Rogers: New Tethering Plans & Requirements

[alanbrenton]

So I was about to head to Costco to sign up for my HTC Magic +6GB data plan when I stumbled upon this HOFO thread:

http://howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1534881&page=7&pp=15

Tethering Policy
Tethering is the use of your phone as a wireless modem to connect to the Internet from your computer. For a limited time, if you subscribe to a data option which includes at least 1GB of data transmission between June 8, 2009 and December 31, 2009, you may use tethering as part of the volume of data included in your option at no additional charge. Tethering cannot be used with data options of less than 1GB.

If they are going to start charging for tethering, then I'll be fine with my Rogers Rocket Stick.

Any thoughts on this? Not worth getting the 6GB plan if I can't stick the SIM card into my Rocket Stick modem/shell.

[NewsyL]

I believe there is some discussion of this in either the 6GB/$30 thread in the hot deals forum...

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=745570


or in the big Costco HTC Dream/Magic thread here...

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=745742

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[alanbrenton]

I believe there is some discussion of this in either the 6GB/$30 thread in the hot deals forum...

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=745570


or in the big Costco HTC Dream/Magic thread here...

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=745742

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Thanks. I've read through the entire Costco thread and at least 6-8 pages of the 6 GB thread but did not find discussions on this.

Could you summarize what was it you were able to read on those threads? Thanks so much!

EDIT: Found this:

why not jailbreak and use PDANET. no charge alternative

Is this a fool-proof alternative? Will one be able to jailbreak the HTC Magic or any similar Rogers phone? Most of the discussions on jailbreaking are on the iPhone. Thanks as always.

[Kwirky]

Tethering is the use of your phone as a wireless modem to connect to the Internet from your computer - this has never included using a wireless data card/rocket stick. Some claim to have been able to use their data cards with the 6GB plan, but if Rogers detects that the serial number (IMEI) you're using on their network is anything but a phone, they can & most likely will start charging you per KB.
For a limited time, if you subscribe to a data option which includes at least 1GB of data transmission between June 8, 2009 and December 31, 2009, you may use tethering as part of the volume of data included in your option at no additional charge. - this just means that if you subscribe to a data plan that includes at least 1GB of data before the end of the year, tethering will be included for the whole time that you have the plan. Not sure if they'll start charging if you subscribe after that though.

[Kwirky]

EDIT: Found this:

why not jailbreak and use PDANET. no charge alternative

Is this a fool-proof alternative? Will one be able to jailbreak the HTC Magic or any similar Rogers phone? Most of the discussions on jailbreaking are on the iPhone. Thanks as always.

This is only if you have an iPhone running anything other than OS 3.0, as they never had official support for tethering. Jailbreaking is not applicable to the Dream/Magic, and as far as I know phones based on Android (the Dream/Magic OS) can tether out of the box.

[alanbrenton]

For a limited time, if you subscribe to a data option which includes at least 1GB of data transmission between June 8, 2009 and December 31, 2009, you may use tethering as part of the volume of data included in your option at no additional charge. - this just means that if you subscribe to a data plan that includes at least 1GB of data before the end of the year, tethering will be included for the whole time that you have the plan. Not sure if they'll start charging if you subscribe after that though.
[/LIST]

Interpretation of this new policy at HOFO is slightly different though Kwirky. They mentioned about having to call Rogers to be able to tether beginning in 2010 and this most likely means that Rogers will start charging for tethering nex year.

My Rocket Stick settings shows dialing of *99# and as was mentioned at HOFO, this phone (modem) dialing means that the phone/device is tethered to a computer. Any method without having to dial this code could be excluded from detection my Rogers. And you are right, my Rocket Stick has its own IMEI number.

[Gee]

Am I reading this wrong?

You are complaining about extra fees for tethering.

You are planning on getting the 6 Gig Data plan

If you read it again, it says there are no fees for tethering if you have a data plan that is great than 1 Gig. Why would you want to tether on a plan that offers so little data?

Since you are getting a 6 Gig Data plan

6 Gig > 1 Gig = No Extra Fees.

[M.D.]

^ Yes any data plan of 1GB or greater won't be subjected to thethering fees. You're getting the 6GB so you will be in the clear.
I think they will start charging thethering fees for customers who sign up after 2009 for the 1GB or greater data plans.
So you can view this as a promotion and incentive to sign up before 2010 comes around.

[Kwirky]

Interpretation of this new policy at HOFO is slightly different though Kwirky. They mentioned about having to call Rogers to be able to tether beginning in 2010 and this most likely means that Rogers will start charging for tethering nex year.

My Rocket Stick settings shows dialing of *99# and as was mentioned at HOFO, this phone (modem) dialing means that the phone/device is tethered to a computer. Any method without having to dial this code could be excluded from detection my Rogers. And you are right, my Rocket Stick has its own IMEI number.

Hmm, looks like you're correct about the potential for additional charges to tether, although I do think the wording has left it open to interpretation. Still though, using the rocket stick is something different from tethering and has never been allowed on the 6GB plan.

[NewsyL]

Thanks. I've read through the entire Costco thread and at least 6-8 pages of the 6 GB thread but did not find discussions on this.

Could you summarize what was it you were able to read on those threads? Thanks so much!


I pointed out those two threads as I thought the Rocket Stick posts in the first thread would be of interest to you. I linked the Costco thread just so you would be aware of it.

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[mr_raider]

What about those of us who have the 6gb plan since last year? I've been tethering with impunity for a year.

[Outsider]

So is there any talk about tethering the Rogers Magic on HOFO or on the Rogers site? (considering currently there is no way to tether it except for the PdaNet method)

[r4nd0mn4me]

This is only if you have an iPhone running anything other than OS 3.0, as they never had official support for tethering. Jailbreaking is not applicable to the Dream/Magic, and as far as I know phones based on Android (the Dream/Magic OS) can tether out of the box.

Jailbreaking is an iPhone term that is similar to the term "rooting" or getting root access to your phone. The Dream and Magic can not tether out of the box, but to the best of my knowledge, thus only the magic can be rooted. The project for rooting the Dream is still ongoing.

[r4nd0mn4me]

Jailbreaking is an iPhone term that is similar to the term "rooting" or getting root access to your phone. The Dream and Magic can not tether out of the box, but to the best of my knowledge, thus only the magic can be rooted. The project for rooting the Dream is still ongoing.

Just wanted to follow up, albeit a little late, that the Dream has been rooted or is now rootable. Now progress is being made to get the source code from HTC in order to make custom ROM's and allow Wi-Fi tethering, apps2sd and what ever our hears desire.

[tdott]

I have 500MB of data and have yet to use over 300MB.

I once used PDAnet for a day to work from home while my internet at my new house was being setup.

I would have liked to have the option to use it in case of emergency. But since I jailbroke my iphone ill be able to do it anyways, sucks rogers couldn`t make it easier. But i guess they are covering their asses n protecting the dumbarses that will surf n download pretending to be dummb when the massive bill comes.

[alanbrenton]

Just wanted to follow up, albeit a little late, that the Dream has been rooted or is now rootable. Now progress is being made to get the source code from HTC in order to make custom ROM's and allow Wi-Fi tethering, apps2sd and what ever our hears desire.

Nice. My wife may need a HTC smartphone when she embarks on a part-time career in real estate.

Will flashing a custom ROM allow for tethering with no issues down the road especially with Rogers likely charging for tethering? She only intends to use the phone for internet connectivity and will not be abusing the Rogers bandwidth/usage policies.

[captawesom3]

quick question its a little off topic. but will 150 mb be enough for someone that is a light user . just to check emails like twice a day, and some surfing for about 10 minutes. and i have a wifi enabled phone too. will 150mb be enough?

[NewsyL]

quick question its a little off topic. but will 150 mb be enough for someone that is a light user . just to check emails like twice a day, and some surfing for about 10 minutes. and i have a wifi enabled phone too. will 150mb be enough?

Probably.

My first month which included an overnite business trip in which I tethered, I used about 170M. I also have push MS exchange for work and push GMail plus Twitter checks every 30 minutes - maybe 30 to 50 emails a day. And, I played a fair bit with the GPS and Google Maps but many days did not browse or use maps at all. However, I used WiFi mostly for app updates.

So far this month, which includes 5 days away tethering with at least 3 hours a day of surfing and a teenager checking Facebook and using MSN chat, I'm on course to use about 600-700M.

Have to mention that I was extremely disappointed with the performance of PDAnet as tethering software during the past week. Slow (avg high speed... 12Kb/s), high latency, wait wait wait wait for the browser to pickup the info off the DNS (I'm guessing at this), and worst of all.... FREQUENT DISCONNECTS!!!! %$$@$#^&$@#!

Yet, when I ran various speed tests, they showed I had huge amounts of bandwidth available. Maybe it was just the area I was in - have yet to test it again here at home.

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