Like AT&T, Verizon cracks down on jailbreak tethering

54 Comments

“Verizon is now blocking customers from tethering for free on their data plan,” Kelly Hodgkins reports for TUAW.

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Like AT&T, Verizon “is forwarding these free tethering customers to a Verizon webpage that lets them add the tethering option to their plan in just a few clicks,” Hodgkins reports. “This move comes hot on the heels of Verizon’s controversial decision to end its unlimited data plan last month.”

Read more in the full article here.
 

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Lynn Weiler” for the heads up.]

Related article:
Jailbreakers: AT&T begins cracking down on unauthorized iPhone, iPad tethering – August 4, 2011

54 Comments

    1. Given the limited number of players in the wireless market, this reeks of the same type of “officially non-colluding” price manipulation that occurs in the airline industry.

      This is an area in which we need competition. I would love for Apple to jump in and restructure the wireless business!

      Reply

        5. Agreed these idiots don’t get it we are paying for ” UNLIMITED DATA ” hense the word unlimited as in all I can gorge on do you see all you can eat places see a sign only all you can put on plate no !! Same difference these tubes will have there day when they to will be BELEAGUERED

        6. What part of paid for the bandwidth don’t you understand?

          The tethering fee is pure robbery. It’s like if Exxon-Mobil declared that if you use their gasoline, then you aren’t allowed to drive your car to restaurants unless you pay them a recurring monthly fee of $40.

          Anyone siding with the carriers about this is either ignorant or on the take.

        7. Actually, you paid for something that you didn’t read the details (also known as the fine print) on.

          Unfortunately, companies are allowed to market things one way, as long as they have additional information that explains the details. They understand that people such as yourself will not read them.

          Not sure who the idiot is, but you are getting what you paid for – restricted bandwidth marketed as “unlimited” with fine print attached.

  3. To those that think they can hide the tethering…. You can’t.
    Apple knows if you are jailbroken, some apps on the app store deliberately shut down if you are jailbroken, and you think the carrier can’t tell?
    Same for tethering, odds are if you use it sparingly they won’t bother with you. But the high data thering users… You are breakin the contract you signed with the carrier. They have every right to do what they are doing by cracking down on you.

    Just like t mobile said a while back, they know how many iPhone users they have.. Even though they are not a carrier in the USA.

    I dont jailbreak anymore, iOS 4 and now iOS 5 added all the stuff I ever wanted on my iPhone. I don’t blame AT&T nor Verizon for the crackdown.

    Reply

      1. It’s true.. Deny it all you want. research a little before you show how stupid you are next time.

        Check the contract that YOU agreed too.
        AT&T/Verizon could just drop you for breaking the contract, But they are at least being “nice” and giving you options..

        Also read the fine print when you pay the $20 or more for the apps to enable tethering on your iPhone, ever wonder why they say they accept NO responsibility for getting dropped by your carrier, no matter what precautions you take?

        Reply

        1. do the carriers give you a gold star and a pat on the head when you give us this PSA?

          OR do you just like being a good little boy all by yourself?

          OF course we all know this shit.. lol. but i bet you still feel self important by pontificating the rules to the masses.

        2. Ok calm down you two! One of you is right(but wrong) but so is the other…talk it out-now!!!

          From: Your Father
          Ps. Don’t forget to take out the liner in the trash can, it’s full.

    2. Actually dumb, dumb, you can hide the tethering. AT&T cannot tell the difference between streaming music on your phone or on your computer. Yes, I’ve seen your other posts, you think big brother watches your MAC address, by the way that MyWi works is through NAT so the carrier only sees the phone’s MAC address.

      The carrier determines tethering through volume and behavioral issues. If someone is regularly pushing 3 GB or more of data each month, file sharing, accessing Netflix, or FTP it is highly likely that they are tethering. Many people will tether and only accessing web and email. The carrier will never know.

      Reply

      1. the high use just tips them off, and they just see how the data is used. FTP on an iPhone…. yeah thats not normal.

        I said that small tether use, web/email like you said, will probably never be an issue, but they can see it..

        and to show you are wrong.
        http://www.pcworld.com/article/228078/how_does_atandt_detect_jailbreak_tethering.html

        old news, but I NEVER said they check MAC address.

        From the link about PdaNet tether masking

        “Instead, it seems as if AT&T is identifying the type of packets that are hitting their network, and if they detect them as coming from anything but an iPhone, red flags are raised, and text messages warning the perpetrator are automatically dispatched.”

        Reply

        1. FTP?

          Dude. You exemplify tech ignorance. Do you even know what FTP is?

          Did you mean VPN? Because a VPN is absolutely valid and wholly encrypts your traffic so they can’t capture anything but gibberish.

          Want to learn something or waddle around the Internet with your crash helmet and ATT contract?

        2. AT&T see’s the data (not talking through a VPN) analyzes the packets (as stated above PCWorld, not me…) and see’s FTP traffic.

          Or as some that were caught were doing, using the Tether to complete Torrents, Wow Updates etc.
          NONE of which the iPhone does natively. (at least there was an FTP app on the app store though)

        3. There is nothing – not one mention of FTP in the article.

          many apps in the app store allow you to FTP.

          And that’s why you should VPN your traffic. Who the fuck does ATT think they are that they can snoop your traffic without a warrant?

          And before you say it’s their right- think about that. That is not constitutional by any means. So don’t even…

          At any rate, It’s because they see a different APN.. and that’s easy to hide with a VPN- and apparently pdanet will allow you to spoof it.. no doubt miwi will follow in an update (or get dropped by 100% of their customer base).

          I have no sympathy for ATT in this fight. Their service has sucked ass from day one- I even had to buy a POS macrocell that works when it wants- and their support is a joke- reboot it. in this day and age that’s unacceptable. All I can say is the day apple gets sick of carriers and deploys their own infrastructure it’s game over for this bullshit.

        4. @shinolashow
          actually brainchild, scroll up. Note I used FTP after SUCKER brought it up?….

          yeah, you lose your focus quick.

          I’d drop AT&T in a heartbeat if Apple made their own service.. But That would take years to get running. Unless they bought someone…
          I’d like them to make one, I just don’t see them doing so anytime soon.

          But.. AT&T here, is 10 times better than Verizon… You live in an area where AT&T may not be as good.

          your “at any rate” part is only 3 months old…
          PdaNet and MiWi did that change when AT&T tipped their hat about the way they figured them out, 3 months ago…

      1. Wow Authenticator. (warning, but then proceeds)
        eBay app (tells you the notifications will not work on jailbroken iPhone)
        iBooks (just didn’t let you read any purchased books)
        http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/02/ibooks-to-jailbreakers-no-yuo.ars
        Skype used to stop working.

        http://www.iphonehacks.com/2010/12/apple-disables-jailbreak-detection-api-in-ios-4-2-1.html

        Looks like Apple disabled the API, which backs up my claim that Apps COULD… But read further.

        “MDM vendors such as Good Technology, MobileIron and Sybase claim that they can still detect if the iDevice is jailbroken without the Jailbreak Detection API.”

        “MDM vendors such as Good Technology, MobileIron and Sybase all claim to be able to detect jailbroken iOS devices without the disabled Apple API. Typically, their on-device apps, in conjunction with the server, run a series of checks or try to do things that are forbidden by Apple, such as accessing certain underlying OS primitives. If the app can take these actions, it reports back that the device is jailbroken, and then can block or restrict access to the corporate network. ”

        From the Article iPhone hacks pulls from.

        and more.
        http://www.sinfuliphone.com/showthread.php?t=64624

        simple search gives results. try it sometime.
        granted this is from February, some could have been “fixed” or had a work around. (looks like the 4.2.1 API removal may “fix” the apps mentioned.

        but still, they DID at least at some point.

        Reply

    4. FTB, Don’t assume all tethering Apps required jailbroken iPhones. (That being said, I agree one can’t hide tethering from the carrier.)

      I purchased the Nullriver NetShare tethering app from the App Store during the 15 minutes it was available before AT&T asked Apple to pull it. I used it occasionally for years, and even after I switched to Verizon.
      Anyway, I don’t mind paying Verizon for tethering, especially if I can pay a pro-rated amount for a few days per month.

      Reply

      1. and Apps like that, i NEVER find out about until it’s too late.

        Like the App to stream your iTunes library TO your iOS device.
        (and not like Stream to me etc that require a 3rd party App on your Mac)

        Apple pulled it, I only heard about it due to it being pulled..

        ahh AirView!
        http://thetechjournal.com/electronics/iphone/turn-your-ios-device-into-airplay-reciever-with-airview.xhtml

        It was pulled not long after it was put up there. you could (can still) stream from one iOS device to another… Or DIRECTLY from iTunes to the iOS device. which you can’t do now.

        Reply

  5. A virtual private network- it tunnels all of your internet communication into an encrypted pipe so the carriers can’t see the content or APNs of your traffic. It just looks like gibberish… so outside of heavy traffic- they have no proof you are tethering.

    I mean- unless you are one of their fabled bandwidth unicorn rocking downloads in the TBs watching netflix while you download porn and HD movies 24/7. Then you should probably just scale back a bit 😉

    Reply

      1. It’s a bit hefty to explain here… how much do you know about data networks on a scale of 1 – 10? 1 being know-nothing FTB and 10 being … well if it was 10 you wouldn’t be asking, eh?

        Reply

      2. If you only want to use a VPN then you don’t have to create your own or anything like that, you can just sign up with a VPN service provider.

        They do tend to cost money, though, usually somewhere in the neighboorhood of $5-$10 a month.

        Reply

  6. FTB: “AT&T/Verizon could just drop you for breaking the contract, But they are at least being “nice” and giving you options.”

    AT&T has never been “nice” to anybody. Ever heard of an “overreaching” contract? It’s one that you have no choice but to sign. It’s where the vendor has all the power and can write all the restrictive small print it wants to because there are no alternatives if you want the product. The courts have routinely ruled that such contracts can’t be enforced.

    Why don’t they allow tethering? Only because they want to charge for it. People are sick of arbitrary and exorbitant fees to un-cripple their devices or access services that cost the provider next to nothing (e.g. SMS texting). I hope Apple buys or creates its own carrier service soon. It will put these shysters out of business overnight.

    Reply

    1. Wow… with a name like Zeke, I surely didn’t peg you for part of Generation E too… I guess you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.

      Would you mind though giving a few references for your “court rulings” that you’re referring to… and be sure to explain how these apply to the iPhone which has a multitude of competitive choices.

      In the meantime, brush up on your definition of what “choice” is… and stop acting like a whining baby when you don’t get exactly what you want. I know for sure you can get tethering on an Android phone… maybe you’d be better off going in that direction.

      Reply

      1. generation E?

        Way to raise the stupid flag.

        You must be generation doesn’t understand technology or when he’s getting ripped off and constantly bends over and asks for seconds.

        have fun with that.

        Reply

      2. See my post below and become informed instead of ignorant. You’ll find your rulings there. Your seat-of-the-pants amateur legal contractual analysis doesn’t fly and neither does your attitude that everyone should just accept being screwed. Maybe you enjoy the process. I don’t.

        Reply

    2. Easiest answer to all that…..

      AT&T does NOT force you to sign the contract… Neither does Verizon. Nor T-Mobile… or Sprint…

      YOU choose to sign it. you have options, and none of them holds a gun to your head and forces you to sign them. if YOU must have that phone… it’s you forcing yourself to sign it.

      And like below, why don’t you toss out some of those “Court Rulings” to back up the claims.

      I don’t care if AT&T/Verizon etc have a leaked e-mail from their boards, stating in an email that the carriers pay $.01/GB of data usage and they are blatantly gouging their customers by charging $10.00/GB and joking about how much profit they make of all of us idiots….

      You signed the contract.

      you want to complain about how much all the carriers charge for SMS? don’t use it then… there are alternatives.
      there are discounts also.
      My unlimited data plan ($30) I pay $20 for… Walk into AT&T and ask to see the huge book they have with the discounts for being an employee/member of a company/group.
      You can shave off the cost of your bill by taking a few easy steps… Granted, you DO need to show proof..

      I bought a $70 Bluetooth headset (stereo not the mono earpiece) for $35 from my discount. I get 50% of ANY accessory, as long as it isn’t an Apple Accessory.

      Reply

      1. I don’t need court rulings (although I’ll provide an example case), it’s in the basic law called the “Uniform Commercial Code” and the “Restatement (Second) of Contracts” upon which all contract law in the US is based. You see, it pays to have gone to law school, Jackwagon.

        Standard form contracts are generally enforceable in the United States. The Uniform Commercial Code which is followed in most American states has specific provisions relating to standard form contracts for the sale or lease of goods. Furthermore, standard form contracts will be subject to special scrutiny if they are found to be contracts of adhesion.

        The concept of the contract of adhesion originated in French civil law, but did not enter American jurisprudence until the Harvard Law Review published an influential article by Edwin W. Patterson in 1919. It was subsequently adopted by the majority of American courts, especially after the Supreme Court of California endorsed adhesion analysis in 1962. See Steven v. Fidelity & Casualty Co., 58 Cal. 2d 862, 882 n.10 (1962) (explaining history of concept).

        For a contract to be treated as a contract of adhesion, it must be presented on a standard form on a “take it or leave it” basis, and give one party no ability to negotiate because of their unequal bargaining position. The special scrutiny given to contracts of adhesion can be performed in a number of ways:

        If the term was outside of the reasonable expectations of the person who did not write the contract, and if the parties were contracting on an unequal basis, then it will not be enforceable. The reasonable expectation is assessed objectively, looking at the prominence of the term, the purpose of the term and the circumstances surrounding acceptance of the contract.

        Section 211 of the American Law Institute’s Restatement (Second) of Contracts, which has persuasive though non-binding force in courts, provides:

        Where the other party has reason to believe that the party manifesting such assent would not do so if he knew that the writing contained a particular term, the term is not part of the agreement.

        This is a subjective test focusing on the mind of the seller and has been adopted by only a few state courts.

        The doctrine of unconscionability is a fact-specific doctrine arising from equitable principles. Unconscionability in standard form contracts usually arises where there is an “absence of meaningful choice on the part of one party due to one-sided contract provisions, together with terms which are so oppressive that no reasonable person would make them and no fair and honest person would accept them.” (Fanning v. Fritz’s Pontiac-Cadillac-Buick Inc.)

        Any other questions?

        Reply

        2. Read the plain english:

          “For a contract to be treated as a contract of adhesion, it must be presented on a standard form on a “take it or leave it” basis, and give one party no ability to negotiate because of their unequal bargaining position. The special scrutiny given to contracts of adhesion can be performed in a number of ways:

          If the term was outside of the reasonable expectations of the person who did not write the contract, and if the parties were contracting on an unequal basis, then it will not be enforceable. The reasonable expectation is assessed objectively, looking at the prominence of the term, the purpose of the term and the circumstances surrounding acceptance of the contract.

          Section 211 of the American Law Institute’s Restatement (Second) of Contracts, which has persuasive though non-binding force in courts, provides:

          Where the other party has reason to believe that the party manifesting such assent would not do so if he knew that the writing contained a particular term, the term is not part of the agreement.”

          AT&T knows that most people don’t read the fine print because customers don’t have the option to negotiate terms. It’s arguable that most people don’t expect their “unlimited” plan to be limited by excluding tethering, or in other ways. All of the above elements are present. It’s likely that if it were litigated most courts would find this to be an adhesion contract.

  7. Look, digits are digits. As your voice, text, email, video, music etc travels down the carriers lines it could care less what it is. The bandwidth used is the same no matter what.
    You as a customer will get charged for a voice plan, a text plan and a data plan. These plans all add up to a scandalous rip off!
    They should charge you for your bandwidth and you should be able to choose how you use it!
    This constant money grab by the carriers is an outrage and their thieving methods should be outlawed. But with some of the people out there they are obviously happy as Larry to get bent over on a monthly basis.
    Pass the lube.

    Reply

  9. Some people have a very hard time understanding what “unlimited usage” means. Specifically, what is the difference between “unlimited usage” and “unlimited bandwidth”.

    Carriers invest in their data network infrastructure based on expected return on investment. They project that ROI based on the data usage trends. With old feature phones (“dumb”-phones), this usage was extremely low. Then came Blackberrier, which kicked it up a notch. Then came the iPhone, and everything changed. Today, carriers project data usage based on the usage patterns of iPhone and Android users, and invest in expansion of their network based on that anticipated usage.

    There is a significant difference between the way data is used on an iPhone and on a MacBook. Vast majority of iPhone (or any other smartphone) users use it for e-mail, web surfing, Google Maps, Facebook, occasional YouTube video (twin babies talking, etc). Most of these generate short bursts of relatively small amounts of data. Even YouTube on an iPhone doesn’t exceed 700kbps, as it uses low-quality stream. When you stream YouTube on your MacBook, you’re getting a 2Mbps (or higher) HD stream. In other words, with your iPhone, your throughput is fairly low; on the teathered MacBook, you’ll likely be saturating that pipe with your traffic.

    Nearly EVERY mobile carrier in the world has very similar limitations on the use of their data network. Those limits are there precisely so that every customer gets an optimum experience.

    Much like the bridge toll for a truck is higher than for a car, tethering costs more money, as it clogs the pipes much more than just the phone. I can completely understand why majority of carriers around the world have an add-on tethering charge.

    What I don’t understand is, why are MMS messages NOT included in the data plan? Unlike text, MMS does go via data portion of the wireless network, so it uses up our data allocation, yet we must pay extra for each message we send/receive (or pay for an add-on monthly MMS plan).

    Reply

    1. Sell me my 1 gig, 3 gig, 5 gig or 50 gig and let me decide how I want to use it. Stop the stupid, greedy little games that carriers play where they try to pretend that each plan has something intrinsically different about each other.
      When you pay for 1500 minutes on a voice plan and only use 300 minutes but then get charged for for overages on your text or data plan you are clearly being screwed by your carrier.
      How can this be so difficult to understand?

      Reply

  10. And cue the butthurt.

    I don’t get why people don’t understand that “unlimited” always has an implied “within reason” attached. I suppose that you could spend an entire day at an “all you can eat” restaurant, eating all three meals there, but only an asshole would. I suppose I could take all the free samples at the grocery store for myself, but I wouldn’t want to be a jerk. But behind a wall of anonymity, bandwidth hogs have no problem abusing their “unlimited” plans to download insane amounts of (mostly pirated) stuff, oblivious to how this affects everyone else.

    In other words, it’s always a small number of assholes who ruin a good thing for everyone else.

    ——RM

    Reply

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