIl0.

I don't feel like paying .99 for the wrong widget

 

[Mooem]

is this the correct one?

https://market.android.com/details?...lt#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImFsZWkuc3dpdGNocHJvIl0.

I don't feel like paying .99 for the wrong widget

That would be the one.

 

[AuxiliaryPie]

could also use the new 1 click root/unlock method and Wifi Tether For Root Users and not worry about VZW charging you

 

[Jet300]

is this the correct one?

https://market.android.com/details?...lt#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImFsZWkuc3dpdGNocHJvIl0.

I don't feel like paying .99 for the wrong widget

That be it

 

[dmchenry35]

Checked my plan this morning and verified no hotspot features have been added to either mine or the wife's account. Still working as of this morning.

Yes, my Nexus is rooted. Maybe someone without root can try this on their phone. All you need is the Switch Pro Widget....

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? http://code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/downloads/list

 

[erikcave]

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

Because wifi teather only does Ad-Hoc mode.

 

[Jaycemiskel]

Because wifi teather only does Ad-Hoc mode.

I have wifi tether and it does infrastructure mode also. So that's not true.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[ericinaz]

Wow.. It works. Crazy. Thanks for the heads up on this. I guess Verizon will push the next update sooner than later just to close this loop hole. LOL

 

[Jet300]

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

I just did that .. Still works perfectly ......

If you read my OP, I was just messing around with Switch Pro Widget and found this. I figured I would share with everyone a work around I think I found; especially for those users who didn't or don't want to root No new app required!

EDIT: FWIW, just tethered a co-workers AT&T iPhone 4 and got 14.9 down and 3.46 up on 4G here at work. He was pretty impressed with the speeds