Which cellphone provider has the best coverage at the lowest price and doesn't care if you tether your phone a lot witho

[SirJoey]

<br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Yeah, nothing against U by ANY means, Mike. I DO appreciate all the helpful info, but I think maybe this thing is defective or something.&nbsp;</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>I've been messing with it for several hours now, &amp; still no luck changing the clock &amp; date settings. I even tried calling it from my land line, thinking maybe that would affect it some way, but no such luck. Plus there's that "734,000 service days left" thing still scrolling....</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>I tried the "reset settings" button.... nothing. Even tried removing the battery. Still no affect.&nbsp;</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Any idea what "TTY" mode means? Or "Sim Ap", &amp; what it does if U "unlock" it? <br /><br />And wot's this business about the phone automatically "locking"? Wot's up with that?&nbsp;<br /><br />I've read every word in the manual, but it's pretty pitiful, IMO, &amp; they're website isn't much better. Man, I'm lost here... :-(<br /><br /></strong></span>

 

[wandering mike]

I would find a land line or Skype or Google voice (so you don't use minutes) and call their 800 number for service and get to a technical support person and sit on the phone with them for a few hours. &nbsp;It does sound like you have a bad piece of hardware.

 

[offroad]

verizon just got busted by the FCC (fined) for charging for tethering. &nbsp;They have to cancel all tethering fees they charge. &nbsp; So the data you&nbsp; buy from your cellphone company is yours to use as you please.<br /><br />But also means that those with unlimited data plans, can be charged for tethering, because they are unlimited. &nbsp;Only if caught tethering though.

 

[SirJoey]

<br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Well, sometime after midnight last night, the clock &amp; date finally corrected itself. Apparently, they only transmit the data once every so many hours, maybe just once a day, IDK.</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>The weird thing is, instead of tripling the 60 minutes to 180, it went to 190 (minus a few minutes I lost when it tried to log on, &amp; when I called it, trying to get the clock to set), so for some reason it gave me an extra 10 minutes.</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Stranger still, is that the "734,000 Service Days Remaining" display finally corrected itself too, but in stead of giving me the 3 months I paid for, it gave me 5! Sure, I'll take the extra couple months, but wot's up with that?</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Since these things now seem to be okay, &amp; I finally figured out how to remove all those huge icons that popped up on the home screen, I'm thinking I may keep this thing after all, even though there are a number of things I don't understand, which seem to have no explanation in the book OR on their website.&nbsp;</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>On the plus side, it DOES get slightly better reception (usually 1-2 bars) here at home than my Net10 did, enough so in fact, that it may actually be usable here in the dead zone where I live. The Net10 was totally useless here, which is one reason the minutes kept piling up. Even though I don't plan to use this thing here at home, it would be nice if I COULD, in case of some kind of emergency where the land line was out.&nbsp;</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>I'll give it a few days &amp; see...<br /><br /></strong></span>

 

[SirJoey]

verizon just got busted by the FCC (fined) for charging for tethering. &nbsp;They have to cancel all tethering fees they charge. &nbsp; So the data upoi buy from your cellphone company is yours to use as you please.<br /><br />But also means that those with unlimited data plans, can be charged for tethering, because they are unlimited. &nbsp;Only if caught tethering though. &nbsp;

<br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Okay, I'm gonna proudly display my ignorance once again...</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>wot the heck is "tethering"? <br /><br /></strong></span>

 

[offroad]

tethering is connecting your PC-COMPUTER to your CELLPHONE over WIFI or BLUETOOTH to use its data stream. &nbsp;You will usually hear terms like you get 10GB a month, or UNLIMITED DATA on your CELLPHONE. &nbsp;That is the data that you buy. &nbsp;Usually folks just use it on the smart CELLPHONE, but sometimes they link a computer to the CELLPHONE and start using what they buy via the CELLPHONE.<br /><br />verizon and other carriers started charging a separate fee to activate tethering, to just allow you to use the data, you already bought. &nbsp;So they would charge an extra $20 just to connect. Then you pay $20 to $30 per month more for data. &nbsp;So an extra $40 to $50 per month. &nbsp;Most smartphone require a data plan be bought with them.<br /><br />

 

[SirJoey]

<br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Well, this thing says it has Bluetooth, or is Bluetooth capable or some such crap, but I don't even know what that is. Whatever it is, it doesn't sound like anything I need. <br /><br />If U have WiFi access, why would U connect your PC to your phone? Why not just log the computer directly onto the WiFi?</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>If I ever get to travel again, when I need internet access, I'll just have to log on at a McDonalds or something, &amp; make sure I don't do any online banking. Obviously, any banking matters will just have to wait till I get home.<br /><br /><br /></strong></span>

 

[offroad]

right its for travel only. &nbsp;if you have wifi you do not need tethering.

 

[wandering mike]

Glad it sounds like it is working out. &nbsp;This issue may have hijacked the thread though. &nbsp;Sorry to the OP. &nbsp;<br /><br />It does sound like the prior comment on tethering is back on point and the carriers will be less concerned about tethering after the Verizon case. &nbsp;Hard to say from what I have seen if it is only related to a certain portion of spectrum that Verizon bought or if it is a general issue.<br /><br />