Warning longish rant...
So for a long time I paid Verizon Wireless to tether my phones to my laptop so that I could have broadband service when I needed it on my laptop. This was cumbersome, expensive and required your phone to be connected to the computer via a cable. There were also multiple clicks etc. you had to do to get it to work and it often stumbled, froze or locked up. I had been doing this since about 2004/05 when it was VERY, VERY slow. At times I paid as much as $60.00 per month for the privilege of using my lap top to view my "unlimited data" I was already paying for on my phones screen.
Fast forward multiple phones and service plans and here I am today with an Android phone, which I love, but the screen is still just a tad to small.
A year ago I was at a party with a good high school friend who is, shall we say, very high up at Verizon Wireless so he will remain nameless, and the topic of jail breaking and using applications such as PDA Net on Verizon phones came up.
The gist of the conversation, between friends, was that unless you are a "power user" you will never show up on any sort of radar, for Verizon at least. Unless you download or upload GOBS of data, as in 10-15+ GB month or more using PDA Net or other apps to connect your laptop to your data package will never even be questioned or looked at.
My friend also mentioned that because I have a grandfathered "unlimited data package" that I should NEVER let an associate talk me into a different data package or I would lose my "unlimited" plan and likely never see it come back. If you still have an "unlimited data plan" DO NOT let any associate talk you out of it or into ANY data package/plan changes.
A few years ago I upgraded phones and the sales person mislead me about tethering on the new phone. They promised tethering would be available within 30 days, it was a brand new model phone and they "did not yet have the software ready". I was told that when it came out I could again "tether" for data. Well three months later, and too late to return the phone, still no "tethering" software.
I called my friend to see if he knew anything. He apologized for his companies inefficiencies and off the cuff said to use PDNet in the mean time, as their developers had already beaten Verizon Wireless to the punch. So, I downloaded PDA Net and it worked on my phone and worked well. Once the Verizon tethering became available I did switch back and my plan price went up accordingly for tethering.
Technically using these software plans to skirt Verizon or other plans is against the plan legalese mumbo jumbo. If you are timid about this DO NOT DO IT. I have no qualms with it however having been a loyal Verizon Wireless customer since the late 80's even before they were Verizon Wireless. For the last year+ I have been using PDA Net to tether and finally dropped my $15.00 per month Verizon tethering surcharge. I generally use under 1.5GB per month so this has not and will not raise eyebrows..
For a few years I was paranoid about using PDA Net because a co-worker got caught. His problem was that he was downloading almost 35-40GB per month, something which at the time just could not be done on a PDA. He got a slap on the wrist from Verizon and they told him he could pay the charges or leave the company. Seeing as he had paid for "unlimited data" he had issues with their imposed "limits" (this actually turned into a class action), so he left. A month later a sales person called him and offered him a better plan, and he went back... Go figure..
So fast forward to today where we have new technology such as iPads and Mi-Fi hot spots created by smart phones or Mi-Fi devices.. Of course you can pay big money for a plan, for just the iPad, or lose your "unlimited data" and turn your phone into a limited data plan and get teh ability to turn your Android and other phones into Mi-Fi wireless access point.
None of these options seemed very reasonable to me. About two months ago I bought my wife an iPad and I did not want yet another "line" so went with the basic iPad without the 3G package. So how do I tether it to my phone??? Bottom line, can't be done very well at all cause the iPad is a PITA for things like that.
I actually went back to Verizon tethering to see of I could get my HP Laptop to set up for an Ad Hoc wireless network. Even that failed to work and the iPad would not acquire its signal or gain access. So, I went back to PDA Net on the HP laptop. I then found an application called Connectify that turns your laptop into a wireless access point.
Connectify and PDA Net worked to get the iPad on-line but it required that my HP laptop be on and running as well, just to supply the Wi-Fi signal to the iPad. The HP laptop burns anywhere between 4 & 6 amps off the boats house bank!!! Not good. This worked OK but the problem was that it was glitchy, a power hog and I was still wired and it was still cumbersome.
So I was speaking with my Verizon friend a couple of weeks ago and he mentioned that he also uses an Android, not an iPhone which I though he'd be doing now that Verizon has them, and that he is running a third party "application".
I asked him point blank if he had to "root" or "jail break" his phone in order to do this. "Yes of course but it is faster than a stock Android and I have a lot more options.", "But you work for Verizon Wireless and get all your services for free." "Yes I do, but my phone can do a lot more than the stock phones...".. "hmm how can I "root" my phone?", "oh it's easy you'll figure it out.". Now keep in mind this guy is very tech savvy and I am not.
We I thought about it for a few weeks and then decided to give it a try, why not. I researched how to do it for many hours then found some good instructions and went for it.
In all it took about 45 minutes to do this, not including lots of hours spent researching the topic, but I now have an Android phone that can become a Wi-Fi hot spot for our iPad when on the boat, car or anywhere and it is just as fast as the 3G will go. It is also a simple single click to turn on or off the wi-fi on my Android and it works incredibly well.. I had no problems rooting my phone and with unrEVOked it can be undone at any time.
There are many benefits to rooting that I will probably never explore but one that some may. I just wanted to be able to turn on the Wi-Fi feature without losing my grandfathered "unlimited data" plan.
I simply justify this by thinking "Verizon forced me into this by trying to take away my unlimited data plan in order for me to get wi-fi/mi-fi". I know it's not an excuse, but it works for me currently..:naughty: If it does not work for you the DO NOT DO IT..
I am NOT technically savvy in ANY WAY so anyone could probably do this.
Here's the link to the instructions I used to root my Android Incredible:
Rooting The Android Incredible
DO NOT try this if you feel uncomfortable. There are lots of warnings out there about "bricking" your phone. To "brick" your phone means you've made it as useless as a "brick". I find it hard to believe people actually do this but some claim it can happen. The rooting software I used is called unrEVOked and the wi-fi application is Android WiFI Tether.
WiFi Android Tether can be downloaded here (do it from your phone and it is the top one on the list, at least for the Incredible):
http://code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/downloads/list
So now our boat has wi-fi just like home, when we are in Verizon range. I also installed a Wilson cell phone amp so we get excellent cell service along a good chunk of the Maine coast. All in all I found this "hack" to be very worth while for me and so far so good.
Disclaimer: This is NOT a sanctioned activity by SBO and is solely my own post for anyone interested in getting more from your Android phone..
So for a long time I paid Verizon Wireless to tether my phones to my laptop so that I could have broadband service when I needed it on my laptop. This was cumbersome, expensive and required your phone to be connected to the computer via a cable. There were also multiple clicks etc. you had to do to get it to work and it often stumbled, froze or locked up. I had been doing this since about 2004/05 when it was VERY, VERY slow. At times I paid as much as $60.00 per month for the privilege of using my lap top to view my "unlimited data" I was already paying for on my phones screen.
Fast forward multiple phones and service plans and here I am today with an Android phone, which I love, but the screen is still just a tad to small.
A year ago I was at a party with a good high school friend who is, shall we say, very high up at Verizon Wireless so he will remain nameless, and the topic of jail breaking and using applications such as PDA Net on Verizon phones came up.
The gist of the conversation, between friends, was that unless you are a "power user" you will never show up on any sort of radar, for Verizon at least. Unless you download or upload GOBS of data, as in 10-15+ GB month or more using PDA Net or other apps to connect your laptop to your data package will never even be questioned or looked at.
My friend also mentioned that because I have a grandfathered "unlimited data package" that I should NEVER let an associate talk me into a different data package or I would lose my "unlimited" plan and likely never see it come back. If you still have an "unlimited data plan" DO NOT let any associate talk you out of it or into ANY data package/plan changes.
A few years ago I upgraded phones and the sales person mislead me about tethering on the new phone. They promised tethering would be available within 30 days, it was a brand new model phone and they "did not yet have the software ready". I was told that when it came out I could again "tether" for data. Well three months later, and too late to return the phone, still no "tethering" software.
I called my friend to see if he knew anything. He apologized for his companies inefficiencies and off the cuff said to use PDNet in the mean time, as their developers had already beaten Verizon Wireless to the punch. So, I downloaded PDA Net and it worked on my phone and worked well. Once the Verizon tethering became available I did switch back and my plan price went up accordingly for tethering.Technically using these software plans to skirt Verizon or other plans is against the plan legalese mumbo jumbo. If you are timid about this DO NOT DO IT. I have no qualms with it however having been a loyal Verizon Wireless customer since the late 80's even before they were Verizon Wireless. For the last year+ I have been using PDA Net to tether and finally dropped my $15.00 per month Verizon tethering surcharge. I generally use under 1.5GB per month so this has not and will not raise eyebrows..
For a few years I was paranoid about using PDA Net because a co-worker got caught. His problem was that he was downloading almost 35-40GB per month, something which at the time just could not be done on a PDA. He got a slap on the wrist from Verizon and they told him he could pay the charges or leave the company. Seeing as he had paid for "unlimited data" he had issues with their imposed "limits" (this actually turned into a class action), so he left. A month later a sales person called him and offered him a better plan, and he went back... Go figure..
So fast forward to today where we have new technology such as iPads and Mi-Fi hot spots created by smart phones or Mi-Fi devices.. Of course you can pay big money for a plan, for just the iPad, or lose your "unlimited data" and turn your phone into a limited data plan and get teh ability to turn your Android and other phones into Mi-Fi wireless access point.
None of these options seemed very reasonable to me. About two months ago I bought my wife an iPad and I did not want yet another "line" so went with the basic iPad without the 3G package. So how do I tether it to my phone??? Bottom line, can't be done very well at all cause the iPad is a PITA for things like that.
I actually went back to Verizon tethering to see of I could get my HP Laptop to set up for an Ad Hoc wireless network. Even that failed to work and the iPad would not acquire its signal or gain access. So, I went back to PDA Net on the HP laptop. I then found an application called Connectify that turns your laptop into a wireless access point.
Connectify and PDA Net worked to get the iPad on-line but it required that my HP laptop be on and running as well, just to supply the Wi-Fi signal to the iPad. The HP laptop burns anywhere between 4 & 6 amps off the boats house bank!!! Not good. This worked OK but the problem was that it was glitchy, a power hog and I was still wired and it was still cumbersome.
So I was speaking with my Verizon friend a couple of weeks ago and he mentioned that he also uses an Android, not an iPhone which I though he'd be doing now that Verizon has them, and that he is running a third party "application".
I asked him point blank if he had to "root" or "jail break" his phone in order to do this. "Yes of course but it is faster than a stock Android and I have a lot more options.", "But you work for Verizon Wireless and get all your services for free." "Yes I do, but my phone can do a lot more than the stock phones...
".. "hmm how can I "root" my phone?", "oh it's easy you'll figure it out.". Now keep in mind this guy is very tech savvy and I am not.We I thought about it for a few weeks and then decided to give it a try, why not.
I researched how to do it for many hours then found some good instructions and went for it.In all it took about 45 minutes to do this, not including lots of hours spent researching the topic, but I now have an Android phone that can become a Wi-Fi hot spot for our iPad when on the boat, car or anywhere and it is just as fast as the 3G will go. It is also a simple single click to turn on or off the wi-fi on my Android and it works incredibly well.. I had no problems rooting my phone and with unrEVOked it can be undone at any time.
There are many benefits to rooting that I will probably never explore but one that some may. I just wanted to be able to turn on the Wi-Fi feature without losing my grandfathered "unlimited data" plan.
I simply justify this by thinking "Verizon forced me into this by trying to take away my unlimited data plan in order for me to get wi-fi/mi-fi". I know it's not an excuse, but it works for me currently..:naughty: If it does not work for you the DO NOT DO IT..
I am NOT technically savvy in ANY WAY so anyone could probably do this.
Here's the link to the instructions I used to root my Android Incredible:
Rooting The Android Incredible
DO NOT try this if you feel uncomfortable. There are lots of warnings out there about "bricking" your phone. To "brick" your phone means you've made it as useless as a "brick". I find it hard to believe people actually do this but some claim it can happen. The rooting software I used is called unrEVOked and the wi-fi application is Android WiFI Tether.
WiFi Android Tether can be downloaded here (do it from your phone and it is the top one on the list, at least for the Incredible):
http://code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/downloads/list
So now our boat has wi-fi just like home, when we are in Verizon range. I also installed a Wilson cell phone amp so we get excellent cell service along a good chunk of the Maine coast. All in all I found this "hack" to be very worth while for me and so far so good.
Disclaimer: This is NOT a sanctioned activity by SBO and is solely my own post for anyone interested in getting more from your Android phone..
