1. JeepBB's Avatar
    They can't actually tell whether you're tethering they just assume that you won't be torrenting massive files and such with a handset.

    Posted via CB10
    I think the networks can tell when you are tethering, or the (mostly US) networks that charge for tethering wouldn't be able to do so.

    I don't think any of the UK networks charge for tethering providing you've got a monthly contract with them. So the networks here probably don't care, but that doesn't mean they don't have the tools to detect the situation...
    04-19-14 03:59 AM
  2. Mark Edward Carr's Avatar
    I believe that they cant tell if u use a blackberry for a hotspot .

    Posted via CB10
    04-19-14 06:46 AM
  3. JeepBB's Avatar
    I believe that they cant tell if u use a blackberry for a hotspot .
    Back in the day, I had a Playbook... stay with me on this.

    You could connect that Playbook to the internet via the BB phone in two ways.

    1) Via Bridge, which was undetectable to the networks as it used the phone's dataplan to connect (and the phone then bluetooth'ed the data to/from your Playbook). So the network only "saw" the connected phone regardless of whether you were tapping away on the Playbook or the Phone.

    2) Via a Tethered connection to your BB phone (using a WiFi hotspot). The network could see the phone being used as a tethered modem, and could charge for it if they had a mind to do so.

    In fact, just so US customers couldn't use their network for "free", ATT's versions of Bridge were "special" and set-up the Bridge connection as a tethered modem so they could levy a charge. Though, you could download the Bridge software available everywhere else to avoid paying an additional tethering charge to ATT.

    Bridge only works with the Playbook. If you're using any other tablet via a WiFi hotspot, it's tethered.

    AFAIK, there is nothing magical about using a BB phone to establish a WiFi hotspot. It's using a phone (any phone) as a tethered modem, and your network can detect that and may charge. IIRC, the small print of many mobile phone contracts, even draws your attention to the fact that tethering may attract charges.

    However, as I've said, in the UK the networks don't generally charge for tethering.
    04-19-14 07:29 AM
  4. anon(4185604)'s Avatar
    Back in the day, I had a Playbook... stay with me on this.

    You could connect that Playbook to the internet via the BB phone in two ways.

    1) Via Bridge, which was undetectable to the networks as it used the phone's dataplan to connect (and the phone then bluetooth'ed the data to/from your Playbook). So the network only "saw" the connected phone regardless of whether you were tapping away on the Playbook or the Phone.

    2) Via a Tethered connection to your BB phone (using a WiFi hotspot). The network could see the phone being used as a tethered modem, and could charge for it if they had a mind to do so.

    In fact, just so US customers couldn't use their network for "free", ATT's versions of Bridge were "special" and set-up the Bridge connection as a tethered modem so they could levy a charge. Though, you could download the Bridge software available everywhere else to avoid paying an additional tethering charge to ATT.

    Bridge only works with the Playbook. If you're using any other tablet via a WiFi hotspot, it's tethered.

    AFAIK, there is nothing magical about using a BB phone to establish a WiFi hotspot. It's using a phone (any phone) as a tethered modem, and your network can detect that and may charge. IIRC, the small print of many mobile phone contracts, even draws your attention to the fact that tethering may attract charges.

    However, as I've said, in the UK the networks don't generally charge for tethering.
    I use Giffgaff Pay as You Go. However, tethering isn't allowed unless you have a gigabag. I, and many others, still tethered (didn't abuse it though). It's true that they didn't have the technology to detect it, I mean, how could they. It's basically data being sent and received from the phone, and then the phone communicates with the other device. Right? They wouldn't be able to tell...

    Also, we tethered on 3 pay as you go until we had Internet (used 40+ gb every month) and tethering was not allowed at the time. They didn't say anything ;D

    Posted via CB10
    04-20-14 08:45 AM
  5. JeepBB's Avatar
    I use Giffgaff Pay as You Go. However, tethering isn't allowed unless you have a gigabag. I, and many others, still tethered (didn't abuse it though). It's true that they didn't have the technology to detect it, I mean, how could they. It's basically data being sent and received from the phone, and then the phone communicates with the other device. Right? They wouldn't be able to tell...

    Also, we tethered on 3 pay as you go until we had Internet (used 40+ gb every month) and tethering was not allowed at the time. They didn't say anything ;D

    Posted via CB10
    LOL, I'd apologise about derailing the thread, but I reckon that's already happened.

    If you google "tethering detection", you'll find pages and pages on how networks detect it. So the technology exists and they can most definitely do it. I believe it relies on analysis of traffic patterns.

    Funny you should mention giffgaff, the 4th google hit was this: http://community.giffgaff.com/t5/New...2/td-p/9187628

    if my skim-reading works, as of last Summer, auto detection of tethering was activated on giffgaff.

    Just because there's been no action, doesn't necessarily mean nobody knows it's happening. Being aware of something, and choosing not to react, is something parents do every day!
    anon(4185604) likes this.
    04-20-14 09:47 AM
  6. anon(4185604)'s Avatar
    LOL, I'd apologise about derailing the thread, but I reckon that's already happened.

    If you google "tethering detection", you'll find pages and pages on how networks detect it. So the technology exists and they can most definitely do it. I believe it relies on analysis of traffic patterns.

    Funny you should mention giffgaff, the 4th google hit was this: http://community.giffgaff.com/t5/New...2/td-p/9187628

    if my skim-reading works, as of last Summer, auto detection of tethering was activated on giffgaff.

    Just because there's been no action, doesn't necessarily mean nobody knows it's happening. Being aware of something, and choosing not to react, is something parents do every day!
    Thanks for the informative post. I used to tether on GG until March 2013, which is when I got broadband (we moved countries and stuff, so it's a long story)

    But why would 3 not take action on 40 gigs of data for like half a year, on Pay as you go when they clearly state no tethering on Pay as you go...

    Posted via CB10
    04-20-14 10:07 AM
  7. JeepBB's Avatar
    But why would 3 not take action on 40 gigs of data for like half a year, on Pay as you go when they clearly state no tethering on Pay as you go...
    Short answer: I don't know.

    Longer answer: 3 might not have thought it worth their time or trouble to haul you up. 40GB sounds a lot every month, but... in the big scheme of things... unless loads of people on 3 PAYG were doing the same and it started to impact on the overall network experience... your 40GB was probably lost in the noise. It sounds like GiffGaff did decide it was becoming a problem... and acted.
    04-20-14 10:50 AM
  8. yessuz's Avatar
    Oh, on the pleasant side:

    Was nicely surprised when saw 4G indicator on my Z10 in centre of Birmingham today...

    Three rocks.

    Posted via CB10
    04-20-14 11:38 AM
  9. tinochiko's Avatar
    Oh, on the pleasant side:

    Was nicely surprised when saw 4G indicator on my Z10 in centre of Birmingham today...

    Three rocks.

    Posted via CB10
    Lol one year later , I've been seeing it ever since I got a Z10 more than a year ago

    TechCraze C0008DDD1
    04-20-14 11:45 AM
  10. yessuz's Avatar
    Lol one year later , I've been seeing it ever since I got a Z10 more than a year ago

    TechCraze C0008DDD1
    Yeah. I live in a village where 3g only is available from any operator. So, for me it is an achievement...

    Posted via CB10
    04-20-14 01:00 PM
  11. tinochiko's Avatar
    Yeah. I live in a village where 3g only is available from any operator. So, for me it is an achievement...

    Posted via CB10
    3gs not so bad now, I don't think in UK we've even covered it all with 3G yet, so 4G is a luxury unless you live near big cities (London)

    TechCraze C0008DDD1
    04-20-14 02:06 PM
  12. Mark Edward Carr's Avatar
    Double speed 4g here... as not too far from liverpool.

    Just need to upgrade my contract to 4g now

    Posted via CB10
    04-20-14 05:52 PM
  13. yessuz's Avatar
    Double speed 4g here... as not too far from liverpool.

    Just need to upgrade my contract to 4g now

    Posted via CB10
    See, with Three I did not have to upgrade my contract. It works out if the box

    Posted vis glorious Z10 powered by 10.2.1.2947
    04-21-14 02:36 AM
  14. tinochiko's Avatar
    See, with Three I did not have to upgrade my contract. It works out if the box

    Posted vis glorious Z10 powered by 10.2.1.2947
    Yeah which is nice, but for me in the past with three i had too many problems,
    1) I hardly ever saw what more than one bar looked like
    2) customer service was so poor, it may have changed now but that definitely put me off, EE are throwing away 4G if you know how to speak to them nicely and you get combined coverage of Orange + T-mobile now I hardly know what anything that's not 4g looks like Lool

    TechCraze C0008DDD1
    04-21-14 02:50 AM
  15. cgk's Avatar
    EE simply don't have any Sim only contract that are competitive enough for me to switch from three.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
    04-21-14 04:04 AM
  16. tinochiko's Avatar
    EE simply don't have any Sim only contract that are competitive enough for me to switch from three.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
    Maybe not to start with, but from my experience they can be decent when you talk to them, I'll admit I've never dealt with them in terms of sim only, but in terms of my contract they've been quite good..

    TechCraze C0008DDD1
    04-21-14 04:10 AM
  17. yessuz's Avatar
    Yeah which is nice, but for me in the past with three i had too many problems,
    1) I hardly ever saw what more than one bar looked like
    2) customer service was so poor, it may have changed now but that definitely put me off, EE are throwing away 4G if you know how to speak to them nicely and you get combined coverage of Orange + T-mobile now I hardly know what anything that's not 4g looks like Lool

    TechCraze C0008DDD1
    Funny enough, that all operators in my house show no bars at all. But the town is perfectly fine with all except Vodafone, which offers edge only. However, Three and it's home signal box was a deal breaker for me. Add unlimited data and bills below 20 gbp for that - you cannot go wrong with this.

    Oh, and the customer service... I am with Three for few months now, but as long as I remember, I have contacted Customer Service once - when I ordered my SIM... and it was ok.

    Posted vis glorious Z10 powered by 10.2.1.2947
    04-21-14 05:05 AM
  18. tinochiko's Avatar
    Funny enough, that all operators in my house show no bars at all. But the town is perfectly fine with all except Vodafone, which offers edge only. However, Three and it's home signal box was a deal breaker for me. Add unlimited data and bills below 20 gbp for that - you cannot go wrong with this.

    Oh, and the customer service... I am with Three for few months now, but as long as I remember, I have contacted Customer Service once - when I ordered my SIM... and it was ok.

    Posted vis glorious Z10 powered by 10.2.1.2947
    Fair enough, I think variety is good, as long as everyone is satisfied with what they have

    TechCraze C0008DDD1
    04-21-14 05:10 AM
  19. cgk's Avatar
    Maybe not to start with, but from my experience they can be decent when you talk to them, I'll admit I've never dealt with them in terms of sim only, but in terms of my contract they've been quite good..

    TechCraze C0008DDD1
    The nearest they could do was about �20 more a month for an inferior data package.
    04-21-14 05:44 AM
  20. tinochiko's Avatar
    The nearest they could do was about �20 more a month for an inferior data package.
    Fair enough

    TechCraze C0008DDD1
    04-21-14 05:48 AM
  21. cgk's Avatar
    It is not so much the data on the phone, it's the ability to be able to run an unlimited hotspot for other devices while out.

    sent from my bright red Nexus 5
    04-21-14 06:01 AM
  22. tinochiko's Avatar
    It is not so much the data on the phone, it's the ability to be able to run an unlimited hotspot for other devices while out.

    sent from my bright red Nexus 5
    I can do that.. haven't had an issue, in fact I had that exact issue with 3, first I could tether no problem, then suddenly they started locking it down saying I had to pay extra a month to tether...

    TechCraze C0008DDD1
    04-21-14 06:04 AM
  23. cgk's Avatar
    Unlimited tether is explicitly mentioned in my plan so I never have that problem - the bigger problem is simply the amount of data I use - EE can't match it.

    sent from my bright red Nexus 5
    04-21-14 06:50 AM
  24. tinochiko's Avatar
    Unlimited tether is explicitly mentioned in my plan so I never have that problem - the bigger problem is simply the amount of data I use - EE can't match it.

    sent from my bright red Nexus 5
    Lol tbh I use so much data too, EE have given me 20GB and it's not enough for what I do, I'll keep pushing till they give me unlimited.. but I'm really going to try and go sim only for my next phone (hopefully 'z50') then I should be okay..

    TechCraze C0008DDD1
    04-21-14 06:57 AM
49 12

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