Voyager
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4 Messages
Tethering Notification Email from AT&T
Hello, this is my first post here and I appreciate anyone who can share their knowledge about tethering. Yesterday, I received an email from AT&T that they will remove my unlimited plan if I don't stop tethering through my phone. I haven't been using my wifi hotspot and didn't install any tethering apps. So I called them this morning and ask why suddenly, they sent me a notification like that. While on the phone it occurred to me that they must be looking at my Moto 360 as a tethered device, so I ask the lady on the phone if that's true. She confirmed that AT&T does and I have to change to a plan that supports tethering to be able to use my Android Wear smartwatch. Does anybody here have the same experience? Thank you.
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117.3K Messages
9 years ago
the definition of tethering is that any time you use your phone to share data with another mobile device.
Unlimited data plans expressly eliminated the use of the hot spot, but could not eliminate bluetooth for use with headphones.
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GLIMMERMAN76
ACE - Expert
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23.9K Messages
9 years ago
oh bullocks. the moto 360 uses the phone via bluetooth. Its transfering data between the android wear app and the phone. Its not like the 360 has a internet browser.
The only check for tethering is for a wifi. My guess is you may have turned on the hotspot by accident.
You got a rep that is out of touch with wearables and what not.
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117.3K Messages
9 years ago
Can they really tell? Perhaps they look for a dramatic change in use. Or if the device calculates data differently when tethered. Maybe not.
Maybe it's random to unlimited customers to insure they don't use massive amounts of data. Quite possible.
Examples of similar letters below.
http://modmyi.com/forums/at-and-t/792523-t-tethering-warning-letter.html
http://mobility.forumsee.com/a/m/s/p12-9383-0165343--at-t-tethering-warning.html
http://forums.att.com/t5/General-Account-Questions/Got-a-threatening-letter-regarding-tethering-and-my-unlimited/td-p/2834281
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GLIMMERMAN76
ACE - Expert
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23.9K Messages
9 years ago
yes but what you posted is from 2011-2012. Well before wearables. I know folks that connect to there cars bluetooth and dont get these letters. They also have unlimited data.
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117.3K Messages
9 years ago
Carriers consider any sharing of your mobile data to another device and any kind of connector that allows this 'Tethering'.
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GLIMMERMAN76
ACE - Expert
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23.9K Messages
9 years ago
yes you included 3 links with post but its still old info. I am trying to find something more current. Which for some reason is proving hard.
That would be like using my cromecast as tethering then which its not.
The bad part is its not clearly stated in the TOS. And in some states handsfree is required.
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117.3K Messages
9 years ago
There is a gray area with the use of hands free headsets deliberately. Carriers overlook it because it is required in cars for safety. The way they wrote it, it is at their discretion to allow or not allow devices or features.
Bluetooth to a headset is, as you say, required in some states. And considered strictly "output" rather than sharing. So, "You can bluetooth for phone calls, but not for sharing music to your Bluetooth car speakers". That's dumb, they are both output. Unless you are streaming pandora, then it's tethering? But a line in Jack to car speakers to play pandora, is not tethering? Then neither is cabling to a TV. Like I said a deliberate gray area.
As for Chromecast, your phone would be usually using your home wifi to operate Chromecast.
Tethering has been loosely defined just for the purpose of disallowing any device of ( AT&T 's ) choice and warning a customer if they are using a lot of data on an unlimited plan. This goes back to the possibility of random letters sent to heavy users.
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GLIMMERMAN76
ACE - Expert
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23.9K Messages
9 years ago
well i asked for some info on this from the board admin.
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117.3K Messages
9 years ago
I will be interested to hear if they have a consensus.
I'm curious as to how many unlimited, un throttled data plans are still around and if they are truly abused in such a way as to effect service for others.
I have polled the few people I know and they report using as little as 1 GB monthly up to 5 GB. Only one person, reports he uses 10 GB regularly, has wifi at home, doesn't seem to do anything unusual to use that much data. All are Verizon customers. I did use more data on Verizon. They all pay more for their service on individual plans. None want to give them up, on principal, even if they are throttled.
...fodder for a different thread...
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ATTDmitriyCM
Former Community Manager
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10.4K Messages
9 years ago
Hello @bashdrew Thank you for posting!
I'm very sorry you're having some issues with your service. We're checking on it and once we have some more information, we'll be sure to post an update. In the meantime, please send us a private message by clicking here. and one of our managers will be happy to research your account and help with whatever we can! Please include your full name, phone number, account number and the best time you can be reached.
Thank you,
Dmitriy
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