Windows XP Dial up networking bluetooth or tethering

[ptlee8202]

All the carriers are retarded. What is the point of selling an unlimited data plan with limits on it. That's complete false advertisement. They are in for one gigantic lawsuit. You can run up the same (actually more) usage by streaming youtube and music. Streaming is not tethering and it consumes more data than tethering (unless you are streaming video and music while tethered of course). There is no way they can tell whether you are tethering by bytes used per month alone.

[mexiken]

Originally Posted by tendomentis

I wonder how my VPN usage looks to AT&T when I use my phone to tether onto my corporate network. Do they just see one HUGE block of data? And, since it's all encrypted, they couldn't tell if it's my phone or my laptop?

They could, but as long as they don't see a pattern of you having HUGE chunks all the time (using your phone as a ISP), they tend to be understanding that you need the flexibilty the phone offers.

[mexiken]

Originally Posted by ninjaap

Exactly! AT&T owns the network, not tethering. Some of us already subscribe to an unlimited data plan just to access their network. Now they want to own how we access that same network. Doesn't make sense. It's like charging us bluetooth. I'm sure as some are aware, the handsfree law is taking effect in california in july. What if, because of the necessity, AT&T decided to charge us bluetooth connection between our headsets and phone? Would people be as accepting then.

And as far as the function being readily available, it is documented in the phone's PDF manual file found in the motorola website. All we need is the user name and password from AT&T. So in that sense, they are charging us twice to access the same newtwork.

I guess in the end I can argue and argue about how wrong it is. The fact remains, we are unfairly charged for a feature that we own. I'm all for capitalism, not exploitation. Just doesn't seem right. So I will screw them over every chance I get, because they always find ways to do the same.

You are suscribing to an unlimited data plan ON YOUR PHONE. NO WHERE does it say you can use it on your PC, and in your contract, it in fact DOES say that you CAN'T use it on your PC. I'm not talking about the moral issues, I'm talking about the facts, in print. You signed it, you agreed to it. Its NO ONE'S fault but your own that you didn't bother to read it, or agree with it, ethically or otherwise. You can't pick and choose what to follow, thats not how a contract works. You can either risk it, or change services. But they're all like that, so it might not do you that much good to.

Its not right, but thats how things are. They aren't DENYING you using the service, like Verizon does with its bluetooth OBEX capabilities. You just need to pay more for the extra capacity you're going to be using.

[mexiken]

Originally Posted by ptlee8202

All the carriers are retarded. What is the point of selling an unlimited data plan with limits on it. That's complete false advertisement. They are in for one gigantic lawsuit. You can run up the same (actually more) usage by streaming youtube and music. Streaming is not tethering and it consumes more data than tethering (unless you are streaming video and music while tethered of course). There is no way they can tell whether you are tethering by bytes used per month alone.

Unlimited data is for your phone, I don't get where people just assume that unlimited means unlimited, on any device....If you had unlimited voice calling, would you try to tether your home line to it, if you even could, and use that, with the same justification ????

[ptlee8202]

Originally Posted by mexiken

Unlimited data is for your phone, I don't get where people just assume that unlimited means unlimited, on any device....If you had unlimited voice calling, would you try to tether your home line to it, if you even could, and use that, with the same justification ????

Of course we would. Are you kidding yourself? And, once the carrier finds out that's happening they would come up with a contract to bind you not to do that or pay them extra.

What is retarded about it is that they sell you a phone that is capable of doing something and ask you to be on your own honor system not to do it - with no other justification other than it is of benefit to you.
Actually, is it not okay to stream music without paying extra either because I believe it is in the contract that they can terminate you for whatever reason they see fit. So really, it is an unlimited data plan unless they feel you are using too much or that you are not paying them enough.

It's like the joke about going to an 'all you can eat' place and trying to eat until they throw you out.

[mexiken]

Originally Posted by ptlee8202

Of course we would. Are you kidding yourself? And, once the carrier finds out that's happening they would come up with a contract to bind you not to do that or pay them extra.

What is retarded about it is that they sell you a phone that is capable of doing something and ask you to be on your own honor system not to do it - with no other justification other than it is of benefit to you.
Actually, is it not okay to stream music without paying extra either because I believe it is in the contract that they can terminate you for whatever reason they see fit. So really, it is an unlimited data plan unless they feel you are using too much or that you are not paying them enough.

It's like the joke about going to an 'all you can eat' place and trying to eat until they throw you out.

No, I liken people saying that they can use the unlimited internet for any device to the people who go to an all you can eat place, and either trying to take food home, or trying to share a plate with other people. You know what the parameters are before you start. You can argue all you want, but its not right, you wouldn't do that, and you wouldn't go and take food home, or try to funnel the all you can eat to someone else. Its just common sense. Or at least, I thought it was....

[ptlee8202]

Originally Posted by mexiken

No, I liken people saying that they can use the unlimited internet for any device to the people who go to an all you can eat place, and either trying to take food home, or trying to share a plate with other people. You know what the parameters are before you start. You can argue all you want, but its not right, you wouldn't do that, and you wouldn't go and take food home, or try to funnel the all you can eat to someone else. Its just common sense. Or at least, I thought it was....

'share a plate with other people' - I actually read a post about the pc6700 being turned into a wireless access point.

'Right or wrong' is only if you are tunnel visioned on the agreement. The agreement that only recently changed. I doubt many people have actually seen the changes. I only noticed only because I actually went to a store within the last year and had to sign it. They added some things to the contract but why then do they not change the names of the feature. It is deceptive to keep the product name of 'unlimited data' but put in the fine print of the contract that 'unlimited' has limits and conditions.

Your argument of 'all the carriers charge the same way' - with all the mergers there are only 3 major carriers now. How hard is it for them to agree to price fix. It has been a while since ATT was broken up and now it seems like it is merging back together again.

On the analogy, at least the restaurants have something tangible to lose. This is more like someone selling you a car with 6 gears but charging you extra money if you decide to use gears 5 and 6.

[bige1919]

Originally Posted by ptlee8202

'Right or wrong' is only if you are tunnel visioned on the agreement. The agreement that only recently changed. I doubt many people have actually seen the changes. I only noticed only because I actually went to a store within the last year and had to sign it. They added some things to the contract but why then do they not change the names of the feature. It is deceptive to keep the product name of 'unlimited data' but put in the fine print of the contract that 'unlimited' has limits and conditions.

I have to agree with ptlee, I don't feel bad at all about tethering my q to my laptop every once in awhile. First of all you have to agree that it is a little misleading to call it unlimited data and then say, oh its only unlimited data for your phone in the fine print that no one reads(yeah i know i should read it). Second of all if they really didn't want you to do this they should have come up with a way to not allow you to use it in the first place. Lastly i'm already paying just as much for unlimited data as for my actual phone plan, and the amount they charge for unlimited data is comparable to what a regular isp charges for home internet, so no, I definately don't feel bad using it with my laptop when I need to. And as its not hurting anybody, I don't see who is loosing out by doing this..? Now i will admit that it could be a problem if everyone was using it for all of their internet access, but in reality most people don't even know about this feature or wouldn't ever have a use for it.

[ptlee8202]

i don't see why you need to use this anyway. you can't go very far without finding a wifi router that is unsecured.
it's not illegal yet. is it?

[ptlee8202]

the funny part is that a bunch of you are on your neighbor's wifi right now and don't even know it.