The "Legality" of Tethering with PDA Connect

[alvinsmith]

I have the unlimited PDA Connect plan that I use with my 8525. I have read and understand that using my phone and tethering to my laptop to use the internet over this plan violates the terms of my contract with Cingular. Obviously, they want you to use that $60+ plan to do this.

What I want to do know is:

1. How often is this enforced?

2. What can they do about it if they detect you tethering on a PDA Connect plan?

3. How many of you do this with frequency?

4. I read a contract with T Mobile (because a friend of mine had this same question) and they mention that this could result in terminating service. I'm wondering why this would be beneficial to the carrier. A lot of people would LOVE to get out of their 2 year contracts.

[lew2]

I’m on Cingular with a MediaMax plan. I occasionally tether, maybe a time or two a month. Mostly I just use my Treo on the plan.

The way I interpret the T&C of the MediaMax plan is that if busted for inappropriate use, Cingular can disable the MediaMax plan and deny data access. Fair enough.

What I don’t believe they can do without notification is to add the Pay-Per-Use feature without notifying me since the logical way to deny service would be to add the “WIX BLOCKED” feature to instead.

When I was researching threads here back when I bought my Treo, I never found a single instance of someone getting a huge data bill where it wasn’t a case of the user’s account being scr*wed up and having PPU on it. Not surprising given the half dozen calls I had to make to CSR’s before my account was set up properly. Every time I’d call it seemed like they’d fix three things and break two others.

[Bob34]

Can they even know if you use Internet Sharing on a Windows Mobile device?

I'm hoping to tether my laptop (when Lenovo decides I can have it) with a Blackjack and Media Max 200.

[alvinsmith]

I don't know. I feel like they CAN know, based on how you tether.

Here are the instructions I followed:

Setting up the handset

On the PDA, tap on Start and then tap on Programs.
Tap on the Wireless Modem icon.
Ensure that USB is selected from the Connection Type drop down list.
Tap on Menu.
Tap Start.


Setting up the modem

On the PC, connect the USB cable from the handset to the USB port of the PC.
Windows will recognize the handset and install an HTC USB Modem.
Click on Start, Settings and then Control Panel.
Double click on Phone and Modem Options.
Click on the Modems tab and click to select HTC USB Modem.
Click on the Properties button.
Click on the Advanced tab.
Type at+cgdcont=1,"IP","isp.cingular" in the Extra initialization command field.
Click OK twice to return to the Control Panel.


Setting up the connection

On the PC, return to the Control Panel and double click on the Network Connections icon.
Click on Create a new connection.
Click Next on the New Connection Wizard.
Tick Connect to the Internet and click on Next.
Tick Set up my connection manually and click on Next.
Tick Connect using a dial-up modem and click on Next.
Check only the HTC USB Modem and click on Next.
Type CNG GPRS for the ISP Name and click on Next.
Type *99# in the Phone number box and click on Next.
Type ISP@CINGULARGPRS.COM in the User name field.
Type CINGULAR1 in the Password and Confirm Password fields.
Select from the available options below and click on Next.
Click on Finish to complete the setup.


Making the connection

On the PC, return to the Network Connections folder and double click on the CNG GPRS icon.
Ensure that the Dial field displays *99#.
Click on Dial.

You are actively dialing into a specific service, so it seems like they could keep tabs on this.

[RF9]

PDA connect and Laptop Connect are both "Data Connect" data plans. They are for all intents and purposes, the identical data plan. As a result they are treated that way by Cingular. They only actual difference is the price. I've even had Cingular CS reps tell me it's ok to Tether on the PDA plan. Whether it's true or not, it's some indication that they don't do anything about it.

I rarely (but nevertheless do) tether on Media Max. If I was to do it with any frequency at all I'd certainly go for the PDA plan.

My point being, don't worry about it on the PDA plan. It is not at all enforced, at least so far it is not. The recourse against you is to cancel the data plan (so you'd have no more data plan.) My assumption is that if this were the case you'd be able to call up, complain, they'd inform you you were using the wrong data plan, and thus sell you the $60 data plan.

In my watching this and similar forums for years I have never once seen anyone come on here and claim that they were caught tethering and got their data plan canceled because of it. That includes people using Media Net/Max plans.

If you tether constantly. Pay up and get the $60.
If you want to tether regularly, but can't justify needing the $60 plan, use the $40 PDA.
If you want to tether like once every couple of months like me, you can get away with The $20 media plans.

[Neutron1998]

I was actually told from the Cingular rep when I had the MediaMax 200 plan added that I could tether with my laptop with no problem.

[importluva]

I tether occassionally when the need exists (like right now on the train, I was doing some research). But in the past 40 minutes, I've used 5 mb. So, its not like I'm using a significant amount of data. I would use about the same when using my 8525 anyways, I just prefer the larger screen on the laptop of course. But regardless, if I would tether regularly (ie daily or a few days a week) I would feel obligated to upgrade to the laptop connect plan. But since the majority (90%+ or so) of my data useage is on my 8525, I feel no need to upgrade.

[chrisjf]

rock on man.. i have the pda connect plan and i tether almost everyday. like the other guy said.. IF you do get caught all they'll do is make you upgrade your data plan. you'll be all right.

[Jayden0606]

Like RF9 was saying it is best to go with the PDA connect and do it. I actually work for Cingular and was told by a rep in the data department that all medianet users will have something coming to them. He then told me that it will be enforced shortly and from what I hear, it will not stop the plan, but it will charge you a per kilobyte rate. I have not heard that happening for the PDA connect plans. Whatever phone you are using will hit the switch and register and if it is not a medianet eligible phone, enjoy your next two invoices as you will be liable for those charges.

[importluva]

Like RF9 was saying it is best to go with the PDA connect and do it. I actually work for Cingular and was told by a rep in the data department that all medianet users will have something coming to them. He then told me that it will be enforced shortly and from what I hear, it will not stop the plan, but it will charge you a per kilobyte rate. I have not heard that happening for the PDA connect plans. Whatever phone you are using will hit the switch and register and if it is not a medianet eligible phone, enjoy your next two invoices as you will be liable for those charges.

i'm assuming that they'll start flagging users that use up alot of data on wap.cingular, then they'll audit to see if they have PDA/Dataconnect plans.

[RF9]

That's gunna piss off all of the people that bought Treo's with Media Works as a package from cingular's web site (Sold and marketed together, not as a mistake) are going to suddenly get screwed.

Cingular didn't start this no MediaNet on a PDA thing from the beginning, they changed the policy about 2 years ago when they got rid of Media Works unlimited and replaced it with media net (prior to the Media max plan.)

[BTwannabe]

Like RF9 was saying it is best to go with the PDA connect and do it. I actually work for Cingular and was told by a rep in the data department that all medianet users will have something coming to them. He then told me that it will be enforced shortly and from what I hear, it will not stop the plan, but it will charge you a per kilobyte rate. I have not heard that happening for the PDA connect plans. Whatever phone you are using will hit the switch and register and if it is not a medianet eligible phone, enjoy your next two invoices as you will be liable for those charges.

no way. that sounds like lawsuit city. class action wild west kind of stuff. they have to notify you before changing your plan like that.

[alvinsmith]

no way. that sounds like lawsuit city. class action wild west kind of stuff. they have to notify you before changing your plan like that.

Isn't there already precedence for this? Haven't some posters here reported large bills?

[lew2]

Haven't some posters here reported large bills?

Every case I've read about turned out to be the result of a misconfigured account in which the CSR didn't remove the Pay-Per-Use service when the user added the unlimited data package.

I've not yet seen a case where someone was actually "busted" for improper usage and had their account changed to Pay Per Use -- especially not with no notification of the account change.

The key here is notification. And never sign up for automatic bill payment, you're just putting yourself over the barrel and asking to get scr*wed.

[Bob34]

Haven't some posters here reported large bills?

Every case I've read about turned out to be the result of a misconfigured account in which the CSR didn't remove the Pay-Per-Use service when the user added the unlimited data package.

That makes sense. I was on the phone for like 20 minutes with my CSR who was waiting for my MediaMax 200 plan to go through, but she was removing PPU first and it was taking while for the systems to remove PPU.