About Tethering on the Droid, Data Usage

[saobi]

I just downloaded PDANet and am successfully using internet with my Droid tethered. My concern is, if I use it only for browing the web (including youtube, but no bittorrent download or any massive data transfer), and say I do it for 4-5 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Will this hit my data cap for my 29.99 plan? I know they said the data is unlimited, but will this kind of usage alert them in any way? Am I also likely to incur any unexpected charges? I'm not roaming, just using it from my home.

 

[thebowers]

I use mine everyday for about 5 hours a day. I have only hit 2 GBs a month, but I don't download anything but ROM's.

 

[saobi]

Is it true that this 29.99 plan has a data limit? And can they find out i'm tethering and charge me extra for it ?

 

[Backnblack]

There is no cap for data....

Since there is not a VZW plan for tethering, they can charge you for all data if they determine that you are tethering.

 

[jasonb]

you're not gonna get caught unless you are going extreme with it. if you are downloading huge movie files and crap your asking for trouble. if you're simply browsing the web and such i doubt they'll ever know.

 

[billyidle]

If you don't want to get caught, don't do it. Maybe you won't get caught, maybe you will.

 

[Jeremy556]

I know of someone on an unlimited VZ smart phone plan (not a droid), that has been using 15-20 gigabytes per month with tethering, for years, and has never had any trouble. I posted a screenshot of his monthly statement in a thread here not too long ago.

I certainly wouldn't recommend doing it, but I wouldn't worry too much about it, either.

 

[takeshi]

My concern is, if I use it only for browing the web (including youtube, but no bittorrent download or any massive data transfer), and say I do it for 4-5 hours a day, 7 days a week.

That still doesn't mean anything. Two people with the usage pattern above can still have drastically different data usage. The only guarantee you're going to have is that you can't get caught tethering if you don't do it.

If you're worried about data usage then use a monitoring tool to keep an eye on your actual usage. There's no straightforward hours/MB rate that universally applies to everyone.

 

[Rettocs]

There are programs out there for your PC that can monitor your online data usage. It counts how many bytes are transferred. If you employ one of these programs, and find that you are sitting at less than 5-10 gigs (which I'm sure you are), then you will most likely not be caught. YMMV.

 

[Flomaster]

I am only going to tether when on the road at a hotels or out of town and can't get a wifi hot spot so having the tether option is GREAT as its not my primary internet connection at home.
holy crap I can't even imagine how much I use at home with my torrent files and what not.

-=Jason=-

 

[Rettocs]

I am only going to tether when on the road at a hotels or out of town and can't get a wifi hot spot so having the tether option is GREAT as its not my primary internet connection at home.
holy crap I can't even imagine how much I use at home with my torrent files and what not.

-=Jason=-

I agree, with all of this, except for me remove the word "torrent", and insert "newsbin".