EVDO Tethering (Discuss in this Thread Only!)

[ScruffyGuy]

My prior flipshot worked fine without any hacks, but my newer flipshot which has the meid number has the internal phone programmed so it won't connect to the dun. A quick hack of the phone and it is back to normal (for the time being), so yes it looks like the newer phones are being locked down but as I mentioned there is a workaround.

I dont think the success of tethering depends on your plan (or maybe it depends on what you get charged) but for the most part it depends on your phone.

Tom

There have been some comments about the success of tethering depending on which plan you are on. I still have a very old America's Choice plan with only 300 minutes, which I keep because my night time minutes begin at 8 pm instead of 9 pm like the new plans.

But I find it curious that my LG VX-5300 works fine on 1xRTT, but although my new Motorola W385 will also connect OK, I get the "This device is currently not authorized to access Dial-Up Networking services, please contact your wireless service provider for more details." message when I log on.

So it must have something to do with the phones themselves. Maybe all of the newer phones will start having this problem.

[Mark_Venture]

My prior flipshot worked fine without any hacks, but my newer flipshot which has the meid number has the internal phone programmed so it won't connect to the dun. A quick hack of the phone and it is back to normal (for the time being), so yes it looks like the newer phones are being locked down but as I mentioned there is a workaround.

by saying the newer has MEID, do you mean to say older didn't?

I got my flipshot on 12/19... It had an MEID, tethered NAI written as number@dun.vzw3g.com since day 1. The hack to remove the DUN tethered NAI using QPST (link in one of my prior posts) worked just fine with it.. BUT I haven't used it in about two months. Have had other phones since... Haven't needed to tether in a while either.. so I can't say what still works for me.

[desertjim]

In each of my recent posts I say you must HACK EVDO phones, and I've linked to threads that discuss the steps... Yet you continue to say "Maybe I need to hack" and "How do I hack".

Hi Mark,

Do you consider using undocumented menus "hacking"?

I "know for a fact" that the LG VX8100 will not work on DUN "out of the box".

One person says simply disable EVDO, starting with entering ##PROGRAM and moving on down into the menu. Someone else says to use the Procom piece of software. Are both hacking? If so, then I understand that it must be "hacked". However, I didn't consider using the phone itself without outside help hacking.

As for that ##PROGRAM, don't tell me that is CLEAR! It isn't! I would have understood enter ##7764726, though. Finally someone was kind enough to
tell me that the letters in program equated to the numbers, because I was looking for which key did PROGRAM.

So really, Mark, even though my post about being considerate of the novices wasn't addressed to you, it's a common problem for techies to talk over the heads of novices. I'm a professional and I could probably talk over your head, or over the heads of most folks if we were talking about construction. I don't have a clue about cell phones and hacking. And there will be many on here that do not. That's why they come here for help.

For example, I read a post of yours a few minutes ago that used NIA. What the heck is NIA, I asked myself. I Googled for it and still didn't come up with
any definitive answer.

Think what you will, we are all in this together and we alll have certain responsibilities, I believe. The asker to try and read what has been posted that can help him, and the pros have the responsibility to explain in terms that the green pea can understand.

I sincerely appreciate your help, and the help of EVERYONE, but your attidude in this post is that: "I buy you books and send you to school and you just don't learn anything", never mentioning the fact that some of those books were written in Latin (smile).

So, again, I thank you for your help, and I thank all those that try to help. I only ask that you understand that if we were pros at this, we would even be asking.

EVDO?? What the heck is that? I know what it stands for, I know that the
LX8100 and the LX8350 are EVDO as are most new phones, I guesss. However, I don't need to know the technology behind it for my current need.

Apparently, though, I do need to know what NAI, as you used it, means, because after I disabled EVDO (smart ain't I), on the LX8100, I still can't get it to use DUN (dumb again, huh?).

[ScruffyGuy]

Actually, what I meant by newer is that I just received the phone a few weeks ago. My first flipshot didn't have the MEID and all I had to do was shut off the evdo and tether until my heart was content. With this phone I had to remove the dun from dun.vzw3g.com but once I go back to the evdo the dun reappears. I will have to keep an eye on it. At any rate, I gave up tethering. I just can't afford if I would suddenly get charged for it.

by saying the newer has MEID, do you mean to say older didn't?

I got my flipshot on 12/19... It had an MEID, tethered NAI written as number@dun.vzw3g.com since day 1. The hack to remove the DUN tethered NAI using QPST (link in one of my prior posts) worked just fine with it.. BUT I haven't used it in about two months. Have had other phones since... Haven't needed to tether in a while either.. so I can't say what still works for me.

[Mark_Venture]

Do you consider using undocumented menus "hacking"?

Yes, I do.. Any time an end user touches something not meant for an end user to touch.. Yes. I consider that hacking.

Using a SERVICE MENU which is undocumented for END USERS because its not meant for them is definately hacking to me.

and I've already stated that in my post...

Example.. my Sony TV has service menus to adjust various settings beyond the standard end user menu controls of Color, Contrast and Brightness... They are only documented in Sony's service manuals for authorized service personel use. To get at them... you have to key in a special sequence on the TV's remote...

Tethered NAI, which i've said is an NVM setting (so you don't have to google, NVM = non-Volatile memory). Again, something the end user isn't supposed to touch and doesn't have direct access too, therefore to me.. a hack. For our discussion.. I already gave the only definition that is needed... that Tethered NAI is a setting in NVM which you need special software to change for all but one or two phones that I am aware of (the voyager and possibly the venus). On at least the VOyager, its available in the Service menu, which as stated above, is not for the end user.

[desertjim]

Using a SERVICE MENU which is undocumented for END USERS because its not meant for them is definately hacking to me.

Tethered NAI, which i've said is an NVM setting (so you don't have to google, NVM = non-Volatile memory). Again, something the end user isn't supposed to touch and doesn't have direct access too, therefore to me.. a hack. For our discussion.. I already gave the only definition that is needed... that Tethered NAI is a setting in NVM which you need special software to change for all but one or two phones that I am aware of (the voyager and possibly the venus). On at least the VOyager, its available in the Service menu, which as stated above, is not for the end user.

Thanks, Mark.

Now we are clear on what HACKING is.

Someone posted that all one had to do to on the VX8100 phone to get it to work with DUN was to disable/wHACK the EVDO and that was possible simply by using an undocumented menu.

I did as described and it still didn't work.

So it seems you are saying that, with a couple of exceptions, the UMO, in and of itself, isn't gonna get the job handled; that a 3rd party software is still
necessary?

Then the VX8350 I have coming will have to be hacked by 3rd party software, it seems??

Anyone know how many times Vz will switch a customer between different phones??? That would be a workaround. Another would be to have them turn on BBA, turn off BBA, burn on BBA, turn off, BBA.................!!

Oh. yes! The NAI stands for what?? National Association of Imigrants (smile)? Curious novices want to know!!

[Mark_Venture]

Actually, what I meant by newer is that I just received the phone a few weeks ago. My first flipshot didn't have the MEID and all I had to do was shut off the evdo and tether until my heart was content. With this phone I had to remove the dun from dun.vzw3g.com but once I go back to the evdo the dun reappears. I will have to keep an eye on it. At any rate, I gave up tethering. I just can't afford if I would suddenly get charged for it.

You sure you mean MEID?? MEID = "new version" of ESN... ESN = Electronic Serial Number... unique to each phone... and hard coded in the phone itself. It does not change, nor can it be changed (legally) in the usa.

[Mark_Venture]

...Oh. yes! The NAI stands for what?? National Association of Imigrants (smile)? Curious novices want to know!!

Per QPST Service Programming software's Help file....

nai = Network Access Identifier

...So it seems you are saying that, with a couple of exceptions, the UMO, in and of itself, isn't gonna get the job handled; that a 3rd party software is still necessary?

Doesn't SEEM.. that IS what I've been saying.

Then the VX8350 I have coming will have to be hacked by 3rd party software, it seems??

That IS what I've been saying. And you might also need the service menu to force to 1x.

Anyone know how many times Vz will switch a customer between different phones??? That would be a workaround. Another would be to have them turn on BBA, turn off BBA, burn on BBA, turn off, BBA.................!!

As discussed in other threads...

If you are a My Account user, you can switch handsets as often as you like.. Keep in mind.. there can be a delay in that handset switch hitting all the VZW towers... Also, do it too late (like after about 11:45pm eastern), and the change could get "stuck" and not complete in VZW's system until the Am.

I've changed handsets about 10 times in one day when I was working on the process to flash the Verizon V3C with Alltel or Vivo firmware. Only time I had problems was when it got too close to midnight. then I was stuck in transition between phones... and it didn't clear up until morning.

See the tail end of -> http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1232966 for some info about changes VZW did recently to make their "activate phone" (aka on line ESN changer) more compatible between different types of phones...

BBA is pro-rated... you can turn on/off at any time in billing cycle and only be billed for partial use. Not sure what VZW's limits for this are.

[desertjim]

Per QPST Service Programming software's Help file....

nai = Network Access Identifier

Doesn't SEEM.. that IS what I've been saying.

That IS what I've been saying. And you might also need the service menu to force to 1x.
As discussed in other threads...

Thanks about the NAI definition.

About what you have "always" said, it wasn't that I doubted you, but thought maybe you were hung up on QPST while others were going about things using the UMOs. They seemed to be contradicting you. I don't know enough about it to contradict you .

If you are a My Account user, you can switch handsets as often as you like.. Keep in mind.. there can be a delay in that handset switch hitting all the VZW towers... Also, do it too late (like after about 11:45pm eastern), and the change could get "stuck" and not complete in VZW's system until the Am.

That's really good to know! Thanks. What do you mean by a "My Account User" ?

I've changed handsets about 10 times in one day when I was working on the process to flash the Verizon V3C with Alltel or Vivo firmware. Only time I had problems was when it got too close to midnight. then I was stuck in transition between phones... and it didn't clear up until morning.

See the tail end of -> http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1232966 for some info about changes VZW did recently to make their "activate phone" (aka on line ESN changer) more compatible between different types of phones...

I hope that means what I think it does........ .

BBA is pro-rated... you can turn on/off at any time in billing cycle and only be billed for partial use. Not sure what VZW's limits for this are.

Sooner or later they're gonna put a stop to that ! Guaranteed!

Again, thanks. I'm gonna take a look at that URL you posted above.

[C DM]

Thanks about the NAI definition.

About what you have "always" said, it wasn't that I doubted you, but thought maybe you were hung up on QPST while others were going about things using the UMOs. They seemed to be contradicting you. I don't know enough about it to contradict you .


That's really good to know! Thanks. What do you mean by a "My Account User" ?


I hope that means what I think it does........ .


Sooner or later they're gonna put a stop to that ! Guaranteed!

Again, thanks. I'm gonna take a look at that URL you posted above.

My Account is VZW's online account management, so if you signed up for an account online on their web site, then you can consider yourself as having access to VZW's My Account service and what it offers.

As for BBA being prorated, it's been like that for years, so while it can certainly change to not being prorated, it hasn't yet, and there's not much implying that it really will--basically people could have been saying and probably have been saying that for years, and years down the line it still hasn't changed.

[joshua_]

Hi All,

For a while, we've had an ACII plan with 500 minutes, and I was very happy to tether in 1x mode on my Samsung A850. As I understand it, tethering was permitted on this plan, and was grandfathered in from the MobileOffice kit that I bought aeons ago. Recently, we were going over on minutes, and we were "upsold" to nationwide with 700 minutes. They didn't tell us that we'd lose 1xdata-as-minutes, so we were a little bit surprised to get a $50 bill for 25MB of data down the wire last month.

Has anyone had any success getting back to ACII? I talked at length on the phone with them today, and they said that since we're more than 30 days out from the change (even though we just got the bill yesterday), there's nothing that they can do. Will retentions be able to do anything for me? How about the complaint / dispute mailing address on the bill?

Alternatively, the VCAST thread in the FAQ says that we can get the $15 unlimited VCAST plan, but that tethering is a little bit hazy on that -- I'd rather stay within the bounds of my contract if possible. (If we get the $15 VCAST plan, will that work on both of our phones -- a RAZR with EVDO, and my A650 with just 1x? Or do we need $15/phone? Or ...?) Ideally, I'd like to get back to ACII, though...

(Extra alternative: can HSDPA get me anywhere near the speeds of 1x or EVDO with anywhere near the latency and reliability? I've had great reliability tethering my 1x modem even in low service areas, with pretty much solid 144k throughput wherever I go, but if they call my bluff if I have to go retentions, I wonder if there are any GSM providers that I can port my number to and get reasonable data at a reasonable price out of.)

[[TheBORG]]

I don't think you can switch back to older, no longer available plans once you're off of them. (I think...)

[SCTelephoneMan]

you're SOL

ACII is gone, free 1X tethering is gone, welcome to nationwide. 1.99 per MB or $59.99 per month for 5GB of tethering

[rjack22]

You were never "legally" allowed to tether on the AMCII plan anyway without a data plan. There was always the risk of getting caught doing it.

[flyawaybird]

If you call customer service and let them know that you were never informed of the MB change from airtime usage, they may be able to get it back, they would have to submit the request to another department. I have submitted such a request for a customer myself for the same reasons and it went through, but I cannot guarantee that it would work for you as well.

Call again. Tell them you were mislead and not given the proper information. Escalate to a supervisor if you have to. But drive the point home that you were never told about the consequences of such a plan change and that VZW screwed up - VZW is (more often than not) very good about correcting their own errors.