What's new
DroidForums.net | Android Forum & News

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Weird Wireless Tether Question

T

TheAngryPanda

New Member
Hey all,

I finally dropped the dimes and purchased my RAZR today, and have been in the process of moving all of my apps/rooting/etc. Although rooting went quick and easy, installing WiFi Tether gave me a weird little quirk. Whenever I enable the hotspot I not only get the 'Yellow Shield' (Using a Beta/Experimental Build) icon but also a green icon from Verizon with the notification "Mobile Hotspot Active". I have tried a couple of different .apk builds of WiFi Tether and they all receive the same 'error". Can anyone confirm who has used this over the course of a couple of months, that they haven't been charged by Verizon for this?

I have an unlimited Data Plan and regularly do 20-30GB (Hard to say what usage comes from Tether and what comes from just running Netflix on my old Droid 1.5 of Doom), and I've never had any issues before. I did do a search and there were a couple of people who mentioned this but there was no one that gave a definite answer either way. If this way will charge, will the SQL hack fix it so that it won't?

Edit: As some extra info I have tried using Wireless Tether 2_0_8 pre 1, WiFi_Tether(Same guys) v3_1beta11, Wireless_Tether_2_0_7, V3_1-pre104, and V3_1-pre101
~TheAngryPanda
Support The Devs! Otherwise, no root goodness...
 
Last edited:
Let's see... Verizon, in response to finding out that people use root to access tethering capabilities for free, have changed the radios to tell when tethering is being used and when you're just accessing data (e.g. internet, netflix, downloading apps, etc.). This wasn't in effect on the previous droids, but on the newer ones such as the 3, Bionic, and Razr, it is. There's something in the droid 3 world refferred to as the "RadioComm Hack". This program changes the radios in the device so verizon can't recognize when you're tethering. I'll try and find the thread, which is meant for the Droid 3, but may not be so different on the Razr. If you perform this *I'm not responsible for any damage you cause to your phone*.

EDIT: here's the link http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1182940

Sent from my DROID3 using DroidForums
 
Last edited:
Seriously 20-30gb a month and you want to skate around paying for tether? I use 2gb a month gotta be careful with tether and people like you are ruining it for everyone.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
 
For the guys who are trying to help out, I appreciate it. The tether app linked is actually the exact one I use (and have used previously), but I don't think I've tried the 3.1beta11 yet. I will most definitely check out the XDA dev thread and see what I can find.

Oddly enough, when I first loaded the app (using 2.0.7) there was no issue, and just a bit ago after attempting to use Barnacle (Desperate times...) it also seemed to not throw a notification. Also strange is that not everyone (or maybe even many people) seem to have this problem. Has anyone else had this problem and figured out a way to make it go away, or still has this problem?

~TheAngryPanda
Support the devs! Otherwise no root goodness...
 
TheAngryPanda said:
For the guys who are trying to help out, I appreciate it. The tether app linked is actually the exact one I use (and have used previously), but I don't think I've tried the 3.1beta11 yet. I will most definitely check out the XDA dev thread and see what I can find.

Oddly enough, when I first loaded the app (using 2.0.7) there was no issue, and just a bit ago after attempting to use Barnacle (Desperate times...) it also seemed to not throw a notification. Also strange is that not everyone (or maybe even many people) seem to have this problem. Has anyone else had this problem and figured out a way to make it go away, or still has this problem?

~TheAngryPanda
Support the devs! Otherwise no root goodness...
Click to expand...

3.1 works fine. Also, I'd have to agree that if you are planning on using 20-30GB per month tethering, you should pay the $30 extra once they fix the hotspot problem. You don't want to pay right now, because certain sites are not working.
 
Just tried 3.1, same notification popped. I tend about 10GB tether, 20GB between using Pandora/Amazon/Netflix on the phone. There is no broadband but Verizon Wireless where i live.
 
TheAngryPanda said:
Just tried 3.1, same notification popped. I tend about 10GB tether, 20GB between using Pandora/Amazon/Netflix on the phone. There is no broadband but Verizon Wireless where i live.
Click to expand...

That is wierd becuse its working on everyones phone. As for the tethering, right now you cant use the 30 dollar option because it does not work with Netflix. i know this for a fact. i had problems ith amazon sometimes too. i would say that after they get the hotspot fixed, you really must add the additional hotspot. can you use a usb? the usb tethering is free and works fine. thats what i have my wife use on her laptop when she needs it.
 
That is the odd thing that I've noticed, as well: I have BEYOUND Google'd and dug for information on this, and I can find a reference to it as early as 11/11/2011. But it seems like it is so limited, and that not everyone experiences this problem. In fact the first time I booted up the WiFi tether app, it didn't show the notification. Periodically (especially after a reboot for some reason) it will either not show it, or it will show it for a brief second and then it will disapear from the notification bar (Without manually clearing it). My main issue is the worry over suddenly being charged for tethering, because a small green icon I can ignore, but an extra 150$ in DATA charges is kind of hard to ignore.

Edit: I'm beginning to think that I may have a lemon, as I suddenly realized I am having some pretty fierce battery issues as well. Just for reference for when I go to get a replacement tomorrow, would someone mind telling me if they have done a full update of firmware before or after root (while using the root saver), and which one of DoomLord's versions (v2 or v3 or v4) they used to root? I know it is probably nothing, but I want to recreate a successful root/Tether of another user here if possible.

Again thank you guys for all the replies and the help.

Edit: Turns out I did have a lemon of a RAZR Battery Wise, but the 'hotspot' notification still occurs. I've noticed that this notification pops up and disapears so long as it is the first time you start WiFi tether after you restart or first power up the phone. I'll be using it this way and will post after the next bill to let anyone know if any surcharges appear. If anyone has any more information or a fix in the meantime, I'm still definitely interested.

~TheAngryPanda
 
Last edited:
[video=youtube;HdTOOfogAaU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdTOOfogAaU&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/video]

Sent from my DROID RAZR using DroidForums
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Wireless Tether Fix/Work Around
3 4 5
Replies
74
Views
25K
akiles
A
M
Will the RAZR's locked bootloader prevent use of Wireless Tether apps?
2
Replies
20
Views
12K
breedingh8
B
B
Wireless Tether and the Thunderbolt
2 3 4
Replies
59
Views
62K
mj23
M
B
Wireless tether
Replies
9
Views
4K
s1ck s0n
S
C
wifi tethering down, liberty rom.
Replies
2
Views
2K
Cooly1911
C
Back
Top