[Q] Question on compatibility with Verizon MVNOs - X Style (Pure) Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Given that this device is fully compatible with Verizon Wireless, is there any reason why it wouldn't work with a Verizon MVNO like Total Wireless, PagePlus, or StraightTalk? How about Tethering?

I use mine with Straight Talk - Verizon without issue. Tethering works.
Only down side is Verizon throttles the MVNOs to around 5 Mbps down / 2 Mbps up.

how about tethering?
quakeaz said:
I use mine with Straight Talk - Verizon without issue. Tethering works.
Only down side is Verizon throttles the MVNOs to around 5 Mbps down / 2 Mbps up.
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I am aware of the 5Mbps restriction and do not mind. Do any hoops have to be jumped through to get tethering to work, or do you just pop the Sim card in and go?

Bill720 said:
I am aware of the 5Mbps restriction and do not mind. Do any hoops have to be jumped through to get tethering to work, or do you just pop the Sim card in and go?
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Should be good to go. I didn't have to do anything except turn mobile hotspot on. Stock unrooted 6.0.

Thanks for the input
quakeaz said:
Should be good to go. I didn't have to do anything except turn mobile hotspot on. Stock unrooted 6.0.
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Wow, that's even easier than I was expecting. I've been thinking about switching phones and carriers next spring, and the Moto X Pure Edition coupled with the $35 plan from Total Wireless sounds like a worthy replacement for my Note2 and Sprint Sero.

Bill720 said:
Wow, that's even easier than I was expecting. I've been thinking about switching phones and carriers next spring, and the Moto X Pure Edition coupled with the $35 plan from Total Wireless sounds like a worthy replacement for my Note2 and Sprint Sero.
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So as far as Total Wireless goes, I am not sure their policy on tethering. It is against Straigt Talk's terms of service, but it does work.... I assume it would work using Total Wireless and a Verizon compatible SIM as well since it seems to be up to the host network to allow it to be activated or not.
For example, I used Straight Talk with an AT&T compatible SIM, tethering was not able to be activated. Using the ST - VZW one in the same phone, no problems at all.. unless Straight Talk decided they wanted to cut me off for a TOS violation, but I doubt they'll ever notice the minimal amount I use it.

Tethering Technicalities
quakeaz said:
So as far as Total Wireless goes, I am not sure their policy on tethering. It is against Straigt Talk's terms of service, but it does work.... I assume it would work using Total Wireless and a Verizon compatible SIM as well since it seems to be up to the host network to allow it to be activated or not.
For example, I used Straight Talk with an AT&T compatible SIM, tethering was not able to be activated. Using the ST - VZW one in the same phone, no problems at all.. unless Straight Talk decided they wanted to cut me off for a TOS violation, but I doubt they'll ever notice the minimal amount I use it.
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It's the same here in my current setup on Sprint. I tether maybe a few times a year and don't do so excessively, so it's not something they'd get on me about either. It's just something that I like to know will work when it is needed. Total Wireless operates under the Tracfone/StraightTalk/Net10 umbrella, so I'd imagine that the results will probably be similar to your experience. With that in mind, this sounds like it'd be a great phone for what I need it for.

Bill720 said:
It's the same here in my current setup on Sprint. I tether maybe a few times a year and don't do so excessively, so it's not something they'd get on me about either. It's just something that I like to know will work when it is needed. Total Wireless operates under the Tracfone/StraightTalk/Net10 umbrella, so I'd imagine that the results will probably be similar to your experience. With that in mind, this sounds like it'd be a great phone for what I need it for.
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Sounds good to me! It is a great phone in my opinion. Thank you for turning me on to Total Wireless. I might just have to make a switch, it sounds like the exact same plan I have now with Straight Talk but $10/mo less.

Total!
quakeaz said:
Sounds good to me! It is a great phone in my opinion. Thank you for turning me on to Total Wireless. I might just have to make a switch, it sounds like the exact same plan I have now with Straight Talk but $10/mo less.
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Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. Originally, I was kind of put off by having to invest >$42 a month (plus sales tax if you don't do the "trick") for 5GB of data on StraightTalk, (even when pre-paying for the entire year) but this Total Wireless thing sounds like it's the best deal in prepaid all of the sudden. I hadn't even heard of them until I saw an advertisement for it at WalMart a couple months ago, which prompted some further research that revealed they were just starting to roll out LTE and BYOD recently. Even at 5Mbps, it seems like a heck of a deal. Let me know how it goes if you try it, because if it turns out to be as good of a deal as it appears, that's what I'll be doing in spring 2017 when it comes time to upgrade.

I'm not sure of your data usage, but Net10 is also another option. Their $35/month plan looks good.

am I missing something here?
flieswithhawks said:
I'm not sure of your data usage, but Net10 is also another option. Their $35/month plan looks good.
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Why pay $35 for half a gigabyte of LTE data on Verizon when I could pay $35 for 5GB of LTE data on Verizon?

Bill720 said:
Why pay $35 for half a gigabyte of LTE data on Verizon when I could pay $35 for 5GB of LTE data on Verizon?
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I'm sorry. I didn't realize their plan had changed. It was 1.5gb for $35 before. Also, I'm not familiar with the other MVNOs mentioned here. Just trying to help was all...

The Tracfone Brands
flieswithhawks said:
I'm sorry. I didn't realize their plan had changed. It was 1.5gb for $35 before. Also, I'm not familiar with the other MVNOs mentioned here. Just trying to help was all...
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At a time when most MVNOs are increasing how much data you can have at a certain pricepoint, Net10 is lowering the bar . Looks like their $40 plan nets you 3GB now though, and it drops to $36 after autopay, according to the site (which is not a terrible deal in and of itself).
One thing is for sure: We need to keep an eye on the Tracfone carriers to see if they roll anything like this out on any of their other brands anytime soon. I could see a $25 plan with 2GB being a hot seller, if such a thing were available.

Related

Nexus One WITHOUT data plan on Tmobile?

Hi to all the Tmobile users out there. Anyone have the nexus one on Tmobile network WITHOUT data plan? As far as I know all you have to do is buy the unlock nexus one and pop in a sim card right? (does Tmobile have the same system as ATT that automatically force you into a data plan?)
NexusX said:
Hi to all the Tmobile users out there. Anyone have the nexus one on Tmobile network WITHOUT data plan? As far as I know all you have to do is buy the unlock nexus one and pop in a sim card right? (does Tmobile have the same system as ATT that automatically force you into a data plan?)
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AFAIK, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but you can pop a SIM-card with an "data-less" associated T-Mobile account and the phone will work. Data won't, and I don't believe T-Mobile will force you to buy a data plan.
Cheers,
Kermee
Never mind.. Not thinking correctly.
If you buy the phone unlocked, there's nothing to activate. You just pop in your sim and go.
I bought the unlocked Att nexus, and i'm using my old data plan without a problem (so far). I haven't been contacted or forced into a more expensive data plan or anything like that, though I guess your experience may vary.
crackness said:
If you buy the phone unlocked, there's nothing to activate. You just pop in your sim and go.
I bought the unlocked Att nexus, and i'm using my old data plan without a problem (so far). I haven't been contacted or forced into a more expensive data plan or anything like that, though I guess your experience may vary.
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I forgot on the n1 that you can skip the google account setup process.. Lol..
I pop my sim card the first time and try syncing it on a SIM WITHOUT data plan, it connected to 3G and edge to retrieve email and stuffs then I disconnected the Edge and 3G right after. They didn't charge me for the amount of data usage because it was under 600KB. Hope this help
Thank you guys, yeah I wanted ATT, but after sporadic report that they force some Nexus users to have data plan, I now have to consider Tmobile, hopefully they don't suck too much in DC area
NexusX said:
Thank you guys, yeah I wanted ATT, but after sporadic report that they force some Nexus users to have data plan, I now have to consider Tmobile, hopefully they don't suck too much in DC area
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Thats ridiculous, how does that even make sense? There is NO way a company can force you into a new data plan because you bought a phone on your own terms.
That is 100% bull ****, it's not true.
izmar said:
Thats ridiculous, how does that even make sense? There is NO way a company can force you into a new data plan because you bought a phone on your own terms.
That is 100% bull ****, it's not true.
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You may feel it's not right, but they do it. Many people trying to use t-mobile nexus ones on at&t got hit with the automatic data plan addition. It looks like most people with at&t ones are getting away without it so far, oddly enough, but that may change at some point in the future.
izmar said:
Thats ridiculous, how does that even make sense? There is NO way a company can force you into a new data plan because you bought a phone on your own terms.
That is 100% bull ****, it's not true.
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It's 100% true and it's stated in the contract agreement.
maxh said:
You may feel it's not right, but they do it. Many people trying to use t-mobile nexus ones on at&t got hit with the automatic data plan addition. It looks like most people with at&t ones are getting away without it so far, oddly enough, but that may change at some point in the future.
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It will change when Google releases the IMEI's for those handsets.
T-Mobile doesn't force a data plan on a customer supplied handset. Only when you buy it under a new 2 year agreement.. that's what AT&T, Sprint and Verizon does.
Yup. They'll even send you a text to warn you!
Not for everybody but since I live in CA there's no way I would ever change from T-Mo. Great coverage with good options on pricing.
Option A) T-Mo --- $40/mo data only plan I can make VOIP calls with
Option B) Verizon/ATT's --- $70/mo ripoff with cell phone minutes I dont even use?
I'd much rather take option a and save $720 a month over a 24 month period thank you very much.
Verizon and ATT might be the only option for some people coverage wise but that doesnt change the fact that they are terrible companies that force their customers to buy extra plan packages they dont want just so they can steal an extra $30 a month from people instead of giving them options on what they want and dont want.
Give me choices and I'm a happy customer.
ap3604 said:
Not for everybody but since I live in CA there's no way I would ever change from T-Mo. Great coverage with good options on pricing.
Option A) T-Mo --- $40/mo data only plan I can make VOIP calls with
Option B) Verizon/ATT's --- $70/mo ripoff with cell phone minutes I dont even use?
I'd much rather take option a and save $720 a month over a 24 month period thank you very much.
Verizon and ATT might be the only option for some people coverage wise but that doesnt change the fact that they are terrible companies that force their customers to buy extra plan packages they dont want just so they can steal an extra $30 a month from people instead of giving them options on what they want and dont want.
Give me choices and I'm a happy customer.
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With AT&T I think you can get the data plan only (no minutes) for $5 extra on top of the data plan price. So $35/mo for unlimited data, no voice service. That's what I've been told, but you may wanna check for yourself.
maxh said:
With AT&T I think you can get the data plan only (no minutes) for $5 extra on top of the data plan price. So $35/mo for unlimited data, no voice service. That's what I've been told, but you may wanna check for yourself.
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Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?! interesting...
I'm looking online but does anyone have this that can confirm?

Have questions for StraightTalk/Net10/Tracfone?

I was once a tech/sales/fraud/CustSvc support for ST/NET10/TF
then im now on AT&T tech
anyways, if you want to have some clarifications, questions about the said brands, you can ask me, i cannot guarantee to answer everything but go ahead
I do not represent nor am I anymore connected with Tracfone Wireless Inc on xda nor do my posts and opinions reflect those of the company, management, and or its subsidiaries
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The most obvious one, what is the true data limit to the "unlimited" data. How do they determine if you're using too much data, or how do they determine if you're streaming or tethering?
Sent from my GT-N7000 Samsung Galaxy Note "Go big or go home" using XDA app
it actually depends upon the network of the area,
we have tools to check how much bandwidth is allocated in the area
if we detect serious network impact then we know what phone number caused such,
we dont own a network we "rent" from other large telecom companies
but mostly its 2GB - 3GB before it was 5GB but due to complaints recieved by TMO/AT&T/Sprint/Verizon about our subscribers affecting the performance of their network we reduced it to 2GB - 3GB,
some though get away with having as much as 8-10GB per month, im not sure how that happens
and analyze thier marketing strategy its unlimited "web browsing" they never said downloading, tethering, streaming, internet just "web browsing"
one funny experience was when a customer said, "whats the use of having one of your android phones if im prohibited to download stuff from internet with my 'unlimited' plan"
deathnotice01 said:
if we detect serious network impact then we know what phone number caused such
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Knowing this, any idea how much tethering one can get away with before ST takes action?
about 2GB - 3GB actually,
depends also on the bandwidth you are allocating
Does Straight Talk using AT&T's network have the same speed as AT&T? Or does it cap it at 500kbps like AT&T GoPhone does?
ST SIMs run in ATT & TMO towers based on what i know we have HSPA+ for our contracts, you can have as much as 1-1.7Mbps
deathnotice01 said:
ST SIMs run in ATT & TMO towers based on what i know we have HSPA+ for our contracts, you can have as much as 1-1.7Mbps
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Hm. Well in my area AT&T gets me around 3.5-4Mbps downstream and 1-2Mbps upstream. T-Mobile was much faster most of the time but unfortunately they started compressing all images through mobile data so...
synaesthetic said:
Does Straight Talk using AT&T's network have the same speed as AT&T? Or does it cap it at 500kbps like AT&T GoPhone does?
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Hi, I just signed up because this is the same question I 've been searching for.
I'm now looking for a prepaid to save money since I'm just a student so cannot afford to try both straight talk and gophone. which one between these two has the fastest download speed? I have a 4G capable phone and just signed up for att's gophone service today with 1GB data, but the speed I'm getting is 1.7 to 2mb/s at best. would straight talk be faster than this speed?
I just heard the gophone offers throttle 3G, so it's around 2 or 2.5G, whereas straight talk does not throttle, so they are around 3.5G, is that true?
the only reason why I chose to try gophone because straight talk's 45 dollar plan doesn't allow international sms. but I can think of an alternative if straight talk is faster.
Thanks in advance!
ST now actually has a unlimited international voice/sms + local unlimited web browsing for $60, and ST runs on AT&T HSPA+ network so you can have as much as 1-1.7Mbps (at least thats what we know but some can get 4g speeds)
iPhone 4S on Straight Talk
I am very curious about using an Iphone 4S on Straight Talk. Hubby's contract with AT&T is up next month and I really want to get all the iTards off my plan So, what am I going to have to do to his phone to get as many (hopefully all) of the features he currently uses to function?
#1 requirement is tethering. He tethers (& yes, I pay AT&T their F***ing extortion fee) so he can telecommute--no downloading--just connecting to his work pc.
#2 requirement is the "Find my Friends" feature so he can keep track of all his iTard buddies & kids. Why anyone would want this, ahem, feature is beyond me.
#3 is there going to be any problem with iTunes or the Ap Store? He and the iTard kids will throw the biggest hissy fit ever seen if they can't get to the latest American Idol downloads & Tap Tap Revenge.
Thank you!
How can I keep my number when switching from AT&T to Straight Talk using my own phone? The only number transfer option they offer requires I purchase a Straight Talk branded device.
Thanks for answering my earlier question.
Since the amount of data you can use seems to vary from location to location, is there any way to check exactly how much one can use - *before* getting warned?
BKrenning said:
I am very curious about using an Iphone 4S on Straight Talk. Hubby's contract with AT&T is up next month and I really want to get all the iTards off my plan So, what am I going to have to do to his phone to get as many (hopefully all) of the features he currently uses to function?
#1 requirement is tethering. He tethers (& yes, I pay AT&T their F***ing extortion fee) so he can telecommute--no downloading--just connecting to his work pc.
#2 requirement is the "Find my Friends" feature so he can keep track of all his iTard buddies & kids. Why anyone would want this, ahem, feature is beyond me.
#3 is there going to be any problem with iTunes or the Ap Store? He and the iTard kids will throw the biggest hissy fit ever seen if they can't get to the latest American Idol downloads & Tap Tap Revenge.
Thank you!
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1.) if you are on our BYOP plan, you can tether all the hell you want, as long as we don't detect major bandwidth allocation affecting the carrier
2.) any feature that uses the internet inside your phone is compatible, you don't need to unlock your phone since you will have a AT&T sim under StraightTalk
3.) nope not at all,
synaesthetic said:
How can I keep my number when switching from AT&T to Straight Talk using my own phone? The only number transfer option they offer requires I purchase a Straight Talk branded device.
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LOL, who told you that?, you can keep a AT&T number and still use the same device, we just give you a SIM (we need to program the SIM to your number and re-register it in the AT&T network), call ST and tell them to activate the SIM, the process takes 24hrs-2 business days, or maybe they have a new policy about phone number change, it was 2 months since i worked there, but that was the process before i left
luftrofl said:
Thanks for answering my earlier question.
Since the amount of data you can use seems to vary from location to location, is there any way to check exactly how much one can use - *before* getting warned?
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there was a code entry before, darn i forgot the code, it was used by us to check data/voice/SMS usage using the subscribers phone incase our tools go down. we use manual check to inform about the data changes
Nobody told me, but the website didn't allow for a number port option when buying just a SIM.
synaesthetic said:
Nobody told me, but the website didn't allow for a number port option when buying just a SIM.
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I just got my sim card yesterday. I phoned straight talk to activate it. They can port a number over when you call them or on there website. I however did not port my number over yet because I want to test there service before canceling my att
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
I use on average around 1-1.5GB per month with AT&T. Occasionally I come close to my 3GB cap. I've never gone over it. Would this be a problem for ST? I know they say "unlimited" but I am pretty sure it's not actually "unlimited" since nothing really is anymore.
synaesthetic said:
Nobody told me, but the website didn't allow for a number port option when buying just a SIM.
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yeah, they don't disclose that unless customer requests, because ST pays AT&T or other carriers to port the number into our database
synaesthetic said:
I use on average around 1-1.5GB per month with AT&T. Occasionally I come close to my 3GB cap. I've never gone over it. Would this be a problem for ST? I know they say "unlimited" but I am pretty sure it's not actually "unlimited" since nothing really is anymore.
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in thier marketing its not unlimited internet its unlimited web browsing
its hard for us to detect bandwidth usage, but we can easily detect bandwidth allocation,
stupid terms and conditions are as follows
Straight Talk Unlimited talk, text and data plan Features cannot be used: (1) for access to the Internet, intranets, or other data networks except as the device’s native applications and capabilities permit, or (2) for any applications that tether your device to laptops or personal computers other than for the use of Wireless Synch.
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the system of ST (provided by tracfone wireless) rely on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, TMO systems, we sync data together with thier systems
and its f****** slow to sync with thier databases using our system
I know this is not about the pre paid, but I have a unlimited data non-smart phone plan and I would like to know if AT&T just does not care that I use 5+GB a month on it or if I am just lucky?
The best part is, my speeds are the same as the store phone's with the right plan's. I even have LTE were I live and when I went to a store to run some speed test I got 6.5 down and 1.5 up on H+ vs the store S2 geting about the same thing and the one x geting 8 down and 7.5up on LTE.
Thanks
well if your phone is not a smartphone under a AT&T plan we do give unlimited data with no caps, just for ordinary and classic phones,

VZW worth the extra 12-15 bucks a month?

So I'm at a point where I am striking out on my own and dropping off my parents family plan. What I am looking at is A $100 plan from vzw for 2gb data and a $90 plan from att for 3gb data. (I use no more than 1.5gb in a month) Coverage in my area for verizon is a little bit better than att but no LTE from either side. My company has a discount for both providers at 17% so no advantage there. Verizon has the bad habit of locking up phones so I can't play with them as well.
Another option I've had is since my work doesn't allow cell phones on the premises, I have thought about switching to a dumb phone since I won't be using it 40-50 hours of the week but that is for a later time.
In other words, do you all think VZW "service" is worth a $150 bucks extra a year than att?
From what you've told me about your usage patterns, I'd go with ATT, or even a MNVO like Straight Talk.
I had ATT and the only reason I left was because of their throttling.. I prefer GSM phones to CDMA since they hold value better and since they are worldwide, you have more compatibility and a larger selection.
bukithd said:
So I'm at a point where I am striking out on my own and dropping off my parents family plan. What I am looking at is A $100 plan from vzw for 2gb data and a $90 plan from att for 3gb data. (I use no more than 1.5gb in a month) Coverage in my area for verizon is a little bit better than att but no LTE from either side. My company has a discount for both providers at 17% so no advantage there. Verizon has the bad habit of locking up phones so I can't play with them as well.
Another option I've had is since my work doesn't allow cell phones on the premises, I have thought about switching to a dumb phone since I won't be using it 40-50 hours of the week but that is for a later time.
In other words, do you all think VZW "service" is worth a $150 bucks extra a year than att?
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Straight Talk:
$45 a month ($50 after taxes)
Unlimited Talk
Unlimited Text
Unlimited* Data (just don't go nuts with it, but 1.5 GB is more than safe)
It runs on AT&T (also T-Mobile, but it asks you to choose which SIM you want. Choose AT&T). No, there's no LTE, but there's full speed HSPA+ which should be plenty fast. I don't think Verizon is worth it unless you're in an area where they're the only viable option, or if you need insane speed for some strange reason. I switched off my family's Sprint plan to Straight Talk. I don't know how I survived on CDMA; once you go GSM, the freedom of being able to switch phones whenever you want is great. If you're already on a GSM network, it's not worth giving up. That, and the price.
Order a SIM from http://straighttalk.com and choose "AT&T compatible SIM". It works in a locked AT&T phone or unlocked phone. You could even use your Rezound; I know it works on AT&T believe it or not. They found out a while ago. But if you're looking for a new phone, best bang for your buck? Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store.
Oh and when you fill in the APN for data, leave out the "Proxy" fields except for MMS Proxy. It disallows them from throttling you or monitoring what apps you use. They've been known to call people for streaming a lot, but I've gone over 2GB of usage and haven't gotten any calls from them or anything.
I agree. Verizon is just crap compared to what they used to be. In the days of unlimited data it wasn't so bad but now they are just plain greedy. Plus striking out on your own you don't want to get stuck if you lose your job paying a $100/mo bill when you could use that money for food. Trust me, it happened to me and now I owe Verizon and can't afford to pay them. If T-Mobile has good coverage they may be an option as well.
Pageplus is a Verizon MVNO.
For $55 per month (No Taxes!), you get unlimited talk/text and 2Gb of 3g data.
You can use a Verizon phone too!
Plus, if you buy from Pageplusdirect.com, you get a 7% discount!
Product F(RED) said:
Straight Talk:
$45 a month ($50 after taxes)
Unlimited Talk
Unlimited Text
Unlimited* Data (just don't go nuts with it, but 1.5 GB is more than safe)
It runs on AT&T (also T-Mobile, but it asks you to choose which SIM you want. Choose AT&T). No, there's no LTE, but there's full speed HSPA+ which should be plenty fast. I don't think Verizon is worth it unless you're in an area where they're the only viable option, or if you need insane speed for some strange reason. I switched off my family's Sprint plan to Straight Talk. I don't know how I survived on CDMA; once you go GSM, the freedom of being able to switch phones whenever you want is great. If you're already on a GSM network, it's not worth giving up. That, and the price.
Order a SIM from http://straighttalk.com and choose "AT&T compatible SIM". It works in a locked AT&T phone or unlocked phone. You could even use your Rezound; I know it works on AT&T believe it or not. They found out a while ago. But if you're looking for a new phone, best bang for your buck? Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store.
Oh and when you fill in the APN for data, leave out the "Proxy" fields except for MMS Proxy. It disallows them from throttling you or monitoring what apps you use. They've been known to call people for streaming a lot, but I've gone over 2GB of usage and haven't gotten any calls from them or anything.
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That's been one of the most complete decent answers I've got on this forum in a while. I will seriously consider it. AT&T gets good enough service for me to get the same stuff for half price. Thanks!
bukithd said:
That's been one of the most complete decent answers I've got on this forum in a while. I will seriously consider it. AT&T gets good enough service for me to get the same stuff for half price. Thanks!
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Click to collapse
Product F(RED) said:
Straight Talk:
$45 a month ($50 after taxes)
Unlimited Talk
Unlimited Text
Unlimited* Data (just don't go nuts with it, but 1.5 GB is more than safe)
It runs on AT&T (also T-Mobile, but it asks you to choose which SIM you want. Choose AT&T). No, there's no LTE, but there's full speed HSPA+ which should be plenty fast. I don't think Verizon is worth it unless you're in an area where they're the only viable option, or if you need insane speed for some strange reason. I switched off my family's Sprint plan to Straight Talk. I don't know how I survived on CDMA; once you go GSM, the freedom of being able to switch phones whenever you want is great. If you're already on a GSM network, it's not worth giving up. That, and the price.
Order a SIM from http://straighttalk.com and choose "AT&T compatible SIM". It works in a locked AT&T phone or unlocked phone. You could even use your Rezound; I know it works on AT&T believe it or not. They found out a while ago. But if you're looking for a new phone, best bang for your buck? Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store.
Oh and when you fill in the APN for data, leave out the "Proxy" fields except for MMS Proxy. It disallows them from throttling you or monitoring what apps you use. They've been known to call people for streaming a lot, but I've gone over 2GB of usage and haven't gotten any calls from them or anything.
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Click to collapse
I personally am done with Verizon. The very first phone I had wouldn't charge completely (8 hours on charger, half full, 2 hours battery life) almost from the get go, they started sending me refurbs and I've been stuck in refurb hell ever since. To top it off the data speeds and connection have gotten gradually worse in my area, like they are trying to push you to upgrade to a 4G phone and go to the new shared plans (which I don't doubt a bit). I can't get a good enough connection in the parking lot at work most days make a phone call, and I'm in the 2nd largest city in my state, we have 4G, and the coverage map is blood red with both 3G and 4G coverage. At my desk I'm lucky to get any coverage (thank god we have wifi, guy next to me on his VZW iphone 4 gets full signal). I got an unlocked GNEX a couple weeks ago, got a TMO sim to try out, I have consisten 4-5 bars at my desk and full signal in the parking lot, I only got the 100mb 4G plan but TMO's 2G speeds are about as fast as what I get on average with VZW. I'm on my 12th phone with VZW and had enough even though they keep replacing them. I pay $210 a month for service that doesn't work all the time and slow data speeds.
I'm going to straight talk next, because I learned the hard way TMO doesn't include roaming with their prepaid. Otherwise I'd stick with them because where they have coverage its been great. But for $45 a month, Straight Talk is getting a try it out month from me on AT&T's network which I have great signal with here.
Anyway, point was, stay away from VZW, they're greedy and pushing a bad product IMO.
I think android made verizon that way. When I first hopped on the network I got an incredible that was about 6 months after its release, I loved everything. Since then, there have been overly modded phones, worsening signal quality jack ups in price, and and my phone is just now (in the next couple of weeks maybe) set for an ICS update. I just wish there were more prepaid providers with better service history. Verizon does have good personal customer service, at least in my experience.
bukithd said:
I think android made verizon that way. When I first hopped on the network I got an incredible that was about 6 months after its release, I loved everything. Since then, there have been overly modded phones, worsening signal quality jack ups in price, and and my phone is just now (in the next couple of weeks maybe) set for an ICS update. I just wish there were more prepaid providers with better service history. Verizon does have good personal customer service, at least in my experience.
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Yeah I think so, with the success of Android they got greedy. Signal quality, prices, just not worth it anymore. However, their customer service has been fantastic, I have no problems getting replacement phones, just tired of needing them and really the problems have never gone away. Now that I've gone to an unlocked GNEX, I'm never going back, lol.
Verizon has to be the most controlling carrier in my knowledge. I mean they are one of the only ones to put a locked boot loader on the SGS III, and FFS they striped ram out of my old HTC Touch Pro. It's not like they charge any less for the crippled phones they sell, they're just in it for the money.
icomrade said:
Verizon has to be the most controlling carrier in my knowledge. I mean they are one of the only ones to put a locked boot loader on the SGS III, and FFS they striped ram out of my old HTC Touch Pro. It's not like they charge any less for the crippled phones they sell, they're just in it for the money.
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I used to work in a third-party Verizon store and a customer we've known for a while had been through 3 BB Storm 2's, all of them crapping out differently, but in ways that made them totally unusable. He was a doctor, so he needed a reliable phone. I called up CS on behalf of him, with him sitting across from me. All he wanted was a BB Bold, even a refurbished replacement (he had insurance), and they told me to tell him to just leave Verizon. How crazy is that?
They're also against Net Neutrality, which means they want to be able to charge you more for certain services. Like how AT&T is planning on charging extra for Facetime over 3G on the iPhone. It's like saying, "Oh, you want to watch YouTube on your phone? You'll need to shell out an extra $10 a month for our YouTube package. You wanna browse Facebook? You need to add $5 a month to your bill to have access to the Facebook app."
Product F(RED) said:
I used to work in a third-party Verizon store and a customer we've known for a while had been through 3 BB Storm 2's, all of them crapping out differently, but in ways that made them totally unusable. He was a doctor, so he needed a reliable phone. I called up CS on behalf of him, with him sitting across from me. All he wanted was a BB Bold, even a refurbished replacement (he had insurance), and they told me to tell him to just leave Verizon. How crazy is that?
They're also against Net Neutrality, which means they want to be able to charge you more for certain services. Like how AT&T is planning on charging extra for Facetime over 3G on the iPhone. It's like saying, "Oh, you want to watch YouTube on your phone? You'll need to shell out an extra $10 a month for our YouTube package. You wanna browse Facebook? You need to add $5 a month to your bill to have access to the Facebook app."
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this is what scares me about cell service regardless who is providing it. I want what was free to begin with to stay free. I already pay about 1000 bucks a year for you to do what you will with me.
Verizon perk though, they just hooked up 4g in my area today and it actually works.

Best prepaid option for AT&T Branded S7E?

Do any of you guys use your carrier locked at&t phone on a prepaid service. Who's got the best monthly deal, data speeds, etc. I've never been off contract so I'm really not familiar with my options. Would sim unlocking make my choices any better or a waste of money? AT&T and Verizon are the only two carriers that work well in my area so I need to use there towers.
I've pretty much narrowed it down to cricket or straight talk. Has anyone had experience with either?
AndroiderM said:
I've pretty much narrowed it down to cricket or straight talk. Has anyone had experience with either?
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It's really going to vary alot by area. You can shop prices no problem but I'd try to find someone in your area with the services you're looking at.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
Clienterror said:
It's really going to vary alot by area. You can shop prices no problem but I'd try to find someone in your area with the services you're looking at.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
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From what I understand they both run on At&t towers but cricket run only on the at&t towers where as straight talk can roam on T-Mobile towers also. At&t coverage has always been fine in my area and I don't think my phone ever roams on my contract plan. Prices between the two plans are practically the same, just wanted to know if anyone had experience with them customer service, data throttling, etc
Gotcha, I know strait talk will throttle after 5gb on their unlimited data plan but other than that I don't know much. Good luck!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
i have cricket, 5gb LTE for 45$ a month, not bad. their LTE speed is limited 8mb download. it' really NOT that slow. it uses the same tower as ATT.
Clienterror said:
It's really going to vary alot by area. You can shop prices no problem but I'd try to find someone in your area with the services you're looking at.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
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netnerd said:
i have cricket, 5gb LTE for 45$ a month, not bad. their LTE speed is limited 8mb download. it' really NOT that slow. it uses the same tower as ATT.
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After some extensive research I ordered the cricket sim with the $70 unlimited plan. They say it is truly unlimited but some online users say they throttle after 18-20gbs. I really just want my hotspot to work for downloading large files 200+ gigs a month. Where I live my only options for home Internet is DSL at maybe 175kbs ⬇. I should get my sim in tomorrow I'll post back some speed test
AndroiderM said:
After some extensive research I ordered the cricket sim with the $70 unlimited plan. They say it is truly unlimited but some online users say they throttle after 18-20gbs. I really just want my hotspot to work for downloading large files 200+ gigs a month. Where I live my only options for home Internet is DSL at maybe 175kbs ⬇. I should get my sim in tomorrow I'll post back some speed test
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Is tethering included or are you using PDAnet or something? I'm interested in how this will turn out, I work for AT&T mobile and they would definetly do a deep packet inspection on you if you were trying to use anything over like 50 gigs a month and see your tethering. I hope it works for you, but if tethering isn't included there's no way you aren't going to throw some red flags with 200 gigs a month.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
Clienterror said:
Is tethering included or are you using PDAnet or something? I'm interested in how this will turn out, I work for AT&T mobile and they would definetly do a deep packet inspection on you if you were trying to use anything over like 50 gigs a month and see your tethering. I hope it works for you, but if tethering isn't included there's no way you aren't going to throw some red flags with 200 gigs a month.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
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I hooked up my new sim yesterday and so far it's comparable to my at&t service as far as speed and coverage. The hotspot is not enabled on the unlimited plan, you have to pay an additional $10 a month to use it. Still not a deal breaker for me cause I use my phone for large torrents them copy over OTG to an external drive. I've already used about 10gb of data overnight last night and it hasn't throttled yet. I will be really testing the unlimited over the next 30 days to see if they throttle me down after alot of usage. From what I've read on cricket it's truly unlimited but they throttle your speed to 8mbs LTE and 4mbs 4G the whole time which isn't horrible by a long shot for your average user, for huge file download it's not great but still smokes my DSL so far I'm impressed and saving a ton of money compared to my at&t plan. The port of my number was painless didn't have to change apn or any other settings worked right out the box. $65 a month tax included with auto pay set up is hard to beat.
I use a VPN, when you say packet inspection does that mean they snoop to see where your usage is coming from? Will my VPN protect me from them seeing my activity?
Update
Chatted with cricket and they said no hotspot but I could use as much data to the phone as I want, even 200+gb. Taking this with a grain of salt but here's the chat log.
AndroiderM said:
Chatted with cricket and they said no hotspot but I could use as much data to the phone as I want, even 200+gb. Taking this with a grain of salt but here's the chat log.
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Yeah unlimited on your phone is fine if it's legit using 200 gigs a month but it will still throe red flags and they'll inspect your packets (and find you're being legit). But if you try to tether 200 gigs and they inspect you they'll see what you're doing.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
Clienterror said:
Yeah unlimited on your phone is fine if it's legit using 200 gigs a month but it will still throe red flags and they'll inspect your packets (and find you're being legit). But if you try to tether 200 gigs and they inspect you they'll see what you're doing.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
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If I do use foxfi or another teether workaround with a VPN on each device can at&t/cricket see which device is using the data with there packet sniffing?
Question: I tried dropping my existing cricket SIM into my brand new AT&T S7 Edge. LTE works great, but if it goes to 4g for any reason (like during a phone call), it won't switch back to LTE unless I toggle airplane mode or reboot. I've done a couple factory resets and had cricket remotely refresh the SIM. No change. Even exchanged my phone today at Best Buy, thinking I'd gotten a bad one. Same issue.
Do I need to get a new SIM altogether, maybe? Any thoughts would be welcomed. I switched from the international version to get Samsung Pay, but I don't want a gimped phone because of it.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Mootarjim said:
Question: I tried dropping my existing cricket SIM into my brand new AT&T S7 Edge. LTE works great, but if it goes to 4g for any reason (like during a phone call), it won't switch back to LTE unless I toggle airplane mode or reboot. I've done a couple factory resets and had cricket remotely refresh the SIM. No change. Even exchanged my phone today at Best Buy, thinking I'd gotten a bad one. Same issue.
Do I need to get a new SIM altogether, maybe? Any thoughts would be welcomed. I switched from the international version to get Samsung Pay, but I don't want a gimped phone because of it.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Maybe a new sim and update imei on your cricket account. I haven't had this issue but when I ordered my sim I put my imei from s7e. I'm not sure that this is the issue or not.
Edit just tested this making a phone call goes to 4g but as soon as I hang up it jumps right back to lte instantly
Update
I'm exactly halfway through my billing cycle and have used 103 GB with no issues of throttling or losing service. Here's a screenshot
Hi, which website is recommended for unlocking?

Unlimited hotspot data

Sorry I'm not sure if this is even the right website/forum to ask this on but somehow my sm-a205u1 has seemingly unlimited hotspot data. It's not the fastest but good enough to binge Netflix/Hulu/etc... with no issues. I have an ATT sim card and I've tried it in various phones but my speed always throttles after 15gb except with that phone specifically, I've done at least 150gb+ in some months with that phone, and I can't find anything online as to Why. Any ideas? Do I just have a Golden Egg?
Depends on your AT&T plan. Be careful if you have a good plan that is grandfathered not to upgrade it! If by accident or design AT&T is notorious for that.
Reps don't always give you full disclosure... had it happen to me about a month ago. Had to beat them up a bit but got my original grandfathered plan back. Took 2 phone calls to do it though.
blackhawk said:
Depends on your AT&T plan. Be careful if you have a good plan that is grandfathered not to upgrade it! If by accident or design AT&T is notorious for that.
Reps don't always give you full disclosure... had it happen to me about a month ago. Had to beat them up a bit but got my original grandfathered plan back. Took 2 phone calls to do it though.
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I thought about it being because the plan but when I put my sim card in other phones it didn't work, it's only this phone
Don't know, something in the firmware, set up or hardware? Maybe tied to that specific phone (they can see a lot).
You could ask AT&T advanced tech support, eventually you find a savvy tech that knows why. A few of them really know too much.
CapitalE said:
Sorry I'm not sure if this is even the right website/forum to ask this on but somehow my sm-a205u1 has seemingly unlimited hotspot data. It's not the fastest but good enough to binge Netflix/Hulu/etc... with no issues. I have an ATT sim card and I've tried it in various phones but my speed always throttles after 15gb except with that phone specifically, I've done at least 150gb+ in some months with that phone, and I can't find anything online as to Why. Any ideas? Do I just have a Golden Egg?
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Click to collapse
That shouldn't be possible. Make sure you're not connecting to a WiFi, Galaxy devices can share WiFi over hotspot. The only thing close to your explanation is Unlimited Plus plan which throttles after 22 GB.
Slaggy said:
That shouldn't be possible. Make sure you're not connecting to a WiFi, Galaxy devices can share WiFi over hotspot. The only thing close to your explanation is Unlimited Plus plan which throttles after 22 GB.
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Some of the older grandfathered AT&T plans aren't throttled... or limited.

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