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Able to tether on a 4g phone?

Hey everyone, I haven't been following this phone (or any phone for that matter) after getting my Droid Incredible... so I was wondering if tethering (via apps like PdaNet) has been officially disabled/banned on 4g phones?

Thanks

Don't think so. A phone's a phone to Verizon, but they certainly want you to pay them. It's safer that way. ;)
 
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Gingerbread has certain "fixes" that prevent most apps from functioning other than the VZW app. pdanet is the only one I know of that works besides the official one. Some phones you can reprogram the APN though.

HuH?! :thinking: My OG Droid has been running Gingerbread forever and I've always been able to tether with it. I can't remember this ever being an issue.
 
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Yes. They can look in the packets and determine which is tethered data and which is phone data... hence their sweet little redirect to their Verizon hot-spot sales pitch page when you try to do it.

I have never heard of anyone actually getting spanked for tethering (even though it's a fierce no-no in the terms of contract) but it does cost them bandwidth and they want us paying for it. They've really clamped down hard on it lately. I know I do not want to the first person spanked for tethering and made an example of, even though my tethering has always been few & far between.
 
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Yes. They can look in the packets and determine which is tethered data and which is phone data... hence their sweet little redirect to their Verizon hot-spot sales pitch page when you try to do it.

I have never heard of anyone actually getting spanked for tethering (even though it's a fierce no-no in the terms of contract) but it does cost them bandwidth and they want us paying for it. They've really clamped down hard on it lately. I know I do not want to the first person spanked for tethering and made an example of, even though my tethering has always been few & far between.

My biggest fear would be losing my unlimited data plan as a penalty...
 
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^^^^^ or never put in, which is the actual way.

tnSOV.png
 
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The OG Droid has a much more 'pure google' experience than any other phone Moto has put out. It doesn't really have a tether restriction. I talked to a friend last night who tethers a lot and he's concerned about the lack of tether on Bionic such that he's considering getting a Samsung. I wouldn't cry so much if it wasn't just a cash grab on the part of the carrier.
 
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I see, so no one really tethers anymore? I don't want to tether for downloading purposes. I recently moved for college and this place I'm living at just has a really crappy connection and I'm not even able to play games on it... so the main reason I would tether is to play games (ie. Left 4 Dead 2, TF2, etc.)
 
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(snicker - you're in college - priorities, man, priorities....)

Seriously, plenty of people are tethering - its just that when the fine folks at VZW *cough cough* figured out they could monitor tethering by packet sniffing, it changed the game considerably....

I think that you get a warning at least once, if not twice, about having to pay for the tethering service....
 
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(snicker - you're in college - priorities, man, priorities....)

Seriously, plenty of people are tethering - its just that when the fine folks at VZW *cough cough* figured out they could monitor tethering by packet sniffing, it changed the game considerably....

I think that you get a warning at least once, if not twice, about having to pay for the tethering service....

is there any apps that allows you to "encrypt" or change packets so that verizon folks cant figure out?
 
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I don't think so, but the problem with that is: as soon as Verizon sees your packets encrypted or whatever, they're gonna KNOW what you're up to. Sort of defeats the purpose. I don't think there's currently a way to disguise tethering data as phone data, any more than it already is. :(

yea wut i meant was disguise not "encrypt". is it technically possible and will anyone ever attempt it?
 
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Actually, I wonder if you could change your browser's agent to a mobile one and fool VZW that way - but, there is also the fact that you'd need to mask your IP address to that of ht phone, since your computer would be obtaining its own IP from the phone during tethering....

I suppose, if you really really REALLY want to do it someone can figure it out.

personally, though, I think that running a mobile version of a site on 26" HD monitors would Suck Arse.
 
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Once you tether, data packets are being routed to a different host(s). There is NO WAY to get around this. It is easily detectable by anyone that knows anything about packet sniffing. The question is, is Verizon going to spend resources actually packet sniffing millions of customers looking for tetherers. I say confidently, "NO WAY!". Having said that, tether at your own risk. ;)

I only tether when I'm on vacation ... for two weeks. And, very rarely when I really need to use my laptop and I have no WAP available to me.

Furthermore; what about all of the phones that have wireless tethering capabilities, AND the other devices that are allowed to USB tether? VzW would have to filter out all of those devices as well. This makes their job of packet sniffing even more complicated. I just don't think they're going to spend man hours trying to track down such a small percentage of "offenders".

The Bottom Line: I will be tethering with my Bionic. (Or will I?) :D:D:D
 
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