Tethering on T-Mobile (Unlimited Data Plans)

[East]

It's pretty popular for people to use android tethering apps in the community with T-Mobile. Technically there's a 7GB limit on T-Mobile's tethering, but users can get by that easily with android tethering apps that promise to hide the tethering.

Looks like T-Mobile is going to start cracking down on this:
http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/31/9230595/t-mobile-unlimited-data-tethering-warning

 

[WriterMs]

From what I've read, they are about the last of the major companies to try to eliminate it.

 

[highdesertranger]

isn't T-Mobile a big city carrier. highdesertranger

 

[East]

Basically. A lot of vandwellers at least over on reddit do use them and city dwell. They're pretty much worthless outside of metropolitan areas.

 

[highdesertranger]

yeah that's what I have heard also. I have never run into anybody with T-Mobile out in the sticks. highdesertranger

 

[NeedAnEscape]

That's my experience with tmobile too. Usually the fastest in town, but nothing at all or voice only once out of town.

 

[K1ngN0thing]

I've gone well over 7gb tethered with no apps to hide it. Hopefully I didn't just jinx it.

 

[Happy Camper]

I have metropcs which is owned by tmobile. The way the tethering works is that you get a certain amount of 4g hotspot data, then it throttles the speed for tethering. Your own phone data will still be full speed 4g. Pretty sure tmobile works the same way.

 

[offroad]

That's my experience with tmobile too. Usually the fastest in town, but nothing at all or voice only once out of town.

Maybe get T-Mobile for in town. And then switch to a cheap SIM card plan like H2O (which is ATT mvno) when out in the boondocks for coverage. H2O has a $25 per three months plan with very limited calls and texts.

 

[LeeRevell]

This gives us a new slant on the old joke......   "When is UNLIMITED data NOT 'unlimited' "?
If they throttle it at ANY level, it is NOT unlimited.  This is false advertising.  Just say it is "limited to 7G" and be done with it.   I can understand their consternation over those users seriously abusing the limit, but they are still being a bit dishonest.  But I suppose it is all in one's definition of the word.  To me, "unlimited" is just that.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

...
If they throttle it at ANY level, it is NOT unlimited.  This is false advertising. 

'Unlimited' refers to the amount of data one can transmit and receive.  'Throttle' refers to the speed of said data transmission.  Unless they claim 'unlimited at 4G' they are technically not falsely advertising.  They do, however, depend on your assuming you get all that data at the fastest rate.

-- Spiff

 

[akrvbob]

The many law suits about it mean that any new contract. Will clearly state the throttling.

No deception there.

 

[LeeRevell]

'Unlimited' refers to the amount of data one can transmit and receive.  'Throttle' refers to the speed of said data transmission.  Unless they claim 'unlimited at 4G' they are technically not falsely advertising.  They do, however, depend on your assuming you get all that data at the fastest rate.

-- Spiff

Since I am still fairly new to online connection via wireless I guess I am not up on applicable terms.  It just seems odd in a different context.

 

[Happy Camper]

Previously when you'd hit your data limit one of two things would happen.

1. Your data would continue and you'd be billed overage charges at enormous rates.

2. Your data would be halted and you wouldn't have any more data until the next billing cycle. You usually had the option to purchase more data at a somewhat higher rate.

Now some carriers do offer truly unlimited 4g for your devices. But in regards to tethering they always have some sort of cap. The reason is that people were trying to replace their home internet using their phones, which resulted in huge amounts of data being used and bogging down the systems back then when they weren't as robust.

Also there used to be a fee associated with tethering. I think on some it was $5 a month or more for the privilege. Recently, Tmobile and now Metropcs will allow you to use your high speed data allowance for tethering. Once you've hit your cap for high speed they throttle it down.

But on the unlimited plan which I have, they allow me to use 6gb of data for high speed tethering. it doesn't affect any data that I use on my phone. The tmobile cap is 7gb for tethering high speed. Other carriers I'm not sure what the current offers are.

 

[East]

I'd like to know the premise on which AT&T was fined by the FCC for false advertising of unlimited iPhone data plans when they introduced a speed cap. You know, they probably address this stuff with contractual lines that are rock solid in court these days, but back then it certainly appeared the same to the consumer. A phone company sells an 'unlimited' package and throttles it, only to get fined by the FCC for 100 million years later based on tethering practices.

I think the problem is that these unlimited plans usually look the same to most casual consumers. I guess people should pay attention to the fine print.

Something relating to this topic, actually, those iPhone plans are now throttled at 22GB by AT&T, which is way more than the 3GB they throttled them at in recent years. Most people seem to think this is a reaction to T-Mobiles higher throttle threshold.

 

[NeedAnEscape]

AT&T doesn't throttle my plan. I have used 28gb since september 8th (and tethered 21gb of that) and still get great speeds. I have a $30/month unlimited prepaid data-only plan, not a phone plan.


That's in my work's concrete building which blocks a large portion of the signal. T-Mobile's higher frequencies can't even get in despite having a tower in the parking lot.

 

[East]

AT&T doesn't throttle my plan. I have used 28gb since september 8th (and tethered 21gb of that) and still get great speeds. I have a $30/month unlimited prepaid data-only plan, not a phone plan.


That's in my work's concrete building which blocks a large portion of the signal. T-Mobile's higher frequencies can't even get in despite having a tower in the parking lot.

I have the same plan, it's pretty awesome. Usually I use 150GB-250GB a month with no throttling haha.

 

[Almost There]

So if you've got data only, does that mean that you use your laptop for all data?

I'm still trying to figure out connectivity for this winter. I need very limited telephone use and a decent rate for calls from the US to Canada. I also need internet but I'm not sure of how much I'll need - at least enough to surf the web for several hours a day (counting on some bad weather days in there... )

 

[East]

So if you've got data only, does that mean that you use your laptop for all data?

I'm still trying to figure out connectivity for this winter. I need very limited telephone use and a decent rate for calls from the US to Canada. I also need internet but I'm not sure of how much I'll need - at least enough to surf the web for several hours a day (counting on some bad weather days in there... )

Data only plans usually live out of Wi-Fi hotspots, so they are technically able to provide data for any Wi-Fi enabled device including smartphones. You simply connect the device to the hotspot's Wi-Fi. Personally, I use my data plan in a Wi-Fi hotspot as described and it provides Wi-Fi access to my smartphone. The app I use for texting & calling is Google Hangouts and it works well with Google Voice. It uses a technology called VoIP to let me place calls and receive calls on data through the app using Google Voice on Wi-Fi (my data plan). Google Voice has free calling from the US to Canada and from Canada to the US.

While I'm on AT&T, the Verizon plan listed in the Omnilynx topic can do the same thing for $47/mo.

 

[NeedAnEscape]

So if you've got data only, does that mean that you use your laptop for all data?

The plan I have is intended for an iPad, which is what I am using it in right now. It's jailbroken so I can tether to my phone, laptops and other tablet. 

It will work in a hotspot and I will move it to a hotspot when I move into the van.