What's the status of AT&T and WiFi tethering?

[mkenyon2]

I'm looking at the Lumia 920, tho I've also been watching the Samsung Ativ. (I still love my original Samsung Focus!)

I heard that AT&T no longer blocks tethering on new phones. However, my Focus can't Wifi tether. (There is a workaround for USB tethering that works tho.)

Updates?

:straight:

 

[Duvi]

The status is... you just have to get a plan that supports it.

I have the unlimited plan still, so that won't be an option for me.

 

[VagrantWade]

I'm looking at the Lumia 920, tho I've also been watching the Samsung Ativ. (I still love my original Samsung Focus!)

I heard that AT&T no longer blocks tethering on new phones. However, my Focus can't Wifi tether. (There is a workaround for USB tethering that works tho.)

Updates?

:straight:

You have to pay for a shared data plan for tethering. Otherwise if you get caught they will just slap the charge on your account.

 

[Necroscope]

Older phones cannot

wifi tether.

We recently switched to a shared data plan, and ATT told me that any phone that was capable of wifi tethering (they called it 'mobile hot spot') would be allowed to do so. The iPhones can do it. My sons 900 can as well.

My 2 year old quantum is in the same boat as your phone. I can work around to hard wire a tether but I cannot wifi a hot spot.

 

[Reflexx]

I may end up giving up my unlimited data.

I don't use over 1GB a month. My wife uses even less.

And when it gets to over 2GB they're going to throttle it anyways, right?

 

[gudnuf4u]

I may end up giving up my unlimited data.

I don't use over 1GB a month. My wife uses even less.

And when it gets to over 2GB they're going to throttle it anyways, right?

if you have the shared data plan, they don't throtlle you....just pay extra for the overage of data

if you have an unlimited plan, you get throttle at 3GB on 3G phones or 5GB on LTE phones

 

[conanheath]

I just ended my unlimited plan so I could get hot spot working. My bill went up $15 a month and I got a 5gig plan. Not bad considering I will never get close to that and all my toys will work now while I'm out and about. They also had a 3gig plan that would have kept my bill just about the same. I think it was a $5 difference from unlimited plan. Lost unlimited, but does it really matter anymore??? For the money I'm paying them, I'm going to use every bit of that 5gig.

 

[TJWINS]

Yes you have to get a shared data plan in order to get the mobile hotspot feature. Technically there is no such thing as wifi tethering. It is ether called "tethering" when using a cable or "mobile hotspot" when using it wireless. Either way AT&T requires a shared data plan to get it . T-Mobile has great plans with included mobile hotspot so you might want to check them out if you are out of contract.

 

[Why0Why]

I am grandfathered in on unlimited and thinking of switching. I have 4 phones and I barely use any data and it looks like I can save $60 a month by switching. I wouldn't use tethering often but it would be a nice option on occasion.