Free WiFi hotspot (no root needed)

[darkmaniac7]

Then Verizon is doing false advertising by saying data as if it's any sort of data and should be saying what types of specific data is acceptable and block those things that use sustained data usage.

When I went into the Verizon store they made no mention of what acceptable data usage could be done. They made it sound as if I could use the data in way I wanted, up to 4GB per month.

As for why I want to do mail on my laptop, sometimes I have school documents I don't want on my phone. As a matter of fact I have completely gotten rid of email on my phone because even though I have manual fetch on and have it specified NOT to automatically get email, every time I reboot my phone or there is a data drop, it checks the email. Frustrating my phone can not behave how I tell it too.

And if doing things like Netflix is sustained data which is bad for their networks, why is it that the advertise watching Netflix on their phones? Why is it I have a Blockbuster bloatware app which is essentially the same thing as Netflix on my phone that can not be uninstalled? Sorry, the mixed messages is very frustrating.

Because Transferring Netflix over the mobile client is MUCH different than transferring over a PC, which netflix assumes has a much better connection. The following is a comparison on an Ipad 3G, not quite the same but pretty close.

How much data does Netflix streaming video use on the iPad 3G? | iPad FAQ

Now compare that to SD and HD viewing on a PC.

Holy cow, Netflix really does use a lot of bandwidth ... - Comcast HSI | DSLReports Forums

Netflix bandwidth - Is 1GB/hr at HD accurate? - Comcast HSI | DSLReports Forums

280mb/hr for Netflix Mobile vs. 850MB/HR for SD or 1885MB/HR for HD with a PC.

Slightly different figures, this all relates back to my original post with line capacity, and constant downloading.

 

[doogald]

Because Transferring Netflix over the mobile client is MUCH different than transferring over a PC, which netflix assumes has a much better connection. The following is a comparison on an Ipad 3G, not quite the same but pretty close.

How much data does Netflix streaming video use on the iPad 3G? | iPad FAQ

Now compare that to SD and HD viewing on a PC.

Holy cow, Netflix really does use a lot of bandwidth ... - Comcast HSI | DSLReports Forums

Netflix bandwidth - Is 1GB/hr at HD accurate? - Comcast HSI | DSLReports Forums

280mb/hr for Netflix Mobile vs. 850MB/HR for SD or 1885MB/HR for HD with a PC.

Slightly different figures, this all relates back to my original post with line capacity, and constant downloading.

In addition to this, the hotspot feature allows up to 5 connections through the phone. While it's true that the bandwidth to the phone is the same, it's also true that, since internt traffic is bursty, you have potentially 5 times the chance of bandwidth being used at any given time. Multiply this by all of the people within range of a tower at the same time and it's quite different from the original design - bandwidth for a single, mobile device.

I am wondering, though, if the real reason to charge for hotspot is to prevent cannibalization of the actual standalone mobile hotspot devices that they sell. The don't want people considering buying a MiFi or Jetpack or whatever they call these things now (with a minimum data charge of $50 for 5 GB per month) to just buy a phone and use it with their existing data plan for less per month.

 

[wildkitten]

Because Transferring Netflix over the mobile client is MUCH different than transferring over a PC, which netflix assumes has a much better connection. The following is a comparison on an Ipad 3G, not quite the same but pretty close.

How much data does Netflix streaming video use on the iPad 3G? | iPad FAQ

Now compare that to SD and HD viewing on a PC.

Holy cow, Netflix really does use a lot of bandwidth ... - Comcast HSI | DSLReports Forums

Netflix bandwidth - Is 1GB/hr at HD accurate? - Comcast HSI | DSLReports Forums

280mb/hr for Netflix Mobile vs. 850MB/HR for SD or 1885MB/HR for HD with a PC.

Slightly different figures, this all relates back to my original post with line capacity, and constant downloading.

And all of that would matter if I were on an unlimited plan which I am not, and soon no one else will be as well.

No matter how fast I reach 4GB, if I ever would do, I would either then not be able to download anything else for the rest of the month or pay a very high per GB fee.

 

[breeze94]

I read and reread the TOS that doogald posted and don't see anything that prevents using this app. If you use it in such a way that degrades service for others, they could take action to prevent you from doing it. That is all I read. Just because they SELL a specific hot spot service, does not mean that using an alternative hot spot is against your TOS. Are we not allowed to use google navigation because verizon also sells VZ navigator? If they want to prevent the use of the app, they can and will. You are not violating anything and you certainly are not stealing from verizon by using it.

 

[droidpower32]

I have a DROID X, I just installed FoxFi and my ipad3 will connect to the hotspot, but it says it cannot connect to the server. I don't understand how to make it work so that the ipad will have internet.

 

[dave1812]

deleted

 

[darkmaniac7]

I just saw this on Extra Credits a once a week gaming type show about new Ideas and whats happening in Tech and thought it worked pretty well with what I was talking about never knew about the statistic the point out that "AT&T says that their network traffic has risen 20,000% since 2007" and Cisco says that usage is Doubling every year.

Penny Arcade - Extra Credits – Spectrum Crunch

Edit: possible fix is using the visible spectrum see here: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/harald_haas_wireless_data_from_every_light_bulb.html

 

[Rip Torn]

I purchased my phone. I own my phone. My phone and its contents and uses and features are my property, no one else's, not even Verizon's or whoever else, regardless of what the government might have to say about it. Property rights.

 

[doogald]

I purchased my phone. I own my phone. My phone and its contents and uses and features are my property, no one else's, not even Verizon's or whoever else, regardless of what the government might have to say about it. Property rights.

The service that you are trying to use it on is Verizon's. It is theirs, not yours, and retain rights about how people like us use it. If they want to restrict your access to their network based on your abuse of the rights that they allow you based on the contract that you signed, they are well within their rights.

I believe that the government does own the wireless spectrum that Verizon uses for their service and licenses its use to Verizon, so the government also has some say about it. It'd be nice if they asserted rights to protect our free use of the spectrum, as the government is us.

 

[Droid User 667]

I am having a hard time understanding the "stealing" issue.

To me, Verizon offers a hotspot for $$ but there are legitimate apps to be able to do it for free. Wouldn't it be the same as using Google or any of the other multitude of navigation apps instead of the installed VZNAV that they charge $$ for?

Also, not sure if this is the same as I have never used it. Verizon charges $$ for V-Cast but doesn't seem to mind if you get your media from other sources such as Netflix, Pandora, etc.

I have never heard the "stealing" angle heard for either of these but technically, wouldn't I be cheating Verizon out of the $10/mo for VZNAV by using Google?

 

[doogald]

I am having a hard time understanding the "stealing" issue.

To me, Verizon offers a hotspot for $$ but there are legitimate apps to be able to do it for free. Wouldn't it be the same as using Google or any of the other multitude of navigation apps instead of the installed VZNAV that they charge $$ for?

Also, not sure if this is the same as I have never used it. Verizon charges $$ for V-Cast but doesn't seem to mind if you get your media from other sources such as Netflix, Pandora, etc.

I have never heard the "stealing" angle heard for either of these but technically, wouldn't I be cheating Verizon out of the $10/mo for VZNAV by using Google?

There was a period of time when the data contract for Verizon services allowed you to use Verizon's data network for the handset only. "Stealing" is perhaps not the best word, but one way to look at it is if your electrical company provided unlimited electricity to the home for a fixed monthly price for anybody in your community, with the stipulation that the electricity was used only for your home and its contents. If you then snaked a cable to your neighbor so that both you and your neighbor had the electrical service provided to your home for the one fixed monthly price (so, basically, the two homes get service at the cost for one home) - would that be "stealing"?

The same thing is happening with bandwidth to the tower. Verizon needs to determine how much data bandwidth to provide based on population density, people who travel through the area, etc. If you decide to drop your home broadband internet contract and share your phone's data connectivity to other devices besides your phone, is that "stealing" service from Verizon? That bandwidth that they must provide to the tower has a cost.

Anyway, it's all moot, I think. As I have detailed earlier, the data service contract does not seem to say that the service is for the handset only.

 

[Droid User 667]

Thanks for the reply.

I see what you are saying if you are on an umlimited plan. Unfortunately, my wife and I dropped VZ for what seemed to be a better deal except for the fact that there was no data coverage in my area.(we were told there was) We were back with VZ 5 days later but of course lost our unlimited plan. I am now looking at it through the eyes of someone with a limited amount of data to use as I please!

Also, just wanted to recognize that in my haste @ 12:15 am, I did not notice that breeze94 had already made the exact same argument that I did in a prior reply.

 

[doogald]

Apparently Verizon recognizes this problem, as the new shared data plans (which look a bit of a rip-off to me) include hotspot access as part of the shared data plan - it uses your shared data pool, just like normal data does.

So, starting June 28, you can have an unlimited talk and messages plan (for $40 per phone) with, say, 2 GB of data for $20 more, and that includes hotspot access.

See Verizon Wireless Unveils New Share Everything Plans For Basic Phones, Smartphones, Tablets And More and Share Everything Plan: Unlimited Talk & Text with Shared Data.

 

[marksatterfiel]

see my additional notes on my previous post.

What is your previous post?

 

[marksatterfiel]

I am having a hard time understanding the "stealing" issue.

To me, Verizon offers a hotspot for $$ but there are legitimate apps to be able to do it for free. Wouldn't it be the same as using Google or any of the other multitude of navigation apps instead of the installed VZNAV that they charge $$ for?

Also, not sure if this is the same as I have never used it. Verizon charges $$ for V-Cast but doesn't seem to mind if you get your media from other sources such as Netflix, Pandora, etc.

I have never heard the "stealing" angle heard for either of these but technically, wouldn't I be cheating Verizon out of the $10/mo for VZNAV by using Google?

Well, it really depends on the contract. Some contracts say "Handset only, no tethering allowed unless paying extra".

Here to read more: AT&T aggressively moving against unauthorized tethering | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

 

[johnlgalt]

I'll tell you how I'm screwing the big Red.

I have unlimited, grandfathered, and I am testing foxfi and WiFi Tether an other apps on the ICS leaks - by using my D1 to tether with.

That will throw them for a loop.

 

[wildkitten]

I'll tell you how I'm screwing the big Red.

I have unlimited, grandfathered, and I am testing foxfi and WiFi Tether an other apps on the ICS leaks - by using my D1 to tether with.

That will throw them for a loop.

What's your opinion of Verizon making it so the My Verizon widget no longer updates data usage automatically, making you actually open the app to do it? Do you, and others, think Verizon's hope is that people will go over there data plan so they can charge those exboritant overage charges? That's my thinking because it's such a step backward that that's the only thing that seems to make sense.

 

[johnlgalt]

You mean the widget?

 

[wildkitten]

You mean the widget?

Yes, the My Verizon widget that tells you data usage. It no longer autoupdates.

 

[doogald]

Yes, the My Verizon widget that tells you data usage. It no longer autoupdates.

For what it's worth, the old widget (I haven't tried the new one yet) only updated once daily for me, with yesterday's data totals. I have unlimited and never use more than 250 MB in a month anyway, so I don't really need the widget at the moment, but that always bugged me as well.

 

[wildkitten]

For what it's worth, the old widget (I haven't tried the new one yet) only updated once daily for me, with yesterday's data totals. I have unlimited and never use more than 250 MB in a month anyway, so I don't really need the widget at the moment, but that always bugged me as well.

It was always auto updating, seemed like every 5-10 minutes for me. That is until about 3 or 4 days ago. I noticed the auto updating stopped like on Saturday so was obviously something done network side and not app side. The updated app merely confirmed it was no longer autoupdating data usage, that you had to go into the app for thr widget to refresh the data usage.

 

[dautley]

I very rarely use my phone to to tether but I did want to check and see if FoxFi still worked with ICS. It does but I found a very interesting new "feature" under System Settings, Data Use which list each app that uses data and how much data that app used. I would think Verizon could probably access the same thing on your phone if they want to.

 

[johnlgalt]

Funny you should mention that - I mentioned the same in another post yesterday:

http://androidforums.com/motorola-d...ood-data-usage-widget-bionic.html#post4648436

I added screenshots to the same thread just a few minutes ago, too.

http://androidforums.com/motorola-d...ood-data-usage-widget-bionic.html#post4659877

 

[thomslick]

Hello! New here. I joined just to comment on this topic.

Thom

 

[thomslick]

I guess the FCC agreed with those of us who thought Verizon was wrong, despite their contract: http://socialbarrel.com/no-more-20-fee-to-use-your-phone-as-mobile-hotspot-on-verizon/41357/


Enjoy your new freedom!
Thom