Tethering

[offanairplane]

I know back in the day (i.e. the last time I checked on it) Verizon charged you for tethering. They had a tethering plan, which I think was x amount of dollars per MB or GB.

Can I tether with my rooted xtr-ROM Eris without using a plan like that?

Can a non-rooted Android phone also do this, or is it a result of rooting?



Thanks,
Wayne

 

[doogald]

There are even non-root apps that allow this (PDANet comes to mind.) There is a root app that works, but if you have xtrROM it should be on your phone already. I have actually never used it myself - I just don't need it - but I am 100% certain that there are people on this thread who have used it, and probably continue to.

There is no official tethering plan available for the Eris from Verizon - you cannot order it as an option, and they will not offer it to you if you have an Eris. There are Android phones that have tethering options, but not the Eris. Because the tethering is just carrying traffic on standard ports that can come from your phone, it would be very difficult for Verizon to detect that you are tethering with the account (except perhaps just by the amount of bandwidth consumed.)

You just have to realize before you do it that you are technically breaking the terms of the data plan service contract and Verizon can, I believe, actually disconnect your account and charge you an ETF. I can't remember if the contract says that they have to warn your first, but I doubt it/ The likelihood of that is very, very, very, very remote, I think - I have no read of a single person who was caught tethering illegally - but you should know that before you start.

 

[offanairplane]

There are even non-root apps that allow this (PDANet comes to mind.) There is a root app that works, but if you have xtrROM it should be on your phone already. I have actually never used it myself - I just don't need it - but I am 100% certain that there are people on this thread who have used it, and probably continue to.

There is no official tethering plan available for the Eris from Verizon - you cannot order it as an option, and they will not offer it to you if you have an Eris. There are Android phones that have tethering options, but not the Eris. Because the tethering is just carrying traffic on standard ports that can come from your phone, it would be very difficult for Verizon to detect that you are tethering with the account (except perhaps just by the amount of bandwidth consumed.)

You just have to realize before you do it that you are technically breaking the terms of the data plan service contract and Verizon can, I believe, actually disconnect your account and charge you an ETF. I can't remember if the contract says that they have to warn your first, but I doubt it/ The likelihood of that is very, very, very, very remote, I think - I have no read of a single person who was caught tethering illegally - but you should know that before you start.

I don't really have any need for it either. But a coworker was asking me about it. He wants to get either a Droid or iPhone, and cancel his home internet service. And just tether anytime he wants to.

I told him I know my phone can do that, but I would assume the newer Android phones can also. But I didn't know what it costs.

Does Verizon have a plan for newer Androids for Tethering?

 

[doogald]

I don't really have any need for it either. But a coworker was asking me about it. He wants to get either a Droid or iPhone, and cancel his home internet service. And just tether anytime he wants to.

I told him I know my phone can do that, but I would assume the newer Android phones can also. But I didn't know what it costs.

Does Verizon have a plan for newer Androids for Tethering?

Yes, they do. Droid Pro, Droid X, Incredible, Fascinate, LG Vortex and Droid 2 all support mobile hotspot (that's the name of the feature, if you want to look it up on VZW's web site.) The iPhone does as well. I think it adds $20 a month for 2 GB of data per month, $20 per GB overage after you reach the cap. So, to be clear, that $20 a month plus the cost of your data plan ($30 unlimited, no cap), plus the cost of your voice and text plan. And there is no unlimited mobile hotspot plan, strangely.

 

[offanairplane]

Yes, they do. Droid Pro, Droid X, Incredible, Fascinate, LG Vortex and Droid 2 all support mobile hotspot (that's the name of the feature, if you want to look it up on VZW's web site.) The iPhone does as well. I think it adds $20 a month for 2 GB of data per month, $20 per GB overage after you reach the cap. So, to be clear, that $20 a month plus the cost of your data plan ($30 unlimited, no cap), plus the cost of your voice and text plan. And there is no unlimited mobile hotspot plan, strangely.

That answers my question.

Thanks!

 

[bberryhill0]

PDANet works quite well and includes a SMS feature so you can send and receive texts on the computer.