Tethering/Hot-Spot on Verizon for free?

[eds]

I have a Galaxy S3 Kitkat on Verizon right now - 2gb data plan - Foxfi has worked fine for me even with the Kitkat update and Verizon doesn't charge me the $20 extra fee for using the Hotspot.

I'm looking to upgrade to the Note 4 but does anyone know if I can either use the hotspot without paying extra or simply use USB tethering?

I spoke with a Verizon employee and (of course) the answer was no.

 

[Podivin]

On my 10gb plan tethering is free.
I THINK it's free on any plan except for the old unlimited data plans.

 

[mattywalnuts]

I have a Galaxy S3 Kitkat on Verizon right now - 2gb data plan - Foxfi has worked fine for me even with the Kitkat update and Verizon doesn't charge me the $20 extra fee for using the Hotspot.

I'm looking to upgrade to the Note 4 but does anyone know if I can either use the hotspot without paying extra or simply use USB tethering?

I spoke with a Verizon employee and (of course) the answer was no.

fox-fi with pdanet. works on my s4 with unlimited data. you have to pay for the full version to get unlimited use of the app, it's something like $7.

it's supposed to be illegal now for carriers to charge for tethering on top of an unlimited plan, but you know how that goes.

 

[potterdood]

foxfi works just fine, if you have the more everything plan tethering is free but it comes out of your data, if you have unlimited then you can use foxfi and get unlimited data, side note on that, I actually was paying verizon for the unlimited mobile hotspot and the speeds were so slow, like .1 - .2 mbps, nothing would load, unsubscribed from that service and tested foxfi and got the normal speeds that my phone sees when I speed test it, not sure if they're throttling the mobile hotspot feature for unlimited data users, but it definitely wasn't worth the $30.

 

[Dan GSR]

Fox fi works

 

[RickSchlegel]

I'm on a regular 2-year 6GB VZW plan, shared with my wife, and tethering is no additional charge for either my N3 or her IPhone.

 

[DaveMo]

If you have a 2gb plan, Verizon has stated that you can use 3rd party apps to enable the hotspot. Verizon will not help you get it done though. I use FoxFi.

With prices going down, it might be more cost effective to switch to the 2gb more everything plan. I think it cost like $5 less - and that is not including savings from having text messaging included.

 

[TXShelbyman]

You can use two finger on the home screen and pull down. You will see Mobile Hotspot. You can enable it and then attach to it with WiFi. Works great. I do this with my WiFi tablet all the time. When done, just disable. I don't believe there is an extra charge for doing this.

 

[jamaicanbrandon]

I heard Verizon was recently charged a hefty fine for double charging people to use their data, which is why you see their plans now have free tethering