Free WP8 Internet Sharing/WiFi Tethering?

[sravanv]

Hear me out before you call me a cheap shmuck for not paying the extra $20 per month for wifi tethering.

I love Windows phones. I bought my dad one not because he liked it but because I liked it and I was in the middle of a contract and could not upgrade. When I saw what Nokia and HTC were doing with WP8, I fell in love so much that I wanted to buy an unlocked phone right this instant.

This is where Android comes in. I enjoy Android, I really do but WP8 is so much more exciting. However, the only thing stopping me from switching is the fact that I can download an app that allows me to tether freely. I can also root the phone which also allows me free tethering. I also happen to use it alot and will be using it more once my ipad ships.

I know WP7 had a hack that allowed folks to get free internet sharing/wifi tethering. However, will WP8 have that same hack? Will there be apps for us to download onto it? If that's the case, I'm switching over in a heartbeat...

Now why don't I just pay the $20 per month? I guess it's just a principle thing...If WP8 doesn't have it, I'll just have to sit on Verizon for another year before I bolt for T-Mobile and hope that the Microsoft Surface phone works on that carrier...

 

[DaveGx]

I'm with you. I absolutely despise how they want to charge us to use the same data we already pay for. And its not really WiFi. Its friggin sharing your measly 3g connection. Charging double digit dollars for that is bull ****. If you aren't using any more data than you normally use, there's no justification for it.

I hope some sort of hack comes out for WP8.

 

[crav4speed]

Internet sharing is usually enabled by the manufacturer with permission from the carrier. If you buy an unlocked and unbranded device, chances are very high it will include the internet sharing option since there is no carrier influence in that unbranded device. That is one if the benefits of buying unlocked. WP7 supported it so there is no reason why WP8 should not.

 

[derek533]

I'm sure the fellas over at XDA or even here, will figure out a "hack" just like with WP7. I've been using this hack myself and it works 100% of the time and I've not received anything from Verizon. Of course, I also don't download crap loads of data that would throw up any red flags either.

Example, went on vacation and our hotel had very spotty wifi. I used my phone to tether so I could just browse the internet. My normal monthly data usage is around 250mb. After a week long vacation factored in with tethering, I had used 420mb for the month. Just browsing and an occasional Youtube doesn't consume a whole lot of data.

Again, I think Verizon charges so much because some screw it up for everyone else downloading torrents and whatnot.

 

[VagrantWade]

Not sure where you are from, but the major carriers in the US tend to find out when you are tethering without paying for it, and they often will tack the charge onto your account. Because you technically agree in TOS not to do it.

 

[palandri]

It comes down to the "Net Neutrality" argument.

 

[DaveGx]

Carriers are dirtbags for charging for this. It would be like your internet provider charging you extra to use a WiFi router. We already pay for the service/data. To use your 3g signal on your laptop or tablet doesn't require anything extra from the carrier. This charge is just a scam

 

[rpm1984]

Correct me if I am wrong but on the new share everything plans isn't wifi hotspot allowed by Verizon? If that is the case will these new windows phones have the ability to do that?

 

[gkrew]

per the FCC Verizon cannot charge for tethering and after the Tango update on my HTC Trophy I was able to see tethering as an option but it was not until I changed my plan to Share Everything plan that it actually worked. I connected my Kindle Fire to my HTC Trophy and it worked flawlessly.

 

[DaveGx]

per the FCC Verizon cannot charge for tethering and after the Tango update on my HTC Trophy I was able to see tethering as an option but it was not until I changed my plan to Share Everything plan that it actually worked. I connected my Kindle Fire to my HTC Trophy and it worked flawlessly.

So you have to change plans to not be charged? I have grandfather unlimited. I now can not tether. Its just so asinine to me how they wanted to charge in the first place.

I do not want to have to change my plan and lose unlimited data. And if I already have unlimited data I should be allowed to tether

 

[sravanv]

Yeah shared plans get free wifi tethering but Verizon doesn't have to let unlimited data plans be able to to tether...That's the unfortunate situation...

 

[badhor5e]

Hear me out before you call me a cheap shmuck for not paying the extra $20 per month for wifi tethering.

I love Windows phones. I bought my dad one not because he liked it but because I liked it and I was in the middle of a contract and could not upgrade. When I saw what Nokia and HTC were doing with WP8, I fell in love so much that I wanted to buy an unlocked phone right this instant.

This is where Android comes in. I enjoy Android, I really do but WP8 is so much more exciting. However, the only thing stopping me from switching is the fact that I can download an app that allows me to tether freely. I can also root the phone which also allows me free tethering. I also happen to use it alot and will be using it more once my ipad ships.

I know WP7 had a hack that allowed folks to get free internet sharing/wifi tethering. However, will WP8 have that same hack? Will there be apps for us to download onto it? If that's the case, I'm switching over in a heartbeat...

Now why don't I just pay the $20 per month? I guess it's just a principle thing...If WP8 doesn't have it, I'll just have to sit on Verizon for another year before I bolt for T-Mobile and hope that the Microsoft Surface phone works on that carrier...

file a complaint with the FCC. According to an fcc ruling Verizon is not allowed to block tethering. But they get away with it because Verizon included this in the tos of unlimited plans. Then again they had this in there regular plans? If enough people complain maybe we can change this

 

[thed]

It's possible to get tethering working on Verizon unlimited plans by changing some internal settings on your phone. Follow the steps in this post:
http://forums.windowscentral.com/1686471-post24.htm

I did this and tethering works just fine on my phone (unlimited plan).

 

[inteller]

$50 individual data plan on ATT allows you to tether....of course you need $20 for unlimited messaging....then another $40 for voice...you get the drift.

 

[jleebiker]

Yeah shared plans get free wifi tethering but Verizon doesn't have to let unlimited data plans be able to to tether...That's the unfortunate situation...

I am grandfathered in the unlimited data plan and after upgrading to the latest software and doing the APN trick, I can WiFi tether for free. Been doing this for months and haven't seen any other charges on my bill or increase in my bill.

 

[DaveGx]

It's possible to get tethering working on Verizon unlimited plans by changing some internal settings on your phone. Follow the steps in this post:
http://forums.windowscentral.com/1686471-post24.htm

I did this and tethering works just fine on my phone (unlimited plan).

I am going to give that a shot. Thanks.

 

[DaveGx]

I am grandfathered in the unlimited data plan and after upgrading to the latest software and doing the APN trick, I can WiFi tether for free. Been doing this for months and haven't seen any other charges on my bill or increase in my bill.

Im about to try it. I expect it to work and its not like I use enough data to cause a red flag to go up. I still think it should be built in for us to use it for free. Its the same damn cellular data we use on our phones, except we're "sharing" it to our laptops/tablets. Charging for that is a scam.

 

[jdevenberg]

FWIW, if you have an unlimitted plan, they have every right in the world to charge you to tether. Most people will use it more often and consume more data than they would using just their phone. Now if you are on a capped plan, they have 0 right to charge you to tether. If you pay for 2 GB you should be allowed to use that 2 GB however you want.

Shoot, if I had an LTE phone with unlimited data and free (or even $20) unlimited tethering, I would probably cancel my Comcast internet at home.

 

[sravanv]

I am grandfathered in the unlimited data plan and after upgrading to the latest software and doing the APN trick, I can WiFi tether for free. Been doing this for months and haven't seen any other charges on my bill or increase in my bill.

Ah but the question is can you do it on WP8? I might just go to a verizon store and mess around with an 8x to see if it lets me tether...

 

[sravanv]

FWIW, if you have an unlimitted plan, they have every right in the world to charge you to tether. Most people will use it more often and consume more data than they would using just their phone. Now if you are on a capped plan, they have 0 right to charge you to tether. If you pay for 2 GB you should be allowed to use that 2 GB however you want.

Shoot, if I had an LTE phone with unlimited data and free (or even $20) unlimited tethering, I would probably cancel my Comcast internet at home.

Technically, you're right but I would imagine that the average consumer would have no need to tether. If they had a soft cap at, say, 8 or 9 GB of data, I feel like that would work better.

What we're seeing is continued monetization of their radio spectrum. That's the only reason they're charging. To make money. And the margins are probably insane too...But hey, they're in the business of making money, not making me happy...