I’m not very hip to modern tech and was still using an old style flip-phone as of this past week when it finally crapped out on me (after 10+ years) and a buddy lent me an iPhone he had laying around (he gets free phones and service thru work).
He told me it could be used as a “personal hotspot” so I plugged it into my Mini-Mac to try it out and sure enough it works so was wondering if an iPhone can be used as a replacement for conventional Internet service (via the local cable tv company)?
But my understanding is that when used as a “personal hotspot”, an iPhone is limited to X gigabytes per month but if it’s used to surf the Internet as a cellphone (that is, not plugged into a computer) it has unlimited data.
If there a cellphone service provider company that offers unlimited “personal hotspot” use of an iPhone?
Because I’m thinking this would be a good way to save money, as I’m currently paying every month for cable Internet service as well as a cellphone?
>But my understanding is that when used as a “personal hotspot”, an iPhone is limited to X gigabytes per month but if it’s used to surf the Internet as a cellphone (that is, not plugged into a computer) it has unlimited data. Not true.
Carter Wilson
Yes boomer. Some people do this and it's probably going to be more common when 5g comes out.
Nathan Gomez
>iShit Found your problem.
Julian Kelly
>Not true.
So there are cellphone providers who provided unlimited “personal hotspot” usage? Can us suggest any?
Because apparently Verizon doesn’t, as I got a text from them saying I only had 10% data available after fucking around with my cellphone for a few days as a personal hotspot.
Blake Hernandez
> Yes boomer.
I’m 50 years old, so not a “boomer” (GenX) but like I said, I’m not particularly hip to the technology and was hoping this would be a way to cost living costs by eliminating my month bill to the cable company for Internet service.
But as I mentioned in the post just above this one, Verizon says I’ve only got 10% of my data left.
> Some people do this and it's probably going to be more common when 5g comes out.
What happens then?
Colton Brooks
>iShit
I believe it’s the most widely used smart phone in the world but more so, I was given one (that is only a year or two old) for FREE.
Ayden Harris
Yes, you can do this. But mobile data generally is more expensive per GB than internet data from your ISP. So currently the cheapest way is to have a mobile plan that doesn't require any data (assuming you don't need it whilst you're out and about), and get the cheapest internet plan with enough data to last you the month.
This may change in a few years time when 5G comes out and competition for mobile data rates increase and the two prices converge.
Aaron Moore
When hotspotting your phone you must use your data plan. If you have unlimited data you are good. If not you may exceed your data limit and then begin to be billed. Get an unlimited data plan and hot spot away. 5G will provide faster through put, so a wired, faster connection limited to your house may face competition from a mobile data source with similar speeds. But you are srill.goimg to need an adequate data plan. 5G does not mean free unlimited data
Matthew James
they use some trickery (probably ttl) to tell apart computers behind the NAT and the phone itself
can be defeated by iptables rules (probably not possible knowing apple shit) or VPN (idk if apple routes hotspot clients throught vpn on phone)
if theres some iMemer here i'd gladly acceept some correction on the later part.
Michael Reed
T-Mobile has been good to me over the years. I used pic related for a month when I moved to a new place without internet.
> But mobile data generally is more expensive per GB than internet data from your ISP.
Yes, the text from Verizon says $15 per gig for going over and while I was at the grocery store today, I stopped at a cellphone kiosk (forgot the company) and the guy said their plan offered 10G per month for $60 with addition gigs being available at $5 per GB.
> So currently the cheapest way is to have a mobile plan that doesn't require any data (assuming you don't need it whilst you're out and about), and get the cheapest internet plan with enough data to last you the month.
I’m not sure what that means? Are you saying the iPhone wouldn’t be capable of accessing the Internet when used alone (such as at a bar or coffee shop) but could be used at home when plugged into the computer?
Joseph Roberts
> When hotspotting your phone you must use your data plan. If you have unlimited data you are good.
That was my understanding going in but as I mentioned, the guy at the cellphone kiosk said “unlimited data” didn’t apply to using the iPhone as a personal hotspot, it was only unlimited when using the phone itself, not plugging into a computer.
Can you of anybody here suggest a cellphone provider that DOES offer unlimited personal hotspot usage?
Carter Edwards
> > 69.46 GB
That looks pretty good to me but how much would be used when shitposting to Jow Forums and general on-line surfing (as opposed to streaming, something I don't do)?
I also download movies and tv shows off Usenet and at 1GB or more per episode, that can quickly run into an overage, though 4-500MB files can be found (for tv shows at least).
Connor Morales
I would suggest talking to providers about that specifically. Providers have a way of twisting the truth so they can charge you at every turn. Luckily my job pays for my phone and we have hundreds of phones, all our usage is pooled, so of I go.over I take from someone else who did not.
Carter Butler
No, you could use the free WiFi at a bar or coffee shop. And use the WiFi at home. It seems you really aren't tech savvy at all. I'll need to explain this a little better.
You're iPhone has two separate receivers in it.
One of the receivers is used for making and receiving phone calls. It connects to the cell phone towers around you. Your phone can also use this receiver to "call" the cell phone towers and connect to the internet, from anywhere you have a connection. This is what we refer to as "Mobile Data". And is generally more expensive.
The second receiver is one used exclusively for WiFi. It can only connect to places where WiFi is available (Coffee Shops, Libraries, Your own home from your router). When you connect to WiFi, you connect to the internet through the router you connected to, and use the data from there. This is data from your ISP.
What a personal hotspot is, is when you use both receivers at the same time. What happens is you connect to the internet with your mobile data. Then you turn on your WiFi receiver as a router. Then you can connect other devices to your phone, and use your phones mobile data to provide other devices with internet.
You don't actually need to turn on hotspot to use the internet on your phone.
Ethan Brooks
Sorry, forgot to link
Robert Martin
I only have android experience, if you root, you can remove carrier restrictions on wifi tethering. If you prefer not to root, pdanet+ allows you to use usb tether and use unlimited data without incurring hotspot usage. pdanet+ works on ios but you have to jailbreak.
Christian Morgan
>>>>> cellphone service provider company that offers unlimited “personal hotspot” use of an iPhone? >allowing kikes to control how you can use your own phone
Which I freely admit, this being the first smart phone I’ve ever used.
> No, you could use the free WiFi at a bar or coffee shop.
Sure.
> And use the WiFi at home.
But that would require continuing to pay the local cable company for Internet access, which I was thinking I could eliminate by strictly using the iPhone plugged into my computer to go on-line, right?
> use your phones mobile data to provide other devices with internet.
That’s what I want to do; plug the iPhone into my Mac-Mini and access the Internet _exclusively_ thru the cell phone, dropping my contract with the cable company who currently provides me access.
> You don't actually need to turn on hotspot to use the internet on your phone.
I understand that, I can walk around the house or backyard, etc. and access the Internet thru the phone but I’m 50 years old and have a hard time trying to read the tiny screen and would like to use my 31” monitor in my office, as well as be connected to my computer with all my files on it.
Dominic Murphy
>T-Mobile has been good to me over the years.
Just took a quick look at the T-Mobile website and saw this;
Now I think(!) I could get by with 50GB per month and it doesn’t say anything about overage fees (only possible slowdowns after 50GB is exceeded) but the pricing is confusing, as it says $35 per month but apparently that _per_ phone and four phones are needed (i.e. the monthly price is actually $140 per month) and I’m single with no kids, so all I need is one phone.
>but the pricing is confusing, as it says $35 per month but apparently that _per_ phone and four phones are needed (i.e. the monthly price is actually $140 per month) and I’m single with no kids, so all I need is one phone.
ISP data is much cheaper than mobile data. So the two questions are: 1. Do you ever use the internet on your phone, when you're not connected to WiFi. 2. How much data do you use per month.
If you never really use data on your phone, and you use, say more than 50GB per month. Then staying with your ISP and not getting any data on your phone is your best option. If you don't use much data, then you may be one of the few that could benefit from this kind of plan.
The reason why everyone here is so hesitant to saying this is a good idea is that for us, 50GB is unfathomably low. I, for example, consume close to 50GB a week. But have downloaded massive files, up to 600GB in a couple of days.
Sebastian Ross
> The reason why everyone here is so hesitant to saying this is a good idea is that for us, 50GB is unfathomably low. I, for example, consume close to 50GB a week. But have downloaded massive files, up to 600GB in a couple of days.
Ahh, see I don’t download anything approaching that much data, just a couple of tv show episodes or a movie or two per month off Usenet and I’ve never streamed anything and have no intention of doing so (I prefer having a copy on my HD over repeatedly paying again and again for something).
But I’m unclear on how much data usage would result from _general Internet use_ like, downloading and posting meme pics on Jow Forums, the occasional porn pics and watching a YouTube video, etc.
Jose Bailey
>5G will have speeds higher than cable.
The Verizon plan iPhone I'm using now seems to be only a little bit slower then my 30mpbs ISP service but I haven't tried download a 1 GB movie for example.
Robert Fisher
most people use less than 30gb a month
Jason Nelson
>most people use less than 30gb a month
So what do you think, should I go talk to the T-Mobile guys next week (there’s a store front a few miles away)?
But what about the pricing, seeing as I only need the one line as I don’t have a squalling brood of kids to provide cell phones for and $35 per month for 50GB per month seems really cheep to me (i.e. there HAS to be catch somewhere in there…)
Luis Williams
To get truly full unlimited non-throttled internet you'd pay 100 a month. And depending on the area you're in you can get some really great speeds, but that of course depends on how congested the area is. Even with 700mhz signals it's kinda hit or miss with range from the nearest tower we have.
But otherwise If you use the hotspot without paying for the unlimited you get 10GB free of 4g then it gets below 100kbit/s.
