Tethered internet access with Verizon
Okay, guys. Love the forum. Tons of good information and I'm hoping someone here will have an answer for me.
I have the BB 8830 WE with voice and unlimited data service through Verizon. I have just now attempted to use the BB as a tethered modem for my laptop but everytime I attempt to connect through the VZ Access Manager, I get an error that says "Access was denied because the username and/or password was invalid on the domain". I was never asked for a username and/or password, so I was confused.
Well, I e-mailed the Verizon helpdesk for help. They said that I had to pay $15/month to use the phone as a tethered modem for my laptop. Is this true? Is this yet another feature that Verizon used as a marketing lure only to come back and tell you after you're hooked that you have to pay more money to access it (i.e., GPS)? I am extremely frustrated and don't want to pay any more/month to Verizon as I already am paying approx. $130/month. Anyone else have this experience? Is my only solution to pay the $15/month more?
To tether forever, and never to part
I recently "upgraded" from the Verizon XV-6700 Windows Mobile Pocket PC to the 8830. It was actually a huge downgrade, though. I lost my 2000 free text messages, my tethering, wi-fi, and got a crippled GPS.
My 6700 required the dial-in EVDO connection, so whenever I browsed the web on the device, it connected using #777. That meant that it was impossible for Verizon to distinguish whether I was using the mobile browser, or tethering and using it as a modem (provided I didn't do anything that would attract attention by using up enormous amounts of bandwidth).
Unfortunately, with the Blackberry, it is always connected, and doesn't use the #777 dial-up networking number for anything except tethering. Therefore, your user name and password are disabled by default. To enable it, you you need to call Verizon and sign up for the $15 per month feature in addition to the unlimited data plan you're already paying... It's legalized extortion if you ask me, but I'm locked into Verizon because they have the best coverage in my area.
Anyway, I called Verizon to ask about it, and they gave me a 1 month free trial of the tethering service. Then I had to dial *228 to update my phone's programming. I'm hoping that means that the changes it made were local and permanent, because after this trial there's no way I'm paying another $15 per month for something that I'm already paying $45 a month for.
Best of luck with your tethering endeavors,
Binx
Verizon Blackberry Curve 8330 bill
Received first bill since getting the 8330. They're charging me $44.99 for data plan. Isn't it supposed to be 29.99? I assume data plan includes web and email. HELP! They told me 29.99 in the store. Don't want tethering. :(
Verizon catch you tethering?
I read that the servers you use when tethering (and not with the VZW plan) is through the blackberry servers.
I tested this theory. I checked the IP of my phone by going to whatsmyip.org, pulled the battery on the phone, then tethered using the program I always use to tether, and checked the ip of my laptop.
On the BBery itself, I got an ip address of 206.x.x.x.
Tethered I got an ip of 97.x.x.x
Through my mifi device i got an ip of 75.x.x.x.
Both the 97.x.x.x and the 75.x.x.x show up as Cellco Partnership DBA Verizon Wireless.
The the 206.x.x.x comes up RIM.
It would seem that the assumption that when you tether you use BBery's servers would be incorrect???
If that is the case, and you don't sign up for the tethering service but use the tethering , how can they catch you when it's on different networks? Especially if they're using DHCP to hand out IP's (which it would seem they have to otherwise, they would be able to block your device from not paying for tethering).
I'm going to have to check and see whether I get a different ip address each time I tether and whether or not I get a different one on the WiFi device.