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ImmaSSJ

Tutor

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5 Messages

Fri, Jan 25, 2013 8:50 PM

Usb Tethering and Unlimited Data Plan

Hello I have an unlimited data plan on my phone. I have been using PdaNet to tether my phones network connection to provide an internet connection to my laptop via USB. What I am wondering is if I am doing this will I see some sort of data charge even though it's unlimited?

Responses

wingrider01

Expert

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12.2K Messages

7 years ago

@waynelroberts wrote:

@kdfederer wrote:
Tethering is not allowed on the unlimited data plan. The only plans that allow tethering are the 5gb $50/month data plan or the mobile share data plans.

i've never understood this. Bits are bits. It doesn't matter if they travel to my phone or to my computer THROUGH my phone. It's the SAME bits.

If I have an app on my phone and on my computer that are getting my Twitter updates, they are both using the same Twitter API to get the data. The data comes back (XML or JSON) the same way! It's the same exact bits! AT&T should NOT get to charge me TWICE for those same bits.

carriers make the rules for useage on their infrastructure, does not matter what the data packet type is, their rules. Tethering never was avaialbe on the unlimited plan even when it was active, it was always a add on feature to the unlimited plan that had a cap with overages. Besides the discontinued unlimited plan has a speed cap of 3gb for 3g and 5gb for lte, after that the data transfer speed is cut back to below edge speeds. drop the unlimited plan, go to mobile share and you can tether to your hearts conent or your checkbooks limited

ES2006

Contributor

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1 Message

6 years ago

I pray google come up with their data plan network sooner, then you guys (ATT & Verizon etc.,) will come beg for customers. At that time you will realize your mistake by loosing loyalty of your customer. I already moved my unlimited voice plan to minium 550 minutes and start using vonage app to make voice calls over LTE. I wouldn't have done that until I lost my loyalty towards ATT. I had everything unlimited since 2007. Just because I can't tether (you can give any justification - that it was not included in the original plan), made me mad against ATT.

lightninginajar

Teacher

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14 Messages

5 years ago

What is the URL of the "fair use policy"?

lizdance40

ACE - Sage

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81.4K Messages

5 years ago

Acceptable use policy

https://www.att.com/legal/terms.aup.html

🐾 I don’t work for AT&T or any carrier. Never have, never will. My replies are based on experience and reading content available on the website. If you posted personal information, please edit and remove.

Award for Community Excellence 2020 Achiever*
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

lightninginajar

Teacher

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14 Messages

5 years ago

The reverse-engineering clause of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act explicitly permits "transfer of data between devices" (f) Reverse Engineering.— (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(1)(A), a person who has lawfully obtained the right to use a copy of a computer program may circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a particular portion of that program for the sole purpose of identifying and analyzing those elements of the program that are necessary to achieve interoperability of an independently created computer program with other programs, and that have not previously been readily available to the person engaging in the circumvention, to the extent any such acts of identification and analysis do not constitute infringement under this title. (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a)(2) and (b), a person may develop and employ technological means to circumvent a technological measure, or to circumvent protection afforded by a technological measure, in order to enable the identification and analysis under paragraph (1), or for the purpose of enabling interoperability of an independently created computer program with other programs, if such means are necessary to achieve such interoperability, to the extent that doing so does not constitute infringement under this title. (3) The information acquired through the acts permitted under paragraph (1), and the means permitted under paragraph (2), may be made available to others if the person referred to in paragraph (1) or (2), as the case may be, provides such information or means solely for the purpose of enabling interoperability of an independently created computer program with other programs, and to the extent that doing so does not constitute infringement under this title or violate applicable law other than this section. (4) For purposes of this subsection, the term 「interoperability」 means the ability of computer programs to exchange information, and of such programs mutually to use the information which has been exchanged

lightninginajar

Teacher

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14 Messages

5 years ago

How does AT&T in accordance with its acceptable use policy define interference? Quoted from https://www.att.com/legal/terms.aup.html AT&T prohibits use of the IP Services in any way that is unlawful, harmful to or interferes with use of AT&T's network or systems, or the network of any other provider, interferes with the use or enjoyment of services received by others…

lizdance40

ACE - Sage

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81.4K Messages

5 years ago

I don't work for ATT. I'm not a lawyer, and I don't care to dicker policy with you.

ATT has the right to sell you service with rules attached. The FCC agrees.

If you get caught, they have the right to terminate you plan.

T-mobile went after customers breaking the tethering rules.

You can go round and round and it will do no good. I prefer sudoku puzzles, but if this is the hobby that floats your boat, have fun with it.

David606

Employee

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3.5K Messages

5 years ago

It does not allow this, at all. It allows for transmission of data between devices YOU own outright. Your computer. Your routers. Yes, your phones but not over the CELLULAR network. You may transfer all you want over WIFI, BLUETOOTH and even through USB but that does not include CELLULAR data. You can modify all you want to move files from your computer to the phone, when it does not involve accessing the celluar data network.

Customers do not own the network. It's a privately owned entity. Circumvention of the tethering restrictions is a violation of AT&T's terms and policies. The DMCA does not apply to the towers, VLR/SGSNs, internet backbone that you as the customer do not own.

Unlimited data is a table with one seat. All data is not equal via cellular. The phone facilitating the data transfer does not mean it's the only device using it. Sharing with another device means you are adding an addition seat to the table. T-Mobile's CEO had an interview a few months ago where he torched a bunch of users who were getting around their tethering policies. The carriers can, and will, cancel someone's service who is violating the terms of usage.

*I am an AT&T employee, and the postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent AT&T's position, strategies or opinions.

lizdance40

ACE - Sage

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81.4K Messages

5 years ago

@David606. If I could give you 10 stars.....

lightninginajar

Teacher

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14 Messages

5 years ago

Can I according to the acceptable use policy maintain up to date the following setup: 1 Apple Macintosh computer with current Mac OS X which is approximately 6 to 7 GB of data, 1 installation of Xcode, Apple's de facto integrated development environment/software development kit used for creating and maintaining iOS applications, 1 installation of Apple's Configurator 2 software used for certain iOS related tasks, 1 current iOS iPhone 6 Plus?

Gary L

ACE - Expert

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15.8K Messages

5 years ago

@waynelroberts They have plans where the bits are just for one device and plans where you can tether (share the bits). People who tether probably (generally) use more bits, they use them on their phone and their tethered laptop/ipad. Full screen video is a lot more enjoyable on the 15inch screen than a 5inch screen so you'll watch more, that costs them more.

They could just charge everyone for the most expensive plan and assume everyone will tether, but that's not what they do...

They price things based on use. Unlimtied people do not use unlimited data, most probably don't use any more than the people with a 5GB or 10GB plan.

On 700 minute phone plans, no one made exactly 700 minutes every month to get their highest value, AT&T counts on that and prices accordingly....

Rember the Golden Rule: Treat others how you would like to be treated.
Just because my answer does not solve your issue (or agree with you), it may still be correct information...
Stating a fact about how something works, is NOT taking sides, it's just stating a fact...
Information provided might not be for "you" only, it might be clarification for other community members.
This is the public AT&T Community Forum (not AT&T support), please do not post personal info.
When provided an answer, please click "Accept solution" which helps other people to find an answer more quickly.

The (very) fine print - This footer is at the bottom of all my posts, its particulars may, or may not, apply to you & your post.

lightninginajar

Teacher

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14 Messages

5 years ago

At&t's unlimited data with tethering disabled is at best like a bad relationship that even when you break up you can't get rid of your stocker ex and at worst, if you're still married, they are a dead-beat spouse who limits your ability to socialize with friends and family remotely (2-way video conferencing or gaming) and restricts your entertainment allowance to the equivalent of 56k dial-up!

Gary L

ACE - Expert

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15.8K Messages

5 years ago

The real issue is signing up for a plan doesn't have tethering and then complaining the plan doesn't have tethering...

Rember the Golden Rule: Treat others how you would like to be treated.
Just because my answer does not solve your issue (or agree with you), it may still be correct information...
Stating a fact about how something works, is NOT taking sides, it's just stating a fact...
Information provided might not be for "you" only, it might be clarification for other community members.
This is the public AT&T Community Forum (not AT&T support), please do not post personal info.
When provided an answer, please click "Accept solution" which helps other people to find an answer more quickly.

The (very) fine print - This footer is at the bottom of all my posts, its particulars may, or may not, apply to you & your post.

AT&T Community Forums

ImmaSSJ

Usb Tethering and Unlimited Data Plan

Responses

wingrider01

ES2006

lightninginajar

lizdance40

lightninginajar

lightninginajar

lizdance40

David606

lizdance40

lightninginajar

Gary L

lightninginajar

Gary L

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