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Grandfathered unlimited data + mobile hotspot + iPhone 5

I have an unlimited data plan that I currently use with my Razr Maxx. I paid full retail for an iPhone 5 that should arrive today. I plan to replace the Razr Maxx with the iPhone 5, and I want to use mobile hotspot / wifi tether on the new iPhone. How do I do this?

When I click on "change features" under My Verizon, there's an option that looks like this [italics mine]:

Data Hotspot Packages

Choose only one of the following features:

4G Mobile Hotspot

Use your Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Smartphone to get online access and share your data allowance with multiple Wi-Fi-enable devices.
Tell me more

$30.00/mo
$25.50/mo
(15.0% off)

Do I just click on this? And do I add this before or after I activate the iPhone? Right now I do wifi tether using FoxFi, but my understanding is that the only native wifi tether / mobile hotspot option for a Verizon iPhone 5 is by activating the feature through Verizon. Please help. Thanks.

Comments

heyitsmejosh

i would wait till i got the phone to add it

nsk

Thanks for the response. Do you know whether the 4G Mobile Hotspot feature will draw from my unlimited data allowance, or from some other limit?

I asked this question to a guy in a Verizon "authorized retailer" store, and he spouted a bunch of contradictory nonsense. Hoping I can get an accurate, substantiated answer here.

LolGanked

It will not draw from your unlimited pool. The mobile hotspot has it's own data plan.

MyNewPCGuy

There is nothing "illegal" about tethering using FoxFi. Frankly, it's be deemed not legal for Verizon to not allow for tethering LTE by the FCC as explained here. Though Verizon has circumvented this by dumping every unlimited data plan, and now of course EVERY data plan "includes" free tethering. This is why there is such a huge push to get everyone off the unlimited plans, despite what employees have been told to say. The sell is, "it's cheaper, you can have a lot more devices (aka more devices to bump you over your new 2GB limit), most people don't use more than x amount of data a month, etc." What they overlook, is that A. at 3G speeds, it's damn near impossible to use 2GB a month because I don't personally know anyone that patient. But with your new LTE 2GB plan, a SINGLE HD Netflix movie will put you over your monthly limit-aka cha-ching-overage charges. If you're concerned that they'll "throttle", or slow down your connection if you abuse it, that is also NOT the case, as explained HERE. Verizon also likes to claim that limiting data is a way they can insure that everyone gets fair use of the bandwidth, which is a flat out lie.

It's all about overages. If it were about simply fairly dividing bandwidth, and making it cheaper for those that typically use less, you wouldn't have to chose a plan ahead of time, you'd just pay for whatever you use. If you seriously believe that a minute/data plan that has the potential for massive overages is in an effort to help the customer, you're an idiot.

I wouldn't go crazy and share out your LTE everywhere you go, but I'd use it while you can. I'm certain they'll be getting rid of unlimited data one way or another, and blame those that "abuse" it-aka more than 2GB a month. You signed a contract that said it's ok for Verizon to do whatever, whenever, to whomever, and were told it's to benefit you. Free tethering might be a violation of your terms of service, but there's nothing illegal about it.

The problem here, is Apple. They pull apps from the app store that get around the wifi tethering blockade. And with no side loading of apps like with Android, you'll probably have to wait for a stable jailbreak of iOS 6 to get something like MiWi from Cydia. The current status of jailbreaking looks promising.

DanD21

Back to the orignial post, i had an Android phone for 2.5 years with unlimited data, but was forced to tiered data when i got the iPhone 5. and i don't see hotpot as any feature to add, like the last post.

nsk

You were probably forced to tiered data because you purchased a subsidized iPhone 5. I paid full price for my iPhone 5, and I was able to retain unlimited data.

fergieg

$30 hotspot = UNLIMITED usage. It is only available if you currently have the unlimited data plan on a 4G handset.

fergieg

I toally agree with you in regards to usage.

Verizon in the past has been warned, fined, brought to court by the feds and private citizens too many times to count - all because of violation of FCC rules or deceptive billing practices, overcgarging its customers. Even its own employees filed numerous class action lawsuits against Verizon for unethical treatment of its employees and uncompensated labors.

Now, most people that use a smartphone typically has a pattern of use, for example, some like to stream music and some just don't. Everyone has a clear idea about how much data they would use per month and they choose a data plan accordingly. All good, right? NO. What you can't control is "GHOST USAGE". Yes, customers increasingly complain about going over their allowance with no explanation for data usage at early mornings, even when a device is turned off. Some have reported unaccounted usage causing hundreds of dollars worth of overage.

Minutes overage? You can ask for call list and you can compare the usage.

Data overage? It's their word and that's final. They can't / won't show details of the usage and still you are obligated to pay.

It seems like the switch to tiered data is NOT for the benefit of the customers, but instead it is an ILLEGAL revenue stream for Verizon by overcharging the customers with fabricated data usage.

CanAnyoneHelpMe

How were you able to keep your unlimited data? I had a 4G handset with unlimited data, and ordered an i phone 5 at full retail price how to I do what you did? Can you email me how you did it at <Email address removed per the .>

please I desperately need help.

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

brokedownsystem

yeah, I found this out all pretty quickly. It's ok for the time being, but an annoyance when I found out that tethering was gimped for unlimited data plans.

I hope Apple reneges on whatever agreement they have with Verizon in regards to 3rd-party tethering apps, >Rooting comment deleted for violating VZW ToS<

At least Pandora works. That's something my previous 3g connection couldn't handle.

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

jakniclesin

If you have a grandfathered $29.99 Unlimited Email and Web data package, AND a 4G mobile phone, the hotspot package is $30.00 and you have unlimited tethered data.

On a 3G device the mobile hotspot feature is $20.00 and your data package allowance is increased to 4GB. 2GB for phone use, 2GB for tethering.

brokedownsystem

Probably a little bit late to reply, but the solution has been posted online. Google is your buddy. You can only do it though if you have a second line on the account that's not a smartphone.

brokedownsystem

Yes, I know. I'm just saying by default that tethering should be free and clear for everyone since one is already paying for the data plan. It's not like it costs Verizon anything extra. This is as bad as Microsoft charging $60/yr simply for people to play games online with their 360 console.

While they say that all these actions are to keep the network up and running efficiently, this's more about nickel and diming the consumer for everything possible. We in the U.S., are currently living in the cellphone Dark Ages compared to the rest of the world.

unknown

It is free if you're on a a Share Everything plan. An no it should NOT be free for those on unlimited. Think about it. If I had unlimited data on my 4G phone and I had had free unlimited tethering included why not just cancel my cable internet and use my Verizon connection as my main internet? Well the problem is I use 100 GB - 250 GB a month. It wouldn't take many people like me to slow down the network for everyone else. I'm not sure why some of you people think that bandwidth and spectrum is some sort of magical unlimited resource.

brokedownsystem

unlimited plan has nothing to do with tethering.

Corporate work environments are hostile in many circumstances to their employees doing anything that might make their work remotely tolerable. They don't want employees "wasting" time nor do they want to take responsibility for employees' actions on the internet.

So we're mostly stuck pounding out personal e-mails and listening to music via cellphones. Now the latter might be optional, but it makes sense that everyone who already pays for a data plan to have access to a method that's easier to carry out personal e-mails, like a laptop or an iPad. This is why tethering should be a basic capability as opposed to something extra...employers benefit since employees waste much less time writing e-mails on touchpads, and employees benefit by having their privacy maintained and not getting frustrated writing e-mails on tiny handheld devices.

My point is moot IF it's possible to pair a bluetooth keyboard to a cellphone. I just remember this not being easily done without doing something out of the ordinary to my old android phone.

(note: yes, apple wireless keyboard pairing works straight out of the box for iPhone 5!!)

jpeter1094

<<If you have a grandfathered $29.99 Unlimited Email and Web data package, AND a 4G mobile phone, the hotspot package is $30.00 and you have unlimited tethered data.

On a 3G device the mobile hotspot feature is $20.00 and your data package allowance is increased to 4GB. 2GB for phone use, 2GB for tethering.>>

What about if you have a 3G grandfathered $29.99 Unlimited Email and Web data package? Is the tethered data unlimited?

Tidbits

jpeter1094 wrote:
<<If you have a grandfathered $29.99 Unlimited Email and Web data package, AND a 4G mobile phone, the hotspot package is $30.00 and you have unlimited tethered data.
On a 3G device the mobile hotspot feature is $20.00 and your data package allowance is increased to 4GB. 2GB for phone use, 2GB for tethering.>>
What about if you have a 3G grandfathered $29.99 Unlimited Email and Web data package? Is the tethered data unlimited?

only if you had the package before the change. If you don't then it will be 2GB and up respectively.

Jumpie1

Dude, you're completely wrong. You chose to get a subsidized phone or at a discount and therefore gave up your rights to use unlimited data how you choose for a measly 2GB.

I chose to keep my unlimited data and pay full price for my i5. And, I should be allowed to choose how I want to use my data whether it's just to play SongPop or surf the web on the phone or tether to my entire house (per FCC rules).

>Comment deleted, From the ToS: Posts that discuss hacking and/or rooting a wireless device from any carrier will be removed. In addition, name calling comment removed<

Bandwidth should not be throttled by VZW because of the amount of data you use. Bandwidth should be determined by how many people are using the network just it does if everyone in your community were using your home broadband at the same time streaming HD movies. Period.

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

verizonmoderator1

>This thread has been answered and rehashed over and over, it will now be locked<

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