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I'm looking to get the Evo but the $10 a month Premium data-add on is something that is holding me back. What I am trying to figure out is whether this is actually required by the phone or not. I was told back in the days that the Blackberry Internet Service was "required" for activation, yet I easily activated the phones without the internet plan, and I was even able to activate a few with the internet plan then go back and remove the internet plan and it still worked! I to this day don't believe Sprint when they tell me something won't work, so I'm trying to find a solution to this. Is there anyway the command forcing the phone to search to see if the subscriber has the data add on can be accessed? Would it be a file or a command? And wouldn't I just be able to do what I did with my Blackberry's in the past and just cancel the premium data add on after activation and keep the phone working like normal?
Another user explained to me that a user on these forums: Toast is working on some sort of solution to this?
I'm pretty sure no. As with the pre and hero I think the sprint system knows the imei for the phones and will require this. Looking in my account, I can see the premium data plan, and It does not let me remove it. If there's some special way, who knows, but I don't think I've heard of one yet.
I'm actually ok with the premium data plan. It means that less people ran for the phone (which means I got one easy) and it means less people jamming the network with one, which leads to higher speeds for me lol... Sprint's always been good to me otherwise. I can eat the 7.70 a month I have to add on.
You must have the plan or your phone disactivates.
It's worth it, free Telenav and sprint tv, plus 4g
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Speed alone is worth it. If that doesn't sell you I read somewhere a plan pricing comparison and Sprint with the +$10 plan is still cheaper than most services out there when it comes down to it.
chandlerw88 said:
It's worth it, free Telenav and sprint tv, plus 4g
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Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App
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Click to collapse
The free sprint TV is crap, but the navigation seems very good!
But...Navigon will be releasing an android nav app this year, so that will make it useless, lol
Basically if you don't get 4G or don't need it...it's just an extra crap fee.
ballerx43 said:
I was told back in the days that the Blackberry Internet Service was "required" for activation, yet I easily activated the phones without the internet plan, and I was even able to activate a few with the internet plan then go back and remove the internet plan and it still worked!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is pure blind luck. When the Blackberry add-on was still sold by Sprint, not having it on the account was possible...but lead to a great deal of issues. Blackberry devices can and will check the web often. If you dind't get hit with data charges. Some people did. Some people's phones couldn't even make phonecalls without the pack.
And just for reference, the price of that add-on was set by RIM, NOT by Sprint.
EVO-lution said:
You must have the plan or your phone disactivates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Half true. There's no way to remove the feature as every Rep knows that it has to be there.
Of course if you do manage to find a way to remove the feature you'll end up paying MORE, so that's probably not in you r best interest!
Personally, I rarely use 4g. It has major penetration issues (know I'm going to hear more on that phrase!) but considering I'm at 1.3GB since the 27th of last month on this thing, odds are good I'll reach and/or exceed the 5gb cap that typiccally accompanies this kind of gear. $10 to allow me to use the phone as much as I want, in whatever way I want?
Sold.
I don't see the big issue. I came from AT&T paying $250 a month. This is nothing to worry about.
you can get this phone on $70/month plan. google slickdeals, check their hotdeals foroums. it's there.
Neotelos_com said:
The free sprint TV is crap, but the navigation seems very good!
But...Navigon will be releasing an android nav app this year, so that will make it useless, lol
Basically if you don't get 4G or don't need it...it's just an extra crap fee.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, but you can get nav on the evo from google maps....
I think it's a ripoff to charge an extra $10 that most of the country can't access yet for some reason, people still pay it.
I originally was upset by the $10 surcharge, however, after using the Evo for a weekend I consume WAY more data on it than any other phone I've used. Its so hard not to. I almost prefer browsing on it compared to my laptop, YouTube is great, and Maps and Navigation on the big screen is a joy to use. Besides, Sprint's plans are still a hell of a lot better than the competition, even with the extra fee.
So is there a definitive answer whether the 3g is truly unlimited or is it only 4g? There seems to be conflicting answers everywhere.
bockjacob said:
So is there a definitive answer whether the 3g is truly unlimited or is it only 4g? There seems to be conflicting answers everywhere.
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Click to collapse
http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=5973
case closed
From CNET News: "If the thought of having to pay for 4G without actually getting 4G makes you mad, it might be some slight consolation that there will be no data cap associated with the Premium Data add-on, regardless of whether you're using 4G or 3G, according to Phone Scoop."
Most people don't know this but there is $10 and $20 monthly plan with the airave. The 10 gives you unlimited minutes for one phone and the 20 for 5. Basically a long as a call is originated from the airave device, minutes are unlimited, even if you leave the area of coverage.
Sent from my Evo beeesshh
Who would pay that on top of the $100 to buy it and $4 monthly fee? Especially since the only minutes used is landline calls? I don't know one person anymore that has a landline. Maybe others but I can't see myself ever using anything over an hour a month. So far my two bills I have used none of my minutes up.. but thanks for.letting people know this as when I talked about an airwave at sprint store they never said it comes with a plan or need a plan. Just a straight 4 dollars a month to use it. Imo those plans are useless unless you know and talk to regularly, people with landlines.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
A lot if people aren't on data plans believe it or not, helps those out a ton. Unl calls for 49.99 a month on our talk 450 plan for 39.99.
Sent from my Evo beeesshh
re read your post... my bag....
i called sprint said my new apt had crappy reception(before evo) they sent me one for free and gave me unlimted plan 10 bucks when i got evo didnt need it anymore they told me to keep the unit disconnected service cause doesnt support data i understood ....by thwy can i do anything else with those beside jam other sprint fone within the 5000 ft radius it covers
I don't know what u just said
Sent from the island my Evo built
yes can you please re edit your post and use some punctuation? i dont speak jive...
DirtyShroomz said:
I don't know what u just said
Sent from the island my Evo built
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LMMFAO!
10chars
Alright I just reread and I think I understand. No, it can't do anything. Take it to a sprint store, return it and let someone else that needs it use it.
Sent from the island my Evo built
sao1180 said:
i called sprint said my new apt had crappy reception(before evo) they sent me one for free and gave me unlimted plan 10 bucks when i got evo didnt need it anymore they told me to keep the unit disconnected service cause doesnt support data i understood
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what you mean, but I have an evo and poor reception, sprint sent me a free airave and it does do data(3G). I get full strength signal. Not a big deal since I usually use wifi at home anyways. The call quality is great...I think it just turns ur cell into a voip, but it works great!
they told me it is out of stock and i can even see it listed on the sprint web site. does anyone have the same experience.
They're not out of stock anymore
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
I've never paid a monthly fee for the airave yet. Having to pay would hardly seem worth it...find a new carrier.
So I finally had enough of AT&T's promises of fixing the cell towers near me and finally getting me a decent signal at home so I can at least receive calls. I decided to call them up to ask for more information regarding the micro cell. This is what I found out.
1) The Micro Cell costs 199.99 with no discount what so ever (I don't consider mail in rebates a discount even if it's 100 bucks, which still means I have to pay 99.99 for one).
2) If you do not pay them 19.99 a month, regardless of the fact that you are using your own home network for the service and have paid a ridiculous amount already, you will use your cell minutes as normal. So basically I get better reception for using VOIP technology over my own home network and still end up using my minutes.
3) If you don't want to use your minutes, you have to pony up 20.00 a month in addition to the ridiculous amounts you already pay these guys for unlimited use of a device you have purchased.
What is with these guys?
I am a big fan of AT&T as they typically have some of the best devices before anyone else and have the capacity to have the fastest data networks and sure as hell give better deals on hardware in my experiance, but are they really so ****ing greedy?
Oh well, just had to vent a bit. If I could afford the disruption of moving all my business and personal accounts to another provider who was a little more customer friendly (and don't say verizon is as I know better), I would.
Anyways, back to trolling the forums.
That doesn't sound right, I think whoever you spoke to didn't do there homework:
Last time I checked if you use micro cell since it's going through your network it does NOT use your minutes, and if your signal is bad enough I hear that AT&T will give you a free micro-cell granted you are telling the truth and they're unwilling to provide better coverage in your area (threatening with lawsuits, FCC complains etc will help you).
roharia said:
That doesn't sound right, I think whoever you spoke to didn't do there homework:
Last time I checked if you use micro cell since it's going through your network it does NOT use your minutes, and if your signal is bad enough I hear that AT&T will give you a free micro-cell granted you are telling the truth and they're unwilling to provide better coverage in your area (threatening with lawsuits, FCC complains etc will help you).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been back and forth with them on this issue. I am near two towers (nerd jokes allowed), and both have issues. I see the trucks in the area all the time (AT&T just sucks down here in the south).
I spoke with both an instore rep and two different customer service reps on the 611 customer service. The first was just a standard over seas employee who couldn't tell me much and the second was from the Micro Cell group named Mrs. Jones (wish I could make that name up) who told me the information from above).
When the Micro Cells first came out and people said enough complaints would net you a free one, well I did indeed try and try and try. I would sit on the phone with the tech people and they could watch me get signal, drop signal, get signal....back and forth for over an hour each go.
Finally I gave up and decided to just try some advice I found here on these forums and leave my phone where I got the best signal (2 bars of edge) and just use my blue tooth in the house. It's worked so far, but it's more than I should have to deal with.
The problems have only gotten worse since the .83 update that keeps me on edge for about a mile around my house (the update apparently keeps you on the network with the best signal). This causes the phone to constantly try and connect to the H+ network (laugh) and due to this, my battery goes to crap.
If anyone has a better experience with their local stores, please let me know. Maybe I was just told wrong or misheard the details, but to have misheard the information 3 times from 3 different people is pushing it.
This was pulled from the terms and conditions from their website:
This device is sold for use on AT&T systems and is not compatible with other wireless systems. Broadband Internet access service of at least 1.5 Mbps downstream/256 kbps upstream required. To take advantage of all the benefits and service features, you may need to purchase additional hardware or software, pay monthly access and/or per-use charges. Usage generated by 3G MicroCell counts toward your wireless data usage plan limit and may be subject to applicable charges from your ISP. Normal charges apply for mobility data plans and features when using the AT&T 3G MicroCell. The maximum coverage of the AT&T 3G MicroCell is approximately 40 linear feet. Actual coverage will be limited by the density of obstructions. Calls will transfer to a cell tower if you leave the MicroCell coverage area, but calls may drop if you return to the Microcell coverage area. Device may not support all location-based wireless services or video share services. 3G MicroCell is not compatible with Apple iPad™. Device must be operated in a location AT&T is authorized to provide wireless service. AT&T authorized areas are labeled best, good, moderate or partner on the AT&T coverage viewer located at att.com/wireless.att.com/coverageviewer.
It is true that the Microcell will use your minutes without the $20 plan. However, most of the time, when I am at home, it is during nights and weekends. I only paid $150 for mine (without rebates) and it was worth it to me.
It is basically just like having a signal booster. This is all I need it to be.
naplesbill said:
It is true that the Microcell will use your minutes without the $20 plan. However, most of the time, when I am at home, it is during nights and weekends. I only paid $150 for mine (without rebates) and it was worth it to me.
It is basically just like having a signal booster. This is all I need it to be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But see that right there is what gets me. I have crappy ass service in my area and the only solution for it is to pay them *currently* 199.99 and use my own home network internet to improve it. If I do this, I am getting screwed as the calls are routed via my internet and causes strain on my broadband vs. their towers and I still have to use my minutes unless I pay them more.
Now if I didn't have to pay for the micro cell or use my wireless minutes while using it, I don't think I would have an issue, but as it stands, it feels like those who really need one (I work from home and need cell service) are getting bent over and screwed and AT&T isn't sing any lube.
When this came out I called foul. They sell you back your own bandwidth to fix their problem rather than using the money you pay to them for service to improve their network.
Also... if you use "Data" from the mircocell (mind you your own network data) They charge you data usage...
jsteelm said:
When this came out I called foul. They sell you back your own bandwidth to fix their problem rather than using the money you pay to them for service to improve their network.
Also... if you use "Data" from the mircocell (mind you your own network data) They charge you data usage...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. Maybe I am just over reacting to this, but to be charged data and voice usage for using my own home network is just ridiculous.
Oh well, maybe they'll let me use my own lube next time.
Frankly if I could, I'd make them sign a service agreement to charge them $30/month for data access. That'd be some funny stuff if you could do that
AT&T gave me a MicroCell for free after I threaten them with breach of contract. We had no cell signal in our house and I explained to them that we had a contract together were their part was to provide me with cell signal and my part of the contract was to pay for that signal. Since they did not hold up their part of the contract I told them that I wanted to cancel contract and after a few minutes of arguing with them, they offered me to buy a MicroCell? After telling them the absurdity of me paying more money to AT&T just so I could pay them according to our contract they agree to give it to me for free.
Cheers
pederb said:
AT&T gave me a MicroCell for free after I threaten them with breach of contract. We had no cell signal in our house and I explained to them that we had a contract together were their part was to provide me with cell signal and my part of the contract was to pay for that signal. Since they did not hold up their part of the contract I told them that I wanted to cancel contract and after a few minutes of arguing with them, they offered me to buy a MicroCell? After telling them the absurdity of me paying more money to AT&T just so I could pay them according to our contract they agree to give it to me for free.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice.. they successfully solved their problem by pawning it off to you. Now if your signal is weak, its YOUR fault
pederb said:
AT&T gave me a MicroCell for free after I threaten them with breach of contract. We had no cell signal in our house and I explained to them that we had a contract together were their part was to provide me with cell signal and my part of the contract was to pay for that signal. Since they did not hold up their part of the contract I told them that I wanted to cancel contract and after a few minutes of arguing with them, they offered me to buy a MicroCell? After telling them the absurdity of me paying more money to AT&T just so I could pay them according to our contract they agree to give it to me for free.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I am glad you were able to get one for free, this is just another example. They are giving some away for free while charging others for them.
jsteelm said:
Nice.. they successfully solved their problem by pawning it off to you. Now if your signal is weak, its YOUR fault
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
considering he now has a free microcell, i don't think his signal will be weak.
OP - did you try threatening to cancel your account?
dLo GSR said:
considering he now has a free microcell, i don't think his signal will be weak.
OP - did you try threatening to cancel your account?
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Click to collapse
Even if I could cancel all my accounts, they know I can't. I have 5 personal lines and 2 business lines with them.
Lets not even get into the two laptops that I got through them...
I am just going to have to raise hell which is what I normally do not like to do to the folks working the phones as the rules are not their fault. They are just pawns that have to do the dirty work.
dLo GSR said:
considering he now has a free microcell, i don't think his signal will be weak.
OP - did you try threatening to cancel your account?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is true, I just hope his internet never goes out.
pederb said:
AT&T gave me a MicroCell for free after I threaten them with breach of contract. We had no cell signal in our house and I explained to them that we had a contract together were their part was to provide me with cell signal and my part of the contract was to pay for that signal. Since they did not hold up their part of the contract I told them that I wanted to cancel contract and after a few minutes of arguing with them, they offered me to buy a MicroCell? After telling them the absurdity of me paying more money to AT&T just so I could pay them according to our contract they agree to give it to me for free.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You not having signal everywhere or at your house is not a breach of contact. It actually says in your terms of service that you are not always guaranteed to have service. You just got lucky....
My dad somehow got one for 50 no rebate. He did want to pay the 20 a month though. he works from home and we were already running out of minutes.
Sent from the bowels of hell...
blindguyinanorgy said:
My dad somehow got one for 50 no rebate. He did want to pay the 20 a month though. he works from home and we were already running out of minutes.
Sent from the bowels of hell...
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Click to collapse
So I called Customer Care back and spent the last 2 hours (no exaggeration) on the phone with them. I called to make a formal complaint to them regarding the pricing and the whole scam as I like to see it.
In response to my situation, they did not give me a free microcell, but did give me a credit for $105.00 towards my current bill. While this is not what I wanted, I will not look a gift horse in the mouth and will accept it.
The customer care agent also told me of a rating system that they use to rate their customers. Currently the system is a 1 to 5 scale with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. The agent told me that I was ranked a 4, which is the highest he has seen in the time he has been at the company.
While I like the fact I am rated a 4, I am not certain that being ranked by a company that is taking us all for a ride with their policies and their rates is a good thing at all. I hate to know what they would rank some of us here on these forums if they knew what we do with our phones.
Ultimately I have to say I am a little happier with AT&T at the moment for no other reason than the fact that they have some great employees who if you are nice and respectful to will be the same way back.
The agent (no I don't want to name names as that could cause him trouble and he doesn't deserve it) did also mention that they have received many calls similar to mine and that if enough people do complain about it then they may just go ahead and change the problem.
Maybe a few more phone calls with complaints will change some minds and turn some heads over at AT&T. It's a shame that I didn't get a survey on the person who helped me. He would have received high marks.
I know its not much help to people here, but AT&T sent me a letter roughly six months ago, without me ever once calling them, with an instant rebate form to get a microcell for free. I ignored it as I was debating on switching back to Verizon at the time due to the piss-poor data coverage in my area. Three months later I got the notice once again just as the ATRIX arrived at the local AT&T store. I never once called AT&T about the issue and had literally no coverage inside of my house (not sure if my metal roof has anything to do with that...).
I think they must periodically look at their records to see how well people's phones are connecting to their network as they had no way of knowing I had an issue if they didn't. My neighbors, if you can call them that a quarter mile away, have fine reception and the coverage maps all show that my house has "strong" coverage.
Regarding the customer rating system I'm not sure how they would rate customers except perhaps on their profitability to AT&T. Are you regularly using your minutes and data? I ask because I use next to none of my minutes and hardly scratch my data most months as I have access to WiFi nearly everywhere I go.
While I understand the frustation and disdain toward AT&T over this, it is still better than the solution I was offered by Sprint, Verizon, and Nextel when I had them. In other words, no solution. My house is in a coverage hole for all the carriers. I have tried all of them and the only one that works in my house at all is AT&T.
I was able to get out of my contracts with Sprint and Verizon because they stated I had coverage at my house, but I did not have it with either carrier. Even without the Microcell, I have coverage with AT&T. I only added the Microcell so that I would have full coverage everywhere in my house.
The impact on my broadband is entirely negligible. Since I am already paying for broadband, this has not caused me any further costs. I also do not have any problem staying within my minute usage. I have a family plan with 5 lines and 1400 minutes.
Yes, I would rather have gotten the Microcell for free, but $150 is not much for peace of mind. If I wanted to extend my own wireless system with a repeater, it would cost me nearly that much as well. I also use regular wireless data while at home. Not only is it faster, it doesn't affect my data plan usage.
Any solution is better than no solution.
naplesbill said:
While I understand the frustation and disdain toward AT&T over this, it is still better than the solution I was offered by Sprint, Verizon, and Nextel when I had them. In other words, no solution. My house is in a coverage hole for all the carriers. I have tried all of them and the only one that works in my house at all is AT&T.
I was able to get out of my contracts with Sprint and Verizon because they stated I had coverage at my house, but I did not have it with either carrier. Even without the Microcell, I have coverage with AT&T. I only added the Microcell so that I would have full coverage everywhere in my house.
The impact on my broadband is entirely negligible. Since I am already paying for broadband, this has not caused me any further costs. I also do not have any problem staying within my minute usage. I have a family plan with 5 lines and 1400 minutes.
Yes, I would rather have gotten the Microcell for free, but $150 is not much for peace of mind. If I wanted to extend my own wireless system with a repeater, it would cost me nearly that much as well.
Any solution is better than no solution.
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Click to collapse
Agreed that 150.00 is not much for peace of mind, but it's is a lot of money when you consider the service you already pay 300+ a month should include decent service for where you live.
I sent an email to Dan Hesse (no im not gullable enough to think he is actually going to read it) asking why they took away the tethering feature with this update. I konw most of you are rooted here and this doesn't affect you but this was a big deal. I bought this phone for this reason and now it is gone, how is that legal? Anyone else want to get a class action lawsuit going?
cardsfan01 said:
I sent an email to Dan Hesse (no im not gullable enough to think he is actually going to read it) asking why they took away the tethering feature with this update. I konw most of you are rooted here and this doesn't affect you but this was a big deal. I bought this phone for this reason and now it is gone, how is that legal? Anyone else want to get a class action lawsuit going?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Free tethering wasn't a feature you signed onto when you signed your contract. It was a nice little extra that Android provided which is clearly not what the carriers wanted and for which they now took away.
Did you see that Sprint just had a net loss of almost 850 million dollars... Despite a GAIN of 1 million subscribers. They have to do something lol.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
I was pissed about that as well, mostly because when I bought the phone the rep said it was a feature of the phone and since google was in charge of updates that sprint couldn't take it away. However, in another thread someone pointed out to me that tethering is an explicit violation of the terms of service agreement and the phone is subsidized by sprint so they are not really doing anything that you could sue them about. It is disappointing, but at least getting it back is easy through rooting.
Is this thread serious?
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App
the tethering app itself is there and still works, it does what the app is supposed to do. sprint how ever just disabled the connection on their end to accounts that dont have the add on........which is totally their right to do. while the app comes with the phone is free no one ever said the service was included
ryno502 said:
Did you see that Sprint just had a net loss of almost 850 million dollars... Despite a GAIN of 1 million subscribers. They have to do something lol.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More than 600,000 of those were in the prepaid sector. They actually had a net loss of more than 100,000 in the post paid sector.
Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk
With Sprint I sort of understand the legitimacy of wanting to charge extra for tethering, since they have true unlimited data and people who tether regularly can use an assload of bandwidth. But the other carriers all cap their data plans and charge extra for tethering. That is bullcrap.
Just root your phone and install tether and stop complaining... it takes 5 seconds.
i dont use the tether and dont have any plans to, i agree that using the rooted one is all too easy (its what 99% of teh rest of the android population have to do).
BUT
i do believe its rather annoying that the nexus 1 came and went with free tethering, the nexus s is on so many different carriers domestic and international.. yet sprint is the first one to throw up a fit about tethering. not saying that its wrong for them to, just feeling like a red headed stepchild of the nexus s family.
cardsfan01 said:
I sent an email to Dan Hesse (no im not gullable enough to think he is actually going to read it) asking why they took away the tethering feature with this update. I konw most of you are rooted here and this doesn't affect you but this was a big deal. I bought this phone for this reason and now it is gone, how is that legal? Anyone else want to get a class action lawsuit going?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The free tether was not advertised as being free it was never writter or expressed. You just got a free bonus. IMO. Also the free tether was supposed to be remove on the update that occurred right after the phone was launched and it wasn't. I suggest rooting your phone its easy with an untold amount of benefits.
Does the removal of free tethering constitute as change in contract ? I would love to get out of my contract without penalty.
wow I love how people get up on a soapbox and complain without research first.
Free tethering was never offically free from sprint. So you want to cancel your contract/send emails/get red in the face over something that most people already knew.
get over it there are ways around these things which for the most part why we are all here to enhance our phones.
teshxx said:
Does the removal of free tethering constitute as change in contract ? I would love to get out of my contract without penalty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read your contract and let me know if you see free tethering in there
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App
hellcatt said:
the tethering app itself is there and still works, it does what the app is supposed to do. sprint how ever just disabled the connection on their end to accounts that dont have the add on........which is totally their right to do. while the app comes with the phone is free no one ever said the service was included
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the 2.3.5 update is what disable it? If so, that is hardly "on their end." It's on our end, inside our own hardware which we purchased.
Unless I am mistaken and they rolled out a network change at the exact same moment as a software change. But if they were magically blocking tethering from their end... then wouldn't it block our rooted tethering too?
I agree it's not the end of the world and rooted tether is easy. But I think it might be inaccurate to say an update to our phones is happening on their end.
DirtyShroomz said:
Read your contract and let me know if you see free tethering in there
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the purchase contract to my car said I couldn't drive it while chewing gum, I'd walk out of the dealer. If the purchase contracts for ALL cars said that, I'd buy one of them and then go home and break the terms.
Just because it's in the contract doesn't mean it is right. We pay for a DATA service to a piece of hardware. What we do with data that has been fed into that device is our own decision, morally and logically. Sprint does not govern the airwaves in my own house that originate from a piece of hardware I own.
In reality it's not a big deal, but in principle it is 100% wrong.
The111 said:
If the purchase contract to my car said I couldn't drive it while chewing gum, I'd walk out of the dealer. If the purchase contracts for ALL cars said that, I'd buy one of them and then go home and break the terms.
Just because it's in the contract doesn't mean it is right. We pay for a DATA service to a piece of hardware. What we do with data that has been fed into that device is our own decision, morally and logically. Sprint does not govern the airwaves in my own house that originate from a piece of hardware I own.
In reality it's not a big deal, but in principle it is 100% wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The DATA service to use the phone as a wireless hotspot/tether is an extra $29.99, whether we agree with that or not. If you don't think a contract is right then you don't sign it/use the service.
The111 said:
If the purchase contract to my car said I couldn't drive it while chewing gum, I'd walk out of the dealer. If the purchase contracts for ALL cars said that, I'd buy one of them and then go home and break the terms.
Just because it's in the contract doesn't mean it is right. We pay for a DATA service to a piece of hardware. What we do with data that has been fed into that device is our own decision, morally and logically. Sprint does not govern the airwaves in my own house that originate from a piece of hardware I own.
In reality it's not a big deal, but in principle it is 100% wrong.
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Your fight is with congress. Verizon/at&t/comcast/etc they lobbied pretty hard so that net neutrality not be on wireless lines. So the government has allowed from now and out what can be defined as a data over wireless. So what if sprint wants to charge you extra on your contract for a smartphone when you want to use their network for serving up data for laptops/some use for Xbox live and stuff if it is needed so badly on the users end to have mobile data well.
So think about if sprint were to allow free tethering on all phones, well businesses would flock to them for company plans to cut costs, and the flocks of data whores out there that love to rack up data on their phones. Our network would blow, congestion please.
Sprint and wireless telcos don't govern all the airwaves in your own house just the frequencies they use to provide you with a service which at signing is for that piece of hardware you bought from them, then activated that hardware on their network.
This by no means is me getting angry with you but hopefully more people will read this and look this up and let the information flow out. Our government is to blame allowing this to happen. By allowing them to define mobile data is why we have to pay the most expensive data rates for texting and such.
Now imagine this verizon which is new kinda to home tv and high speed fiber to the home. Perhaps they use some of the lte network to start providing tv and home internet. Now they would have complete control over how you watch and your internet. Maybe they have to throttle your HD channels cause you've been watching to much HBO movies. Why not they will all tell you Netflix kills their backend but watching vod has no strain on the network.....I've been ranting for too long sorry
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BrianDigital said:
So think about if sprint were to allow free tethering on all phones, well businesses would flock to them for company plans to cut costs, and the flocks of data whores out there that love to rack up data on their phones. Our network would blow, congestion please.
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Agreed 100%, but the issue is traffic, not tethering. If they want to limit traffic or introduce a tiered plan, that is fine (it might piss me off, but it is a rational right they have). It is rational to expect to pay per amount of data streamed to my device. But it is not rational to tell me what to do with data received on my end.
Replace DATA with WATER. If I pay the city for x amount of water per month, once it arrives on my doorstep, can they charge me more if I add plumbing in my house that transports it to the backyard, or my basement? Or install an extra faucet in a guest bedroom?
seezar said:
The DATA service to use the phone as a wireless hotspot/tether is an extra $29.99, whether we agree with that or not. If you don't think a contract is right then you don't sign it/use the service.
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Please see my example above about water.
If every single water company in town told you it was $50 per month to get 200 gallons of water piped to your house, but there would be a $30 surcharge (for the same amount) if you had more than 2 faucets in your house, would you:
(a) Tell them about all 4 of your faucets and pay $80
(b) Tell them you have 2 faucets and pay $50
If (a), then I question your thought processes. Common wisdom (in my mind at least) is that it is a citizen's duty to disobey unjust rules. Yes, I am being overdramatic here, and no a contract from Sprint is not a law. But it leans on the law (as the post above mentions), and ALL providers lean on that same unjust law...
My 3 contact is about to expire and I'm seriously considering using giffgaff. £12/month gets you 250 mins, unlimited Web and texts. 3 is good and very fast but the cover is non existent in a few places. Just asking for people's opinion on gifgaff and if it's worth a look.
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Me personally would go with giffgaff great value plus chance to earn credit
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I did this swap 3 months ago and it has been great to be able to get signal everywhere again I would definitely recommend switching to giffgaff.
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Thanks guys, do you mainly get a 3G signal? How is coverage compared to three? Is 2G usable?
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I'm on giffgaff, and yeah, the prices are phenomenal. But if your not happy with 3s reception, you won't be best pleased if you switch. As you probably know, giffgaff uses O2, and they (along with Vodafone) are the worst provider for signal. I hardly ever manage to make a phone call while out and about without it cutting out. Id study o2's coverage map to make sure your area has coverage before making the jump.
EE or Virgin are your best bet signal wise. Im in the haggeling stages with Virgin atm, and so far, I've got them down to £8 for a 30 day contract, unlimited texts, unlimited data, and 1200 minutes.
As I say, check different networks coverage, then ring round making demands. You'll be surprised what you get if you ask!!
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Suck it and see buy a tenners worth of credit and see how you get on .
As GiffGaff are O2 it is something i would check first via the coverage maps for O2 network just in case of blackspot where you use the phone .
jje
When my Contract ended with T-mobile last year, I switched to Giffgaff & tbh couldn't be happier.
O2's Signal in my area is brilliant 5 bars H+ 98% of the time, even when i was in the remote part of the Lake District i still got a good signal.
I pay £15 per month for 400mins unlimited text & internet, all my smartphones from now on are bought Sim Free, already have the money stashed away for the Galaxy S IV next year. :good:
Great feedback dudes, I've ordered a free GG simcard, can I realistically use this to determine the strength of the signal as a test before I think about moving (I don't trust coverage maps that much - bad experiences)
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Yes you can. Please put me as reference so I can earn some points. My user name is a675432100
Thank you
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I have gone from giffgaff to 3 and i have no regrets!! I got sick of outages and poor internet speed
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Yep, try Giffgaff and see what the signal is like. Three have been excellent for me though, £24 a month for unlimited texts and internet plus 900 mins anytime minutes and 5000 three to three minutes, got my galaxy s2 with it for free as well. Sold it when the S3 came out.
GiffGaff is awesome Everytime my contract runs out i use giffgaff for awhile, This gives me time till a new device comes out or is released. And the best part is there is no contract to sign. You top it up every month on your own term. So if you don't top up then no minutes which is fine with me.
Best part is you always get Unlimited data. But be aware that they do not take kindly if you tether and download torrents and etc. You will have you sim suspended and ordering another one to your address is hard. Unless of course you email them an apology letter and say you will never do it again. Then they will give you a second chance.
Lol why do i know this because i was the one who tethered all day and downloaded 129.9GB worth of data LMAO!!
Other then that their price plans are awesome ranging from 5 to 20quid i prefer the £20 one as i need the minutes..
Signal is awesome for me no drops we always get full bars here in UK/London or east London where i live. Never had an issue with signal..
Meemo23 said:
GiffGaff is awesome Everytime my contract runs out i use giffgaff for awhile, This gives me time till a new device comes out or is released. And the best part is there is no contract to sign. You top it up every month on your own term. So if you don't top up then no minutes which is fine with me.
Best part is you always get Unlimited data. But be aware that they do not take kindly if you tether and download torrents and etc. You will have you sim suspended and ordering another one to your address is hard. Unless of course you email them an apology letter and say you will never do it again. Then they will give you a second chance.
Lol why do i know this because i was the one who tethered all day and downloaded 129.9GB worth of data LMAO!!
Other then that their price plans are awesome ranging from 5 to 20quid i prefer the £20 one as i need the minutes..
Signal is awesome for me no drops we always get full bars here in UK/London or east London where i live. Never had an issue with signal..
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I don't think I could go with GiffGaff after this, but £20 and a fair usage policy and no tethering?
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delsus said:
I don't think I could go with GiffGaff after this, but £20 and a fair usage policy and no tethering?
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Nope you can tether but if you do too much they will send you a horrible email lol.. Then your sim gets blocked out. You can download 30gb they won't say anything i do that all the time but after 30gb i think they get suspicious.. But it is my fault at that time i didn't have net at home i was waiting for my bt package to arrive. And i watch alot of films and tv shows plus i upload 24/7.. Seeing it was unlimited i took advantage. So you can't really blame giffgaff. They do not offer you a service for you to connect to your pc and use it like normal internet. You're slowing everyone down. Well at least that is what they told me..
Meemo23 said:
Nope you can tether but if you do too much they will send you a horrible email lol.. Then your sim gets blocked out. You can download 30gb they won't say anything i do that all the time but after 30gb i think they get suspicious.. But it is my fault at that time i didn't have net at home i was waiting for my bt package to arrive. And i watch alot of films and tv shows plus i upload 24/7.. Seeing it was unlimited i took advantage. So you can't really blame giffgaff. They do not offer you a service for you to connect to your pc and use it like normal internet. You're slowing everyone down. Well at least that is what they told me..
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But if they cut your sim off at all its not an unlimited connection, I'm actually surprised they are allowed to do that. If your gonna call it unlimited make sure it's unlimited no charges, cut off or throttle if your gonna do any of the above its actually limited even if it's 30GB its still a limit.
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delsus said:
But if they cut your sim off at all its not an unlimited connection, I'm actually surprised they are allowed to do that. If your gonna call it unlimited make sure it's unlimited no charges, cut off or throttle if your gonna do any of the above its actually limited even if it's 30GB its still a limit.
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Very true i was surprised my self when i got the email and my sim was blocked. They did unblock it after i apologized. To be honest i cannot be bothered to argue with them. As i know i won't be right. Unlimited means unlimited period no point restricting it then calling it UNLIMITED makes no sense..
To be fair to giffgaff it does say 'unlimited mobile web' that means it's unlimited data for use on your phone. It then says tethering is not allowed.
Dont think that they are hiding anything
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Tomo1971 said:
To be fair to giffgaff it does say 'unlimited mobile web' that means it's unlimited data for use on your phone. It then says tethering is not allowed.
Dont think that they are hiding anything
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Fair enough..
Can I topup with say £10 and try it out, then if happy, transfer my current phone number and goto a monthly contract?
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gsw5700 said:
Can I topup with say £10 and try it out, then if happy, transfer my current phone number and goto a monthly contract?
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You can transfer your number no problems, but giffgaff are pay as you go only. Although, I top up via direct debit on the 1st of every month, so it works kind of like a 30 rolling contract.
Giffgaff have been quite lenient with me. I've taken the piss on many occations, but as long as its not constant, I don't think they really care. I've never had a snotty email, even though I've used stupid amounts of data. Exceeding the limited day after day is bound to raise eyebrows regardless of network. Even 3's all you can eat data plan has a fair usage cap, and speeds are significantly reduced if you go over board too often.
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