yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] hotleadsingerguy:
Not even remotely...since its always been against the rules to tether without paying for a tethering plan. The handicap sign has always been there, people just ignore it.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] PixoNova:
I doubt you're that important to them. How many millions of customers does AT&T have? They couldn't care less if you went to Verizon.

They'll just say: "Pay or GTFO"
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] rpmbnsf:
I had the unlimited smart phone data plan ($30 p/month) and when I got the Atrix they told me I had to swap to the 4G unlimited data plan, they told me I would not lose my grandfathered unlimited data, but they (ATT) had to make a special unlimited 4G data just for grandfathered users like me.

just as info for what its worth. I also called three times total just to make sure and was told the same thing every time.

Now about the topic of getting the dreaded "you need a proper data package plan ..bla bla bla" text some are getting. I did get one like that while using my galaxy tab with my ATT SIM card using the unlimited data (before I got my Atrix).

I was confused so I went down to the ATT store and they all were also confused too because they sold me the Tab (non contract) telling me I could do just what i was doing (swapping my SIM card into the Tab) in November. End of a long story is they bought back the Tab (full price) because they could not get a workaround to stop ATT from cutting off the data when I used my tablet. How they knew was the IMEI number from the tablet.

Now i know thats not how they can tell in this case using the Atrix, but I'm sure a combination of the high data (stor reps told me they do flag high data users) and using the tether APN or some of the tether programs are how they are finding out.

One thing the store reps told me that I found interesting was they said they could not legally stop me from using the SIM in the Galaxy Tab, just it would cut off every week or so and I'd have to go into the store to get it restarted. They did not even care if I still wanted to leave it in my Tablet right then and there after they reset my data plan. But on the other hand when I bought my Atrix they told me I did not need a tether plan along with my unlimited 4G data plan in order to use the laptop dock (I did not buy it..was just asking about it). In fact one of the sales reps had the laptop doc and said he did not have the tether plan and was using it every day.

So I dont know how much of the information they gave me was the truth or just plain ignorance.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] mrphil101:
No. not a slap on the wrist, a slap on your line. They can and will throttle your speed so bad it is almost worhtless. Thats what they did with me. I had the unlimited $15 for years. I use 4-5 gig a month. I could actually feel it when I hit 2 gig. things would slow to a crawl. Check data usage, and sure enough I went over the 2 gig.

I upgraded to the captivate, and they changed my plan, then told me I had to have it because they said so. This was in Dec and they had a 2 gig plan then and that was the highest. I took the phone back, and they refused to give me back my unlimited plan, because I had bought an Incite (smartphone) when my plan was originally for an old "dumbphone". I tried online and at th B&M store. Not even available. So I took my old dumbphone back in and got my $15 unlimited back. When I bought the atrix, unlimited was not a option period. The salesperson gave me a $50 credit for that. Think it's expensive now, be ready to drop your drawers if they buy t-mo. Great for att, sucks really bad for us consumers.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] nosit1:
A customer is a customer, and the reps are trained to retain customers. And for something as simple as that, I think they should kick themselves in the ass if they drop a customer for that.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] PixoNova:
If you're violating your contract, they have every right to drop you, no matter if you consider fair or not.

If you're not paying for tethering, you're stealing a service. Do you really think any right minded business would keep you if violate your contract and steal from them?

AT&T may sell you their phone, but they're still a business you're tied to for two years.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] elementaldragon:
I'm assuming you're talking about that MediaNet Unlimited for the "dumbphone" plan? If so... then yea.... they wouldn't give you the unlimited smartphone plan for that. The only way people have been "grandfathered" into the unlimited smartphone plan after AT&T stopped offering is if they have it on their current phone. If someone has a smartphone unlimited data plan and switch to one of the tethering packages VOLUNTARILY, as far as i'm aware, they can't switch back to the unlimited plan. And i say voluntarily because there have been occasional issues with people being mis-informed by an AT&T Store representative who said they couldn't get the unlimited plan for the Atrix for some odd reason.

But yea.... MediaNet Unlimited and Smartphone Unlimited are two different ballgames altogether. It's not a matter of "refusing to give you back your unlimited plan"... because the unlimited plan you had wasn't even for a smartphone. If they were doing it that way, it wouldn't have even made sense to get rid of the ability to buy the unlimited plan since anyone who wanted it would just buy a cheap little phone to use to get the MediaNet Unlimited plan, then switch to the smartphone unlimited.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] yiyo:
I played one week using My xbox 360 hopefully they dont find out.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] stl_jones:
Tethering w/o plan

I've literally been searching for the past 4 hours /w no results.

I've received ATT nastygram text message.

I have a 2GB/month plan. Is it still possible for me to tether w/o getting their plan?
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] robertlawson225:
does anyone know anything about the app masqed crusader in the market?

it says " increases privacy by avoiding the use of your wireless carrier's DNS servers. when paired with end-to-end encryption (i.e using https when possible, running TOR etc...) this can diminish your carrier's ability to spy on you while useing mobile internet."

would this app work to hide tethering?
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Simba501:
Maybe. There hasn't been a definite course of action identified that would put you in the clear (I don't think). I've seen an individual (a few posts back) that has actually had their plan changed. That's the only person I've seen though.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] gammite:
att has stated that it uses carrier iq on stock handsets that run on its network. i wonder if carrier iq is what is reporting the tethering activity back to att.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] stewartsoda:
They didn't say which handsets. Atrix doesn't have it. Atrix 2 does.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] steevquinn:
There is Hope!!

I was using about 70-90 Gb data a month for the past few months, mostly because of tethering. I recieved the first warning, and then yesterday the final notice stating i WOULD be changed to 45$ 4Gb tethering plan next bill. Well i spent hours and hours calling back different times with different point. most being legality, and privacy issues. Nothing worked, UNTIL i got a very nice man who was describing tethering to me and how watching netflix on ur phone then attaching hdmi is still condisdered tethering. I told him i have CM7 and that it was a non-stock os, and that all i have been doing is watching netflix or hulul on my tv via the hdmi port and mirroring. he extended my cut off date to right after the conversation, so that as long as i did not tether after that 'connect my phone to my tv (lmao)' i would no longer be switched. he gave me a second chance and i am very thankfull. if you do not get the response u want to hear, try, try again..generally with a different rep, but they HAVE HAVE HAVE to be in the tethering watch dept. i believe he said its called "EOS" dept. I also filled a complaint with the better business buero, but im positive just a bluff would do the trick.

just remember, make sure you are speaking to the right department before you get all down and dirty into why you believe this is unjust, and use the TV excuse and dont ever tether again unless u wanna loose to AT&T
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] rhys42:
I can tell you that my phone (Inspire 4G, flashed with CM7) doesn't have it. As soon as I heard about CarrierIQ I checked for it just to be sure.

Haven't tried to talk AT&T back down and have decided that I'm not going to bother. Just gonna grin and bear it, and as soon as my contract is up (sadly I still have a year and some months to go) I will be taking my custom elsewhere for all the good that will do.

Hope those of you still on unlimited find a way around this.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Twiddler:
PDAnet Doesn't hide

Just an update, just got my second tethering letter from AT&T.

My last one was in October and haven't tethered without PDAnet 3.02 since.

It does NOT hide your tethering.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] UNhooked:
What about using apps like Easy Tether?
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Jade Eyed Wolf:
Easy Tether, or ANY app that allows you to tether, AT&T will detect.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] gammite:
im going to pull out my old winmo phones and see what happens on my second line.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] cobraboy85:
Again, for the millionth time, NOBODY can completely hide tethering from a network if they are looking for it.

When you use data on a network, you send data packets across their network and each and every one of those data packets have a header to them with http, utp, etc etc... Those headers indicate what type of data you are using whether it be web browsing, tethering, whatever you are doing. Each type of usage has a unique header and the phone companies are well aware of which ones to look for.

yumadtho?
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Twiddler:
But... If you make all data appear like it is consumed in the phone (like PDAnet claims), in theory, couldn't that hide the tethering?
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] duchski:
What about a VPN connection?
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Jade Eyed Wolf:
So, as if no one knew this already, AT&T are a bunch of assholes...

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1387253
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Twiddler:
I guess they're playing hardball now. Not just going after the tetherers, but now getting the high volume users.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] robertlawson225:
i got a notice just after 2 gigs i got till the end of the week for my billing cycle and im at 4.5 gigs im going to try and get over 5 to see what happens
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] odinfire:
Prepare for a little bit of a fight. I had unlimited on a non-smartphone thinking they would grandfather me over, they absolutely would not. I get their point, but is it really worth losing a customer over, which they eventually will. This is most likely not your case.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] HWOW:
So I got this today...
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] erraz:
Reading that sent a shiver down my spine
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ifalldownalot:
"....continuing to enjoy..."

hahaha. what a**h*les. I hate that passive/aggressive stuff.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] HWOW:
This was my response.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] plarser48:
To those that got the message recently. Can you provide a little more info on how you tethered to help others?

What app did you use?

What was your monthly usage both regular vs tether?

Did you try to hide tether in any way? (TTYl, user agent, VPN, etc)
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] FernBch:
I still think the tether issue and responses are flawed, from both sides of the fence. We pay for a device that has unlimited data and can be a hotspot. They say that costs extra, we say "but we pay for unlimited data", etc etc. The definition of what is and isn't varies from person to person, tech to tech, carrier to carrier, and even month to month. It's just another way for a carrier to charge us more.

For those who have had it with your carrier there is only two choices, stay or go? If you are under contract do you put up with it until it's up or pay the ETF? It's that simple. Big Red jerked me around over other issues as well as data. I don't tether and had that fight with them. What was my choice? Bye bye VZW, I won't be sad to see you go. Still under contract? I was. You know how they're getting the ETF? A dollar a month. They called me about it and I told them "Be happy I'm even paying it. I was a customer for 7 years and this is how I was treated?" I then hung up.

It will take a vary LARGE number of customers on any particular carrier turning the heat up and/or jumping ship before they will change their practices, and even then it will still be for their benefit, not ours.

I'm a MoPho-er
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] HWOW:
I have an unlocked galaxy nexus and I've been using the tether feature that came with the phone. I have many routes to choose from especially since I'm out of contract. I could go to either sprint or Verizon but I don't really want too. I would like to keep AT&T and still try to fight to keep my unlimited data plan. First of all I wonder if I renew my contract and still keep my unlimited data plan, would that void that change since I'm signing for another 2 years WITH my grandfather data plan? If not perhaps take them to court for failing to show proof that I've been tethering and voiding for what I have signed for two years ago. Now I know when I signed that I can not tether but I wonder how do they detect it and if they do it legally. my only arguement will then be is that it is against the law not to show me proof for what I requested. I guess we'll see what happens.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] HWOW:
Oh man I just got off the phone with AT&T and I wished I would have record it for you guys. I asked if I were to sign a two agreement will they still still honor my data plan and they said the only thing I'm signing is for a device at a low price and be with them for years. That the plan has nothing to do with it. Then again I asked for proof and I was shut down. Straight up told me no we can't give you proof and that's when I told them that since you fail to provide me proof and make changes to my plan with my consent is against the law and I will take them to court. Then all she said was OK take it to court. Then I said OK then finished off by saying thanking for call AT&T blah blah blah.

NOW HERE'S THE INTERESTING PART.

I had this call on speaker and when I do I have the other party hang up because I'm multitasking. Here I continue with my morning routine thinking they hung up but they didn't. The lady was still on the line talking to her coworker on I was gonna take it up to court and that it was my second time calling them and threatening them. And her final sentence was and I quote "****ing prick". I hope if they record all of our calls and if it stops recording after either line hangs up. Imma complain about this too. They are ****ing with the wrong guy here.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] xfinrodx:
Critically important is the attempted hiding method. It reveals little useful data for the man and is greatly beneficial to the rest of the community.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] shadowscreation:
Ya that right there was like the evilest thing I've seen lol

Typed by my midget minion
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Twiddler:
Caught 2X, still unlimited ;)

1st catch: Using only infused ROM tethering via wifi

2nd catch: Using PDAnet v.3.02 (I think, new ROM since then)

Use: 4-9G

No Tethering since 2nd catch, but would love to start again if I can be assured that I won't get caught a 3rd time. That might be impossible to talk my way out of.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] xfinrodx:
I haven't seen where pdanet states exactly what it does to mask tethering and what else (busybox etc.) it might need to work. Does anyone here have this information?
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Twiddler:
I had a few emails back and forth with PDAnet tech support and, unfortunately, they wouldn't tell me anything useful. They would only say that "all data that passes through the tether appears like it originates at and is consumed by the phone."

If this is true, then AT&T is using my data consumption, destination website, or simply making wild accusations.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] xfinrodx:
That tends to suggest use of iptables or some such thing. I wonder if it simply doesn't work with some roms or apps and gets you flagged...
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Beakfire:
From my understanding they can tell you're tethering by the APN (Access Point Network) that your phone uses to pass data.

Normally when tethering your phone passes data through the 'Tether' APN and uses the 'US HSDPA' APN for normal data usage (AT&T).

Pretty sure you can modify the APNs and there is probably a write-up on it floating around on XDA somewhere, I actually need to do it to my phone to modify the 'Tether' APN and the US HSDPA APN so my lapdock doesn't check for a tethering plan and works with my 3G/HSDPA connection without AT&T being able to tell. You can lose your phone connection if you mess it up though, shouldn't be too hard to get back though just 'resetting to default' in the APN menu should get them back.

Currently I'm running the Homebase bluechronic ROM on my Atrix and have just manually selected the AT&T US HSDPA APN and have it set to '3G' only and haven't had any nasty grams from AT&T when I use tethering. I don't use it much though, just when I'm using the lapdock which I use infrequently as I just got it and had been doing some work on it.

Read in a thread on the lapdock for the atrix someone had modified his APNs to handle this.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] gumbedamit:
Partially correct grasshopper. True the packets conatain header information about your connection; however to sniff packets they would have to do what is called "Port Mirroring" in order to sniff those packets. How many cell towers do you pass or use on your mobile device. Once that information is passed through the router, it just dissapears in the ether. What they can trace is browser usage. It's hard to substantiate IE browser strings on an android device, as well as, Flash sites on Iphones. There is a red flag in place when you really using your data plan to to stream Netflix. People who don't even tether get those messages as well. You go from 200mb > 3GB+. That's when they start looking. I tether my Dell Streak5 to my Thrive. It uses the same apps. I did get a message from them and I called, told them that the only reason my data usage has gone up is because I know use netflix and to make a note on my account. I still tether and i will see what happens. Just be smart about it.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Twiddler:
I'm not sure what this has to do with it, but I am on the road constantly. Does this matter?

If your theory about flash and IE headers is right, would using Opera Mobile on my phone with the user agent set to "desktop", that should probably get me flagged again, right?
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ddiehl:
Hmmmm. Could a solution be at hand?

http://www.androidcentral.com/clockworkmod-tether-bring-no-root-tethering-solution-windows-mac-and-linux
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Twiddler:
Sounds great, but I'm going to (sadly) be forced to wait a month or two just to make sure that it is, indeed, invisible.

Yeah Koushik!
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] gumbedamit:
Each cell tower is connected to a different SWITCH, each switch has Ports. To sniff a packet, you would need to connect to that PORT. The only way to connect to a port is, Directly, or through PORT Mirroring which mimics that particular port and the data that is running through it. Now since there are thousands of switches with 10's of thousands of ports, whats the likelyhood that the port on which yor data is being carried is sniffed? Phone carriers are not sniffing ports to see whats going over thier lines. The effort involved would be too costly and more than likely, illegal...I'm a network engineer, when a client hires me to sniff a circuit, there is alot that needs to be done. Depending on how long I'm sniffing and what I'm looking for, there are gigs of data that is copied to somewhere, and thats just for one port. Just not pratical. Way more pratical to look at your data usage and send you a threatning email.
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ifalldownalot:
so if you use your data sparingly and tether... then they shouldn't notice and you shouldn't receive any tethering warnings?
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] shadowscreation:
Wrong i tethered one day for five minutes (went through 5 megs of data)and they switched me to the tethering plan and they told me the exact day i tethered they told me the last day before that that i tethered so no sparingly using your data makes no difference watsoever
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] gumbedamit:
Guys, please read the posts!!!!! Thats not what I said either. I'm not going to continue to post the same thing that I've already said. It is unlikely they are sniffing ports, they can look at:

Browser Strings

Data Usage

Users with Iphones going to FLASH sites

All of the above is much easier that sniffing ports...
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ifalldownalot:
sorry...

:\
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] gumbedamit:
Tethering and TTL

Hey guys, since there is so much talk about TTL and tethering, thought that I might and some thoughts and a howto to change it on a Windows machine. By default Windows uses a 128 or 255 TTL. At your own risk you can add a value to the registry with the following:

1. Open Registry Editor (regedit.exe).

2. From the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree, go to the following key:

\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters.

3. In the right pane, add the following value:

Name: DefaultTTL

Type: REG_DWORD

Valid Range: 1-255

If your phones value is 64 based on what I've read on this thread, then you need to change the value to 65 which represents one hop to your phone.

I've not tested this, nor do I plan to. It won't harm your computer if you change it and leave it. TTL just represent the Time to Live datagram that your packet has to find it's destination. Each router it hits lessons the ttl, yes when you tether, your phone becomes a router.

Take care NOT to screw up your registry. If you don't know what you are doing then don't do it.

Many people on this thread have pointed to the TTL setting as the culprit to AT$T finding out if you're tethering, that's why I posted it. I think that it's what I mentioned in my earlier posts, but just in case it is the ttl, then some brave soul can try it and let us know their results.

may the force be with you.....:eek:
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] gammite:
i have been tethering on a dumb phone with unlimited data for the past few weeks with no issues. no text messages or data plan changes.

now granted it is a little inconvenient because i have to use a usb cable, set up a dial up networking configuration (one time for each device i tether; laptop and windows tablet) and pay 10 bux for the unlimited data plan for dumb phones.

but i still come out ahead and can tether on unlimited data. ***shrugs***
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ifalldownalot:
i just want to tether (hotspot) so that i can use my lapdock anywhere without needing wifi.

:(
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] erraz:
Which dumb phones can I use this on?
[Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] gammite:
i use an old samsung a707. but any 3g (or 2g for that matter) dumbphone should work IF you can get the software from the manufacturer that allows you to tether.

i know that samsung and motorola have the software as i have done it with both.