O2 are charging £15 for tethering ability (Which is a complete rip-off). Now as far as I'm aware, they have no way of knowing if the internet usage is from the phone or from a pc it's connected to, can someone confirm this?
No there isnt, but over xmas I had it hooked upto the laptop and for the first time ever recieved a text message to say I had gone over my data allowence and to cut down, this was at 2.5 GB
Antimus said:
O2 are charging £15 for tethering ability (Which is a complete rip-off). Now as far as I'm aware, they have no way of knowing if the internet usage is from the phone or from a pc it's connected to, can someone confirm this?
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That's ridiculous. I don't see how they can get away with removing software from a standard build of the phone and then charge you to have it back. I'm suprised, because I rate O2 as a company, but that's just underhanded theft as far as I'm concerned.
Anyway, to answer your question, no. There's no way they can tell if it's your phone or a connection vie the wifi router that's using the data connection.
johncmolyneux said:
That's ridiculous. I don't see how they can get away with removing software from a standard build of the phone and then charge you to have it back.
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They aren't exactly charging you for the software, they're charging you for allowing a different kind of use of your data connection. £15 a month is what they charge for their standard "wireless broadband" package - intended for people using a USB dongle with a laptop. It has a 3GB/month limit and almost no restrictions in terms of what the contract says you can use it for. If you're merely using the "unlimited web bolt-on" then (according to the terms of fair usage policy) there's all sorts of things you're not allowed to do, tethering included, and the limit on data usage per month is much lower. I was on O2 for a bit, and, having received a warning the previous month, my internet connection was completely cut off when it hit 1GB the next month.
Shasarak said:
They aren't exactly charging you for the software, they're charging you for allowing a different kind of use of your data connection. £15 a month is what they charge for their standard "wireless broadband" package - intended for people using a USB dongle with a laptop. It has a 3GB/month limit and almost no restrictions in terms of what the contract says you can use it for. If you're merely using the "unlimited web bolt-on" then (according to the terms of fair usage policy) there's all sorts of things you're not allowed to do, tethering included, and the limit on data usage per month is much lower. I was on O2 for a bit, and, having received a warning the previous month, my internet connection was completely cut off when it hit 1GB the next month.
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Okay, if you explain it as the phone being used like a dongle then I can see some sense there, but it's still nonsense when you take into account the fact that anyone with a bit of tech sense (or a user of these forums) will just install the wifi router and use it. Alternatively, a USB cable would negate the need for the wifi routing software completely. O2 wouldn't know, so they could only complain about the amount of traffic (if you exceeded your agreed "unlimited" limit.)
Just sounds like they're selling air in a can, if you ask me. Thankfully, I don't see how they can enforce it.
slight difference re: £15 dongle price is that with the dongle you also get free access to "the cloud"and "bt open zone" wifi networks for your fifteen quid.
I've had mine for a few months now and after flashing to a non o2 ROM (tried 1.66 but now on Sone 1.33) I found that the wifi router wasn't any better than simply using a usb connection so I tend to stick with that if I dont want to use my 3 dongle...I try not to go crazy with the allowance from o2 and as such haven't had any -ve feedback from them so far...as for them finally getting round to coming up with a chargeable ammount for tethering, I'm surprised its taken them this long as it wasn't officially available at all when I upgraded to mine...when "negotiating" my deal I was initially offered 3gb at the bargain price of £405.00mth and that was on a £84mth+vat contract suffice to say that isn't what I went for
Even if you pay the £15 tethering charge, there is still a 3GB cap and if you exceed this you will receive the text message and then be 'monitored' by them after that...
At the end of the day; we are just expected to do a bit of browsing, read the online papers, update Facebook and play around on Twitter, watch a few You Tube videos etc on our mobiles. The data bolt-ons are not supposed to cover laptop tethering. Sure the feature is available on a few smartphones these days but that is a manufacturer feature and not a network carrier feature. Basically you have to be very careful if you use the facility. The days of being able to use your mobile as an unlimited data internet modem are not here yet.
I was under the impression that the limit for O2's unlimited web browsing bolt-on was around 250mb, not the 2gb that you guys are talking about.
Can't say as I'm wanting to spend £15 for the same thing, just with wireless access that I'll probably not use.
Can't wait for my phone contract to run out, I'm drooling over the HD2
They have no way of knowing providing you don't make them suspicious with ridiculous amounts of downloading.
I have used tethering for months, including on my iPhone before I got my HD2. For simple browsing and forum use you would have to make some serious effort to go anywhere near the allowed unlimited (hawk spit) download limit of 750mb a month. Especially if you do what I do and use Opera when tethered which allows very easy caching of images, especially useful for forums.
The only issue I find is O2's utterly s**t 3G network coverage but that's a different matter.
3G coverage is pretty good according to their map. At least it's better than Orange where I live, I get signal in one corner of my house, thats it.
sucks
Antimus said:
3G coverage is pretty good according to their map. At least it's better than Orange where I live, I get signal in one corner of my house, thats it.
sucks
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Individual places are going to be better on certain networks but taking the country's overall coverage into account Orange actually have the best 3G network there is, or they did the last time I checked anyway. And it will only get better if the proposed merger with T-Mobile goes ahead.
On O2 I get a brilliant HSPDA signal at my house but as I have 20mb wireless it's totally redundant. However, at work I don't get any data signal at all, never mind 3G but my work colleague who is on Orange in the same office gets the full works. It's a royal pain when the wireless router goes down (which is does frequently) as I can't use tethering.
O2 apparently have the worst 3G coverage in the country, although since the introduction of the iPhone 3G they have been steadily improving it.
Related
Apologies, I was not sure where to post this.
I am and have been on o2 for years, however the data tariffs are pretty much in the stone age for pricing, I have seen T-mobiles web n talk deals and they look good. Can anyone advise if I take the plunge and let my o2 contract expire (this month) will I be happy with t-mobile?
I am in the UK for your information, cheers.
Oh and why the different web n talk options, only one allowing VOIP, what is restricting it?
Same situation here, HSDPA access restricted to business only, and they charge ALOT for any downloading at all!!
T-mob does look good however i would only require a SIM only tarriff.....from what ive seen on the site they only offer the good web-n-walk tarrifs with a handset bundled in (for a price obviously)
mrvanx said:
Same situation here, HSDPA access restricted to business only, and they charge ALOT for any downloading at all!!
T-mob does look good however i would only require a SIM only tarriff.....from what ive seen on the site they only offer the good web-n-walk tarrifs with a handset bundled in (for a price obviously)
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O2 used to be great when I enjoyed free access for a year, since then they've stayed at £2.35 per MB. Not only that but as an online customer no bundles supported (still no where near t-mobiles pricing).
T-Mobile have been pretty good, I have a flext 30+ Web and Walk standard, works out at around £35 per month.
Its not actually unlimited internet I think it works out to something around 1gb per month but with the amount you download with normal active sync e-mail and web browsing I havent hit it yet so it (and the fair use policy just says if you exceed 1gb per month they will ask you to cut down a bit, with more restrictions each time you break the 1Gb limit) Basically its not designed for peer to peer, streaming or skype.
The pro version isnt that much more expensive though.
chrisjasper said:
T-Mobile have been pretty good, I have a flext 30+ Web and Walk standard, works out at around £35 per month.
Its not actually unlimited internet I think it works out to something around 1gb per month but with the amount you download with normal active sync e-mail and web browsing I havent hit it yet so it (and the fair use policy just says if you exceed 1gb per month they will ask you to cut down a bit, with more restrictions each time you break the 1Gb limit) Basically its not designed for peer to peer, streaming or skype.
The pro version isnt that much more expensive though.
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Ah so more expensive packages are just cause more data will be used not that on the others it wont work?
thesoulpoet said:
Ah so more expensive packages are just cause more data will be used not that on the others it wont work?
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Yes, the pro web+walk packages go up to 10Gb per month.
chrisjasper said:
Yes, the pro web+walk packages go up to 10Gb per month.
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Is it possible to migrate across to T-Mobile web-n-walk without having to buy a handset?
Not entirely sure about that one, I've been with t-mob since they were one2one.
You can pac code your number across so most likely you could go to W+W without buying a handset....
strange t-mobile
whats strange about t-mobile uk is that, although they say 1gb limit, ive been using my w&w plan since april 06 and have almost consistently exceeded the limits, in the last few months according to my data monitor on the nokia 6680 ive exceeded 10 gigs a month. One of the call centers isnt too far from my town and the area i live in has very few serious w&w users or so i believe.. ive got good HSPDA reception in my area and plan to do some testing with my phones.. will post results..
I moved from O2 to T-Mobile for the exact same reason... I simply couldn't justify the rip-off data charges!
Since moving to T-Mobile I can honestly say I don't regret making the move... their service is as good or better than O2 and having web n walk is absolute bliss
I'm on the basic web n walk package, but as far as I know there is nothing preventing you using your mobile as a modem for a laptop and I'm sure I've read posts from other users saying you can still make internet calls (skype) on the basic package??? - the only thing the saleman told me is they do monitor activities and if they detect another IP address (from a computer I would guess) or any voice/video streaming, there's a chance I could be billed for it
stewcp said:
I moved from O2 to T-Mobile for the exact same reason... I simply couldn't justify the rip-off data charges!
Since moving to T-Mobile I can honestly say I don't regret making the move... their service is as good or better than O2 and having web n walk is absolute bliss
I'm on the basic web n walk package, but as far as I know there is nothing preventing you using your mobile as a modem for a laptop and I'm sure I've read posts from other users saying you can still make internet calls (skype) on the basic package??? - the only thing the saleman told me is they do monitor activities and if they detect another IP address (from a computer I would guess) or any voice/video streaming, there's a chance I could be billed for it
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I might give them a call and see what they reckon (im on a monthly rolling contract with O2 at the mo)
Whats the basic WnW package got in terms of texts and minutes.....a basic run down of the details would be very helpfull dude
Roaming charges?
I've been thinking to switch to WnW but have been unable to fing the roaming data costs. That is... i use it to sync to exchange while abroad (mostly europe).
Can't find the costs on the t-mob site
t-mobile DATA costs
3G (where available) £7.50 per Mb
This is the data charge anywhere outside the UK. I wen't to India sent two emails with picture attachments. Got bill, ended up sending 4mb which came to about 30 quid. It's a shame they don't have a better deal for people on Web n walk. BTW, i am on web n walk plus, the middle package, £12.50 a month. 3 gb limit and when connected to my laptop avg DL speed is 130.0kbs
Link for roming costs anyway, http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/personal/our-services/going-abroad/details-by-country.do
mrvanx said:
Is it possible to migrate across to T-Mobile web-n-walk without having to buy a handset?
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I bought a Universal on Ebay that had been on O2 and I stuck in a tmobile pay as you go sim card. Once I'd put in the server details (for which there is a help page on the tmobile site) it works great. I don't do a lot of data normally, but when I do, I get charged a flat rate of £1 for that day. I used it abroad to get email in Switzerland and France. It worked right off the plane with no fiddling at all.
evilv said:
I bought a Universal on Ebay that had been on O2 and I stuck in a tmobile pay as you go sim card. Once I'd put in the server details (for which there is a help page on the tmobile site) it works great. I don't do a lot of data normally, but when I do, I get charged a flat rate of £1 for that day. I used it abroad to get email in Switzerland and France. It worked right off the plane with no fiddling at all.
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Click to collapse
I did the same for an O2 XDA IIs - originally I just used it as a phone (on O2 pay-as-you-go) and PDA, but recently needed Web access. Popped into a mobile phone shop, pick up a brochure of tarrifs saw the O2 one, picked myself up off the floor and bought a T-Mobile pay-as-you-go SIM. T-Mobile very helpful in setting up the web access over the phone (they called me back on a different mobile)
mrvanx said:
Is it possible to migrate across to T-Mobile web-n-walk without having to buy a handset?
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Click to collapse
If you can get sim only then you can get web and walk as i have been using since last 11 months. I only got a sim Flex20 and whenever like i subscribe to web&walk through internet account as well opt out by telling 1 month notice.... or you can use pay as you go sim card... £1 a day and unlimited internet even VOIP.... i often use it for skype and got excellent result, i taked hours and never got problem... cheers
T-Mo UK now has the G1 free on a £30/m 18m contract. You get an 8GB memory card and WnW Plus (which gives you access to Wifi hotspots as well as "unlimited" 3G).
Quite tempted, but read so many so-so reviews of the hardware.
I just got mine on an upgrade. But i only got a 2gb card. No biggy. IMO the phone is great.
Its got a 528mhz processor
192mb ram
256mb rom
3mp camera
Bluetooth
wifi
gps
compas
accelerometer
Comes with a wired headset (usb connection, u can get a usb to 3.5mm adapter if you want to use a better headphones)
Battery life is ok. If your a heavy user of internet its going to drain the battery quick. Ive been charging twice a day when i use it alot. You can get a higher capacity battery aswell. Though its possible theres still a few bugs thats causing battery loss.
Dont have everything on all the time.
Its permenantly connected to the internet. Browsing speed is respectable and the browser is nice.
The hardware is great. We just need software to go with it. At the moment it only supports bluetooth headset. But that will change with new updates.
No virtual keyboard, but again thats coming aswell.
Gmail is great on it.
Text messaging works, though mms doesnt support videos and i dont think you can save to SD yet.
Theres still alot of support to add yet. pdf word etc
If your willing to put up with some missing features then its a great phone.
When you get it, its probably be on rc7. Youll get a notification of a new update. If you want to keep root access dont install it. rc8 update fixes the root access and isnt reversible at the moment.
If you no what your doing with linux terminal commands, id install the modified rc8 update that keeps root access, its explained in the development thread.
patp said:
T-Mo UK now has the G1 free on a £30/m 18m contract. You get an 8GB memory card and WnW Plus (which gives you access to Wifi hotspots as well as "unlimited" 3G).
Quite tempted, but read so many so-so reviews of the hardware.
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Do you know what minutes and messages you get on that?
I'm on the £40 one which allows you to spend £250 a month but i'll probably never use that so going down a level might be good for me...
Audiofreq said:
Do you know what minutes and messages you get on that?
I'm on the £40 one which allows you to spend £250 a month but i'll probably never use that so going down a level might be good for me...
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from what I've been told, you can't go down the price plan till you come to upgrade so you're stuck on what you've got unfortunatly.
the £30/month is either ther combi 25 + web'n'walk plus(£25/month + £5 for the web'n'walk. 300mins, 600texts) or the flext 30 + free web'n'walk plus(£30/month, £140 to spend a month). I tempted to get the flext 30 but also got my eye on the touch hd so not fully decided yet.
Ive just picked up the £30 a month combi plan from carphone warehouse. Got a 2gb memory card with it, not fussed about that. Really pleased with the phone so far, shame I was so hasty about upgrading. No root access for now .
Reg Hotspot
patp said:
T-Mo UK now has the G1 free on a £30/m 18m contract. You get an 8GB memory card and WnW Plus (which gives you access to Wifi hotspots as well as "unlimited" 3G).
Quite tempted, but read so many so-so reviews of the hardware.
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Hi there mate, on the wnw plus for the G1 you dont get unlimited hotspot
access because it's a promotional feature. You do get it usually but not with this Only know this because I work for T-Mobile
that sucks. do you think they coukd be persuaded to give in on that?
hotspot
saffyreuk said:
that sucks. do you think they coukd be persuaded to give in on that?
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No mate because of the way it would have to be set up on the account the features arent compatible
Its only a tenner for unlimited hotspot access which you can use on BTOZ's too.
10 a month? or a one off payment? i doubt i would use it very often and i have 3g. cant say it would be worth 10 a month but it would be nice on occasion.
hotspot
saffyreuk said:
10 a month? or a one off payment? i doubt i would use it very often and i have 3g. cant say it would be worth 10 a month but it would be nice on occasion.
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Yeah 10 a month, would be good if you were in starbucks a lot
yeah exactly. with the speed of 3g now i guess the main benefit would be saving on usage allowence.
still shame its not included, kind of annoying as i had assumed it had (my fault obv).
Hotspot
saffyreuk said:
yeah exactly. with the speed of 3g now i guess the main benefit would be saving on usage allowence.
still shame its not included, kind of annoying as i had assumed it had (my fault obv).
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Dont worry about your data becoz if your in the UK (which i assume u are) then you dont have a data allowance, you have whats called a Fair use policy (or FUP) basiclly this means that you will never be charged for data with the WnW Plus feature, the only thing that may happen is if you go over your 3Gig FUP for 3 months in a row you will get a letter sent to u asking to reduce your usage and if you still go over it your speeds will be reduced to 64kbps for 2-4 weeks.
If you then go over it once more (were now up to 6/7 months in a row!!) it will be permanently reduced to 64 kbps or you can upgrade to the max version (about 20 quid per month extra) which gives a 10Gig FUP.
All i'm really saying is dont worry about it !! Surf away. (Untill you recieve a letter )
It actually isn't £30pm. Its £35pm. that's because the WnW if £5pm extra and you NEED it as the phone is an internet phone. Mines on that deal for 700 mins and unlimited txts, unlimited browsing.
Rmg12gra said:
It actually isn't £30pm. Its £35pm. that's because the WnW if £5pm extra and you NEED it as the phone is an internet phone. Mines on that deal for 700 mins and unlimited txts, unlimited browsing.
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the £30/month plans are the combi 25(£25/month + 5 for the w'n'p plus, 300mins, 600text(300texts if bought in store)) & the flext 30(£30/month + free w'n'w plus, £140 allowance to spend on mins, texts etc).
chris are you sure you can't use the t-mobile hotspots for free? the guy at my local store told me that you could(using the wifi on the g1, obv not on a laptop, ipod touch or other wifi capable device).
hotspot
fowler002 said:
the £30/month plans are the combi 25(£25/month + 5 for the w'n'p plus, 300mins, 600text(300texts if bought in store)) & the flext 30(£30/month + free w'n'w plus, £140 allowance to spend on mins, texts etc).
chris are you sure you can't use the t-mobile hotspots for free? the guy at my local store told me that you could(using the wifi on the g1, obv not on a laptop, ipod touch or other wifi capable device).
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Yeah am sure, even if you did get it there is no way they can tell if your using a g1 or a pc while using the hotspot. Go back to ur shop and tell the guy to check his facts !
ChrisMcCann said:
Yeah am sure, even if you did get it there is no way they can tell if your using a g1 or a pc while using the hotspot. Go back to ur shop and tell the guy to check his facts !
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I don't have a g1 yet(not fully decided yet, also looking at the touch hd), but wanted to check if the t-mobiles hotspots are included with the g1 plan.
looking on the forums on t-mobile.com(usa site)link if you download this hotspot app you can connect to the hotspot(tho reading that thread it seemed hit & miss, i.e. some people were able to others not able to), just wondered if there was a similar thing for the uk. I don't really travel much so its not really a big deal for me(don't think I'll be using up the 3gb fup anyway) but would have been nice to have.
if I was to put the sim into another non-g1 phone(be it t-mobile or sim-free), what is the fup on the internet in that case(1gb or still 3gb)? also will there be any problems making calls, texting etc? I currently don't have a job but if I was to start I might be putting the sim into another phone as I wouldn't want to loose the g1(places like sainsburys, toys r us don't like you to keep your phone on you during work and want you to leave it in the staff room).
fowler002 said:
I don't have a g1 yet(not fully decided yet, also looking at the touch hd), but wanted to check if the t-mobiles hotspots are included with the g1 plan.
looking on the forums on t-mobile.com(usa site)link if you download this hotspot app you can connect to the hotspot(tho reading that thread it seemed hit & miss, i.e. some people were able to others not able to), just wondered if there was a similar thing for the uk. I don't really travel much so its not really a big deal for me(don't think I'll be using up the 3gb fup anyway) but would have been nice to have.
if I was to put the sim into another non-g1 phone(be it t-mobile or sim-free), what is the fup on the internet in that case(1gb or still 3gb)? also will there be any problems making calls, texting etc? I currently don't have a job but if I was to start I might be putting the sim into another phone as I wouldn't want to loose the g1(places like sainsburys, toys r us don't like you to keep your phone on you during work and want you to leave it in the staff room).
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No T-Mob UK doesnt have anything like that mate
But you can use the sim in another fone and use the web free of charge as its your sim that has the feature on it - not specific to the fone
Well they don't make it very easy to find out what the difference is between web'n'walk, web'n'walk Plus and web'n'walk MAX, but on the info about hotspots it says:
WiFi HotSpot included in Mobile Broadband Plans
New customers that sign up to web'n'walk Max, Plus, or Plus Daily* can now enjoy WiFi access in any of our HotSpots across the UK. So on top of 3G coverage across the country, unlimited WiFi Hotspots are included in the price - in places where you need WiFi the most, such as airports, hotels and Starbucks.
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/mobile-internet/on-your-laptop/free-wifi/
This was what I'd always understood about the Plus option- that it sanctions tethering and let's you use hotspots.
My current contract ends next month, and since it doesn't look like the UK is getting the Vario IV, I might just go for one of these.
And the T-Mobile 3G coverage is tremendous where I live, on my Vario II whenever I connect for data I get a nice little H symbol and a fast download speed, strangely, the coverage in Newcastle (upon Tyne, the real Newcastle!) the connection can be a bit hit and miss
hotspot
patp said:
Well they don't make it very easy to find out what the difference is between web'n'walk, web'n'walk Plus and web'n'walk MAX, but on the info about hotspots it says:
WiFi HotSpot included in Mobile Broadband Plans
New customers that sign up to web'n'walk Max, Plus, or Plus Daily* can now enjoy WiFi access in any of our HotSpots across the UK. So on top of 3G coverage across the country, unlimited WiFi Hotspots are included in the price - in places where you need WiFi the most, such as airports, hotels and Starbucks.
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/mobile-internet/on-your-laptop/free-wifi/
This was what I'd always understood about the Plus option- that it sanctions tethering and let's you use hotspots.
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The standard plus option doesn't but because your getting the g1 plus option for a fiver (or free on flext) it isn't included as it is a promo !
I have used about 700mb tethering my mt3g to my laptop. And need to tether about 1gb more. Am i going overboard? This is my first month having the phone so i dont have a pattern of internet useage yet. I really just want to know if this much useage will draw attention to my account. If this isnt considered alot what is? Thx.
I am pretty sure that T-Mobile is out of the "Stone Age" with their charging of serious usage. Lol.
Figuratively, the cannot charge for anything too significant. Especially considering, UNLIMITED actually means unlimited! Lol. You're in the clear, I use tethering all the time.
thank's dude thats what i was hopeing to hear. Didnt want to go overboard and get a massive bill.
rialsi6 said:
thank's dude thats what i was hopeing to hear. Didnt want to go overboard and get a massive bill.
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Yes.. Unlimited suppose to mean unlimited but many times it's not such a clear as it seems. Many offers with unlimited options has a little text with * "fair policy apply" or sth like that or unlimited but only within their network/services. Once upon a time my uncle in England had unlimited internet in his mobile phone so via bluetooth i connected it to my laptop and using normally browsing web with very little downloads cuz I was careful and wanted to check it first. After about 2 weeks suddenly his phone has been blocked. He called asking WTF is going on. They sad his bill exceeded a limit. We had to pay 200 pounds (400$) bill for a stupid internet usage!!! It was my most expensive Internet browsing.... So if I were you I would stop for now and wait for the bill first to check is everything ok or call your operator asking for the balance..
PS. It was about 2 years ago but even now I see many offers for a wireless internet (usb dongle) via GSM that says UNLIMITED DATA TRANSFER only 35F/month but always at the bottom is very small "fair policy apply"...
read the terms and conditions, it states specifically what they are going to do if you exceed a limit.
The fine print does not state a limit. Only something along the lines of "unusual usage". It is ultimately up to them, but there wirelsess laptop stick data plan has a 5 gig cap on it, so 700 megs does not sound too bad to me.
the latest t&c states 10 gigs, and after that they slow your speed down.
It seems ridiculous to sell a device that does all these things online, when the network won't even allow it. I'm talking about the 500mb fair usage policy (FUP) Vodafone place on their 'unlimited' mobile internet, when T-Mobile seems to allow you a 3GB limit.
But stop the press! I just got off the phone with Vodafone today and was told that they are in talks to INCREASE their FUP limit by Christmas! (in time for their take on the beloved iPhone). Does any one have any more information on this!? Because the FUP is the ONLY thing stopping me from getting the HD2 out from Vodafone now and not wait for T-Mobile!
Also, does anyone have any experience with Vodafone/T-Mobile voice and data coverage in the UK? That would be a big factor too in deciding which network provider to sign with.
I use TMobile in the Midlands and have no problem with voice and data reception, still waiting for my HD2 to arrive so cant comment if the reception is any better or worse than my Kaiser
serk1284 said:
It seems ridiculous to sell a device that does all these things online, when the network won't even allow it. I'm talking about the 500mb fair usage policy (FUP) Vodafone place on their 'unlimited' mobile internet, when T-Mobile seems to allow you a 3GB limit.
But stop the press! I just got off the phone with Vodafone today and was told that they are in talks to INCREASE their FUP limit by Christmas! (in time for their take on the beloved iPhone). Does any one have any more information on this!? Because the FUP is the ONLY thing stopping me from getting the HD2 out from Vodafone now and not wait for T-Mobile!
Also, does anyone have any experience with Vodafone/T-Mobile voice and data coverage in the UK? That would be a big factor too in deciding which network provider to sign with.
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The 500Mb FUP is the reason I left Orange when I had an Omnia HD. Stupid limit.
T-Mobile are excellent - even though they didnt work out for me - heres why:
I went in to get a HTC Hero - did the Street Check online - had excellent coverage and good 3G coverage. Got a great contract and the staff were very good. Got home - which is in a little town called leek (just outside Stoke) and had no 3g coverage at all. Left it a few days just in case it sprung to life then rang customer services. The very nice lady told me they have two versions of the coverage checker - one for customers and one for their Techies - the Techie one showed zero 3G coverage even though the online street check showed good coverage.
The T-mobile guys were great and I returned the phone no fuss - but be wary of the street checker - ring them to double check. There network seemed excellent and they will soon be merged with Orange who have a significant 3G network. If I had coverage I would defo go with T-mobile...
serk1284 said:
I'm talking about the 500mb fair usage policy (FUP) Vodafone place on their 'unlimited' mobile internet, when T-Mobile seems to allow you a 3GB limit.
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T-Mobile nearly always has a one gigabyte limit. They make an exception for one or two Android-based phones, such as the Hero, which have a lot of constantly updating widgets - for those phones only, if you buy the phone from T-Mobile, you will get a 3GB limit. As far as I'm aware the limit on an HD2 will be 1GB - but it might be worth checking this with T-Mobile customer services.
T-Mobile also block some ports on their standard internet service so you can't use MSN Messenger on it, or access certain websites at all (e.g. iPlayer).
I just went with Vodafone as the T-Mobile signal is poor where I live. Almost went with O2 as there have the same Fair Usage Policy as T-Mobile but the Vodafone have a pay as you go option which is a max of 50p per day with a limit of 25 Meg. As I would not use my Phone for internet all that much it is the best option for me. As I don’t need to pay an extra £7.50 a month but can us it when ever I want and not pay through the noise for it.
For myself, the benefits of Vodafone, outweigh the downside of having only 500MB of data. I've never gone over my data for the month, and find it quite hard usually, to go over 15MB a day (roughly what 500MB is over the month). I use SPB Wireless Monitor to keep track of it.
It is nice to hear that Vodafone might be increasing this limit tho.
Shasarak said:
T-Mobile nearly always has a one gigabyte limit. They make an exception for one or two Android-based phones, such as the Hero, which have a lot of constantly updating widgets - for those phones only, if you buy the phone from T-Mobile, you will get a 3GB limit. As far as I'm aware the limit on an HD2 will be 1GB - but it might be worth checking this with T-Mobile customer services.
T-Mobile also block some ports on their standard internet service so you can't use MSN Messenger on it, or access certain websites at all (e.g. iPlayer).
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lol. T-Mobile have 3 versions of internet for mobiles. Basic Web and Walk with 1Gb fair use policy and blocked ports. Web & Walk plus with 3Gb fair use and open for MSN etc and Laptop Tethering, and Web & Walk Max which has a 10Gb fair use policy and is open for everything including Skype and other VOIP calling. The difference in price between basic and Plus is about £3 -£5. All of these packages are available to all phones.
Shasarak said:
T-Mobile nearly always has a one gigabyte limit. They make an exception for one or two Android-based phones, such as the Hero, which have a lot of constantly updating widgets - for those phones only, if you buy the phone from T-Mobile, you will get a 3GB limit. As far as I'm aware the limit on an HD2 will be 1GB - but it might be worth checking this with T-Mobile customer services.
T-Mobile also block some ports on their standard internet service so you can't use MSN Messenger on it, or access certain websites at all (e.g. iPlayer).
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I have standard TMobile web and walk and can use MSN Messenger with no problems
Gajet said:
lol. T-Mobile have 3 versions of internet for mobiles. Basic Web and Walk with 1Gb fair use policy and blocked ports. Web & Walk plus with 3Gb fair use and open for MSN etc and Laptop Tethering, and Web & Walk Max which has a 10Gb fair use policy and is open for everything including Skype and other VOIP calling. The difference in price between basic and Plus is about £3 -£5. All of these packages are available to all phones.
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All of these may be available, but the point is that you have to pay extra for them. By contrast, other providers don't block ports in their standard Internet packages.
Shasarak said:
All of these may be available, but the point is that you have to pay extra for them. By contrast, other providers don't block ports in their standard Internet packages.
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Depends how you view it. I would argue that their standard is web & walk plus, that allows you to tether, which O2 for instance would charge you an extra £15 on top of your data bundle to do. However T-mobile also offer a budget basic package for people who just want the football results on saturdays.
Gajet said:
Depends how you view it. I would argue that their standard is web & walk plus, that allows you to tether, which O2 for instance would charge you an extra £15 on top of your data bundle to do. However T-mobile also offer a budget basic package for people who just want the football results on saturdays.
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My point is that if you pay the advertised price for a T-Mobile phone you will not get Web'n'Walk Plus (unless it's a G1 or a G2, which are special cases). You get the Plus version if you pay £5 more per month than the advertised price. If the purpose that you want to use the connection for requires one of the ports that is blocked on the standard service, you need to be aware of this.
The discussion started because someone suggested that a 3GB limit is standard on T-Mobile, and it isn't - it's only standard if you buy a G1 or a G2. Otherwise it costs extra. You could reasonably argue that T-Mobile's upgraded package is better than other carriers' upgraded packages, but we need to make sure that people who decide to buy (say) an HD2 from T-Mobile aren't expecting to get the "Plus" package without playing extra for it.
I think there are also heavier restrictions on Web'n'Walk Plus than there are on a standard "Mobile Broadband" package. If you get a 3GB per month package from O2 you can do pretty much what you like with it up to the the 3GB limit. But (under the terms of your contract) you're not allowed to download audio or video over a Web'n'Walk Plus connection, or make Skype calls. (You need to upgrade to the Max version for that).
Shasarak said:
I think there are also heavier restrictions on Web'n'Walk Plus than there are on a standard "Mobile Broadband" package. If you get a 3GB per month package from O2 you can do pretty much what you like with it up to the the 3GB limit. But (under the terms of your contract) you're not allowed to download audio or video over a Web'n'Walk Plus connection, or make Skype calls. (You need to upgrade to the Max version for that).
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With O2 you can't tether to your laptop
T-Mobile said:
How does Mobile Broadband Plus work?
As well as basic browsing and emailing, you'll be able to take full advantage of what the web has to offer, which means you can:
Send instant messages - chat with your friends in real-time
Stream video - watch clips on YouTube
Update your blog - write when inspiration strikes
Download - save and view music, image and movie files
How does Mobile Broadband Max work?
It's exactly the same as web'n'walk Plus except you can use voice over the internet (VoIP) software, such as Skype and Jajah.com, which allows you to make phone calls and instant message with people all over the world.
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Also with T-mobile you build your own package, so not sure what is advertised The final cost of the total bill determines the handset price. Which is why I've always had W&W Plus and never paid more than a standard £35 pm contract.
Gajet said:
so not sure what is advertised
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Then allow me to enlighten you. If you go, for example here:
http://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/Brands/HTC/b509/n447/p27241.aspx#tabsAnchor
you will see an HD2 for sale on contract with T-Mobile. It costs £35 a month, 18-month contract, phone is free, it gives you 700 minutes, "unlimited texts", and "unlimited mobile web". Do you imagine that this deal will give you Web'n'Walk Plus? Obviously, it won't. If you see a T-Mobile deal advertised as "unlimited internet" or "unlimited web", then what that means is that if you pay the amount of money mentioned in the advert, you will get the basic Web'n'Walk package. If you want the "Plus" package then you will have to pay another £5 per month over and above the cost of "unlimited web" to get it.
T-Mobile's own advertising is similar: if you want Web'n'Walk Plus you have to pay £5 a month more than you have to pay for the same phone with the standard Internet package.
Now seriously, this discussion is getting boring, so let's leave it at that.
Never had a problem with T-Mo, even the 2 months I went over 1GB (only by a hundred MB or so). Didn't even hear from them. On the other hand the only horror stories I've read with people getting enormous over-data charges (both local and roaming) have ALL been with Vodafone.
Data was slow at times a year ago but seems ok now. I also get far better reception at home & work on T-Mo with poor/no reception last time I was on Voda, but that's obviously a local issue and will vary, but it was a deciding factor for me..
Likewise despite the T&Cs saying messenger isn't allowed on the baic service, I've always been able to get on no problem.
recently tmobile had a promotional offer which ended in febuary pay and go £10 top up unlimited txt n web.i got the sim because i use it as modem on my shift i can access many sites the only problem i have is msn i dont know if w7 is causing the issue of signing in or tmobile.but when i use the sim on my hd2 msn works fine as long as i untick proxy.i discoverd if the proxy is ticked the auto update of email dosent work or msn so i unticked it.i have used the tmobile sim from streaming to large file downloads they havnt complained although they do have a slower connection then o2.i stopped using o2 they started complaining then they barded me.
i used tmobile sim as modem for few months i think i used more then 3gb
If you go over your plan limit then T-mobile will throttle your usage between 16.00 and 00.00 (midnight) by restricting your access to gprs speed for certain connections (streaming of video is barred etc).
Other than that it's business as usual.
Hey guys, like you, even though we have to manually do alot to get our HD2's in perfect condition. I wanted to hip you all to something that I'm currently taking advantage of, which is saving me major money each month.
Went to Wal-Mart on the lauch date of the infamous HD2, and paid full price for one, thinking that it would end up saving me money in the long run, because I had my own equiptment, therefore, I wasn't under a 2 year aggreement for T-Mobile.
Went to the T-Mobile store to get setup with service. Deciding on getting the T-Mobile unlimited everything plan (voice,sms,data) it ended up costing me around $92 a month (including taxes, fee's, and the $5 discount). So, I began thinking, "this is not the significant discount I was looking for". I asked the salesman what was the benefit of me purchasing this phone outright, he told me that if I got the same package and features, with the phone discount, under contract, it would cost me around $120-$130 a month. I began to seek other options to lower my bill. However, I was hesitant to lower anything, because I did one time, and got fuked over with crazy overage charges! I even thought about switching it over to AT&T, but then realized I'd be loosing out on the high speed data, because of the incompatibilities of the 3G radios between the 2 networks (and who wants edge speed on a smartphone these days!).
Then I did some research and found out about Simple Mobile, this is a Virtual carrier of T-Mobile (like how Virgin is to Verizon, and Boost is to Sprint). Anyway, after a couple of emails, and phone calls, I decided to make the switch. I found a nearby retailer (or u can check them out online) And I never looked back!
I now play EXACTLY $60 a month, for unlimited everything (voice,sms,data). And I was able to port and keep my same number. While this is truly great in of itself. Another great feature is because it's still a subsiary of T-Mobile, I didn't have to software unlock the HD2 at all. It was literally a matter of taking the old Sim card out and putting the new one in. The only thing that I did have to reconfig was the internet settings and the MMS settings to be able to have those 2 things function correctly. (which is very easy, I provided a link to the instructions below)
Instructions on changing internet settings and MMS settings.
http://www.mobile-files.us/showthread.php?2245-HD2-wap-mms-settings-for-SimpMo
The internet is exactly the same, I'm still getting the H icon at the top, with about 4 MB sec speeds. Call quality and range is the same, and so is the txting features. Because it's using the same T-Mobile towers as before. (which T-Mobile is very good, in Costa Mesa, CA )
Don't know about you all, but especially in these times, when money is tight, I have to really buckle down to budget and plan for big ticket items. So when I spend $400+ on a device. I truly want to be able to see more of the savings, in the long run. And thats how I cut my bill in half! They even offer plans at $30 and $40 if you don't want or need unlimited data for your phone, therefore saving your even more money.
This may not help some of you guys out there, but if your like me, and not in a contract, or you may be in a contract, and thinking this may be a better route for you in the long run (make sure you do your math beforehand, and make sure your savings outweigh your ETF from T-Mobile) I just wanted to let you know, that you do have an option out there.
Simple Mobile
http://www.mysimplemobile.com/
Hope it helps!
Eddie
so are you truly getting 3g speed? this sounds promising.
smokeingit said:
so are you truly getting 3g speed? this sounds promising.
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Yes sir, I sure am, it displays the H icon, so I know its the HSDPA speed, which is alittle faster then 3G...however, i'm not sure if its the new HSDPA+ that you might have been hearing lately. I say that because, I dont believe WM have a status icon to show you that (because the technology is so new), so my theory is that, IF the HD2 supports it, AND its is getting the HSDPA+ signal, it'll still show the H icon at the top right of the device. But to answer your question, its DEFINITELY gets the high speed, because its still using the same towers!
I have friend that works in one of those smokes, cell, and gun stores and he has been trying to get me into this program.
It's good to go and legit.
Unfortunately I am only 6 months into my new 2 year contract...had to for my $190 Leo.
dangit.
I believe this has been discussed many times already.....
Simple mobile does not provide unlimited data. I believe it's still capped at 1GB/month. Which is a big no no for people who like to tether and abuse the network.....
calc said:
I believe this has been discussed many times already.....
Simple mobile does not provide unlimited data. I believe it's still capped at 1GB/month. Which is a big no no for people who like to tether and abuse the network.....
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So your saying their "Unlimited Everything Talk, Text & Web" plan, which is labeled as "New", is not actually unlimited?
Paten said:
So your saying their "Unlimited Everything Talk, Text & Web" plan, which is labeled as "New", is not actually unlimited?
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http://consumerist.com/2010/07/simple-mobile-unlimited-data-plan-is-of-course-secretly-limited.html
http://www.prepaidreviews.com/blog/mvno/simple-mobile-limits-unlimited-data-plan-36148/
Both reported and the end of July of this year.... so unless something has changed in 3 months time, NO it is not unlimited.
I was suckered into a new mobile phone plan with a new company called Simple Mobile. They are a T-mobile MVNO (essentially a reseller) claiming to offer UNLIMITED talk, text, and data for $60/mo.
The reality is... Their $60 plan is NOT unlimited. When you hit 1000MB in one month your data service is simply terminated without warning.
They will offer to sell you an additional 100MB for $10. This policy is not stated anywhere on their website. If you call or write and complain, they will simply tell you to go elsewhere and will not provide any refund.
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I mean really............. just think about it for a minute, do you really think T-Mobile is going to allow another company to use their network and infrastructure all the while having them undercut their own prices too.....not to mention the toll and expense of all pushing out all that bandwidth at "unlimited" rates.
calc said:
I believe this has been discussed many times already.....
Simple mobile does not provide unlimited data. I believe it's still capped at 1GB/month. Which is a big no no for people who like to tether and abuse the network.....
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All I can do , is speak from my experience. Since having this service, I KNOW that I used more than 1GB (stream music all day, watch YouTube, use it for general internet browsing, and logging into my Orb media server at home, and streaming TV from my PC). So I would definitely consider myself a above average data user, and have not once, been capped or throttled (trust, I would be *****ing and complaining, with everyone else). I've even checked my usage online to see it and its a little under 2Gigs of data transfer, and everything is ok. I not sure if maybe I have a magic bean, VIP, IMEI on my device (joke-e-joke ) , which is given unlimited data usage, without penalty, or maybe they've modified their contract and upped the data usage cap or something. Again, I can only speak from my personal experiences, within the last 3 months, reguarding my device and service. I don't use my phone for tethering, but I do consider myself a heavy data usage user and not had any problems regarding their quality of service thus far.
Get rid of the unlimited voice and txt, then with this guide I wrote:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=19619155#post19619155
You can cut your phone bill even more sharply. I'm paying about ~$20/month right now depending on my voice usage when out and about.