Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Can I get in trouble for tethering?

That-Is-Bull

That-Is-Bull

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 29, 2007
404
0
Edmond, Oklahoma
The only Internet access available where I live is HughesNet (which is worse than Dial-up), Dial-up (which is Dial-up), and what we use right now, a Sprint mobile broadband card in a wireless router (which is not much better than Dial-up).

I saw the Speedtest.net iPhone app and decided to try it for the hell of it. Turns out my 3GS is much faster than the broadband card we have - the iPhone scores between 1.4Mbps and 1.7Mbps down, compared to the card's 0.3-0.7Mbps (on a good day).

If I jailbreak my iPhone, tether it to my computer, and use it for Internet access instead of the crap we have, could I get into any trouble with AT&T? Would anything happen if they found out that I was tethering with a jailbroken iPhone? And could I get away with it if I were to keep the bandwidth usage below a certain level? It'd be a huge upgrade over what we use right now.
 
That-Is-Bull said:
The only Internet access available where I live is HughesNet (which is worse than Dial-up), Dial-up (which is Dial-up), and what we use right now, a Sprint mobile broadband card in a wireless router (which is not much better than Dial-up).

I saw the Speedtest.net iPhone app and decided to try it for the hell of it. Turns out my 3GS is much faster than the broadband card we have - the iPhone scores between 1.4Mbps and 1.7Mbps down, compared to the card's 0.3-0.7Mbps (on a good day).

If I jailbreak my iPhone, tether it to my computer, and use it for Internet access instead of the crap we have, could I get into any trouble with AT&T? Would anything happen if they found out that I was tethering with a jailbroken iPhone? And could I get away with it if I were to keep the bandwidth usage below a certain level? It'd be a huge upgrade over what we use right now.
Click to expand...

Of course you are not going to get in trouble, but you could get extra data charges if AT&T begins charging for tethering.
 
Since you'd be violating your TOS, AT&T could terminate your service and charge you for the data you used while tethering. Will they? Probably not. Have they? Not that we've heard.
 
That-Is-Bull said:
The only Internet access available where I live is HughesNet (which is worse than Dial-up), Dial-up (which is Dial-up), and what we use right now, a Sprint mobile broadband card in a wireless router (which is not much better than Dial-up).

I saw the Speedtest.net iPhone app and decided to try it for the hell of it. Turns out my 3GS is much faster than the broadband card we have - the iPhone scores between 1.4Mbps and 1.7Mbps down, compared to the card's 0.3-0.7Mbps (on a good day).

If I jailbreak my iPhone, tether it to my computer, and use it for Internet access instead of the crap we have, could I get into any trouble with AT&T? Would anything happen if they found out that I was tethering with a jailbroken iPhone? And could I get away with it if I were to keep the bandwidth usage below a certain level? It'd be a huge upgrade over what we use right now.
Click to expand...

Define trouble?
Cops knocking on the door? No.
ATT saying you owe us $200 for data usage? Yes.
ATT saying your contract is canceled? Yes

Saying that, I would say your amount of tethering is proportional to your chances of getting in trouble. I would not use my iPhone to tether for full time access.

I use mine when I am at an airport or hotel that request an arm and or leg to use their Internet. I rarely go over a Gig of data per month. I am ten days into my monthly plan and have used 217 MB of data. Not likely to wake the sleeping giant.
 
Theoretically they could charge you for data, cancel your plan, or insist that you add a tethering plan (when they start offering one!). I have never heard of them doing any of these things, but they are all within the scope of the TOS. As everyone else has said, though, your risk of these things is probably proportional to your use of data; if you start downloading massive torrents all the time you might set off some flags, but if you use it for web browsing and email you should be fine.

Sounds like you might be one who'd be interested in actually paying AT&T for a tethering plan should they ever flip the switch.
 
Thanks for the info. I'm using MyWi, which from what I've heard hides your browsing info or something like that so AT&T sees it as regular iPhone data usage. Is there any way for them to know that I'm tethering if I'm using MyWi? How much bandwidth do you think I could use before they start getting suspicious? I don't tether full-time, I just turn it on when I want to watch a YouTube video or when our broadband card is going extremely slow.
 
My iPhone's 3G/EDGE isn't working now. I can still call people, but I can't use the Internet. When it's on 3G or EDGE, if I try to load something the iPhone just says "You are not connected to the Internet."

Under Settings > General > Usage, it says I've only received 1.1 GB of data. Around 300 MB of that is from tethering. Could AT&T have disabled my iPhone's Internet access or something?

Edit: Nevermind. Reset network settings, it's working again.
 
That-Is-Bull said:
My iPhone's 3G/EDGE isn't working now. I can still call people, but I can't use the Internet. When it's on 3G or EDGE, if I try to load something the iPhone just says "You are not connected to the Internet."

Under Settings > General > Usage, it says I've only received 1.1 GB of data. Around 300 MB of that is from tethering. Could AT&T have disabled my iPhone's Internet access or something?

Edit: Nevermind. Reset network settings, it's working again.
Click to expand...

Yep, sometimes if you stop, and count to ten things take care of themselves. Cool! MyWi is still a touch sloppy when it comes to disconnecting and getting back to regular phone functionality. I usually turn off wifi and phone (airplane mode) then turn them back on and all is well.
 
ive been tethering for approx 2 months now, it says im at 595.13mb on my bill for data. no charges yet... all the above seems correct. im just hoping they dont all the sudden start charging...cuz im sure they know bout it.
 
If Sprint 3G is slow where you live, AT&T offers 3G solutions for you to use as your primary internet. It'll be just as fast as the phone and you can ditch the Sprint one.

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-ph...typcat1002=cat1002&feahsdpa=hsdpa&allManus=on

These will have the same speeds as you got with your iPhone's speed test and they are meant for your computer. It'd be a new monthly fee though, but if you're already using a Sprint 3G modem it'll be about the same cost.
 
Well said.
As long as you keep it low and dont go too crazy downloading alot of data you should be good.
I never heard of anyone getting in trouble as of yet.

iphone.aggie said:
Since you'd be violating your TOS, AT&T could terminate your service and charge you for the data you used while tethering. Will they? Probably not. Have they? Not that we've heard.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back