• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Help My family mobile hotspot/tethering blocked

A

Android Question

Guest
We bought "my family mobile with their unlimited 10 gigabytes of talk text and data. It's states in the information that tethering is included. We were able to get our Hotspot with no trouble for mine and my husband's tablets for about nearly three months. Now all of a sudden, without any warning, our hotspot connects, but will not bring up any browser connection at all, even though it connects us. I am told by T-Mobile /Myfamilymobile that I was never entitled to a hot spot on my Z820 Obsidian phone. We are in our sixties and unable to see most items on our phone without a lot of trouble, that is why we wanted the hotspot capability for our tablets, This truly seems like a true bait and switch to us? Do you have any idea what we can possibly do or how we can override how we have been blocked by them? All help is appreciated... Thanks, Grammy and Pop-Pop
 
Tethering is definitely allowed based upon their Terms of Service:
Walmart Family Mobile customers select how much high-speed data they receive under their service plan. If your total high-speed data usage exceeds your selected high-speed allotment during a billing cycle, we may reduce your data speed to 2G speeds for the remainder of that billing cycle. Depending on the capability of your device, tethering your device to other lawful devices is permitted up to 10 devices pursuant to the terms, conditions and allotments of your Data Plan.

That's also included in the terms at the bottom of the Family Mobile store page:
General Terms: Featured plans include unlimited domestic voice, messaging and data only; full speeds up to plan’s data allotment, including tethering, then speeds slowed to up to 2G speeds for rest of billing cycle.

So as long as you haven't used up your monthly data allotment, and your phone supports it (it clearly does since it worked for three months), I don't see any reason you shouldn't be able to tether or otherwise use your device as a wireless hotspot.

It's possible that the customer service rep you spoke to was misinformed or unaware of their policies. It might be worth trying to talk to another representative to see if you can get a more helpful response.
 
Upvote 0
Right there with you guys. New month must have just updated and now I'm at work and have no connection of internet though my Hotspot on any devices. What's the point of unlimited internet plan if you can't use the internet. Time to downgrade the plan and search for an alternative. Family mobile has progressively gotten horrible and beyond since they sold to tracfone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: adityajadon
Upvote 0
I've been fighting for almost 2 weeks about this. My phone bill is paid by my boss so changing carriers isn't exactly an option. I'm bound and determined to find a loop hole, workaround, or something to find a way to make it work. I don't make a great deal of money so I can't afford to buy a mifi or something like that.
 
Upvote 0
Unfortunately I believe we are up the "CRAP CREEK" forgive my language. Walmart's "Family Mobile" was bought by Tracfone. And I really don't see them bending on anything cause they really don't care if you go to another carrier unless it's a major brand. Tracfone also owns "Straight Talk" of which I'm sure most of you know but they also own Net10 Wireless, Total Wireless, Safelink Wireless, Telcel America and Simple Mobile. They also have agreements with majors like T-mobile, AT&T, U.S. Cellular and Sprint... I guess thye feel like thye own most of the market or have deals with other companies that they don't need to placate consumers... I found all this out along with the whole cutting the hotspot option out while doing research because I was getting ready to switch over. GLAD I DIDN'T!!!
 
Upvote 0
They cut me off for 3 days after I had been tethering very intensively for long periods during peak usage hours. Now I tethering for periods under an hour in the AMs and late PMs. So far so good.
Eventually competitive pressures should make tethering universally OK. Single node communications at retail is obviously easiest and most efficient. My question is this: WHAT is it about tethering they don't like?? What in the world makes a tethering gigabite more difficult or costly for providers? If you know, please chime in.
 
Upvote 0
I guess I'm going to find another carrier. Family Mobile tricked me. I can't use my mobile hot spot or tethering anymore since I upgraded to the Unlimited Data Plan. I guess they have some kind of block on it now. That's the whole reason I got a phone with hotspot capability and got the unlimited data plan. WALMART FAMILY MOBILE YOU SUCK.
 
Upvote 0
I am also having this same problem. I've had the service with family mobile for about 6 months now. When I first got the service under the 10gb "unlimited" plan I was able to use wifi tethering for months I used it with no problems. Then I decided to switch to the truly unlimited 50$ a month plan since that day I have not had access to my hotspot. It's kinda crap If you ask me. When I spoke to customer service about the issue all they can tell me is that they do not and have not ever offered hotspot tethering. Even after I explained that I had in fact been using it for months all the rude lady I spoke to would do is repeated say that they do not and have not ever offered that. So explain to me how it was I was using it then. Wal mart and family mobile is crap as far as I'm concerned and I would not ever recommend it to anyone. If anybody finds a workaround for this please let us know as clearly I am not the only person with this exact same scenario.
 
Upvote 0
So I'm not really the kind of guy that just lets it go. If I want something to happen I will tinker and hack it until I make it happen! Here's the workaround I came up with and so far it seems to be working fine. I use to use this program on an old low end phone I had to get hotspot to work. I did not even know the app was still around until I thought to try it today. It was a long time ago I used it android 3.0 if I'm not mistaken. Alas it is still around. It's not ideal and it's a little bit of setup and it's somewhat janky! That being said it does work & you DO NOT have to root your phone in order for it to work. What you will need to do is download pdanet+ from the android play store. If you are connecting to another android device you will need this app on both the host phone and the phone/tablet you want to connect to the hotspot. From there just follow the directions on the app. You will turn on your hotspot on the host phone thru the app! Then using the app on the device you need to connect you simply find the wps name it gives you as it will change every time you use it then wala input the pass word.. thank you very much
 
Upvote 0
Follow up on a prior post.
If you are still interested in using your hotspot, you will need to get the pdanet+ app on both devices.

The direct WiFi option is what your phone will run, and the tablet will connect using the option to connect to the hotspot the direct WiFi option creates on the phone.

If, you use a lot of data, you can purchase the key for pdanet+ , which allows you to use the app with an unlimited amount of data without interruption. Or, if you rather, not but the key for $3.99 I think, you can find it online for free, if you know what you're looking for.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20180701-125718.png
    Screenshot_20180701-125718.png
    278.9 KB · Views: 564
Upvote 0
We bought "my family mobile with their unlimited 10 gigabytes of talk text and data. It's states in the information that tethering is included. We were able to get our Hotspot with no trouble for mine and my husband's tablets for about nearly three months. Now all of a sudden, without any warning, our hotspot connects, but will not bring up any browser connection at all, even though it connects us. I am told by T-Mobile /Myfamilymobile that I was never entitled to a hot spot on my Z820 Obsidian phone. We are in our sixties and unable to see most items on our phone without a lot of trouble, that is why we wanted the hotspot capability for our tablets, This truly seems like a true bait and switch to us? Do you have any idea what we can possibly do or how we can override how we have been blocked by them? All help is appreciated... Thanks, Grammy and Pop-Pop

Use the PDANET+ APP

you can still use unlimited data
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20180701-125718.png
    Screenshot_20180701-125718.png
    278.9 KB · Views: 1,195
Upvote 0

BEST TECH IN 2023

We've been tracking upcoming products and ranking the best tech since 2007. Thanks for trusting our opinion: we get rewarded through affiliate links that earn us a commission and we invite you to learn more about us.

Smartphones