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Richardensley's profile

Tutor

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3 Messages

Saturday, May 7th, 2016 4:22 PM

Missing hotspot with Unlimited Data plan

My personal hotspot is missing since I upgraded cell plan to unlimited data.

Teacher

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18 Messages

8 years ago

GREAT QUESTION

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

8 years ago

@wetdog13 @wrrector

You can use 50GB on unlimited on your phone for $100, but only on your phone; that's a bargain. You can even use 100GB. But it's on that device.

 

If you want to use data in any way you choose it costs more. In general, laptops consume more data (and do it faster). Plus, if you have a laptop and a phone, you're likely to use more data if it's all one price.

 

It's no big deal to get that feature, then you pay for it:

  • $100 for 10GB on one line.
  • $245 for 50GB on one line.

That's it. Not a big deal at all, but those are the prices...

 

Tutor

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5 Messages

8 years ago

NOT TRUE AT ALL!!   my old note phone was able to use the hotspot and I had 5 devices on it. Tablet and Ipod, android devices, and I never went over my 22 GB. a month.  I played games and listen to music on them, and not once did I go over. I pay for the service, so why can't I use it the way I want to??  50 GB is NOT unlimited  100GB is NOT unlimited, and for the price, it's NOT a bargin.  Makes no sence at all why we can't use what we pay for, the way we want to.   I still would like someone from AT&T to tell us why we can't use the hotspot while under the unlimited plan?

Master

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4.1K Messages

8 years ago

Count me as another user who gave up their unlimited data plan and moved to a Mobile Share Value Plan almost 2 years ago.  I initially moved for the lower monthly bills switching 2 iPhones with unlimited data to a 10GB Shared plan.  When we switched,  AT&T was throttling phones at 5GB usage for LTE devices, and my wife was getting throttled monthly, while I still have a couple GB to use before I would get throttled when the month ended.  For us, the move not only saved us a little money and gave my wife high speed data all month, so we were happy.  I decided to try the hotspot feature, and have since gotten hooked.  I now use a couple GeekBoy a month in hotspot connectivity, and in late 2014, when AT&T offered the "free double data" promo, I bumped my data plan to 15GB and got it doubled to 30GB, which I still have today.

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

8 years ago


@wetdog13

Tablet and Ipod, android devices, and I never went over my 22 GB. a month.  I played games and listen to music on them, and not once did I go over. I pay for the service, so why can't I use it the way I want to??  50 GB is NOT unlimited  100GB is NOT unlimited, and for the price, it's NOT a bargin.  Makes no sence at all why we can't use what we pay for, the way we want to.   I still would like someone from AT&T to tell us why we can't use the hotspot while under the unlimited plan?


You get exactly what you pay for, you pay for it on ONE device and that's what you get.

 

If you want to get rid of the limits of that plan, you need a different plan.

 

Compared to the NOT unlimited prices, unlimited IS a bargain.

That was what I compared it to.

 

Unlimited costs WAY less that the other plans, therefore it has a limitation.  No limitation costs more...

 

While I don't work for AT&T my explanation is probably pretty close to why.

 

 

This is the AT&T community forum (not AT&T support). 

 


@wetdog13 wrote:

NOT TRUE AT ALL!!   my old note phone was able to use the hotspot and I had 5 devices on it. Tablet and Ipod, android devices, and I never went over my 22 GB. a month.  I played games and listen to music on them, and not once did I go over.


I have no idea what you're toalking about here.  What's not true?

 

I'm not sure why you're talking about 22GB (not once did I go over??), the only thing that MAY happen at 22GB is they may reprioritize your usage (other people get served first); many people report they see no difference even at 50GB or 100GB.

Tutor

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5 Messages

8 years ago

The 22GB I'm talking about is the amount of data you can use before they throttle the data on your device. Even with 5 devices hooked on my hotspot I was able to use, I never went over 22GB a month.

 

AT&T does not explain why you can't use the hotspot, and they don't tell you, you can't use it when you sign up for the unlimited plan.  IT'S IN VERY SMALL PRINT. So small that if you don't look for it with a magnifying glass you won't see it. Why did they hide it in very small print?? They need to be more transparent to their customers. Now I wish I never upgraded my device. I would still be using the hotspot.

Tutor

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5 Messages

8 years ago

You said " if you have a laptop and a phone, you're likely to use more data if it's all one price." Thats not true, like I said I had 5 devices on my hotspot with my galaxy note and never went over the 22GB a month before they throttle the data.

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

8 years ago

 

 


@wetdog13 wrote:

You said " if you have a laptop and a phone, you're likely to use more data if it's all one price." Thats not true, like I said I had 5 devices on my hotspot with my galaxy note and never went over the 22GB a month before they throttle the data.


I see what you're saying now. But you're actually agreeing with me.

 

If you have 5 devices on your hotspot and use 18GB, you'd use less data than 18GB if you only had one device using data, right?  

 

If you can only have one device, you're likely to use less than if you have 2 (or 5) devices sharing that. This pretty much makes " if you have a laptop and a phone, you're likely to use more data if it's all one price" true because if you're paying for 10GB, you're not going to use 15GB (right?), BUT if you're paying for unlimited and you can hook up as many devices as you want through the month, you're probably going to use much more than that.

 

 

 

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

8 years ago


@wetdog13 wrote:

I had 5 devices on my hotspot with my galaxy note and never went over the 22GB a month 


So dump your unlimited and get 25GB for $150 (for one line) and you're all set for 5 devices! Yes that'll cost you a little more, but you can dump Direct TV.  Clearly, you use less than that for 1 device (and that's another part of how they sell unlimited to you cheaper).

 

They know  if you have 5 devices on there at once you're pulling MORE data down at once and putting more of a strain on the network. All 5 could all be pulling down HD video streams at once.  With only 1 device, pretty much all you're generally going to be doing is pulling down one stream at a time. One device is less strain on the and is cheaper for them to provide that's another reason.

Contributor

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2 Messages

8 years ago

I was lied to as well, lied and lied and lied.  Swore the tether would be available.  Took the issue up the food chain.  They finally just dropped the issue without replying.  Balless wonders at ATT.

 

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