“Yesterday, a $10 application from Nullriver [called “NetShare”] appeared in the iPhone Apps Store that allowed you to use the iPhone to access the Internet via 3G and share that connection through its Wi-Fi radio. It didn’t last long, however, before the powers that be at Apple squashed the application,” Eric Zeman reports for InformationWeek.
MacDailyNews Note: The app turns your iPhone into a Wi-Fi hotspot and allows your Wi-Fi-capable devices to access the Internet via your iPhone’s 3G and/or EDGE connection. App Store links to NetShare now generate an error message: “The item you’ve requested is not currently available in the [insert country name] store.”
“Ever so briefly, an application was available at the iPhone Apps Store that used the iPhone to bridge an Internet connection and a computer. In other words, a tethering app. It cost $10, and was offered by Nullriver,” Zeman reports. “NetShare used a SOCKS5 proxy to allow the computer to connect to the iPhone’s Wi-Fi radio. Excited users pounced, and began downloading the application. Even though Apple had to have approved that application at some point, it caught wind of what the app could really do, and yanked it from the store.”
Full article here.
MacRumors’ Arnold Kim reports that Nullriver said, “We’re not quite sure why Apple took down the application yet, we’ve received no communication from Apple thus far. NetShare did not violate any of the Developer or AppStore agreements. We’re hoping we’ll get some feedback from Apple tomorrow. Sorry to all the folks that couldn’t get it in time. We’ll do our best to try to get the application back onto the AppStore if at all possible. At the very least, I would hope Apple will allow it in countries where the provider does permit tethering.”
Full article here.
Engadget video: Tethering iPhone 3G via Nullriver Netshare:
Direct link to video here.
AT&T’s iPhone Terms and Conditions:
Prohibited and Permissible Uses: Data Service sessions may be conducted only for the following purposes: (i) Internet browsing; (ii) email; and (iii) corporate intranet access (including access to corporate email, customer relationship management, sales force automation, and field service automation applications). PROHIBITED USES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO… UNLIMITED PLANS (EXCEPT FOR DATACONNECT AND BLACKBERRY TETHERED) CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY APPLICATIONS THAT TETHER THE DEVICE (THROUGH USE OF, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, CONNECTION KITS, OTHER PHONE/PDA-TO-COMPUTER ACCESSORIES, BLUETOOTH® OR ANY OTHER WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY) TO LAPTOPS, PCS, OR OTHER EQUIPMENT FOR ANY PURPOSE.
Was anyone lucky enough to have grabbed it from the App Store yesterday?
thank you apple for giving an additional boost to the jailbreaking folks, and for a move that will turbo boost the ipa cracking doood. Any guess what the number one request cracked ipa will now be?
Ah! I missed it!
But, even for those who got it, could it not be easily invalidated with the 2.0.1 update?
Man, I wish I had been able to grab it… This is something I have always wanted to do…
AT&T;wants to sell you a modem and charge you for data…
Apple’s no better than Verizon, which is notorious for crippling their smartphones in order to nickle and dime their customers.
Tsk. Tsk.
Why aren’t you people outraged over this?
Because Apple most likely only yanked the App at AT&T;’s behest; that they initially approved it then suddenly pulled it suggests some suit at AT&T;went “They’re allowing an App that does WHAT!?!?!” and got on the phone to Steve Jobs…
Ready your AT & T service agreement. It may not be a violation with Apple; but the tethering process is clearly a violation of the AT & T service agreement.
@drbyers
Dude, give it up. Apple has a looooooong way to go to match Verizon in crippling phone software. And if you’re gonna make that statement, saying AT&T;is no better than Verizon is more accurate.
…because I want this. I suspect that Apple will claim that this application is a bandwidth hog, and thus in violation of the rules. They probably need to do that to protect AT&T;, but it’s still incredibly lame to cripple a VERY useful capability (for which I’m paying $30/month data service fee) because the Death Star needs more money.
Too bad it was yanked I know some coworkers who do that to their phone (unfortunately not an iPhone) I doubt that Apple yanked it without pressure from at&t;though. I bet its all at&t;’s doing.
You know, I can do this now with my Razr on T-Mobile (granted its EDGE not 3G). This was done to placate AT&T;. I REALLY don’t like this close relationship Apple has with AT&T;or sorry SBC. It’s why I don’t have an iPhone. I like Apples products, but the partnership with AT&T;just makes me shake my head.
@MobiWan,
Dood, YOU need to give it up.
Apparently, people on here DO want the app and APPLE took it down since it’s the APPLE app store, not the AT&T;store…
Comment quality around here is shit these days…
@I am outraged,
More like “you’re a numbskull”.
How the freak could you “suspect that Apple will claim that this application is a bandwidth hog”, when APPLE IS NOT PROVIDING NETWORK BANDWIDTH???
I swear, some people will go to ANY lengths to spin a story.
FYI?
AT&T;handles all the bandwidth on AT&T;’s network.
@ drbyers.
If APPLE sells an APPLICATION that VIOLATES AT&T;’s contract, then APPLE MUST REMOVE IT.
It would seem to be a possible breach of Apple’s contract with AT&T;. Pretty simply, it’s sharing the device’s internet. hello? pretty obvious that AT&T;would not like this, and Apple thought about it.
Apple obviously had to honor their agreement with AT&T;. When phone manufacturers sell subsidized phones, that means that the carriers receive control over bandwidth hogs, and can protect their revenue streams.
Why would the carriers allow unlimited and heavy teathering use for free, when it is a revenue stream for all carriers. This is what carriers do…provide bandwidth for sale.
I understand people want unlimited bandwidth for free…but someone has to invest and recover massive amounts to provide the infrastructure and service…and they expect to survive and prosper.
Why don’t the Automotive manufacturers provide free gas for the life of the car? Get it?
I was waiting for this app before I upgraded to iPhone 3G.
Oh well…!
Have you ever noticed when you flip on Internet Sharing in the OS X control panel you are warned by Apple:
If you turn on this port, your internet Service provider might terminate your service to prevent you from disrupting its network.
In some cases (if you use a cable modem, for example) you might unintentionally affect the network settings of your ISP and violate the terms of your service agreement.
Clearly, Apple doesn’t want to become an enabler and is alerting you that you could be asking for trouble.
This situation is no different and drbyers doesn’t give a shit about Apple or its legal obligations to AT & T.
If I were Nullriver, I would distribute NetShare are shareware or freeware and tell Steve Jobs and AT&T;to suck it.
This is sad.
I’ve been having a heated argument over on SKYPE’s forum about who is ultimately responsible for there being no SKYPE for the iPhone. Many want to blame Apple and I’m saying it’s AT&T;because AT&T;has more to lose.
Whoever it is, this locked up proprietary crap has got to end.
Apple Ignited the Proprietary Non-Personal Vendor Monitored and Controlled mobile computing market.
I considered getting it, but the early reports were that it hung, and didn’t work.
Your Life– Delivered To The NSA
I do not own a Jesus Phone and will not as long as it is tied to these swindlers. It’s not Ma Bell- it’s Sothwestern Bell, later SBC Communications, now AT&T;after they bought the carcass of the old chopped up Ma Bell.
I live in the SBC/AT&T;service area and they are the cheapest, lowest quality deliverers of crap known to man.If they could , they would charge you $200/ month for string and a tin can…
The limitation is not Apple- it’s the shysters from San Antonio. These same people had no compunction concerning illegally handing out your private information to BushCo’s illegal wiretap program. They bought enough Congressional votes to get an immunity bill (probably illegal itself) for their crimes. They are also among the biggest opponents of Net Neutrality.
If you want to do business with these Corporatist monsters- suit yourself. As long as I have an option I will not.
Your Life– Delivered To The NSA
I do not own a Jesus Phone and will not as long as it is tied to these swindlers. It’s not Ma Bell- it’s Sothwestern Bell, later SBC Communications, now AT&T;after they bought the carcass of the old chopped up Ma Bell.
I live in the SBC/AT&T;service area and they are the cheapest, lowest quality deliverers of crap known to man.If they could , they would charge you $200/ month for string and a tin can…
The limitation is not Apple- it’s the shysters from San Antonio. These same people had no compunction concerning illegally handing out your private information to BushCo’s illegal wiretap program. They bought enough Congressional votes to get an immunity bill (probably illegal itself) for their crimes. They are also among the biggest opponents of Net Neutrality.
If you want to do business with these Corporatist monsters- suit yourself. As long as I have an option I will not.
Yes TheloniusMac, we don’t want anyone charging for anything do we now…?
Who the f*ck is going to pay the bills then?
nxcv bn,
“If I were Nullriver, I would distribute NetShare are shareware or freeware and tell Steve Jobs and AT&T;to suck it.”
Well you’re not, so you can’t, so you are basically irrelevant and the only thing being sucked is probably your thumb.
Now if someone developed an open source version of NetShare, posted it to SourceForge, etc., then it would be available to anyone with the free SDK. Spread that source code to websites around the world, and it would be next to impossible for any carrier to shut it down. Apple couldn’t/won’t modify the SDK for fear of breaking other apps.
AS open source, should anyone try to break it, a work-around would in all likelihood emerge.
@qka
Great point. …It is only a matter of time before the telephone companies find themselves in the same situation as the music companies. They have one choice … make the cost of service reasonable.
An open source version would still ONLY work with people that have hacked their iPhones. Something the majority of people will not do. But I’m still for it, because others will and it’s a big FU to the corporate world.
Hey Chisler, this forum is for us iPhone fanboys. If you do not have an iPhone and don’t want an iPhone that is just great. But why post here? Go somewhere else that might give a damn what you are not going to buy. Go to Ferrari or RollsRoyce or any other thing you are not buying.
@MobiWan – you are correct.
@drbyers – give your head a shake.
@ the whiners – IF you want to use a laptop at a point of access, then use one of the trillion free wifi spots around the planet.
wifi – have you heard of it Dude?
Apple had to partner with somebody to sell the bloody iPhone – if it had been Verizon, or T-Mobile, or Granny Jones little Telco – you would be whining just the same.
Apple have made a great product – so use AT&T;, or unlock it and use with whoever.
Just stop the whining – which is another way of saying – STOP thinking that some large company that exists to make a PROFIT is your special friend.
Whining shows the depth to which people sink when they forget to think.
@ clinicaltechmaster (cool name btw)
Sorry, the phone people OWN the damn LINES and the TOWERS that send the signal that tells you that Auntie Doreen has croaked and left you $50.
Its not the music biz – well not yet anyway.
But I do wish there was a way for everyman to communicate for free with his friends and family……
WAIT!
Speech – have you heard of it Dude?
I currently have an AT&T;8525 where I can tether my MBP over Bluetooth PAN. If I wanted, I could use WiFi too, but have no need to at this time. I was waiting for this app too, but since they pulled it I’m having second thoughts
Bring on the jailbrake version – now that the publicity aim has been achieved.
Don’t all iphones come with an “unlimited” data plan? To Hardmanb, extending the metaphor, iphone users do buy an unlimited mileage/gas plan from AT&T;for a set price every month. Why do they bother with how many people ride in the car?
It’s back UP! Just DL Now
The Big Ass Ball and Table repair man,
Now that’s a name. I love it. One of the best things about MDN has always been the clever names.
Yeah, I know, I blew it. But it sure beats ‘lkds39efjlerno’.
Aldarion,
Yep, you are right.
Arrgh, oh MDN, why couldn’t you have posted this while the app was still active.
Tethering is the only feature that I miss from my POS Treos. I wish that AT&T;would allow the iPhone to tether. I only used it periodically to download stuff from job sites that had no WiFi/internet connection. I would even pay a little extra ($10.00) per month if they would add this functionality. I’ve considered the $60.00 per month data option, but I just don’t need/use it often enough to justify that kind of expense. I think that AT&T;is missing out on some potential revenue with this one.
I just pulled it down in from the ‘Productivity’ listings.
Hey, wait, I just downloaded the App. It’s back up.
It’s BACK!!!
I got the app yesterday from the app store. Works like a champ. Real easy to set up and use. It drains your battery pretty fast unless you have the device plugged in.
I wonder if apple will pull it from my app library and give me a refund…I hope not
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Yes it’s back up, here’s the link:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=286541579&mt=8
You are paying for the wireless service, an app like this would mean you could use other devices on that service without paying for it. That’s why they pulled it.
CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY APPLICATIONS THAT TETHER THE DEVICE (THROUGH USE OF, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, CONNECTION KITS, OTHER PHONE/PDA-TO-COMPUTER ACCESSORIES, BLUETOOTH® OR ANY OTHER WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY) TO LAPTOPS, PCS, OR OTHER EQUIPMENT FOR ANY PURPOSE.