[torifile]

Originally Posted by solinari6 I have a 3g that I bought last year when they first came out. So there's no way to go back to factory settings? I tried calling myself, and leaving myself a voicemail, and it definitely doesn't work. I'm not even sure how to call in to retreive my voicemail (it's been too long since I've done that!)

To "call" voicemail, press and hold 1 on the keypad.

[kieran]

My VM is messed up as well. I guess I'll have to go back to no tether.

I had a VM about a potential job, so it is important that I get my voicemails.

[Yontsey]

Originally Posted by Quagmire Go into cellular data in the Network preference and change the wap.cingular in voicemail to acds.voicemail under the APN. BUT, when I did this it made receiving calls unreliable. Sometimes my phone would tell me I am being called and sometimes it wouldn't. Although, others haven't had this problem like I did. But, if this did happen to you, plug into iTunes, Option-click Restore-> go to Library->iTunes-> iPhone carrier support-> and choose the one IPCC file that is in there. It will restore the original settings and you will lose tethering. To get back tethering, use the method on the first post of this page. It will create a profile and will enable tethering without messing up any of the other settings.

It's weird, after I did that change in cellular data in Network Prefs, the option doesn't seem to be there anymore. I seem to be getting my VM's and the tether option is there now though. Who knows.

[Quagmire]

Originally Posted by Yontsey It's weird, after I did that change in cellular data in Network Prefs, the option doesn't seem to be there anymore. I seem to be getting my VM's and the tether option is there now though. Who knows.

When I reinstalled the original IPCC file back on my iPhone, the option to tether was still there until I turned it on which then it disappeared.

[MBHockey]

Guys -- I went the IPCC route the first time and had issues with the disappearing tethering option and broken visual voicemail.

Try that site I posted on page 2 to install a mobileconfig profile -- much cleaner to get rid of (doesn't involve changing the carrier version) and hasn't disappeared on me!

Today, I made great use of this tethering thing. I was on my way home from campus after taking a practice MCAT when I realized I had forgotten to jot down the address of the testing site (for the MCAT...next week...boo) before leaving the library. I had my laptop and iPhone with me in the car. I pulled over and went to the AAMC site on my iPhone only to be greeted with the "Browser Unsupported" message -- it only supports IE and Firefox.

Fuck me, I murmured to myself. But then I remembered I had tethering! So I turned on bluetooth and then tethering on the iPhone and put it down. I woke up the MacBook, turned on Bluetooth, and then just hit Connect to Network from the Menu Bar. I was tethered instantly! I opened up Firefox and got into the AAMC site, got the address, and then put it into my iPhone to see how far I was -- turns out only 5 minutes away!

<3 tethering

[Quagmire]

Originally Posted by MBHockey Guys -- I went the IPCC route the first time and had issues with the disappearing tethering option and broken visual voicemail. Try that site I posted on page 2 to install a mobileconfig profile -- much cleaner to get rid of (doesn't involve changing the carrier version) and hasn't disappeared on me! Today, I made great use of this tethering thing. I was on my way home from campus after taking a practice MCAT when I realized I had forgotten to jot down the address of the testing site (for the MCAT...next week...boo) before leaving the library. I had my laptop and iPhone with me in the car. I pulled over and went to the AAMC site on my iPhone only to be greeted with the "Browser Unsupported" message -- it only supports IE and Firefox. Fuck me, I murmured to myself. But then I remembered I had tethering! So I turned on bluetooth and then tethering on the iPhone and put it down. I woke up the MacBook, turned on Bluetooth, and then just hit Connect to Network from the Menu Bar. I was tethered instantly! I opened up Firefox and got into the AAMC site, got the address, and then put it into my iPhone to see how far I was -- turns out only 5 minutes away! <3 tethering

Yeah, that was the method I used after the IPCC file mishap. I initially used the method, but it didn't work. Only after messing up my iPhone did I see he updated it and reinstalled the profile and worked.

[MBHockey]

Do you know what changes were made? Does he keep a changelog somewhere?

Ultimately, I'm curious if this is working with the normal Visual Voicemail gateway of 'wap.cingular' or if he changed it to 'acds.voicemail'

With the profile installed, i don't see a way to actually view or edit these settings as you could with the IPCC method.

[addison]

Originally Posted by Kraetos Tethering is coming. The problem is that AT&T charges extra for tethering. Ideally this hack will continue to work, allowing us to bypass forking over more money to those greedy cocks at AT&T.

Why do you consider charging for tethering greedy?

[torifile]

Originally Posted by AWM Why do you consider charging for tethering greedy?

Because we're paying for unlimited data. Just because that data ends up on a larger screen of a laptop doesn't mean we should pay more.

[Quagmire]

Originally Posted by torifile Because we're paying for unlimited data. Just because that data ends up on a larger screen of a laptop doesn't mean we should pay more.

Well from what I understand from reading other people, it takes more data to render websites on a computer vs the iPhone. I don't know if that is true or not, but from what I read. We do have a 5 GB cap so it isn't like it is unlimited.

[torifile]

Originally Posted by Quagmire Well from what I understand from reading other people, it takes more data to render websites on a computer vs the iPhone. I don't know if that is true or not, but from what I read. We do have a 5 GB cap so it isn't like it is unlimited.

More than unlimited? And that notwithstanding, the claim is false unless you're comparing mobile sites to full-fledged sites, and I bet they'd charge extra for the privilege *at all*.

[kieran]

I think the difference between loading sites on a phone and computer is rendered moot when you're talking about the iPhone.

it's loading the full site and same images, text, etc... as a regular browser is. The only difference with tethering is that instead of being displayed on the iPhone's screen, it's on the notebook.

[Banana]

Well, I can see them arguing that tethering drastically increases the load because it's easier to browse & have several tabs running with a download in background, and that has potential to tax their network.

Not saying that I would agree with them but that's what I imagine their rationale was.

Yes, even if we have unlimited plan, it does not mean the network has unlimited capability.

[torifile]

Originally Posted by Banana Well, I can see them arguing that tethering drastically increases the load because it's easier to browse & have several tabs running with a download in background, and that has potential to tax their network. Not saying that I would agree with them but that's what I imagine their rationale was. Yes, even if we have unlimited plan, it does not mean the network has unlimited capability.

So don't promise unlimited data then. It'd be like a Golden Corral saying they have an all you can eat buffet but cutting you off because you ate too much.

Their network's limitations is *their problem* not mine. I'm sure that there's something in the ToS that prevent this, so it's really a moot point. But the network load if everyone used their data plans fully don't matter to me one bit. AT&T needs to get its shit together anyway.

[Banana]

I agree with you RE: promising something that they obviously so do not have, but this is not unique to phone carriers.

Furthermore, I'd bet that the move to actually put cap may only end up badly because other companies would just lie through their teeth, "Ooh, they're capping your plan? Join up with me! I can promise you *true* unlimited usage!" while fudging the ToS to make it all your fault... because it's more convenient for them that way.

Sad state of affairs, to be sure.

[solinari6]

Originally Posted by Quagmire I think I know what you did wrong. You went into the library where it said Macintosh HD. Here is what the steps should look like: Then you choose that IPCC file.

thanks, that fixed it!

[kieran]

Yeah, I need to fix my Visual Voicemail. Now it just starts calling my VM when I hit the button for VM.

I'll have to do that tonight when I get back to my Mac.

[MBHockey]

kieran, what did you use to enable tethering? An IPCC or the help.benm.at site?

[torifile]

Originally Posted by MBHockey kieran, what did you use to enable tethering? An IPCC or the help.benm.at site?

I initially used the IPCC file and that broke my voicemail. I restored last night and used the benm site hack and voicemail and tethering both work fine.

[kieran]

I used the ipcc to do it. Now my VM is f'ed up.

I'm going to restore the original ipcc and then go and do it through the website.

Glad to see it worked for you tori.

[addison]

Originally Posted by torifile Because we're paying for unlimited data. Just because that data ends up on a larger screen of a laptop doesn't mean we should pay more.

You are paying for unlimited data from the handset. Not for using the phone as a modem to act like a home internet connection.

[Yontsey]

Originally Posted by AWM You are paying for unlimited data from the handset. Not for using the phone as a modem to act like a home internet connection.

I thought people liked saving money, not spending more.

[torifile]

Originally Posted by AWM You are paying for unlimited data from the handset. Not for using the phone as a modem to act like a home internet connection.

Would you say that it's "wrong" to use the iPhone as an internet radio if you pipe the audio through your car speakers?

[chucker]

Originally Posted by AWM You are paying for unlimited data from the handset. Not for using the phone as a modem to act like a home internet connection.

That's what the contract says. Here's what the technological reality says: you're paying for an unlimited cellular data connection. It is highly questionable to limit how the connection is used, and precedent in that would suddenly allow all other lovely net non-neutrality things like the carrier giving you higher bandwidth for their own sites and their partners' sites compared to third-party sites. Does it make a difference in expenses on their end whether you use the connection on your cellphone or your laptop? No.

We all know the real reason they care: they offer you unlimited data, but they don't actually want you to use it that way, and having a full-blown computer hooked up instead of a rather limited cellphone naturally increases the chances that you'll use the connection a lot.

[MBHockey]

Originally Posted by chucker It is highly questionable to limit how the connection is used, and precedent in that would suddenly allow all other lovely net non-neutrality things like the carrier giving you higher bandwidth for their own sites and their partners' sites compared to third-party sites.

Wonderfully said, Chucker.

[addison]

Originally Posted by chucker ...We all know the real reason they care: they offer you unlimited data, but they don't actually want you to use it that way, and having a full-blown computer hooked up instead of a rather limited cellphone naturally increases the chances that you'll use the connection a lot.

I agree with that completely. AT&T is very worried about the fragility of their network. The last thing they want are lots of iPhone users using their phones as modems. That being said the contract/TOS is all that matters, not the technological reality. You agree to an unlimited data plan that is capped at 5GB. And tethering will cost you extra because they need to protect their network as well as increase the ARPU.

[torifile]

Originally Posted by AWM You agree to an unlimited data plan that is capped at 5GB.

Huh?

[psmith2.0]

That's the part I didn't understand. Either it's unlimited, or it's capped. Can't be both, by their very definitions.



Although I assume that's just typical business double-speak...I guess they believe 5GB, for typical phone use, is well beyond most normal use, and, therefore, seems like "unlimited" (but then there's always someone who'll be surfing, downloading, e-mailing attachments, etc. on their iPhone 20 hours a day, six days a week...so that 5GB threshold is reached by "special cases"?

I don't know.

I guess if you crawl through all the fine print, it's revealed that there is a 5GB cap (after which you'll incur additional fees). But I assume the average monthly data usage is less than half that?

BTW, I've currently used 23.23MB of my "unlimited" iPhone data plan. And that's with me surfing and e-mailing quite a bit. I'm not sure how far along in the cycle that is (July 17 is the next start, so I assume June 17, about eight days ago).

So even if we rounded up and multiplied x4 (to approximate a month of usage), I'm hitting the 100MB mark. Surely I've gone well past that (when I'm in a Wi-Fi area, I tend to go nuts with sites I normally don't fool with using EDGE). So say 200-300MB on a heavy month.

That's still a super far away from 5GB. Hell, that's not anywhere close to 1GB. So, for any normal, reasonable use, I guess 5GB may as well be "unlimited" (but if they didn't have that hidden 5GB ceiling, some might choose to really abuse it?).

I don't know. That's all I can think of.

I think it should be, for those who choose, data up to 5GB on your already-paid $30. That can be your iPhone or tethering. Data is data. Those who constantly connect their MacBooks to their iPhone (how often is that going to be done by most, if you've got free WiFi at work, home, your hotel, your favorite coffee shop or park, etc.?), will need to be mindful and monitor their usage if they're regularly surfing with their notebooks via their iPhone's 3G and downloading huge updates and media files (again, is that a daily, ongoing practice for people if they've got access to WiFi?).

I doubt it.

But yeah...some dipshit will undoubtedly set up a "mobile warez server" or gaming hub, and blow past that 5GB in a couple of days (or hours), so AT&T probably seeks to not have their network abused in such a way. Fair enough, I say.

But I do think that $30 you're already paying should factor in. It's only if you blow past that 5GB that you get hit with charges.

But that's just probably my simplistic, naive way of seeing it all. Makes too much sense, etc. because I'm not thinking like a business man ("nail those iBastards for any additional fees and rates you can! More, more! We're going to charge an iPhone turn-on fee, starting next September. And then a download fee for downloads of downloads that you're thinking of downloading!".

Yeah, that's where I'm not seeing it from AT&T's perspective...

[addison]

Originally Posted by torifile Huh?

I know! It sounds funny but an unlimited data plan will usually have a 5GB cap. I'm pretty sure all US carriers have them now. It's a way for companies to weed out the bandwidth hogs, usually those who are illegally tethering.

[tomoe]

In the real world, unlimited and capped are mutually exclusive.