Database Users

Fooling T-mobiles data plan

I had a touch pro2 for a while and used the web connect data plan with it. I had full 3G and push email. When I transferred the SIM to my vibrant, I get redirected to a web2go page saying my phone is incompatible with this plan. How does Tmobile verify this?
Google search works, almost everything else doesn't. My touch pro2 is just as much as a smartphone as the vibrant under Tmo's eyes. So I think I wasn't supposed to have been able to use the data plan that I had with it. My TP2 was unlocked if it matters at all.

oldarney said:
I had a touch pro2 for a while and used the web connect data plan with it. I had full 3G and push email. When I transferred the SIM to my vibrant, I get redirected to a web2go page saying my phone is incompatible with this plan. How does Tmobile verify this?
Google search works, almost everything else doesn't. My touch pro2 is just as much as a smartphone as the vibrant under Tmo's eyes. So I think I wasn't supposed to have been able to use the data plan that I had with it. My TP2 was unlocked if it matters at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tmo has a separate data plan (Which is basically the same as the other) for Android devices. My brother took his sim out of his Touch Pro 2 with 3g data plan and placed it into my G1 (after I got my Vibrant) and it didn't allow him to be able to use data on my G1. He had to call and they had to swap his data plan over to the Android plan.
Now on the flipside of that, my Fiance took her sim out of her myTouch 3g and placed it in his Touch Pro 2 and data worked perfectly. So it looks like the Android data plan trumps all data plans.

Android smartphones are not supported with their old Web Connect plans which are being phased out anyway. You may be able to get T-Mobile to give you a discount on the Android Data Plan given that you're an existing customer, but that's about it...

Awe.
Well thats no fun... I find browsing on the TP2's opera mini and Tethering on it to be just as enjoyable as my vibrant. I wonder how they figure out what you are using.
I was asking because I have a web only plan... I pay 40 dollars for unlimited data, period. I thought I was going to get away with it on android too.
I would have to pay 70 Dollhairs if I want internet on my android! because I would also need a talk plan. thats no fun.
I have been doing research and I've found speculation that T-mobile uses the IMEI number to tell whether your phone is android or not. I don't think this is true given the fact that Tmobiles site depends on user input rather than automatic detection to know what phone the person is using.

@Oldarney: I've got a T-Mo unlimited data plan for Android and I don't pay anywhere near $70 (USD). Not even close. Barely more than what I was paying for Blackberry service.
I should add that I've been with T-Mo forever and have a sweet, "loyal customer" voice rate. Maybe I'm getting a break of some kind on data too.
Edited after re-reading: Your $70 _includes_ the voice. Okay. I gotcha now. Never mind.

Tmobile is building there phones with special hardware so that it can detect when you're using an android phone on there network with the wrong plan. That's why your old plan wouldn't work. Its the same for blackberry phones/data plans
Sent from my SAMOLED Vibrant using XDA app

Op systems
Depending on the op system on the phone the company has to configure their end. So, if you have an android the account needs to be sync'd for that type of op system. If you have an winmo 6.5 then it has to be sync'd with that system by TMO and if you have rim (blackberry) you have be to sync'd with that. I know this from personal experience no biggie

oldarney said:
Well thats no fun... I find browsing on the TP2's opera mini and Tethering on it to be just as enjoyable as my vibrant. I wonder how they figure out what you are using.
I was asking because I have a web only plan... I pay 40 dollars for unlimited data, period. I thought I was going to get away with it on android too.
I would have to pay 70 Dollhairs if I want internet on my android! because I would also need a talk plan. thats no fun.
I have been doing research and I've found speculation that T-mobile uses the IMEI number to tell whether your phone is android or not. I don't think this is true given the fact that Tmobiles site depends on user input rather than automatic detection to know what phone the person is using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does use an auto detect. My fiance bought her Vibrant out of contract and when i checked our account online, both my line and hers showed the Vibrant as our default devices. So yes, it does update it through IMEI.

ELStiko said:
It does use an auto detect. My fiance bought her Vibrant out of contract and when i checked our account online, both my line and hers showed the Vibrant as our default devices. So yes, it does update it through IMEI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought my phone out of contract as well & it didn't update. I'm thinking the rep at the store you bought it from must have updated it.

tjhart85 said:
I bought my phone out of contract as well & it didn't update. I'm thinking the rep at the store you bought it from must have updated it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when did you check cause it can take up to a week to update the imei to the account. but that's how it works (getting the device's imei), insurance also bases coverage on the imei. some stores update the imei manually when you upgrade, but that's a waste of time because it will happen automatically.

creglenn said:
Tmobile is building there phones with special hardware so that it can detect when you're using an android phone on there network with the wrong plan. That's why your old plan wouldn't work. Its the same for blackberry phones/data plans
Sent from my SAMOLED Vibrant using XDA app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No they aren't. They are simply doing IMEI filtering - no help hardware used or needed.

Depending on the op system on the phone the company has to configure their end. So, if you have an android the account needs to be sync'd for that type of op system. If you have an winmo 6.5 then it has to be sync'd with that system by TMO and if you have rim (blackberry) you have be to sync'd with that. I know this from personal experience no biggie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it is something along these lines, perhaps being oversimplified a bit. I believe it may have to do with how the OS on the phone makes the data connection with Android being more like a true "always on" connection (more akin to ethernet) and WinMo using a type of PPP or similar that is in effect "always on." The mobile operator has to have their back-end set up for this and there are probably different settings (IP addresses, connection types, etc.) built into ROMs for Android and WinMo. That being said, I really don't know if they track it by IMEI or not, but I imagine they certainly could.

kmdub said:
I think it is something along these lines, perhaps being oversimplified a bit. I believe it may have to do with how the OS on the phone makes the data connection with Android being more like a true "always on" connection (more akin to ethernet) and WinMo using a type of PPP or similar that is in effect "always on." The mobile operator has to have their back-end set up for this and there are probably different settings (IP addresses, connection types, etc.) built into ROMs for Android and WinMo. That being said, I really don't know if they track it by IMEI or not, but I imagine they certainly could.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are different internet packages for each phone os, not entirely sure what the technical differences are, though. and they do track by imei, i know that for sure (i used to work for tmob and my wife still does).

Dude, I work for tmobile! And the data stick is just data and SOC that its on it is just a data SOC but the vibrant requires an android data specific SOC. that's why you can't use that sim with the vibrant!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

stafly17 said:
Dude, I work for tmobile! And the data stick is just data and SOC that its on it is just a data SOC but the vibrant requires an android data specific SOC. that's why you can't use that sim with the vibrant!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was using the Rhodium ANdroid hack for windows mobile and The internet worked fine... maybe there is something to that. I gave up on it... I using the web interface to jump me to talk plan and then back to the a data plan, this time android.

they use the imei to check what phone you have. but for some reason, it's still showing me as a G1 so yay! i've had this phone for more than a couple months now i think.
also, i only pay 20 bucks per month for UNLIMITED data. i dont know why you're paying 40..... they offer a 30 dollar plan for regular users.... and i dont know where you got the $70 figure... that's just rediculous. i dont even pay that much for home internet.

At one time I had both a Vibrant and a Nexus One. I lost the Nexus while I had my sim in my Vibrant. I placed a claim with Asurion. They asked me to call T-mobile and find out what the last date the SIM card was in my Nexus One. Tmobile gave me a date that was exactly correct. I don't think I even placed a call that day with the Nexus.
So they know what phone your sim is in. Whether it is reporting IMEI number or Build Number or whatever. If they have a list of IMEI's in their system it is easy for them to know, IMEI filtering, like another poster stated.
IMEI numbers are unique and tied to each phone, not really a huge mystery.

IMEI is like the MAC address that PCs use

except that you can change your mac address while you can't change the IMEI address on the vibrant, and if you know how then let me know.
On another note I am really getting the hang of this swype thing.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

A lot of confusion
This is way easier than explained in here. Basically, data transfer has to follow a protocol. So, if the firmware/software does not contain say an android language based compiler, then the unit is unable to send or receive the check sum...or ... in other word it can not make sense of what it is reading. T Mobile does this for just really one basic reason, It make the data transfer smaller and more efficient, which, in turn, makes all the data on the system smaller and easier to manage. It is a function of saving cost and improving speed. This is kinda a standard ever since 3G
T Mobile runs slightly different protocol for the different op systems:
Win mobile
Android
Blackberry
I know this to be true as I have migrated from Black berry to win mobile to android and each time i had to call and they send a sync signal and then the phone is recognized and everything works correctly. There has never been a cost just associated doing this.
That has been my experience. my 2-cents

[Q] Wifi tether uses what kind of sprint data?

I've seen the other similar threads but I couldn't find anywhere, anyone who has asked these questions specifically:
Sprint recently added a 5GB data cap to their "tethering" services that comes with the Sprint Hotspot. I understand that "handset" data however, is still to remain unlimited...
1.) So when using the Wifi tethering app from the market, which data does it use on Sprint's network? Tethering, or handset?
2.) If you're using Sprint's hotspot app - the hacked/modded versions devs have been making- which does it use?
3.) And finally, if you have a rom like SRF1.2 that bypasses proxies and does other network tweaks, which does it use with them?
My phones are below if you need to know what I'm running.

ArchangelRenzoku said:
I've seen the other similar threads but I couldn't find anywhere, anyone who has asked these questions specifically:
Sprint recently added a 5GB data cap to their "tethering" services that comes with the Sprint Hotspot. I understand that "handset" data however, is still to remain unlimited...
1.) So when using the Wifi tethering app from the market, which data does it use on Sprint's network? Tethering, or handset?
2.) If you're using Sprint's hotspot app - the hacked/modded versions devs have been making- which does it use?
3.) And finally, if you have a rom like SRF1.2 that bypasses proxies and does other network tweaks, which does it use with them?
My phones are below if you need to know what I'm running.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your using handset data which is unlimited and this only works if you are rooted and have wifi tether enabled,

sapperpipo said:
your using handset data which is unlimited and this only works if you are rooted and have wifi tether enabled,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay good, that is my setup.
Short of torrenting pirated movies or other bandwidth-heavy activities, I don't have to worry about getting a nasty letter from them about using too much traffic then?
I normally just stream Netflix all day, check for updates on SRF1.3, and check G+ 3 or 4 times daily.

They all use the same data. Sprint just doesn't believe that a phone by itself will ever reach the 5 gb mark, and for the most part, they're right. Normal use of a phone should fall well below that mark, although video streaming could push it...
But try downloading 6 gigs on your phone each month, legitimately exceeding the 5 gig threshold without violating the new terms of service (in other words, without using any form of tethering), and I'd be willing to bet that your speed will still be throttled. You may even receive a letter about a violation, or about purchasing theory tethering plan. (Paying for their tethering doesn't count for this experiment, since it has already been established that that plan does get throttled, and it involves supplying a data connection to a device other than your phone)
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

styles420 said:
They all use the same data. Sprint just doesn't believe that a phone by itself will ever reach the 5 gb mark, and for the most part, they're right. Normal use of a phone should fall well below that mark, although video streaming could push it...
But try downloading 6 gigs on your phone each month, legitimately exceeding the 5 gig threshold without violating the new terms of service (in other words, without using any form of tethering), and I'd be willing to bet that your speed will still be throttled. You may even receive a letter about a violation, or about purchasing theory tethering plan. (Paying for their tethering doesn't count for this experiment, since it has already been established that that plan does get throttled, and it involves supplying a data connection to a device other than your phone)
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But I thought Sprint was the only provider that doesn't have a fair-usage policy limiting users to 5GB a month. They are truly unlimited... (insert question mark here?)

styles420 said:
They all use the same data. Sprint just doesn't believe that a phone by itself will ever reach the 5 gb mark, and for the most part, they're right. Normal use of a phone should fall well below that mark, although video streaming could push it...
But try downloading 6 gigs on your phone each month, legitimately exceeding the 5 gig threshold without violating the new terms of service (in other words, without using any form of tethering), and I'd be willing to bet that your speed will still be throttled. You may even receive a letter about a violation, or about purchasing theory tethering plan. (Paying for their tethering doesn't count for this experiment, since it has already been established that that plan does get throttled, and it involves supplying a data connection to a device other than your phone)
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmmm interesting,,
g l w t

sapperpipo said:
I use on average of 11 million Kbs of service each month for the past almost 2 years and I have yet to recieve any such letter,,,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...that f**king shut me up...

As long as you arent abusing tethering like downloading huge torrents and using it as your main internet on 3g, you should be fine... i mean i know tons of people that posted in other threads that always go over the 5gb limit and sprint doesnt throttle or charge u.. just dont use it for torrents or online gaming via ps3 or xbox.
You should be fine if you do go over

davidrules7778 said:
As long as you arent abusing tethering like downloading huge torrents and using it as your main internet on 3g, you should be fine... i mean i know tons of people that posted in other threads that always go over the 5gb limit and sprint doesnt throttle or charge u.. just dont use it for torrents or online gaming via ps3 or xbox.
You should be fine if you do go over
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully it stays that way - they *just* changed the terms of service within the past month, so only time will tell.
If you pay for their tethering package, then the app checks in with their network when you start it (this was the part that needed to be hacked to get the native hotspot working for free, essentially) - that would be the only way Sprint would know which data is used for tethering, and it could end up being inflated by any data use on your phone while the tether app is running (unless the app actually reports when data is being pulled for a connected device instead of the phone - but that's more bandwidth wasted...)
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

I really don't think Sprint cares. I had no home internet for about 2 weeks recently, so I used the tethering hack. During tha time I torrented over 30 GB of tv over 4g and never got a warning or throttling.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium

I had been reading from the sprint website about their unlimited plans and sprint's customer support responses to people. The results are promising, for now.
They basically said as long as network usage remains balanced between light and heavy users, everything will remain unlimited forever. (We obviously know forever means 1 or 2 years at the rate people are jumping over to the unlimited bandwagon).
Even with the iPhone users coming over, they say it's going to remain unlimited as long as not EVERYONE is being a heavy user. If everyone becomes heavy, the CEO said they will think about tackling a different approach to tiered-usage once that boat comes along, but I guess we're all okay for now.

ArchangelRenzoku said:
I've seen the other similar threads but I couldn't find anywhere, anyone who has asked these questions specifically:
Sprint recently added a 5GB data cap to their "tethering" services that comes with the Sprint Hotspot. I understand that "handset" data however, is still to remain unlimited...
1.) So when using the Wifi tethering app from the market, which data does it use on Sprint's network? Tethering, or handset?
2.) If you're using Sprint's hotspot app - the hacked/modded versions devs have been making- which does it use?
3.) And finally, if you have a rom like SRF1.2 that bypasses proxies and does other network tweaks, which does it use with them?
My phones are below if you need to know what I'm running.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont really know but i think that it just uses android's driver and permission from SU (superuser) to form itself into a wifi hotspot. For number two, if you hack you're phone, you're still going to pay for SPRINT hotspot app. However, wifi hotspot(from market) is free. I don't know number 3.. sorry :/

jemajun000 said:
I dont really know but i think that it just uses android's driver and permission from SU (superuser) to form itself into a wifi hotspot. For number two, if you hack you're phone, you're still going to pay for SPRINT hotspot app. However, wifi hotspot(from market) is free. I don't know number 3.. sorry :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
False. I don't pay them $30/month and I use the hacked version of the hotspot app albeit not very much. That's the whole point of hacking it, so you don't have to pay the extra $30/month.

dtugg said:
False. I don't pay them $30/month and I use the hacked version of the hotspot app albeit not very much. That's the whole point of hacking it, so you don't have to pay the extra $30/month.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously, thanks for being the voice of reason here - that guy must have forgotten to toggle basic logic back on before engaging the typing mechanism
"We hacked the native hotspot app - now, it functions EXACTLY the same way as it did before we hacked it... don't forget to hit that THANKS button!"
Sent from my CyanogenMODed Epic

I'm glad you guys answered before I did. My answer would have been petty hurtful because that reply was not helpful whatsoever.
If you don't know, guessing doesn't contribute unless the post has to do with theory!
Sent from my Samsung Epic 4G using XDA Premium

didnt' really want to start a new thread.... i'm on SRF 1.2 with the fixed tether. for a couple of months i had no internet in the house so i was tethering without any issue off of 4g. got my internet back up at home and stopped using it. today i tried to go on with 4g and i could only go to google.com. turned off 4g and can surf on 3g on my laptop without issue. anyone know what's going on?

murso74 said:
didnt' really want to start a new thread.... i'm on SRF 1.2 with the fixed tether. for a couple of months i had no internet in the house so i was tethering without any issue off of 4g. got my internet back up at home and stopped using it. today i tried to go on with 4g and i could only go to google.com. turned off 4g and can surf on 3g on my laptop without issue. anyone know what's going on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the future, starting a new thread instead of hijacking mine is suggested... but I'm feeling generous before I go to bed the A.M.
You simply don't start 4G until after your device is connected via wifi on 3G.
*Start wifi tether
*connect device
*Turn on 4G
In that order and it should work fine.
Try that and report your results please.

ArchangelRenzoku said:
In the future, starting a new thread instead of hijacking mine is suggested... but I'm feeling generous before I go to bed the A.M.
You simply don't start 4G until after your device is connected via wifi on 3G.
*Start wifi tether
*connect device
*Turn on 4G
In that order and it should work fine.
Try that and report your results please.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unfortunatly that didnt' work. wonder if it has anything to do with my location. going to have to try it again when i get back home and see if that makes a difference. thanks for letting me thread jack

murso74 said:
unfortunatly that didnt' work. wonder if it has anything to do with my location. going to have to try it again when i get back home and see if that makes a difference. thanks for letting me thread jack
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm, sorry that didn't work. Please let me know your findings then so I have another solution to add for future peeps with such an issue.

I wonder how TMO will start catching those who thether.

We all know that part of TMO's "actual unlimited" plan means you can't tether. So I wonder how TMO's going to approach seeking out those people. Does your phone report the kind of ROM you're on to TMO? If so, that could be one way they find out.

alpha-niner64 said:
We all know that part of TMO's "actual unlimited" plan means you can't tether. So I wonder how TMO's going to approach seeking out those people. Does your phone report the kind of ROM you're on to TMO? If so, that could be one way they find out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-mobile cannot legally look at your private data. They cannot look at what you're downloading or what you're using to download. What T-mobile does is look at the user agent of your browser to see if it reports you on a mobile or desktop browser, and they monitor the volume of data to see if there are any abnormal spikes. You can easily get around these by saying "all the data used was on my phone by *insert application*" or "I was using desktop mode on my browser, I wasn't tethering." They still have the right to suspend or terminate you but it's less likely.

This might interest you. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=26649587

just as what all telecom companies do,
log your network usage, browser
the can tell whether its mobile or not

From what ive been finding out tmobile filters the user agent

If I use my phone as a hotspot for my roku box I should be fine shouldn't I since I'm not using it for a laptop where theirs browsers useragents. Thanks!!!
J.b. 4.1.1

Tethering
I have wondered for a long time why it is that providers care about tethering. As I see it it's all usage which is good news for them. I am with Rogers in Canada and tethering comes enabled. When I tether my laptop my usage goes up. Why do they care?

Daveosh said:
I have wondered for a long time why it is that providers care about tethering. As I see it it's all usage which is good news for them. I am with Rogers in Canada and tethering comes enabled. When I tether my laptop my usage goes up. Why do they care?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because all the major US carriers charge you to use your mobile device as a hotspot. By using free or third party apps to bypass the carrier's hotspot add-on, that's one less revenue stream the carrier can make.

When I got my S3, I couldn't tether. Even tho I have a grandfathered plan with hotspot. And NO way I am giving that up! I did not try a different rom but was rooted and used other wifi apps and no luck. However, my G2 and currntly SR and T989 both work just fine.

[Q] Tethering T-Mobile Unlimited Data Plan

So I got the Value plan after getting my Nexus 4 (unlimited data) but been having tethering issues. Please try to help me out if you actually understand the situation, don't just say "It works for me..."
Here's the deal, wired tethering works if I use Clockwork Mods Tether App. I used to think I needed to start up my Chrome from a Nexus 4 User agent, but same thing with and without, it works with the tether app (which obviously uses a companion app on the computer). BUT....A while ago tether never worked with the clockwork mod tether app if I didn't use the UA switch, but now it does, IDK whatever, T-mobile is weird.
However, straight from the settings, WiFi or wired tether never works, with or without APN and UA change (on comp), meaning I especially wont be able to use it on my PS3 and such. Now, I'm not sure if its a hidden APN thing, IDK, though I did create a separate APN and tried that out with the stock tether in the phone and it didn't work.
Anyone know any solutions, T-mobile is pretty good lol...? Lemee say thanks in advance
(A solution i would want is to be able to use it on my PS3 again, on something where I'm not able to install a clockwork mod tether app lol, a process be done phone side to bypass...)

Bump
No help?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

I don't think there is an answer to your question. You've been flagged by T-mobile. The only way to tether again is to pay for it.

El Daddy said:
I don't think there is an answer to your question. You've been flagged by T-mobile. The only way to tether again is to pay for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But the question is, how do they know that you are tethering?

billrd said:
But the question is, how do they know that you are tethering?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because you are using too much data. Their montly 4G plans are capped at a maximum 5GB per month, says it right on their website, after that they throttle you down to 2G speeds.They can also see the unique ip address of everything your tethering, some tethering apps say they can hide the address or at least spoof it so it looks like its coming just from the phone, but if you still use too much data your screwed.

systCana ARIUS
kzoodroid said:
Because you are using too much data. Their montly 4G plans are capped at a maximum 5GB per month, says it right on their website, after that they throttle you down to 2G speeds.They can also see the unique ip address of everything your tethering, some tethering apps say they can hide the address or at least spoof it so it looks like its coming just from the phone, but if you still use too much data your screwed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the new unlimited 4g value plan is unlimited, and there is NO throttling. However, you can't tether. I was just wondering how they can tell that the data is coming from a tethered laptop and not the phone itself.

billrd said:
Well the new unlimited 4g value plan is unlimited, and there is NO throttling. However, you can't tether. I was just wondering how they can tell that the data is coming from a tethered laptop and not the phone itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its probably a combination between UA strings and excessive data not usual with a smartphone.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

Yes they can tell
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

kzoodroid said:
Yes they can tell
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, but how can they tell? It's not from excessive data usage, at least for me.

billrd said:
I agree, but how can they tell? It's not from excessive data usage, at least for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard of a number ways they can do this, no one really know for sure they just know they can. One is that each device you connect has a unique identifier so they know its not your phone connecting. Another is that with TMo and AT&T in particular all the tethering apps used to use an APN just for tethering and AT&T monitors that APN for traffic to make sure you paid for it. Some wifi tethering apps try to avoid this by not using that APN. I've also read speculation that its the browsers themselves you use that give you away as they have unique identifier strings they send out with each request. This last one maybe the same thing I mentioned first, in that even the same browser on a different device will have different identifiers. So if you use chrome on the phone and on the desktop they will show up as two different devices giving you away.

kzoodroid said:
Because you are using too much data. Their montly 4G plans are capped at a maximum 5GB per month, says it right on their website, after that they throttle you down to 2G speeds.They can also see the unique ip address of everything your tethering, some tethering apps say they can hide the address or at least spoof it so it looks like its coming just from the phone, but if you still use too much data your screwed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The whole point of the Monthly 4G plans with the 5GB cap is to tether.

Like i said i could still tether with the clockwork mod app, so whatever its doing (im guessing adding vpn's and stuff on the computer) is working, then i set my chrome browser UA to desktop mode Nexus 4 Chrome. Sometimes if you are not using the UA string, ittl show you the tmobile page. I don't know but kudos to magenta, there method works when you actually get flagged (which im guessing not many do...)

T-Mobile Tethering "Block"

I was wondering if anyone has found a way to block T-Mobile from seeing that you're tethering on your plan?
I have the 500mb tethering... but I usually go way over that. Coming from the GNex on Verizon all the custom roms made it so Verizon couldn't see you were tethering. I usually just tether my Nexus 10 when I'm out and about. And it always shows up on my bill that I used X amount of tethering data.
So, is there a way to get around this?

jbdavies said:
I was wondering if anyone has found a way to block T-Mobile from seeing that you're tethering on your plan?
I have the 500mb tethering... but I usually go way over that. Coming from the GNex on Verizon all the custom roms made it so Verizon couldn't see you were tethering. I usually just tether my Nexus 10 when I'm out and about. And it always shows up on my bill that I used X amount of tethering data.
So, is there a way to get around this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the $30, 5GB prepaid plan on T-Mobile, without any additional tethering services enabled. I've done quite a bit of bluetooth tethering to my Nexus 7 and haven't heard anything about it from T-Mobile. So there's one option for you, if you're willing to switch to prepaid.

Well try to not go over or buy more data. Or get the prepaid $70 unlimited plan.
sent from xda premium app

Well I had to deal with his a lot a few months ago when I use to tether.
When you tether to your laptop. The speed of loading/browser/youtube is a lot quicker than the phone. So they'll be able to detect it especially if you youtube a lot. It resets at the end of your cycle. Sometimes they catch you sometimes they dont.
I've gone a month without being caught and sometimes as little as 5-10 minutes they would block me.

Foxfi app
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

The apps in google play like foxfi don't hide tether usage from T-Mobile. They detect the user agent. So if your tethering to a computer, for example, Mozilla Firefox browser has an add-on to change the user agent. You have to change it to Android. So it looks like an Android is using the data, and not a laptop. That's the only way they can't detect it now.
I have T-Mobile and they're nazis about tethering.

sinndissension said:
I have T-Mobile and they're nazis about tethering.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No T-Mobile is the nicest at tethering, despite some regulation, nothing compared to ATT Spring and Verizon in term of control.
via xda app

eksasol said:
No T-Mobile is the nicest at tethering, despite some regulation, nothing compared to ATT Spring and Verizon in term of control.
via xda app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ehhh....your most likely right. I've only HEARD it's harder to get around tethering blocks with T-Mobile than it is with AT&T or other carriers. I know T-Mobile is cracking down a lot though. But

Thanks everyone for your input. Kinda sucks there's no way to really get around that.

jbdavies said:
Thanks everyone for your input. Kinda sucks there's no way to really get around that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no it IS possible. read my first post. Change the user agent on the computer, or whatever your tethering to. Mozilla has a user agent switcher, its an add on. change your laptops user agent to "android". or iphone if that's what you have service through. I use this quite a bit to tether to my laptop, and haven't had a problem once.

sinndissension said:
no it IS possible. read my first post. Change the user agent on the computer, or whatever your tethering to. Mozilla has a user agent switcher, its an add on. change your laptops user agent to "android". or iphone if that's what you have service through. I use this quite a bit to tether to my laptop, and haven't had a problem once.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
near the end of my last billing cycle i was using the android user agent on chrome, and they actually caught me. but the funny thing(more annoying than funny ) is that for three days in a row after, between 11pm and 1am, my phones browser would start redirecting me to their wireless hotspot landing page, and all my apps would stop working, the play store and other apps that used data. id even see the wireless hotspot landing page in some other apps. i had to call tmobile every time, and have them reset my data connection.

simms22 said:
near the end of my last billing cycle i was using the android user agent on chrome, and they actually caught me. but the funny thing(more annoying than funny ) is that for three days in a row after, between 11pm and 1am, my phones browser would start redirecting me to their wireless hotspot landing page, and all my apps would stop working, the play store and other apps that used data. id even see the wireless hotspot landing page in some other apps. i had to call tmobile every time, and have them reset my data connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. They will associate that user-agent string as your computer. Congrats, your phone is now a computer . I've heard of people having a similar problem when using a native torrent client on android. Can't remember if T-Mobile was the provider or not.
I left AT&T after 13+ years because of their stance on tethering/data limits. (I was an AT&T member before the Cingular merger.) After ALWAYS buying my devices 2nd hand so I could stay on my truly unlimited data plan, they still sent me a letter saying I'm using too much data, and that I'm tethering (even months when I wouldn't tether)
Came to T-Mobile 2 years ago and now I have real unlimited (999gb a month) but I haven't tested out the tethering yet, since I only use my phone. (They dont offer tethering in the unlimited plan) No tablet, laptop has been turned off for about a year. My desktop is a beast and I have fast cable at home, so no need.
Has anyone tried pdanet? I know they had a hide tethering feature. No idea how well it works.
Sent from PSX v5 & Apollyon-wwz