A different thread (Here) degraded into an angry, but compelling discussion of tethering ethics.
Since the other thread was so lively, but off of original topic, I figured this would be a better, less phone specific, location.
This guy burned through 105G of data in a billing cycle.
Wow.
Twiddler said:
This guy burned through 105G of data in a billing cycle.
Wow.
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I don't care if people tether provided they keep it at a reasonable rate. I think the T-Mo 5 GB limit is plenty for tethering and I don't care if they throttle past that point. 105GB is completely and utterly retarded and I wouldn't hesitate to say that he was probably downloading illegal files while tethering.
You're using AT&T and you're concerned about ethics LOL. They're screwing you every chance they get. If you get the chance to return the favor, be my guest.
The only crisis of conscience I might have is degrading the user experience of someone else on that same antenna.
The 'I don't give an F' users eventually bring the issue to a head; they push the limits and draw the attention of the carriers.
On the positive end, this (kind of) spurs bandwidth and rollout plans.
On a negative end, this hurries security and monitoring development that closes off these avenues.
There's no reasoning with 'power' users though; they'll take anything that's not nailed down. We all just have to live with it.
Turducken said:
You're using AT&T and you're concerned about ethics LOL. They're screwing you every chance they get. If you get the chance to return the favor, be my guest.
The only crisis of conscience I might have is degrading the user experience of someone else on that same antenna.
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I've never had any issue with AT&T, but I have had issues with T-Mobile. It's funny that a provider can be so cheap (T-Mobile), yet can't seem to get any subscribers... wonder why? :C
Could it be their poor service/coverage? Probably.
I used to tether a while back, but I got a letter from AT&T telling me if I continued I'd lose my unlimited data and be automatically enrolled in their 4GB for $45 tethering plan. I since stopped, and bought myself a 5GB "4G" data connect card @ $50 per month ($10 for every GB over). Seemed like a reasonable deal.
If you're gonna tether, good luck, you will get caught eventually. c:
MikiOCN said:
I've never had any issue with AT&T, but I have had issues with T-Mobile. It's funny that a provider can be so cheap (T-Mobile), yet can't seem to get any subscribers... wonder why? :C
Could it be their poor service/coverage? Probably.
I used to tether a while back, but I got a letter from AT&T telling me if I continued I'd lose my unlimited data and be automatically enrolled in their 4GB for $45 tethering plan. I since stopped, and bought myself a 5GB "4G" data connect card @ $50 per month ($10 for every GB over). Seemed like a reasonable deal.
If you're gonna tether, good luck, you will get caught eventually. c:
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So instead of using something you were already paying for, you now are paying for another monthly charge to continue doing what you were already doing before? Yep, definitely. Sounds like you've never had an issue with AT&T. At least not one that you want to admit.
But in all honesty, it cripples the system when people are overusing. Then again, we should be getting what we pay for. And considering the unreasonable rates carriers provide compared to elsewhere in the world... f*** them.
I honestly don't tether that much these days. I only use it when the internet is down and at best, I use about 200MB worth of data from tethering. Haven't been caught and I am pretty sure T-Mobile doesn't care enough to send me a warning about tethering on a non-tethering contract.
With that being said, I did hit my 5GB limit. Twice. Without the use of tethering. Throttled speed is honestly not that bad, I can still do some stuff.
upichie said:
So instead of using something you were already paying for, you now are paying for another monthly charge to continue doing what you were already doing before? Yep, definitely. Sounds like you've never had an issue with AT&T. At least not one that you want to admit.
But in all honesty, it cripples the system when people are overusing. Then again, we should be getting what we pay for. And considering the unreasonable rates carriers provide compared to elsewhere in the world... f*** them.
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When you say unreasonable rates VZW certainly comes to mind
I don't tether but really don't see the problem with it. As someone else stated when it comes to 'power users' they are out there and we all have to deal with it no matter what the service you use, ie DSL/CABLE/SAT etc.
What about the 'ethics' of locking bootloaders and loading my phone full of bloatware? ROFL...
I don't think its unethical to use your data the way you want to use it. You are paying for the data. I think caps, for the price of unlimited home broadband (and not achieving close to the same speeds as those of home broadband) is unethical.
If my contract says unlimited data, I see nothing unethical about it. It is my data to use when and how I want to. The only thing unethical is the fact that I pay $160 a month for 2 lines.
Whats the difference between using 2GB of data on your phone compared to using 2GB of data when you've got a laptop tethered to it? You should just be able to pay for data and thats that. No paying extra if you want to tether.
It is abusing it if you have unlimited data and rinse it all since it's never really unlimited. Maybe they should say how much data you're ACTUALLY allowed to use.
people should stop using 3G/4G as a replacement for home internet, sigh...
I am about to go a little off topic.
I think it is the fault of the carriers themselves. Earlier it was allowed for me tether as much as I wanted. I had an unlimited data plan (A real one).
Now I am limited to 2 gb (or not yet, only when I renew my contract) This is not caused by power users but because of wrongly anticipated investments. They need to get back their investment of economically aged techniques.
Also I am forced to buy more calling minutes and text when I want more data.
I think, especially compared to earlier, that giving us this little data for a ridiculously high price is unethical. 10 gb should be more fair. I mean they tell us to watch youtube on my phone at home. Why would I do that when I have a laptop or maybe later even a tablet?
Its not really unethical to download 105 gb unless you are downloading illegal stuff and causing others unable to use mobile data.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Closed
No double threads, instead use the report button so we can act on the original thread
Twiddler said:
A different thread (Here) degraded into an angry, but compelling discussion of tethering ethics.
Since the other thread was so lively, but off of original topic, I figured this would be a better, less phone specific, location.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ekamsaral said:
I am about to go a little off topic.
I think it is the fault of the carriers themselves. Earlier it was allowed for me tether as much as I wanted. I had an unlimited data plan (A real one).
Now I am limited to 2 gb (or not yet, only when I renew my contract) This is not caused by power users but because of wrongly anticipated investments. They need to get back their investment of economically aged techniques.
Also I am forced to buy more calling minutes and text when I want more data.
I think, especially compared to earlier, that giving us this little data for a ridiculously high price is unethical. 10 gb should be more fair. I mean they tell us to watch youtube on my phone at home. Why would I do that when I have a laptop or maybe later even a tablet?
Its not really unethical to download 105 gb unless you are downloading illegal stuff and causing others unable to use mobile data.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
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Well, people would tether because why bother having two Internet es, one at your home and one in your pocket? Sounds easier to have it all on your phone as you can tether to your other devices. Also, some people don't have tablets or aptops, etc. To even use, so they use whatever they can but I mean this is unlikely since they can afford such an Internet service on their device.
Also, it's the isp fault of their network can't support thousands or millions of users using their network, they should get better networks, etc since you're paying for the service. For the ones who download like several gigabytes of stuff, why not? It's the Internet and they paid for it. Watching a million videos, movies, watching live tv, etc. Why don't they leech off starbucks? Because they are paying for an "unlimited" service.
For the throttling, I find it stupid, or good. Stupid because unlimited users shouldn't be doing because they use a lot, it's a service they paid for. Well, how much they throttle anyways? But it's good because at the end of the month, that's when team network is the fastest, if the heavy users get throttled.
Either way, I think throttling is stupid and bad for user who paid for unlimited Internet,.
---------- Post added at 08:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:37 PM ----------
AllGamer said:
people should stop using 3G/4G as a replacement for home internet, sigh...
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Why not? Although home Internet is faster, why pay for home when you have unlimited 3g/4g?
Im on sprint, so we have unlimited data in our contracts. I think its my right to use it in any way i like just like i do at home with fios. i can plug in any device i want into my router. I could give my dog her own videophone and verizon wont care. Cell carriers should be the same, they should treat it as a just a connection, thats it. we would all be happier.
I was on AT&T. Got the tethering notice and decided no more with them. I switched to Verizon.
When I tether, I really don't use that much data than I would on my phone. I average around 6.5GB a month on my phone usual data. From there, I would venture to say 2GB of data is tethering and when it's done, it's usually not even their peak network times. I don't think it's unethical because data is data. A byte is a byte whether it originated on the phone or the other device. The company has the capability, they just want more money for it.
Really, it boils down to moderation. If everyone tethered, but did it moderately, we could all enjoy it. But for the 105GB guy, he ruins it for all of us.
xplus93 said:
Im on sprint, so we have unlimited data in our contracts. I think its my right to use it in any way i like just like i do at home with fios. i can plug in any device i want into my router. I could give my dog her own videophone and verizon wont care. Cell carriers should be the same, they should treat it as a just a connection, thats it. we would all be happier.
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I agree.
As our devices become capable of higher volumes of data in a billing period, AT&T markets faster speeds (translation: greater volume in less time), more apps (translation: more downloads, more apps pulling data), we are expected not to use greater volumes of data if we have an unlimited contract.
As for people who say that power users cause network bottlenecks, I would like to see data to prove this allegation. I haven't seen any information to support this allegation. I believe that AT&T's network problems, including cell towers that lose internet, are a much bigger problem.
Power users don't cause the bottleneck. There's so few who actually use over a fairly small amount of data that it's ridiculous for the carriers to say that power users are the cause of network congestion and general slowness, which prompt data caps and other unpleasantness.
The actual issue is similar to Comcast's handling of torrenters. The whole Sandvine debacle wasn't caused because so many people were torrenting that the network couldn't handle it. The cause was simple greed and laziness--the provider sold more bandwidth than they actually possessed. The same is true for the mobile networks, as well. These guys know that "unlimited" is the magic word to sell data plans, but they don't want to spend the money necessary to expand network infrastructure to actually handle unlimited data access from thousands upon thousands of subscribers. So they blame it on the handful of folks who actually make use of the whole unlimited part, and throttle or cap bandwidth.
If they had been honest to begin with, we probably wouldn't be so torqued about it all.
I'm on T-Mobile and I tether fairly often, but not to excess, mostly because I have a 2GB cap and I'm almost always in a place where I can get wifi. The tethering is there for those 1% of times when there's no 802.11 nearby and I need to get my laptop online for whatever reason.
I pay for my bandwidth, I ought to be able to use it however I please. T-Mobile doesn't seem to mind whether my bits are pulled down through my Nexus S or my laptop.
Now if I could only figure out how to stop their proxies from compressing JPEGs...
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Related
Hey guys, like you, even though we have to manually do alot to get our HD2's in perfect condition. I wanted to hip you all to something that I'm currently taking advantage of, which is saving me major money each month.
Went to Wal-Mart on the lauch date of the infamous HD2, and paid full price for one, thinking that it would end up saving me money in the long run, because I had my own equiptment, therefore, I wasn't under a 2 year aggreement for T-Mobile.
Went to the T-Mobile store to get setup with service. Deciding on getting the T-Mobile unlimited everything plan (voice,sms,data) it ended up costing me around $92 a month (including taxes, fee's, and the $5 discount). So, I began thinking, "this is not the significant discount I was looking for". I asked the salesman what was the benefit of me purchasing this phone outright, he told me that if I got the same package and features, with the phone discount, under contract, it would cost me around $120-$130 a month. I began to seek other options to lower my bill. However, I was hesitant to lower anything, because I did one time, and got fuked over with crazy overage charges! I even thought about switching it over to AT&T, but then realized I'd be loosing out on the high speed data, because of the incompatibilities of the 3G radios between the 2 networks (and who wants edge speed on a smartphone these days!).
Then I did some research and found out about Simple Mobile, this is a Virtual carrier of T-Mobile (like how Virgin is to Verizon, and Boost is to Sprint). Anyway, after a couple of emails, and phone calls, I decided to make the switch. I found a nearby retailer (or u can check them out online) And I never looked back!
I now play EXACTLY $60 a month, for unlimited everything (voice,sms,data). And I was able to port and keep my same number. While this is truly great in of itself. Another great feature is because it's still a subsiary of T-Mobile, I didn't have to software unlock the HD2 at all. It was literally a matter of taking the old Sim card out and putting the new one in. The only thing that I did have to reconfig was the internet settings and the MMS settings to be able to have those 2 things function correctly. (which is very easy, I provided a link to the instructions below)
Instructions on changing internet settings and MMS settings.
http://www.mobile-files.us/showthread.php?2245-HD2-wap-mms-settings-for-SimpMo
The internet is exactly the same, I'm still getting the H icon at the top, with about 4 MB sec speeds. Call quality and range is the same, and so is the txting features. Because it's using the same T-Mobile towers as before. (which T-Mobile is very good, in Costa Mesa, CA )
Don't know about you all, but especially in these times, when money is tight, I have to really buckle down to budget and plan for big ticket items. So when I spend $400+ on a device. I truly want to be able to see more of the savings, in the long run. And thats how I cut my bill in half! They even offer plans at $30 and $40 if you don't want or need unlimited data for your phone, therefore saving your even more money.
This may not help some of you guys out there, but if your like me, and not in a contract, or you may be in a contract, and thinking this may be a better route for you in the long run (make sure you do your math beforehand, and make sure your savings outweigh your ETF from T-Mobile) I just wanted to let you know, that you do have an option out there.
Simple Mobile
http://www.mysimplemobile.com/
Hope it helps!
Eddie
so are you truly getting 3g speed? this sounds promising.
smokeingit said:
so are you truly getting 3g speed? this sounds promising.
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Yes sir, I sure am, it displays the H icon, so I know its the HSDPA speed, which is alittle faster then 3G...however, i'm not sure if its the new HSDPA+ that you might have been hearing lately. I say that because, I dont believe WM have a status icon to show you that (because the technology is so new), so my theory is that, IF the HD2 supports it, AND its is getting the HSDPA+ signal, it'll still show the H icon at the top right of the device. But to answer your question, its DEFINITELY gets the high speed, because its still using the same towers!
I have friend that works in one of those smokes, cell, and gun stores and he has been trying to get me into this program.
It's good to go and legit.
Unfortunately I am only 6 months into my new 2 year contract...had to for my $190 Leo.
dangit.
I believe this has been discussed many times already.....
Simple mobile does not provide unlimited data. I believe it's still capped at 1GB/month. Which is a big no no for people who like to tether and abuse the network.....
calc said:
I believe this has been discussed many times already.....
Simple mobile does not provide unlimited data. I believe it's still capped at 1GB/month. Which is a big no no for people who like to tether and abuse the network.....
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Click to collapse
So your saying their "Unlimited Everything Talk, Text & Web" plan, which is labeled as "New", is not actually unlimited?
Paten said:
So your saying their "Unlimited Everything Talk, Text & Web" plan, which is labeled as "New", is not actually unlimited?
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http://consumerist.com/2010/07/simple-mobile-unlimited-data-plan-is-of-course-secretly-limited.html
http://www.prepaidreviews.com/blog/mvno/simple-mobile-limits-unlimited-data-plan-36148/
Both reported and the end of July of this year.... so unless something has changed in 3 months time, NO it is not unlimited.
I was suckered into a new mobile phone plan with a new company called Simple Mobile. They are a T-mobile MVNO (essentially a reseller) claiming to offer UNLIMITED talk, text, and data for $60/mo.
The reality is... Their $60 plan is NOT unlimited. When you hit 1000MB in one month your data service is simply terminated without warning.
They will offer to sell you an additional 100MB for $10. This policy is not stated anywhere on their website. If you call or write and complain, they will simply tell you to go elsewhere and will not provide any refund.
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I mean really............. just think about it for a minute, do you really think T-Mobile is going to allow another company to use their network and infrastructure all the while having them undercut their own prices too.....not to mention the toll and expense of all pushing out all that bandwidth at "unlimited" rates.
calc said:
I believe this has been discussed many times already.....
Simple mobile does not provide unlimited data. I believe it's still capped at 1GB/month. Which is a big no no for people who like to tether and abuse the network.....
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Click to collapse
All I can do , is speak from my experience. Since having this service, I KNOW that I used more than 1GB (stream music all day, watch YouTube, use it for general internet browsing, and logging into my Orb media server at home, and streaming TV from my PC). So I would definitely consider myself a above average data user, and have not once, been capped or throttled (trust, I would be *****ing and complaining, with everyone else). I've even checked my usage online to see it and its a little under 2Gigs of data transfer, and everything is ok. I not sure if maybe I have a magic bean, VIP, IMEI on my device (joke-e-joke ) , which is given unlimited data usage, without penalty, or maybe they've modified their contract and upped the data usage cap or something. Again, I can only speak from my personal experiences, within the last 3 months, reguarding my device and service. I don't use my phone for tethering, but I do consider myself a heavy data usage user and not had any problems regarding their quality of service thus far.
Get rid of the unlimited voice and txt, then with this guide I wrote:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=19619155#post19619155
You can cut your phone bill even more sharply. I'm paying about ~$20/month right now depending on my voice usage when out and about.
me no likey, especially being a leo user since April that was forced to sign an "unlimited" data plan...
unlimited to 5g...lol.
Okay? Seriously it's not that big of a deal, just cut back on data usage.
hardly spazzing out, just a bit peeved that the answer to lack of towers is to alter the service I am paying for and deserve.
rightly so per my contract...
maybe allow previous contracts expire that were signed before the throttling?
nah, for my $300 phone, and mandatory $30 month plan I deserve to be punished for assuming that the netty netzorz would be "unlimited".
it's not as if I want a red ferrari or one night with Angelina Jolie er nuthin'.
(this phone sees more net tham my p.c. btw)
tmo since 2005.
ashasaur said:
Okay? Seriously it's not that big of a deal, just cut back on data usage.
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actually that's Tmo's answer to the problem instead of erecting more towers and honoring the contract I signed back in April...
"Sir, it's your fault we're too cheap to erect more towers, use less internet plz."
you missed your calling as a tmo phone jockey!
Agreed, we signed for a specific amount on our data plans. Now I hear I'm going to have half the data limit I signed for.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Your data is still unlimited, you'll just be throttled to a slower speed once you exceed 5gb. So likely no different to the unlimited data you had before 3g was in existence.
I still think TMO's tiering/caping is the most reasonable in the industry. At least they aren't flat out cutting you off or hitting you up to pay for another 2gb bucket like other carriers. Though maybe an option to pay up to lift the cap would be a nice option for heavy users, but that might go down the slippery slope of them going that route and being like ATT rather than the throttling they are doing now
What would actually be nice is if they didnt just flat out throttle you at 5gb but throttle you with bursting ability. that way loading the quick email or light web page will still be snappy, but if you attempt any streaming or large downloads then you get throttled down.
What im curious about that hasn't been covered much is exactly what speed do you get throttled down to? do you still get 3g coverage, just throttled. or does the throttling turn off your ability yo use the 3g signals, leaving you stuck with edge coverage?
I may just have to test it out this billing cycle, and do some very large downloads the last couple days of my billing cycle and try to hit 5gb a couple days before my cycle resets and see just how bad it gets.
Although it blows to be the "victim" of a traditional "bait & switch" by a faceless corporation, I am still 3G but downloading pages at minimum 5+ seconds slower.
Terrible? No.
Unexpected due to expectations of "unlimited" use per my 2 year contract? Yup.
I realize that OTHER providers/carriers have always capped, but um, I am not with other providers/carriers.
Tmo advertised..."UNLIMITED NET USAGE" and as a paying client who signed a contract I expect to get what I originally signed up for.
Imho I'm not demanding anything more than what I signed up for.
What good are contracts with tmo for anyways? A way for them to strongarm you into coping with their ever changing policies, or pay the ETF and have a nice life???
I really despise the "sukz to be you" policy that tmo is acquiring...
kidrythm said:
Although it blows to be the "victim" of a traditional "bait & switch" by a faceless corporation, I am still 3G but downloading pages at minimum 5+ seconds slower.
Terrible? No.
Unexpected due to expectations of "unlimited" use per my 2 year contract? Yup.
I realize that OTHER providers/carriers have always capped, but um, I am not with other providers/carriers.
Tmo advertised..."UNLIMITED NET USAGE" and as a paying client who signed a contract I expect to get what I originally signed up for.
Imho I'm not demanding anything more than what I signed up for.
What good are contracts with tmo for anyways? A way for them to strongarm you into coping with their ever changing policies, or pay the ETF and have a nice life???
I really despise the "sukz to be you" policy that tmo is acquiring...
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Click to collapse
Yeah i know it sucks as far as being stuck in a contract thinking you were getting one thing and getting something else
But as far as i see legally they are still holding up their end of the contract, you are still completely unlimited in your net access. They never advertised a set kbps or mbps of service they would provide. no internet provider does, unless youre talking about a leased business class line. All your home based broadband connections are advertised as "up to" whatever speed
d0ug said:
Yeah i know it sucks as far as being stuck in a contract thinking you were getting one thing and getting something else
But as far as i see legally they are still holding up their end of the contract, you are still completely unlimited in your net access. They never advertised a set kbps or mbps of service they would provide. no internet provider does, unless youre talking about a leased business class line. All your home based broadband connections are advertised as "up to" whatever speed
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I get it, in order to sign contracts with multi~billion dollar corporations, you must first hire a multi~billion dollar attorney to translate the fine print.
When did cellular providers get so powerful anyhow?
Oh yeah, when we decided to "let" them by shrugging off their whittling away at our rights as the clients who pour millions into their pockets.
I say more people should contest the slow and methodical "tweaking" that surely will lead to a big brother net situation.
yes.
kidrythm said:
I get it, in order to sign contracts with multi~billion dollar corporations, you must first hire a multi~billion dollar attorney to translate the fine print.
When did cellular providers get so powerful anyhow?
Oh yeah, when we decided to "let" them by shrugging off their whittling away at our rights as the clients who pour millions into their pockets.
I say more people should contest the slow and methodical "tweaking" that surely will lead to a big brother net situation.
yes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But dude, you are still getting unlimited data... Plus, 5GB is like pornhub junky status. Ha. How much porn do you need on your phone?
Download movies on your computer maybe?
Either way, you can't argue that you aren't getting unlimited data because you in fact are. They aren't cutting off your data once you hit 5GB or charging you more money when you go over 5GB. How is this a breach of contract?
crisisinthecity said:
But dude, you are still getting unlimited data... Plus, 5GB is like pornhub junky status. Ha. How much porn do you need on your phone?
Download movies on your computer maybe?
Either way, you can't argue that you aren't getting unlimited data because you in fact are. They aren't cutting off your data once you hit 5GB or charging you more money when you go over 5GB. How is this a breach of contract?
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Click to collapse
Not a huge porn fan, but I do download a ****e ton of stuff from xda trying out all of the awesome cabs, and I do dig the youtube vidz of all things science/engineering/technology.
As far as arguing that my "unlimited" data plan is now "limited"to 5GB per month and how that is somehow not a breach of contract, well I am going to have to disagree with you.
The speed at which I agreed to pay for i.e. 3G, is slowed to less than DSL when I reach the recently altered terms set by Tmo concerning usage in a billing cycle.
If they are going to throttle my usage, they can also deduct that lost speed from my monthly bill.
In a nutshell, I am no longer getting what I signed up for 7 months ago but per my contract I am still expected to pay the same amount.
Or fork over mad cheddar to bail from the contract...don't know about you but it was $lightly terrifying for me $igning onto a premium package and a $et up like this for 2 more years.
Business expense, but still My Wife would be peeved to know it cost me $300 to pay another $300 for the ETF.
Money isn't my bestest friend...but dangit, Transformers looked SO good!!
My guess is that Tmo failed to prepare their network properly to meet the needs of the Fvckton of new clients that will rush into the HD7, and this was a hail Mary move. The timing seems about right in line with the upcoming release of the latest wondertoy.
I mean heck, what can anyone do? Complain? Whoopee, plenty of other tmo/xda members will pipe up and put them in their place.
amirite?
EDIT: I have 0 movies/music on my phone, never have.
kidrythm said:
Not a huge porn fan, but I do download a ****e ton of stuff from xda trying out all of the awesome cabs, and I do dig the youtube vidz of all things science/engineering/technology.
As far as arguing that my "unlimited" data plan is now "limited"to 5GB per month and how that is somehow not a breach of contract, well I am going to have to disagree with you.
The speed at which I agreed to pay for i.e. 3G, is slowed to less than DSL when I reach the recently altered terms set by Tmo concerning usage in a billing cycle.
If they are going to throttle my usage, they can also deduct that lost speed from my monthly bill.
In a nutshell, I am no longer getting what I signed up for 7 months ago but per my contract I am still expected to pay the same amount.
Or fork over mad cheddar to bail from the contract...don't know about you but it was $lightly terrifying for me $igning onto a premium package and a $et up like this for 2 more years.
Business expense, but still My Wife would be peeved to know it cost me $300 to pay another $300 for the ETF.
Money isn't my bestest friend...but dangit, Transformers looked SO good!!
My guess is that Tmo failed to prepare their network properly to meet the needs of the Fvckton of new clients that will rush into the HD7, and this was a hail Mary move. The timing seems about right in line with the upcoming release of the latest wondertoy.
I mean heck, what can anyone do? Complain? Whoopee, plenty of other tmo/xda members will pipe up and put them in their place.
amirite?
EDIT: I have 0 movies/music on my phone, never have.
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Click to collapse
Do you use 5GB of data each month? How long does it take you to get there. I use my phone a ton and I'm not even kinda close.
crisisinthecity said:
Do you use 5GB of data each month? How long does it take you to get there. I use my phone a ton and I'm not even kinda close.
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All I do is use the internet a lot throughout the day looking at news and sports sites and my bill says I use 5GB a week. I don't download anything. Why buy a G2 if you just want to make phone calls?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
crisisinthecity said:
Do you use 5GB of data each month? How long does it take you to get there. I use my phone a ton and I'm not even kinda close.
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Click to collapse
I recieved a text 3 days ago.
I browse the net, and post regularly on quite a few forums. The only thing I can think of that kills it is downloading the themes etc. from forums directly to the phone.
I checked my account and it reads 0 due to that pesky unlimited data plan, and tmo has no way of compiling my total usage into a nice round #. All they see on their system is my entire usage broken down into individual "visits" to the network. Yeah, I almost insisted that she break out the calcuator and get to addin'!
Like I said, they seem a bit out of their element having just launched this new system.
Not one rep could offer anything more than an apology for not having more info when I went through my list of straight forward, and comprehensive inquiries.
What bothers me, among other things is the lack of transparency on their part in the form of the inability to answer simple questions. How can I be sure that they are capping at 5gb, or find out what speed have I been lowered to?
For all I know they are making up the rules as we're plowing down this dark gravel road to unknown parts.
A free speedtest could offer better data than the company I am paying good money to, and that is pretty jacked up.
To answer your question, I have no idea how I hit 5gb 1 week shy of my billing cycle ending.
And with no way to keep tabs, it looks like my Leo will be collecting a bit more dust in the future...I'd hate to blow the cap 2 weeks in.
Youtube vids now take 4 min. to load a 56 sec. clip.
airoff8 said:
All I do is use the internet a lot throughout the day looking at news and sports sites and my bill says I use 5GB a week. I don't download anything. Why buy a G2 if you just want to make phone calls?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
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Dayum, you got me beat!
This is one competition where I really don't mind being last...
How is your browsing experience with the throttling applied?
kidrythm said:
The speed at which I agreed to pay for i.e. 3G, is slowed to less than DSL when I reach the recently altered terms set by Tmo concerning usage in a billing cycle.
EDIT: I have 0 movies/music on my phone, never have.
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i guarantee that the contract you signed in no way states what speed of service they will provide. that would be impossible to tmobile to hold upto, what about all the people paying the same price for their data service as you, but they are stuck in areas still only served by edge or god forbid gprs service?
Yes these service areas still exist, i personally experienced them on a road trip over the summer. 1 bar of gprs service in a cabin in north mississippi is real fun. i guess by your logic tmobile owes me a billing credit because i couldn't get 3g service while on the road for a week
i really cant fathom how you exceed 5g without downloading movies/music on your phone
d0ug said:
i guarantee that the contract you signed in no way states what speed of service they will provide. that would be impossible to tmobile to hold upto, what about all the people paying the same price for their data service as you, but they are stuck in areas still only served by edge or god forbid gprs service?
Yes these service areas still exist, i personally experienced them on a road trip over the summer. 1 bar of gprs service in a cabin in north mississippi is real fun. i guess by your logic tmobile owes me a billing credit because i couldn't get 3g service while on the road for a week
i really cant fathom how you exceed 5g without downloading movies/music on your phone
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If I left an area where service was solid, that would be one thing.
I am in K.C. where the service rivals Sprint's due to their "campus" being located here.
3 1/2 bars since day 1, another "issue" I have...
No movies (not til I pony up for coreplayer), and as far as music, the speaker sux bawls on the Leo and earbuds irritate me.
Just regular usage rivaling that of my average daily p.c. surfing was before I got my htc hd2 set up.
crisisinthecity said:
Plus, 5GB is like pornhub junky status. Ha. How much porn do you need on your phone?
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I'm surprised his privates didn't fall off before he hit 5GB
rr5678 said:
I'm surprised his privates didn't fall off before he hit 5GB
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wow, thanks for posting.
"privates"?
being 11 years old is a confusing, and yet exciting time!
now run along the adults are talking.
Anyways, after that lasts dumb post. I agree with the others up top, with the data cap instated, you are still getting data, just at a slower rate. No where in your contract does it state that what speeds you will recieve using mobile data, only that your access to mobile data is unlimited.
Please respond here if you are using the portable wifi feature of your nexus one and getting any SMS or e-mail notification from AT&T that they want you to pay for tethering.
I hear stories about people who get the "unlimited" data plan and then straight up abuse it (by providing internet for their entire household), which is probably why this is happening.
150+GB a month is what I consider abuse btw.
I don't see why you should pay for tethering. I think its just another way for them to make more money. Maybe for some people they don't wanna pay to have a separate internet source when they can use their phones as their internet source. I don't tether since atm I don't have unlimited data lol.
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using XDA App
Should be free and only pay for data...just another reason why I left at$t years ago!
I have T-Mobile and as of right now my "unlimited" is still unlimited but once you exceed 5GB for the month is DRAMATICALLY slows down.
I just moved in to a new place with my wife and son and I'm trying to cut down on extra bills (I'm the only working parent right now) so I don't have internet, I just tether off my phone.
I just exceeded 5GB for the first time ever and its horrible. I'm moving so slow, on my phone that is, its unreal.
uoY_redruM said:
I have T-Mobile and as of right now my "unlimited" is still unlimited but once you exceed 5GB for the month is DRAMATICALLY slows down.
I just moved in to a new place with my wife and son and I'm trying to cut down on extra bills (I'm the only working parent right now) so I don't have internet, I just tether off my phone.
I just exceeded 5GB for the first time ever and its horrible. I'm moving so slow, on my phone that is, its unreal.
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That is a bummer and I'm in simular boat...
Check this work around info for some possible help:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=863923
The only people getting flagged are iPhone accounts that are extreme abusers.
If you are abusing the service that much, then you should be paying for the higher package IMO.
I tether on my unlimited plan and have never had a problem, but I also don't abuse it. I barely break 1gb a month.
GldRush98 said:
The only people getting flagged are iPhone accounts that are extreme abusers.
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Because iOS's silly separate tethering config makes it easy to know exactly how much it's getting used. Not so simple on phones that route tethered data through the normal APN.
Yeah, I use tethering on my N1 on AT&T everyday and I haven't gotten anything from them yet. I don't abuse it, but where my house is, sort of in the woods (in Pennsylvania) where I can't get anything better than dial-up, so I use it just for basic email, Facebook, etc.
3UK now offer "all you can eat" data on Pay as you go. i plan to swap my T-Mobile SIM to my old 3 after this contract is up, i really hope the plan is still available then as i can see this being abused from day one!!
I tether my tablet to my phone almost daily, but it's pretty small usage. I am only using 300-400 megs a month on 3G now since AT&T took my unlimited away when they screwed with my account a while back. I mostly update or do stuff on wifi at home.
machina77 said:
3UK now offer "all you can eat" data on Pay as you go. i plan to swap my T-Mobile SIM to my old 3 after this contract is up, i really hope the plan is still available then as i can see this being abused from day one!!
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They don't allow tethering on PAYG. Same as Giffgaff, unlimited data without FUP, but no tethering.
I got a similar message from Cincinnati Bell Wireless, but they have not charged me. I don't really use tethering all that much.
Rusty! said:
They don't allow tethering on PAYG. Same as Giffgaff, unlimited data without FUP, but no tethering.
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Ah! cheers for that info
Doesn't mean they'll ever notice you doing it, of course
XDA is no longer worth my time.
What I am having trouble understanding is what evidence is at&t Mobility using to determine if one is tethering or not.
They have a few choices, but as far as I can tell, none of them are perfect and all will have false positives.
Dan
If you haven't heard all ready Verizon is tracking down root users and limiting there data or fully suspending it so watch out. But we have to fight back against them by hiding Verizon from seeing that we are proudly rooted and some people have said the would sue Verizon. Please do whatever you can to fight against this.
Also motorola and htc are going to start doing the same.
Link? Proof that this is happening?
We are allowed to use our devices as mobile hotspots, having root does nothing to circumvent paying for our bandwidth, this make no sense. Proof please...
I thought we could root our xooms and Motorola wouldn't trip....... or was i wrong?
I think it's a Shamockery!
Seriously though, where did you hear this?
http://www.mydroidworld.com/forums/...rooting-manufacturers-carriers.html#post65013
P3droid is a very well known dev. This all over and isn't fake
I don't see the Xoom specifically mentioned in that article at all. That being said, if there really is any truth behind this, I don't really see them going any further then AT&T did with the original iPhone when they found people tethering and then added the appropriate tethering package. It's shady, I agree, but I have a feeling on Android it would just turn into another cat and mouse game of hiding the fact you are rooted against whatever measures are put in place.
Yeah I hope android turns this around. And hides us.
Some dev might just come up with an apply that hides the status of rooted phones. It may sound like an easy idea but its extremely hard, though its not impossible.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
I think they should start working on it now
If I'm understanding this correctly, it's not about rooting the phones but rather about attempts to steal data service (via tethering without paying it). And whether anyone likes it or not, the carriers have a right to determine how their networks are used, including the right to say that tethering isn't allowed unless the required tethering plan is paid for.
I can't imagine the ability to sue Verizon or any other carrier for making it more difficult for users to violate the agreements they sign when they purchase services. Maybe one feels that locking the devices down is too broad a stroke, but then if that's the case come up with a viable alternative. Propose some other control to stop tethering on a rooted device.
Really, I'm amazed that people think the carriers are being "shady" by trying to protect their revenue streams (i.e., to protect their private property from unauthorized use), while users who try to get services without paying for them are, what, the good guys?
----edited----
You forgot the "Root and tether and not give VZW one mother****ing cent" option. Verizon is just plain evil.
I wonder how many attitudes will change when some of these pp are old enough to own their own businesses. I own a small business and if people can get over on you, people will get over on you. I see no problem with Verizon trying to protect their revenue. People need to realize that as a company, Verizon's number 1 loyalty is to it's stock holders not to it's customer. They provide a service and we buy it, or we choose to go elsewhere. I can't imagine VZW and the other providers doing this if they haven't noticed a hit to their bottom line.
Do I root my devices? Yep, both of them. Have I occasionally tethered to my DX? Yes I have, but I understand the risks and accept the responsibility. Once my Xoom gets LTE I'll buy the appropriate data plan for all my tethering needs.......
wynand32 said:
If I'm understanding this correctly, it's not about rooting the phones but rather about attempts to steal data service (via tethering without paying it). And whether anyone likes it or not, the carriers have a right to determine how their networks are used, including the right to say that tethering isn't allowed unless the required tethering plan is paid for.
I can't imagine the ability to sue Verizon or any other carrier for making it more difficult for users to violate the agreements they sign when they purchase services. Maybe one feels that locking the devices down is too broad a stroke, but then if that's the case come up with a viable alternative. Propose some other control to stop tethering on a rooted device.
Really, I'm amazed that people think the carriers are being "shady" by trying to protect their revenue streams (i.e., to protect their private property from unauthorized use), while users who try to get services without paying for them are, what, the good guys?
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What really bothers me is that there really is no stealing involved. Tethering doesn't magically get you service: you have to pay for the service you're tethering through. What's worse, being an android device, the xoom doesn't really use significantly more data than my phone would anyways. The carriers are just mad because people are preventing them from charging an extra fee, not for more service, but for using a different device. In reality this Is no different than if two people were sharing a parking pass for a private lot. If both cars are never parked at the same time, the service rendered is the same, but the company loses out On the opportunity to get twice the cash. Am i taking advantage? Absolutely. Using a device in a way other than intended, yep. Is that morally wrong? I think of it more as growing pains for new technology. Charging me twice for a single service, that sounds more like stealing to me.
If I can pay a flat rate for an internet connection at home, use a wireless router and connect as many devices as I want, why can't the same pricing principle be applied to mobile data? If your isp tried to charge you by the COMPUTER rather than by the bandwidth, you'd be furious. My phone + data service costs more than my home internet, even though it is slower, and requires no rented equipment or installation, (The cost of towers is theoretically shared by all of the users in the area, and I actually OWN my phone, and buy new ones relatively frequently). I still remember when we paid for the internet by the HOUR.
I understand why the carriers want to crack down; it totally makes sense, but as long as the general public continues to pay what they charge, the prices will continue to be set by the carriers, and not by the actual costs. I would much rather that the pricing structure be reactive to the way these devices are being used, rather than proactively restrictive because they want you on a contract. I think it is a good thing in the long run for both the consumer and the carrier if mobile data sharing continues to be un-resrictable. I believe that if they would just charge for the bandwidth and not worry about how that data is used, they would actually increase the market share for high end mobile devices and speed up the process of tablets bridging the gap with PCs.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
yeah but a bit is a bit. why should they care(or being charge for)how i'm using my capped bandwidth? tethering isn't a service that they provide. its a feature of the device we are using.
It's like being charged for Water to your house. your paying for the service, and the amount of water you are using. Should you be charged again for each bathtub you have hooked up to your pipes? Or if i decide to use that water to water some flowers?
I don't get it, at least not in the context of the Xoom. Verizon's tablet data plans include tethering, so they are not losing revenue. Tethering is a built-in feature of Honeycomb and one need only go in to settings and turn on the wireless hotspot feature. No root, hacks, or tweaks are required.
Now smartphone data plans are a different story, but they have "unlimited" data.
Neoterra said:
yeah but a bit is a bit. why should they care(or being charge for)how i'm using my capped bandwidth? tethering isn't a service that they provide. its a feature of the device we are using.
It's like being charged for Water to your house. your paying for the service, and the amount of water you are using. Should you be charged again for each bathtub you have hooked up to your pipes? Or if i decide to use that water to water some flowers?
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+1 on this.. Very good point! It's funny how some people looks at us like we're stealing from these provider, and that we're screwing them over. When in reality we the consumers are the one who's getting screwed over time and time and time again by these giant corporations. The only and real reason they don't want us to tether is because they want us to pay a separate data plan for our laptops on the go, which is crazy! It's like getting an internet service at home and getting charged for every single connection through your wifi! Crazy!
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
First, it's Verizon's service, and thus their right to determine how their services are provided. Nobody has to buy from them. And the bottom line is: people agree to use their services a certain way when they sign their agreements. One may not like their terms, but that's life.
Second, the carriers need to determine how much data is going to be used and provision their services appropriately. Notebooks and tablets tethered to smartphones WILL use more data; that's obvious. Hence, the movement away from unlimited plans and toward metered plans. We're seeing all sorts of responses to the dramatic increases in mobile data use, and this is just one of them.
I think in 10 years things will be very, very different and these things will have shaken themselves out. We're just suffering from the effects of demand for mobile data pushing hard up against supply. In the meantime, nobody should expect the carriers to sit idly by while some people violate their agreements and necessarily cause dislocations in their systems--which inevitably results in poorer service to other users and headaches for the carriers.
Unlimited services are tricky. Drawing accurate pictures of them is even harder in this case because both sides have things leading up to the million dollar question that are either unreasonable, or just stupid. People get caught up on those things when the issue is something plainer.
Unlimited *cellular* data is allowed under a set of circumstances. Those circumstances are supposed to put up "soft" limits (how much the single device can consume) on data consumption. You can only consume so much data through a phone. You and your data plan is not something that entitles you to a data plan aura, in that any device you can link to the plan falls into that plan. Intuitively, everyone knows this is the case.
Maybe it should entitle you to that, especially if you use tethering reasonably. I would like to see a 500 MB--> 1GB allowance for free, especially if your "unlimited" data usage is below average or within a range the carriers set. The carriers have caused a lot of this themselves by biting off more data plans than their networks can chew, and charging ridiculous rates for tethering.
I can understand the frustration from both, but tethering away and being surprised when the carriers try to stop you from doing it is just funny.
theahlenius said:
Unlimited services are tricky. Drawing accurate pictures of them is even harder in this case because both sides have things leading up to the million dollar question that are either unreasonable, or just stupid. People get caught up on those things when the issue is something plainer.
Unlimited *cellular* data is allowed under a set of circumstances. Those circumstances are supposed to put up "soft" limits (how much the single device can consume) on data consumption. You can only consume so much data through a phone. You and your data plan is not something that entitles you to a data plan aura, in that any device you can link to the plan falls into that plan. Intuitively, everyone knows this is the case.
Maybe it should entitle you to that, especially if you use tethering reasonably. I would like to see a 500 MB--> 1GB allowance for free, especially if your "unlimited" data usage is below average or within a range the carriers set. The carriers have caused a lot of this themselves by biting off more data plans than their networks can chew, and charging ridiculous rates for tethering.
I can understand the frustration from both, but tethering away and being surprised when the carriers try to stop you from doing it is just funny.
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Well said. Its why I pay for a small plan and use wireless everywhere I go. no real need to tether anyway.
I am friendishly warning you to NOT USE IT. It will void your contract and they will drop you. If you didnt know this before hand, you may want to stop. I love wifi tether but sadly it will end up getting me droped =/ Its in the sprint contract terms and what not
Thanks, were you dropped?
Nah. Just as a noob would, im new to all this root stuff, so i looked up if its illegal or not and it is with some companys. Especially sprint.. they can tell if your using wifi tether without paying their $30 a month for wifi. They'l drop you first off lol
ReapersDeath said:
Nah. Just as a noob would, im new to all this root stuff, so i looked up if its illegal or not and it is with some companys. Especially sprint.. they can tell if your using wifi tether without paying their $30 a month for wifi. They'l drop you first off lol
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It's NOT illegal. Yes, it voids your contract, but as most people will tell you, you have unlimited data, they can't tell you how to use it.
And FYI, sprint can NOT tell if you are using wifi tether or not. To them, it just looks like regular data being used on the phone.
sitlet said:
It's NOT illegal. Yes, it voids your contract, but as most people will tell you, you have unlimited data, they can't tell you how to use it.
And FYI, sprint can NOT tell if you are using wifi tether or not. To them, it just looks like regular data being used on the phone.
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Bingo! Data is data no matter which way you look at it. You can lift its skirt or drop its pants, it all looks the same.
Sent from my EVO
Hmm ok. misread some info.. But you have to think.. they can notice.. When you go from suttle data usage to some rapid burning usage its sort of obvious
Yes that is correct. If your a constant 1gb user every month for like a year then jump to 10gb's they'll question that. Just don't go throwing up red flags and you'll be fine. There's been threads on here with ppl being dropped only cause in their words 'I'm gonna stick it to sprint' and they go and use 20+ gb's. And you wonder why sprint sends out the we're letting you go letter
Sent from my EVO
ReapersDeath said:
Hmm ok. misread some info.. But you have to think.. they can notice.. When you go from suttle data usage to some rapid burning usage its sort of obvious
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As long as you don't abuse the tethering and rack up 10s of GBs of data consistently, Sprint could care less right now about whether or not people who choose to stick with them are tethering for free, as Sprint continues to lose customers.
Sprint is more concerned right now with how much data is going over the air than how people are sending it, because too much data over the air slows service to everyone.
There have been more people who have had their contracts cancelled who were paying the $30 dollars per month, but racking up enormous amounts of data (more than 10GB consistently) than people who do not pay the $30 dollars, but use tether more sparingly. In fact, there are many users right here on this site who have tethered for a long time, who Sprint has never done or said anything to.
I was about to say,i've been using my tether for over 6 months and i've never been repremanded for it,from sprint.
tethering is to risky imo.. sprint is unpredictable
Speeding is illegal too, doesn't mean I won't do it on the way home. I figure Sprint told me, that my phone would connect to their advanced 4G network, as they would eventually cover most areas with it and yet now my phone will never be usable on their 4G if they get disgruntled about my tether then they let me go to VZW
Sent from my Synergized Evo with aggressive Freedom using the XDA app
ReapersDeath said:
tethering is to risky imo.. sprint is unpredictable
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If you read the terms and conditions, racking up enormous amounts of data (whether you are paying for tethering or not), as well as tethering for free are both violations of your contract. However, Sprint will cancel your service quicker for the excess data usage (even if you are paying the $30 per month), than they will over free tethering, because too much over the air usage slows down service to everyone, which is one of the biggest complaints about Sprint (Service being too slow).
Well they probably would drop you if you had like 50gigs+ every month and the only way you could do that is downloading major porn or like downloading world of warcraft 3 or 4 times lol
I've been tethering since we had what seemed like a 20 step rooting sequence using adb commands. In other words ancient history in terms of the Evo. They've never given any indication of caring, but I only tether when I need to. I've downloaded torrent sized files, but never very often. I probably use more data flashing roms from my dropbox than I ever have by tethering.
I wonder if the can supposedly glean this info from CIQ. They do take user stats and most likely apps stats.
I use about 12 gigs monthly since 06. No hitch
I personally don't use the tethering all that much. I find that it decreases my battery life by like 726237x. And I don't know about you guys, but I don't bring my phone charger with me everywhere. So.
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium
Doesn't matter. I can't even use Wifi tethering.
My 3G speed is honestly making me think about switching to VZW, even though I wont get unlimited data. I can literally only pull 24 kB/s down (yes, 193 kbps - TERRIBLE) during the day. At night (1am+) I can pull about 1000 kbps.
I used to be able to get way better speeds, but over the last month or two it has literally come to a crawl. I only use Wifi on my evo now, i can barely use the market on 3g. I attribute this to the recent S2 and iPhone 4s. It's probably also related to my area, Southern Cali. Very populated and probably too much traffic (no 4g either... stupid.)
try boosting your 3g. theres a thread somewhere to do it.. it like calibrates your 3g to the best it can do
Tried searching around, no such luck for this thread. All I've come across is a some other users getting speeds just as bad as me.
Can't believe I'm paying the $10 dollar data fee per month, I could probably get a better connection from dialup.