Database Users

Something i dont understand about tethering....

Lately i am seeing alot of companys charging between $20 to $30 to usb or wireless tether but arent there apps like pdanet for instance that delivers the same feature without extra monthly fees? I mean how can carriers even know your tethering ? I know this is all irrelavant on this forum as wireless and usb tether is available on the hd2 android builds but im speaking about android in general. Is this something carriers can control or google?
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide

actually would like to know that myself too how they find out your tethering?

they don't find out they lock the feature out of your phone and put in an app that has to go thru their authentication to tether (or at least this is what i've noticed) so most rooted phones can use an alternate tethering app and they'll never be the wiser, or at least never really be able to prove it enough to go after you.

They don't know you're tethering.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

They can.....on rooted phone,with a 3th party tether app i am not sure....i did read that last week in a dutch article.As example,Vodafone netherlands see if you tether with a standard phone,with the normal tether app.
JoonatanO said:
They don't know you're tethering.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

So providers are able to detect if their data connections are being used for teathering.. correct?
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

fi3ry_icy said:
So providers are able to detect if their data connections are being used for teathering.. correct?
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% correct

They can infer but it is difficult to prove, unless you're using their application.
There are some things you can do on a laptop or desktop computer that simply aren't available as applications on a handheld (such as a phone.) That traffic (most-notably peer-to-peer connections, but not exclusively) can be trivially detected, and if it is, you're in deep kimchee.
If you're doing email and ordinary web browsing it's much more difficult to know you're tethering. It's when you go off the reservation into things that can't be done from the handset that it becomes pretty easy to at least strongly-infer you've tethered to some other device.

Genesis3 said:
They can infer but it is difficult to prove, unless you're using their application.
There are some things you can do on a laptop or desktop computer that simply aren't available as applications on a handheld (such as a phone.) That traffic (most-notably peer-to-peer connections, but not exclusively) can be trivially detected, and if it is, you're in deep kimchee.
If you're doing email and ordinary web browsing it's much more difficult to know you're tethering. It's when you go off the reservation into things that can't be done from the handset that it becomes pretty easy to at least strongly-infer you've tethered to some other device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There isn't anything you can do on a computer you can't do on the phone - P2P on android - google AndTor a fully featured android torrent client.
There really isn't any way they can tell wether or not you are tethering.

OK let me understand something....you dont have unlimited web plan????....so if the answer is yes why you have to worry about.....I'm using mobile wifi router with tmobile USA and no problem of extra charges I think they dont care anyway 'cause the sales guy at the TMOBILE store recomend me the application.

well no its the fact that some networks charge extra for tethering

Ok they do care its in their T.O.S. and they can tell if ur tethering by sniffing the http packet header.. it will show what browser is requesting the page.. now if they do is a different question all together..
Sent from my Mytouch HD2

It's scare tactics, they are not allowed to inspect your packets, as this is a breach of privacy, thus it is impossible for them to determine what the data is being used for.
If you use a lot of data you would probably be flagged somehow but it would only be guesswork.
1. The actual data looks no different
2. It's been ruled legal to jailbreak/root phones so there is no telling if you are running ubuntu on your phone using regular firefox or tethering your PC using firefox on your pc.
3. You could be using a custom app that spoof's the header to pretend to be a full browser on your phone, which is dodgey but not illegal.

T-mobile Blocking all forms of Tethering.

I was just using PDANet on my friend's laptop and I got two texts from T-Mobile saying the following: "Free T-Mobile Msg: Phone Tethering & Wi-Fi Sharing access has been blocked. Please add a Phone Tethering & Wi-Fi Sharing plan available at my.t-mobile.com"
Now I ignored it until the browser sent me to a signup page. I've tried WiFi Tether, Bluetooth, and Barnacle and it blocks each one. Anyone else get this?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

using wireless tether right now... no problems...
maybe they'll end up sending me a text.

I don't have my laptop with me, so I can't test this myself. But if it's true, the Nexus One forums are about to A-SPLODE. You'll be able to hear it from space...

ryaninc said:
I don't have my laptop with me, so I can't test this myself. But if it's true, the Nexus One forums are about to A-SPLODE. You'll be able to hear it from space...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A-SPLODE!! Lmfao just made my day!
But yeah... if this is true then all I can do is throw the f-bomb around because I rely heavily on tethering and no way in hell am I going to pay for a service I've been using for free...

No problems with Wireless Tether on my G1...and I tether a ton. I was up to 7gb last month :/

Kazan22 said:
I was just using PDANet on my friend's laptop and I got two texts from T-Mobile saying the following: "Free T-Mobile Msg: Phone Tethering & Wi-Fi Sharing access has been blocked. Please add a Phone Tethering & Wi-Fi Sharing plan available at my.t-mobile.com"
Now I ignored it until the browser sent me to a signup page. I've tried WiFi Tether, Bluetooth, and Barnacle and it blocks each one. Anyone else get this?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=840423
Not just you.

That would suck. Would this apply to USB tethering as well, or just WiFi?

PDANet IS usb tethering.
:O
oh... and someone at the Vibrant forums is having the same issue... which is why I'm here.
:X

I am tethering from my G2 (USB tether) to post this message. It works fine, though TMO might be rolling this block out.
Edit: I am posting this via Wifi tether, so that seems to be working for me currently.

I just checked PDANet and WiFi hotspot and they both worked, so I guess they're "rolling" this out.
Makes me wonder...some of us never got the OTA rollout. I wonder if perhaps I'll never get this rollout either.

I think they can affect PDANet and Easytether since they are market apps. Wireless Tether for Android and Wired Tether for Android aren't market apps so im pretty sure those are beyond T-Mobile's grip.

Might have something to do with the G2 not being rooted and trying to tether. I think after its rooted it should work without a problem. At least thats what a tmo rep told me.

When I read all this on the xda app, i went ahead and hooked up to wifi tether. thats how i'm writing this msg. I am rooted and do have the largest plan tmo offers which includes the unlimited data. idk. we shall see. oh yea, no tmo msg as of yet.

I'm unrooted and used wifi tether this morning for 3 hours with no problems. I just don't understand how they can detect us using it.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk

johnbibbs said:
I'm unrooted and used wifi tether this morning for 3 hours with no problems. I just don't understand how they can detect us using it.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are various techniques they could use to do this; if we know exactly what they're doing, we can probably bypass it.
Probably one of the simplest techniques would be user agent sniffing; if they see desktop user agents from the same device, they'd know something funky was going on.
I'd be interested to know whether the OP can work around this situation by changing his user agent string on his desktop browser. I'd also be interested to know whether the phone browser continues to work properly even after he's been caught, and if so, whether changing the user agent string on the phone causes it to report the block message as well.
Another test for whether they're sniffing user agents is to try to make an ssl connection instead of http from the desktop browser. Assuming that the phone browser still works, SSL on the desktop browser should also still work, if all they're doing is user agent sniffing.

In an HD2 thread one guy was saying that he was downloaded a movie to his phone, but wasn't tethering when he got the text. Perhaps they're determining by the amount of data used in a specific amount of time. If that's the case it supports the theory of TMO seeing all data as data.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=840360

ddgarcia05 said:
In an HD2 thread one guy was saying that he was downloaded a movie to his phone, but wasn't tethering when he got the text. Perhaps they're determining by the amount of data used in a specific amount of time. If that's the case it supports the theory of TMO seeing all data as data.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=840360
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Click to collapse
That's actually good, then. If they're using such a naive detection method, it's sure to result in a ton of false positives from people legitimately using a lot of data with their phones, and consumer complaints should result in them disabling it before too long.

If this works like any of T-Mobile's other services then they prorate the add-ons so you can add it when you need it, then cancel it when you don't and you would only pay a fraction of that $15. I do this with the hotspot feature all the time - enable it for a trip when I'll spend a lot of time in a hotel (or airports, etc.) where they offer wireless and then cancel it at the end of the trip and I pay less than a single day of wifi at a major hotel.
(disclosure - I snatched this post off the T-mobile.com forum but I was going to say the same thing!)
I need to confirm this "add it when you need it". Not good for everybody but for those of us that need tethering a few times a month it's not so bad, 50 cents for one day. Tried via the chat on T-Mobile.com to confirm this but they are useless!

When I first applied the OTA and started playing with the built in tethering, I noticed some log entries from DataConnectionTracker whenever I turned tethering on or off. When I enabled temp root with Visionary and tried using the stand alone Wireless and Wired tether for root apps, these entries did not appear.
I haven't had time to play with it much, but it might be useful to run logcat with a filter for only DataConnectionTracker activity while trying a variety of tethering techniques under root and non-root circumstances.
Of course the experience reported by the HD2 user does not line up with this theory, but there may be multiple things going on. If T-Mo really is blocking based on data volume, it will completely blow up on them as people start intentionally doing data intensive things without tethering.

I sure as hell hope they don't do this to the grandfathered plans... cause if they do, I'm gonna go on a *****-storm.
Edit: I'm tethering on the WiFi hotspot app and I didn't get any notice. Everything is as it has been since I've had this app. If not, I have Wireless Tether for Root Users. I refuse to pay $15 extra bucks a month when I paid for an unlimited plan a couple of years back.

What will be my best option for wifi tethering on the Nexus 4?

I've never owned a Nexus device before. On my current T-Mo GSII I just use the built-in T-Mobile tethering app. What's my best option for the N4? The 'Wifi Tether' app?

hfuizo said:
I've never owned a Nexus device before. On my current T-Mo GSII I just use the built-in T-Mobile tethering app. What's my best option for the N4? The 'Wifi Tether' app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All Nexus 4s will have tethering built in, its in the settings.

hfuizo said:
I've never owned a Nexus device before. On my current T-Mo GSII I just use the built-in T-Mobile tethering app. What's my best option for the N4? The 'Wifi Tether' app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its built into Stock Android anyway. You will have no problems!

So no root required to enjoy the built-in tethering?

hfuizo said:
So no root required to enjoy the built-in tethering?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope!
Just enable it in settings and you are good to go!

StuMcBill said:
Nope!
Just enable it in settings and you are good to go!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And if I use it T-Mobile may or may not harass me about it?

It will be the same as if you tethered on your GS2
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

hfuizo said:
And if I use it T-Mobile may or may not harass me about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That depends on T-Mobile, if they actively monitor and block tethering then they might harass you. If tethering is included in your plan then it should just be exactly the same as when you used the T-Mobile tethering app.

StuMcBill said:
That depends on T-Mobile, if they actively monitor and block tethering then they might harass you. If tethering is included in your plan then it should just be exactly the same as when you used the T-Mobile tethering app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tether a little bit when I am on the road (don't wanna pay $10 just to use the airport wifi for an hour). they have never harassed me. If you plan to use it as your primary Internet source at home though....

T-mobile does actively monitor tethering, but rarely they can actually catch you. I noticed if I tether to my iPod touch or iPad, then I can use it no problem, but if it is a PC, then it is a hit or miss - depending on the type of request you do, they'll shut you out within 5-10 minutes, sometimes not at all. All you do it turn of tethering and turn it back on!

It's reported that T-Mobile sniffs User Agent strings and if it detects a laptop/desktop browser (Internet Explorer or Chrome, but apparently not Firefox), it redirects you to their web page asking you to sign up for tethering. Other network use (email, SSH, etc.) is apparently unhindered.

Well I am in the UK, so I don't know if T-Mobile UK monitors it in the same way?
On most of the T-Mobile UK tariffs tethering is included anyway (I think).
Unless you are on a Sim-Only plan like mine, but I have tethered my Nexus 7 many times and have had no problems / charges.

They won't catch you if all you do is tether to another mobile device (tablet or phone). A PC is a different story, as they usually result in a massive spike in your data usage.

t mobile does monitor for tethering...what i do is use the change user extension in chrome and change it to a android nexus 7....before i would get t mobile shutting me down and i would have to reconnect...after, i havent had any issues (this is PC tethering fyi)

yup. tmobile does active sniffing.
i got flagged and the upsell pages got worse and worse! lol
i need to use explorer for my business so i was getting the upsell messages all the time.

I hope WiFi tether for root works.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

predation said:
yup. tmobile does active sniffing.
i got flagged and the upsell pages got worse and worse! lol
i need to use explorer for my business so i was getting the upsell messages all the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i too once had to use IE for work..now i can use Chrome
since you use IE for work, i am assuming they are on IE 8, not 9; if you are on IE 8 and have admin privileges, you can change the user agent for IE also http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/18450/change-the-user-agent-string-in-internet-explorer-8/
try using the iphone user agent or something that isnt PC based...hopefully it will work!

hfuizo said:
And if I use it T-Mobile may or may not harass me about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I currently tether using a rooted Samsung Vibrant on T-Mobile, so that I can get internet when I otherwise can't like on road trips, etc. I just wouldn't abuse it and go overboard. They have never reprimanded me as my usual data usage is pretty low. Be reasonable and don't use it as your primary internet source like downloading giant files.

Check your APN settings and use this thread as a guide:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1963380

Don't use a PC to access you phone internet.
And don't download big file. I use my tf700 and WiFi tethering from my phone on mobile network. Never have a problem, my friend work on mobile, he say as long as you are not using a PC and download big file, its fine to use tethering without being charged. Internet browsing is ok. That's I like mobile, I am using their 30 5GB prepaid plan, much better than att **** 15bucks 250MB plan. And ATT will come up any mean to charge you more.

HTC1 and Media Link - Tethering Required!

I'm having a WTF moment.
Got my preorder One last Thursday and have been having trouble getting it to connect to the Media Link HD dongle.
First, it seems to connect and pass through image to the TV but I get a message saying something like "be sure the TV is properly configured". Then, I get other messages saying that WiFi Hotspot needs to be enabled and to go to the AT&T website, or dial 611.
After over a half hour with a service rep, I was told that the Media Link requires a WiFi hotspot, which in turn requires that Tethering be provisioned on the account... for another $20 per month for a 5gig plan. Suffice to say I told the supervisor I was eventually passed along to that the practice of incentivizing customers to preorder and stay with the company by offering a free dongle only to be trapped into spending more money every month to use it is a tactic worthy of Tony Soprano.
The part that confuses the hell out of me is that if the Media Link and phone both connect through my WiFi router, why would Tethering/Hotspot to connect to the AT&T data network even be necessary?
So, anyone else have this problem and a workaround?

BillTheCat said:
I'm having a WTF moment.
Got my preorder One last Thursday and have been having trouble getting it to connect to the Media Link HD dongle.
First, it seems to connect and pass through image to the TV but I get a message saying something like "be sure the TV is properly configured". Then, I get other messages saying that WiFi Hotspot needs to be enabled and to go to the AT&T website, or dial 611.
After over a half hour with a service rep, I was told that the Media Link requires a WiFi hotspot, which in turn requires that Tethering be provisioned on the account... for another $20 per month for a 5gig plan. Suffice to say I told the supervisor I was eventually passed along to that the practice of incentivizing customers to preorder and stay with the company by offering a free dongle only to be trapped into spending more money every month to use it is a tactic worthy of Tony Soprano.
The part that confuses the hell out of me is that if the Media Link and phone both connect through my WiFi router, why would Tethering/Hotspot to connect to the AT&T data network even be necessary?
So, anyone else have this problem and a workaround?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm pretty sure there is no need for tethering. look more closely at your configuration and see if there's anything wonky going on there, first

slackercow said:
i'm pretty sure there is no need for tethering. look more closely at your configuration and see if there's anything wonky going on there, first
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like? Not even sure where to begin. The phone connects to my router just fine, so that's not it. This is a real head-scratcher.

Have you tried changing out of game mode? If its not that they are forcing you to use hotspot to spend more on monthly charges ergo why it was free. Or one more possibility its just a mistake in the software and they will fix it in a future update. I'm glad I don't have att. I hope for the best you don't have to use your own data, just to use the media link
Sent from my SGH-T769 using xda app-developers app

5odead said:
Have you tried changing out of game mode?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whoa. Game mode? What's that?
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

Not sure I don't have the phone yet. But that's what some other guy said he did to be able to see something on a TV. He did use a mhl cable though. So I don't know for sure if that will apply to you.
Sent from my SGH-T769 using xda app-developers app

No, you definitely do not need tethering / hotspot on your account. I use the Media Link HD with my One (AT&T version) without any issues and I don't have tethering on my account.
Make sure the firmware on your MediaLink is up to date and both it and your One are correctly connected to your WiFi hotspot. Also, be aware that any complex security settings on your hotspot could give you trouble.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

The firmware version of my adapter is 5.19.103.1 with no unusual settings on my router, which is an older Liksys - the blue one with the dual antennas.
The dongle recognizes my network name and my One connects for a second until a dialog on the phone reports that hotspot is required and to go to the AT&T website or call 611.
I have never applied "unusual" settings in the router other than naming the network, broadcasting SSID and applying WEP.
Any help is appreciated.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

I have tethering on my plan but I did notice that the flash wouldn't work while it was connected to my MediaLink. It gave an error message saying that flash isn't supported while hotspot is enabled.

would also like to know how to get around this hotspot error.. I've tried different security settings on my wireless router; what I haven't tried is using NO security to see if that helps. will try this now and update post!
edit: even no security on my wireless router doesn't change anything.. hrmm

born_fisherman said:
edit: even no security on my wireless router doesn't change anything.. hrmm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, this is getting wierder by the moment.
Likewise I tried disabling security on the router with no results.
I just installed a tethering app which requires root (suggesting to me that it works around any block at&t put on the ROM), started the link and it disabled tethering in favor of WiFi.
Looks like one of us is going to be on the phone with AT&T and/or HTC this week. I already have about 45 minutes invested with an appointment for Wednesday to discuss the tethering issue. Where I'm concerned, how I use my monthly bandwidth allotment is my business and they have no right to dictate limits to what I pay for within the confines of my plan.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

BillTheCat said:
Yeah, this is getting wierder by the moment.
Likewise I tried disabling security on the router with no results.
I just installed a tethering app which requires root (suggesting to me that it works around any block at&t put on the ROM), started the link and it disabled tethering in favor of WiFi.
Looks like one of us is going to be on the phone with AT&T and/or HTC this week. I already have about 45 minutes invested with an appointment for Wednesday to discuss the tethering issue. Where I'm concerned, how I use my monthly bandwidth allotment is my business and they have no right to dictate limits to what I pay for within the confines of my plan.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried putting the phone in airplane mode and then just turning on WiFi? I wonder if its just because the Media Link sees the hotspot on the device as an option, even though it isn't enabled or activated.

born_fisherman said:
Have you tried putting the phone in airplane mode and then just turning on WiFi? I wonder if its just because the Media Link sees the hotspot on the device as an option, even though it isn't enabled or activated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have the same issue, and putting the phone in airplane enables me to connect it with my tv but only for about 20 seconds. After that, the phone will
tell me that there's something wrong with usb tethering setup thus kills the connection. So technically, connecting the media link with the phone
triggers tethering on the phone, either usb or mobile data which are somehow blocked by atnt.

With regards to gaming mode, it's a mode on my tv that draws in extra frames to smooth things out, only it had a hard time working mostly lag.
As for the media link I doubt I'll need one, as my tv is a D8000 so runs wireless anyway.
Sent from my cm_tenderloin using Tapatalk HD

Any New news on this guys? The Media link i have is a glorified paper weight for now... As far as i am aware this only happens on the At&t one..My Bro will be getting the t-mo One tommorow if it works on his ONE I will just probably give hime the media link.. what a waste *sigh...

treyqutie said:
Any New news on this guys? The Media link i have is a glorified paper weight for now... As far as i am aware this only happens on the At&t one..My Bro will be getting the t-mo One tommorow if it works on his ONE I will just probably give hime the media link.. what a waste *sigh...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T shot themselves in the foot ( and screwed the rest of us) by trying so desperately to charge us for tethering.

Assuming we are SOL on this unless using a custom rom?
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

born_fisherman said:
Assuming we are SOL on this unless using a custom rom?
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much for the moment. I tried flashing M7's ROM and it worked fine. Seems AT&T has blocked the WAP/Tethering function in either the kernel, radio, or the ROM. So, the solution would seem to be:
1) Find a ROM you can live with and flash it.
2) Find a Kernel (or radio, if that's what it is) that works with the stock AT&T ROM and flash it.
3) Wait for AT&T to get their heads out of their asses to realize that they're screwing their customers who have peripherals like the Media Link which connect via WAP and fix it in an OTA update.
Rumor has it that there's a 1.29 update out there somewhere. Let's see what happens. In the meantime, those of us who are in this boat should call AT&T's technical support and give them an earful for pushing disfunctional equipment on us. There's plenty of advertising hype from both AT&T and HTC about how cool the phone is, but nothing in the advertising literature that says how they crippled the phone.

I'm in the same boat here. There is another thread about this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2242737
If I can't figure out a router configuration that fixes it, I may experiment with "rooting" and then trying to kill the com.htc.tetheringguard app. I'd definately rather have it work through my wireless router like it should, but not if I've got to leave the network open/unsecured!

miked4 said:
I may experiment with "rooting" and then trying to kill the com.htc.tetheringguard app. I'd definately rather have it work through my wireless router like it should, but not if I've got to leave the network open/unsecured!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am rooted, froze that app (along with all the other AT&T bloatware) with Titanium and it still doesn't work - no link action, no tethering, either.
Frankly, I'm pissed. I understand why they inhibit tethering, especially for those of us who are on unlimited data plans. There are always guys that will abuse it. But this phone came that way from the factory, which means that even those who are on 2G plans are screwed. In either case, if I'm paying for data, it's up to me to decide how fast I want to use it, the same way as if I were to pay for a tank of gas in my car, it's not up to Exxon to tell me I can't drive on the highway.
I was supposed to have received a call back today from the AT&T supervisor to discuss options, but (surprise!) no call. Looks like I'll be having a word or two with them tomorrow - and I have half a mind to demand a full credit on the purchase price of the phone for the amount of time I've spent jerking around with them about this.

Att unlimited plan tethering

So, i hope this is an appropriate forum...
I have an att sim for a unlimited plan (tie in to DTV).
Of course they do not allow tethering (usb or hotspot). Now i was not using that particular number so i popped the sim into a Samsung Galaxy (sgh I897).
This is a 3g phone.
I, on a whim, turned on the mobile Hotspot (settings, wifi, mobile ap).
I have been using it for a week to get network on a windows 7 desktop pc.
Email, google docs, watching youtube, editing websites, watching The CW, watching Syfy.
No complaint from at&t.
I wonder if it is because the phone is old and reports in a way that is no longer monitored or maybe because it is 3g and they are not so concerned about that spectrum...
Do you all think it is a matter of time till they figure it out or did I find a loophole?
Sent from my LG-H900 using XDA-Developers mobile app

You found a loophole there is no way they will be able to see what you used your data on, that would break there privacy policy.
Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

I tethered like this for years ... probably 10 years or so.
I only got a letter from AT&T this month.
I am wondering whether it has something to do with my new phone/new version of android (HTC One M9 running AOSP Candysix).
I always just tethered with the built in Bluetooth tethering.
As far as I can tell there are only two ways for them to tell:
1. Read the data, specifically headers, which would tell that the traffic is coming from a PC; this should/would be solvable by using a VPN
2. The OS passes on some kind of flag to the carrier. I read that old versions of android would use a separate APN/virtual device for tethering but I can't find this info on my phone (IP rules show, etc.)
any help would be greatly appreciated.