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All posts tagged "tethering"


Wednesday, March 30, 2011

So How Does That Personal Hotspot Feature Work?

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 07:30 AM

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/29/ipho...ut-to-the-test/

"It's a good thing that I decided to sign up for AT&T's implementation of the iOS 4.3 Personal Hotspot feature while I was standing in line for my iPad 2 a couple of weeks ago."

It cost him $45.00 USD extra per month but he is pretty happy with it, and from what he has written the process is pretty easy. How about you, have you signed up for the Personal Hotspot option, and if so, what are your thoughts on it? I'm still hesitant about letting go of my unlimited data plan, but as I monitor my usage I'm finding that I don't even approach the 2GB limit on the plan that is required for the Personal Hotspot option.


Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Create a Hotspot With Your iPad

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 06:00 AM

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/ne...n-to-ipad-plan/

"AT&T has announced that it will allow iPads to utilize the Personal Hotspot feature of iOS 4.3."

This is interesting news, as I was just talking to coworker about it and wondering if it would also be offered with the iPad. So if you choose the $25.00 USD 2GB plan and add the $20.00 USD tethering option, you can get the extra 2GB of data added and use your iPad as a hotspot. The only reason I would use the hotspot feature on my iPhone would be to use with my laptop and iPad, but I was very hesitant to give up my unlimited data plan that I kept with the iPhone 4. Now I'm thinking that I may just get a 3G version so I still have that hotspot option without losing my unlimited plan. And to top it off you get the first month free.


Thursday, January 13, 2011

So What is a Hotspot?

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 12:00 PM

http://www.macworld.com/article/157...logs_ioscentral

"The appearance of an iPhone on Verizon this week was big news, but dig past it and you quickly found that...well, there wasn't that much else to find. We still don't know, for example, what data plans Verizon will offer for the iPhone, or how much they'll cost."

If you are confused as to your need for a hotspot, or don't even know what one is, this will educate you. Brief rundown of the hotspot issue with the new iOS and how Verizon and AT&T currently handle the capability of creating hotspots (or tethering in the case of AT&T) as well as the current costs.


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Apple Falls for a Little Trickeration in the App Store

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 01:00 PM

http://gizmodo.com/5592521/how-a-gu...t=Google+Reader

"Oh, Nick Lee, you clever boy you. See, Nick here tricked Apple with a very simple iPhone application: Handy Light. On the surface it looked just like any other $0.99 flashlight application. But, secretly, it was a lot more useful."

A lot more useful indeed! What it did was allow you to tether your iPhone with some masterfully hidden code so you could use your iPhone as a 3G modem. But alas, word got out and it was pulled. The good thing is if you still have it you can still use it. I wish I would have known about this one sooner. Did any of you get this handy app, fittingly called Handy Light, before it was pulled?


Monday, July 12, 2010

Speed Test Comparing the 3g iPad to a Tethered Wi-Fi iPad

Posted by Joe Johaneman in "Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad" @ 07:30 AM

http://www.tipb.com/2010/07/11/ipad...mobile-hotspot/

"One of the questions we get all the time is whether or not it’s better to get an iPad with built-in 3G (which costs $130 more for the device, $15 or $30 for the service), or to get an iPad Wi-Fi and tether is via Mi-Fi or to a Google Android or Palm webOS device running Mobile HotSpot software (which costs 0 to $30 for the option)."

These tests were done on Rogers and Bell in Canada, but it's an interesting comparison nonetheless. I can say from personal experience that I've tethered my Wi-Fi iPad to my Nexus One running Froyo while a passenger in a car in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre PA area, and had perfectly usable speeds. I've seen a 3g iPad demonstrated at the Allentown Apple Store, and it didn't seem any different from my tethering experience. So if you already have a 3g phone or a Mi-Fi you can tether to, you can probably save a few dollars and go with the WiFi iPad instead of the 3g. It would be interesting to see data on this from various countries. Has anybody else tried this?


Thursday, June 3, 2010

No iPad Tethering? AT&T says Talk to Apple

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad" @ 07:53 PM

http://gizmodo.com/5554905/you-wont...ad-to-an-iphone

"What's going on, AT&T? You give us tethering options on our iPhones, but make us give up unlimited data plans in return. Now you're saying we can't tether our iPads to our iPhones even if we jump through that hoop?"

This makes no sense to me. I'm hoping that it is going to be fixed in the fall with the new OS since according to AT&T it isn't their fault, it is Apple's fault. If that is the case, I can't see why Apple would care if you tether your iPhone to your iPad. I'm thinking that as more news comes out about the plans for pricing and what restrictions there may be, that I may not be a happy camper. Oh, and Steve Jobs apparently doesn't like tethering to the iPad according to this story at Apple Insider. What are your thoughts?


Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Tethering in iPhone OS 4.0 Beta

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 08:00 AM

http://gizmodo.com/5542146/newest-i.../full+(Gizmodo)

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Those sounds you heard moments ago are the horrified screams of your nearest AT&T towers. Why? Because iPhone OS 4.0 Beta 4 brings us a new option in the settings menu: Tethering."

Well, from the screen shot above it certainly looks like they may offer tethering with the next iPhone OS. The only obstacle will be AT&T. At least it is supported now, or will be once iPhone OS 4 is released. Any thoughts as to if AT&T will actually allow it and when it will happen?


Friday, March 26, 2010

Rogers in Canada Offering Tethering for iPhone Users

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple iPhone & iPod Touch" @ 10:00 AM

http://www.macdailynews.com/index.p..._free_data_tet/

""Rogers today revealed that its free data tethering promo is becoming a permanent fixture of its plans," Electronista reports."

Anyone with a Canadian 1GB or larger data plan has the option of using the iPhone or other smartphone as a 3G connector without having to pay a separate fee. The data is taken out of the monthly transfer allowance. There are some limits, however, such as not being able to use it with US data roaming plans or the shared plans for family and 3G modems. This puts Rogers in line with Bell and Telus. Wonder if this will put a fire under AT&T to do the same since it has been over a year since they promised "coming soon" hasn't it? Somehow I doubt it, what are your thoughts?


Wednesday, March 10, 2010

iPad Tethering Allowed? Ask Steve

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple iPhone & iPod Touch" @ 09:00 AM

http://www.9to5mac.com/jobs-swedish...e+Intelligence)

"Not content with answering tech questions from Americans, Steve Jobs this week answered a question from all the way over in Sweden."

So Jezper asks via email if he will be able to tether his iPhone and his iPad, to which Steve replies via email from his iphone... No. 


Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Telstra Enables Tethering in Australia

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple iPhone & iPod Touch" @ 12:00 PM

http://www.macworld.com/article/144...l_mwnws_h_crawl

"You remember this classic Men At Work song, right? 'I come from a land down under, where iPhone tethering is finally available.'"

Wow, he reached back for that song, all the way to 1981! Getting back to current events, according to APC, Telstra has enabled iPhone tethering in Australia. What say you AT&T? Insert cricket noises here. 


Friday, October 16, 2009

Well, Maybe Sometime in 2010

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch)" @ 10:00 AM

http://www.9to5mac.com/iphone-att-tether

"AT&T's iPhone tethering is something near and dear to my heart. In fact, I may or may not be writing this tethered to my iPhone on a train to New York City right now. We know tethering works on AT&T's network because frankly, we've been doing it using only Apple's software since the iPhone 3.0 betas have been out (and before using PDAnet). To keep tethering possible, all we've had to do is not update to 3.1 - which isn't that easy"

I wasn't really shocked or surprised by this, in fact I really didn't have much of a reaction. Tethering for me isn't a make or break deal, I can take it or leave it. Granted, it would be nice to have that option in case I needed it, but in my situation its not something I just have to have. What are your thoughts?


Friday, October 9, 2009

Tethering? No Way Says AT&T

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple iPhone & iPod Touch" @ 08:00 AM

http://www.iphonealley.com/current/...hone-tethering?

"With AT&T reversing their stance of not allowing VoIP applications to be used on their data network, many had begun hoping that they may also change their minds about not supporting tethering in the United States."

Keep hoping because AT&T says they can't support tethering. Rather, their network can't support it. According to AT&T, "Whenever we offer new features, we want to offer the best possible customer experience. For tethering, we need to do some additional fine tuning to our systems and networks so that we do deliver a great experience."

No word on when this will happen, but a previous spokesman mentioned sometime this year. I personally doubt that, what are your thoughts?


Tuesday, June 23, 2009

O2 Clamping Down on Tethering

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch)" @ 12:00 PM

http://www.macworld.com/article/141..._tethering.html

"O2, the iPhone service provider in the UK, claims it will disconnect anyone using the new tethering feature in the iPhone 3.0 update without signing up for its bolt-on data package."

Users in the UK, and also in the US, have reported being able to use this feature already (The Apple Blog has a step by step article). But now O2 is going to put a crimp in the UK style by adding what they are calling a "Bolt-On" to the iPhone 3GS, which will cost will cost "up to £29.36 a month." O2 has threatened to disconnect anyone found not using the "Bolt-On" from the service.

I guess it is like anything, go outside the contract and you take your usability into your own hands.


Thursday, April 2, 2009

No More Android Tethering

Posted by Vincent Ferrari in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch)" @ 01:00 PM

http://theappleblog.com/2009/03/31/...open-isnt-open/

"The hoopla around Google’s Android mobile OS, and the resulting apps in the Android Market, is pretty strong. It’s laid on thick and fast. You know the drill; it’s “open” so it’ll be free from all the constraints imposed by The Man, etc. Oops, maybe not. I’m not sure why people believed the steaming pile of hyperbole coming out of the “open” pundits, but it was just a matter of time before reality stepped in. Google has pulled tethering apps from the market."

The word "open" is so overused these days. Anyone with half a brain knew this was coming, and despite all the ripping on Apple and AT&T for their "closed" ecosystem, T-Mobile and Google seem to be in the same mindset. Of course the outrageometer is significantly lower for Android, but still.

We know that iPhone OS 3.0 will allow tethering; it'll be interesting to see if AT&T locks this down to a paid feature or if they let you just use it for free. T-Mobile may be exploring similar options with the Android OS and that's why they locked down the tethering apps. Tom Reestman's closing paragraph really nails it, though:

Meanwhile, the “open” community will probably condemn Google’s action, then deny it, then rationalize it, and then defend it. Finally, they’ll get right back to touting how “open” is the panacea; the cure for all that ails us, and everything Apple’s App Store is not. As before, they’ll be wrong, but I’m sure some will still believe it.

Amen!


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