Internet Sharing with an ATIV S (I8750 or T889M) on AT&T?

[voluptuary xda]

Hi, I currently have a Lumia 920 at&t branded that I don't use for two reasons, one being I can't use internet sharing on it (without a special data plan) and two at&t's network recognises it as a smartphone so they force me to pay for a smartphone data plan... meh. Anyways I was wondering if anyone with either the international I8750 or a Canadian T889M has been able to get internet sharing to work on at&t without having to pay extra? Also for those with the Canadian versions what branding comes on the phone: logos, boot screens, apps, wallpapers/ringtones? And then lastly has anyone been able to use either version of this phone on at&t along with their 'unlimited data for non-smartphones' plan?

 

[freestaterocker]

I can't help you with the AT&T stuff, but my Bell Mobility Ativ S has no identifiable carrier branding except for the Mobile TV app, which, of course, can be deleted. Bell doesn't require a special plan for internet sharing: either the phone does it or not.

 

[voluptuary xda]

Thanks for the branding info. I just really wish someone that is using this on at&t would confirm that there isn't a prompt to purchase a special data plan when trying to use internet sharing. I know with the Lumia 920, even on euro ROM's/devices if you put an at&t sim in it and try to turn on internet sharing you get prompted that to use the feature you need to purchase a compatable data plan. I don't want to drop $600 on this phone if that's the case, I'll just stick with my Lumia 800 as my day-to-day then.

 

[crystal_planet]

My T899M is from Telus directly and did not have any Telus apps preinstalled - a few Samsung exclusives were installed which were nuked the second I powered up the device (as they are utter rot). I am able to tether with no issue whatsoever, just as I was with my Lumia 800 before; but I think that feature is very much tied into the carrier.

 

[voluptuary xda]

Ok, very good to hear that there is no branding on this. I know that the phone is capable of tethering but what I am after is info about how it auto-provisions carrier settings. For example on my Lumia 800 (euro version) internet sharing just works without any extra plan from at&t, but on my Lumia 920 (at&t hardware but with the euro dev rom) internet sharing won't enable unless I have the specific tethering data plan from at&t (lots more $$$) it something to do with how the phone provisions network settings but I have a feeling it's more related to Nokia than WP8. I just need/want some kind of confirmation that the Samsung network provisioning doesn't do the same thing.

 

[freestaterocker]

My T899M is from Telus directly and did not have any Telus apps preinstalled - a few Samsung exclusives were installed which were nuked the second I powered up the device (as they are utter rot). I am able to tether with no issue whatsoever, just as I was with my Lumia 800 before; but I think that feature is very much tied into the carrier.

The Now app is kinda decent. I haven't found the need to download a weather app yet because of it...

 

[voluptuary xda]

Still looking for some help here. There has to be someone with one of these phones on at&t... someone.... anyone?

 

[Stefan L]

Unfortunately you are correct.
With an ATT compatible SIM the ATT carrier profile is activated. This activates a server check that checks if you are allowed to tether. (something the 920 does not do with other SIMs) I had bought an unlocked phone and was very disappointed that is was not really unlocked. I sent the phone back.
Apple has the same implementation but for the iphone there are Hacks (Tetherme / Mywi) and Android also works. This makes WP8 the only platform where there is no solution to use the data you already paid for outside the phone itself.

I do not understand how it can be legal to cripple full price unlocked devices when you put a certain SIM in, particularly since one of the features is listed ishotspot with up to 8 connections with no word that "we reserve the right to block this wherever we want to". What else will be blocked when you arrive in a country and put a local SIM in?

 

[crystal_planet]

Still looking for some help here. There has to be someone with one of these phones on at&t... someone.... anyone?

Nice avatar by the way. I loves me some Bioshock.

 

[voluptuary xda]

Unfortunately you are correct.
With an ATT compatible SIM the ATT carrier profile is activated. This activates a server check that checks if you are allowed to tether. (something the 920 does not do with other SIMs) I had bought an unlocked phone and was very disappointed that is was not really unlocked. I sent the phone back.
Apple has the same implementation but for the iphone there are Hacks (Tetherme / Mywi) and Android also works. This makes WP8 the only platform where there is no solution to use the data you already paid for outside the phone itself.

I do not understand how it can be legal to cripple full price unlocked devices when you put a certain SIM in, particularly since one of the features is listed ishotspot with up to 8 connections with no word that "we reserve the right to block this wherever we want to". What else will be blocked when you arrive in a country and put a local SIM in?

Thank you very much for this confirmation, but just to be clear, this is on your Samsung ATIV S that you had this same issue? I ask because you only mentioned the 920 directly and I just want to be sure that we can rule out Nokia's network profile tool locking internet sharing and put the blame on Windows Phone 8.

Nice avatar by the way. I loves me some Bioshock.

I am actually very surprised you caught that. The avatar is from a members only picture pack that I got a long, long time ago. I use it for almost all my profiles and you are the very first person to correctly identify where it originated from.

 

[Eric The Fruit Bat]

JUst for giggles I turned on Internet Sharing on my T889M on T-Mobile US, and attempted to connect my Galaxy Nexus via WiFi. It shows a connection adn a use count, but I could never get it to hold an open connection for long.

 

[voluptuary xda]

JUst for giggles I turned on Internet Sharing on my T889M on T-Mobile US, and attempted to connect my Galaxy Nexus via WiFi. It shows a connection adn a use count, but I could never get it to hold an open connection for long.

If nothing is connected it turns off automatically after 5 minutes.

That said, still waiting for confirmation one way or another with someone who owns a ATIV S on ATT. There has to be someone out there...

 

[xirsteon]

JUst for giggles I turned on Internet Sharing on my T889M on T-Mobile US, and attempted to connect my Galaxy Nexus via WiFi. It shows a connection adn a use count, but I could never get it to hold an open connection for long.

Were u able to get 3G to work on your ATIV S? if so, where did u purchased your ATIV S?

 

[Eric The Fruit Bat]

Were u able to get 3G to work on your ATIV S? if so, where did u purchased your ATIV S?

I got 3G on T-Mobile. I picked mine up from Expansys.

 

[chris olson2]

After some time this is working for me. I live in seattle.

2 things.
I cannot get LTE. I know the phone does it but I cannot get it..only 4G
It took a stop in at the at&t store on Microsoft's campus to get it working. The tech may have worked some magic or changed my device type. In MyAT&T it shows as a feature flip phone (icon only)

 

[Eric The Fruit Bat]

The SGH-T899M only supports Band IV LTE-AT&T went band 17 and has a very limited Band IV deployment.

 

[Decan]

I have the ATIV S and i am unable to get internet sharing working on it. I checked with my carrier and tethering is enabled. Every time I try it is says Connection not shared, Ther's no mobile data connection to share at the moment.

 

[noelito]

I also have the ATIV S and am on AT&T and unfortunately tethering does not work either, I get some type of error message saying there is no cellular connection when in fact there is, this is disappointing because coming from my htc titan, I was able to change the registry and enable tethering and by pass any additional carrier chargers, I can only hope that they jailbreak windows phone 8 including the ativ s and are able to get into the registry and enable tethering again, I hope this answers your question

 

[peterfares]

Here is a post I made on March 1 about the T899M

I was able to get internet sharing to work! Here's how!
Go to the market and search samsung electronics. Download the "apn" app.
Now go to settings and open the apn settings. Click edit apn, then click ATT Broadband. Change the APN from broadband to pta (if you have an LTE plan) or to phone and save. Internet sharing should now work. Great thing is, it doesn't ask AT&T for their damn permission!

If you have a non-smartphone data plan set the APN to wap.cingular

 

[Gunter Zink]

I have an Ativ-S on AT&T (with internet sharing plan), internet sharing works fine (takes a while to get an IP).
I got it from Canada, Rogers branded.