Database Info

Imei Spoofing via custom roms

i've read the other threads about people not wanting to talk about it because thieves who steal phones change imei numbers to bypass an imei block when you report the phone stolen.
Well the reason for this imei "spoofing" would be for the ATT customers. They force smartphone/iphone users into having to pay for a data plan. That's 25 bucks for 2 gigs and $10 more for any gig over. Forget tethering and all that. The people who had unllimited data plans BEFORe this was enacted STILL have unlimited data to tether and watch videos all they want on their smartphones WITHOUT a 2 gb cap.
Solution? Here's what i've come up with (a theory/model).
A rom (like clockwork ) could implement a imei spoofer at boottime. You can only put in one imei number to change it to at the time of installation of the clockwork mod. It would be locked down though so you can only switch it back to the real one or that other one. So if you uninstall/reinstal/wipe the phone you can't change the imei again.
That one imei number that you put in should be an older phone you have (nokias, lg shine, aka anything that ISNT a smartphone). Everyone has older phones lying around before you upgraded to a smartphone. Just use that one and either destroy the phone or just make sure no sim goes into the dumbphone imei your using. Then you can get the original medianet unlimited available to non smartphones
What do you think of this?
also as of now im thinking of just getting the 200 mb , turning off all data connections (power control widget) permanently and just use wifi. ATT won't let you actually turn off the data plan (thus another need for this imei spoofing/changing)

I think it is absolute nonsense. Honestly..

RunTimeWorld said:
I think it is absolute nonsense. Honestly..
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nah.. the whole goal is to get ATT to switch their plans. Tmobile, verizon, everyone else has a real unlimited plan. PErhaps just limit the iphone users if its really a network problem.
Since they don't want to offer unlimited internet, this would be the only way to. People would do it the same reason they jailbreak iphones, root androids, etc.
also note:
"The new top-ranging data plan is called DataPro and gives users a monthly cap of 2GB for $25/month. Once customers fly past their monthly cap, AT&T will charge an additional $10 for another gigabyte of data. For example, if a customer uses 2.01GB of data, you'll be charged $35."

Have you ever considered the possibility that you might jeopardize someone else's profile by using his IMEI ?

RunTimeWorld said:
Have you ever considered the possibility that you might jeopardize someone else's profile by using his IMEI ?
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No because You are supposed to use only imei's you own. Old phones in shoe boxes, closets, etc. I dunno about you guys, but my mom/dad/myself/others i know have always had old backup phones or phones they just keep in boxes when they get others. In fact I have a couple blackberries, palm treo 600/650, nokias, lgs & the such lieing around now.
Just like macchanger on linux allows you to change your mac, a imei changer at boot time could switch to that one so you could save money on your bill (regain the ability to disable all att internet instead of being FORCED to pay for internet if you have a smartphone... or just pay for unlimited)
Both options IMHO are better than the 200 mb cap, and 2 gb cap they offer

I see.. well in that case i misunderstood. There's a good IMEI tool on berryreview for these purporses.. but still.. not a big fan about the idea.. however, it should work

RunTimeWorld said:
I see.. well in that case i misunderstood. There's a good IMEI tool on berryreview for these purporses.. but still.. not a big fan about the idea.. however, it should work
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I thought it was illegal to do that, but will this let an android work on regular plans?

It is illegal as far as i know, since you violate the contract you made to a certain IMEI.
Plus not everything that is illegal is negative - sometimes there is nothing but a protection for consumers behind.

baalpeteor said:
No because You are supposed to use only imei's you own. Old phones in shoe boxes, closets, etc. I dunno about you guys, but my mom/dad/myself/others i know have always had old backup phones or phones they just keep in boxes when they get others. In fact I have a couple blackberries, palm treo 600/650, nokias, lgs & the such lieing around now.
Just like macchanger on linux allows you to change your mac, a imei changer at boot time could switch to that one so you could save money on your bill (regain the ability to disable all att internet instead of being FORCED to pay for internet if you have a smartphone... or just pay for unlimited)
Both options IMHO are better than the 200 mb cap, and 2 gb cap they offer
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If you can afford so many devices, you might be able to pay for a decent plan too.. that's an advice with good intention..

Let me kn ow if anything comes of this as I am interested in hobnobbing this IM3I trickster. I have an older samsung Eternity that I have wanted to test and switch IM3I numbers with my Captivate.

Another thing that i was looking into but never went anywhere was ROMing a Galaxy S so it would work WITHOUT a SIM card. simply using the WIFI only "off the grid"
It does not seem too impossible at all and I dont understand whay this is not been looked into.
I cant run my Captivate without a SIM or I get major NAGing

I'm affraid you'd have to google yourself, since I don't want to put myself into trouble.
But there are tons of tools for that out there...

RunTimeWorld said:
If you can afford so many devices, you might be able to pay for a decent plan too.. that's an advice with good intention..
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Yeah. The one I have now is an aria though (they were giving them away free in exchange for a 2 year extension). I should have done my research first about ATT's new policies. Sure 2 gb isnt the end of the world, but I would love the ability to choose no internet at all. That way I can just use wifi. Since I am forced into paying for some kind, I would love to pay for unlimited so I can tether or use it however way I want. They charge $20 or $25 on top of the original $25 to tether (so 45-50 bucks) and you still have the same 2gb cap. nomore bandwidth although you paid 20-25 bucks more. That is not right.
I will check that app out. If push comes to shove though, I will just keep the 2 gb and just keep data off (thanks to cyanogen!) and just use wifi. the $25 for the 2 gb is less than the $30 I paid for unlimited on a normal phone (which they just removed 2 days ago when it sensed the aria)

baalpeteor said:
Yeah. The one I have now is an aria though (they were giving them away free in exchange for a 2 year extension). I should have done my research first about ATT's new policies. Sure 2 gb isnt the end of the world, but I would love the ability to choose no internet at all. That way I can just use wifi. Since I am forced into paying for some kind, I would love to pay for unlimited so I can tether or use it however way I want. They charge $20 or $25 on top of the original $25 to tether (so 45-50 bucks) and you still have the same 2gb cap. nomore bandwidth although you paid 20-25 bucks more. That is not right.
I will check that app out. If push comes to shove though, I will just keep the 2 gb and just keep data off (thanks to cyanogen!) and just use wifi. the $25 for the 2 gb is less than the $30 I paid for unlimited on a normal phone (which they just removed 2 days ago when it sensed the aria)
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I had a Blackberry Bold with the original $30 unlimited data plan before I got my Captivate. After I got the Captivate I just had to call up AT&T and they transferred the plan to my Captivate's IMEI number with no problem.
The reason I'm researching this is for when I get my Motorola Atrix next month. I'm going to transfer my unlimited plan to the Atrix's IMEI number but change the IMEI on my Captivate to the Atrix's IMEI number also. That way when I use the Captivate as a backup phone I would just move my SIM card over and not have any data network problems.

yahooserious said:
Another thing that i was looking into but never went anywhere was ROMing a Galaxy S so it would work WITHOUT a SIM card. simply using the WIFI only "off the grid"
It does not seem too impossible at all and I dont understand whay this is not been looked into.
I cant run my Captivate without a SIM or I get major NAGing
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Click to collapse
Couldn't you blacklist or rmmod whatever kernel driver module operates the SIM card?

RunTimeWorld said:
If you can afford so many devices, you might be able to pay for a decent plan too.. that's an advice with good intention..
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Click to collapse
That was such a stupid remark. Please don't talk unless u think. So ur saying if I have an old Motorola flip phone and own a couple phones from 1995 that I should be able to afford a $60+ plan?? Some people amaze me with their stupidity.
From the Tab.
www.twitter.com/ayman07

So, if I were to switch the imei and device id I could name T-Mobile think I'm using my old note 5? My kid broke his and I can't get it replaced because it's now been too long. If I can change the s4 and spoof the note 5 for a day I can get it replaced. Would this work?

At&the now detecting tethering by packet type value

Is it possible to change the tethering application built into most roms so that it won't deincrement the ttl value?

where did you get this info at?

http://osxdaily.com/2011/03/17/att-cracking-down-on-unofficial-iphone-tethering-mywi-users/
http://www.electronista.com/articles/11/03/18/att.clamps.down.on.unofficial.tethering.users/

If you dig through the comments on those articles, it appears that the people who receive the letters are using in excess of 5GB on their unlimited data plan.
Case in point: One of the comments was from a guy who said that his wife was sent the notice from AT&T. From what he says, she hasn't ever tethered, but she's always listening to streaming audio or watching streaming video.
This is nothing new for AT&T. They have long held that 5GB is 'effectively unlimited' for a smartphone, and that anyone who uses more must be using a computer tethered to the phone. With the phones we have now, that simply is not the case anymore. But AT&T is using that as an excuse to try and get people off of the unlimited plans and on to something where they can charge customers more money.

Krynn! said:
If you dig through the comments on those articles, it appears that the people who receive the letters are using in excess of 5GB on their unlimited data plan.
Case in point: One of the comments was from a guy who said that his wife was sent the notice from AT&T. From what he says, she hasn't ever tethered, but she's always listening to streaming audio or watching streaming video.
This is nothing new for AT&T. They have long held that 5GB is 'effectively unlimited' for a smartphone, and that anyone who uses more must be using a computer tethered to the phone. With the phones we have now, that simply is not the case anymore. But AT&T is using that as an excuse to try and get people off of the unlimited plans and on to something where they can charge customers more money.
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I hope you're right.

Also just saw this......I personally dont tether much but have used mobile AP. Might be worth looking into for those that do tether.
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2011/03/18/att-shutting-down-unauthorized-tetherers/

cnigro1279 said:
Also just saw this......I personally dont tether much but have used mobile AP. Might be worth looking into for those that do tether.
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2011/03/18/att-shutting-down-unauthorized-tetherers/
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If they are using ttl to detect tethering, then mobile ap would be effected. I'm not sure if usb tethering does deincrement ttl. All the reports seem to be mentioning WiFi tethering.

i think its a scare tactic.
I don't think they are detecting tethering. I think they are targeting people going beyond a certain threshold of usage as suspected tethereres (4gb or 5gb or more likely)

bames said:
i think its a scare tactic.
I don't think they are detecting tethering. I think they are targeting people going beyond a certain threshold of usage as suspected tethereres (4gb or 5gb or more likely)
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+1
Just a scare tactic. I'm on my 11th day of this months cycle, and between tethering, mobile ap, and downloads, I'm sitting at 9gb of data usage and haven't heard anything from AT&T. Yet

vunuts said:
+1
Just a scare tactic. I'm on my 11th day of this months cycle, and between tethering, mobile ap, and downloads, I'm sitting at 9gb of data usage and haven't heard anything from AT&T. Yet
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WOW what are you doing to use 9gb of data lol.
Even though i think its more of a scare tactic i think it can be done...its just not cost efficient to do it wide scale unless their is a huge red flag...like oh say 9gb of data usage . I won't be surprised if you get a letter if your usage rates continually reach anywhere near that later as i suspect that is the type of red flag that may cause them to actually take the time to audit the account and look at the ttl/packet data more closely.
if you have a 2gb or even unlimited and tether never going over 2gb i seriously doubt you would received letter or raise an eyebrow.
This goes back to my initial thought on how stupid their marketing team and management decisions are.
ALLOW FREE TETHERING
Pay for the extra data you need. It breaks down to the same cost...they are just being short sighted and greedy hoping people will think oh...2gb more data for 20bucks and then continue to not even fully use the 2gb they already had paid for on their smartphones plan (they are playing on peoples ignorance of how much data they are actually using). Part of good business and sales is fitting the client with their needs so they can afford it and continue to be a good longterm customer rather than bilking them for services they don't need or use (much like requiring all smartphones to have data plans when some smartphone users could be completely happy with a smartphone and wifi only usage).
If i have $25 2gb plan and want to tether and don't go over 2gb DON'T CHARGE EXTRA or REQUIRE TETHERING. If i go over charge me by the GB just like you would if i used all the data on my smartphones. 2gb Plan + 2gb overage =$45 for that months data (shouldn't matter whether it was used tethered or untethered). If i have a 2gb plan and tether and only use 3gb for the plan why not allow my to pay for 3gb data instead of forcing me to pay for 4gb/tethering. Let people police and pay for their usage. DATA IS DATA and it doesn't cost more for att to deliver 4gb to a tethered user than it does to someone using the 4gb downloading torrents or streaming movies on their smartphone.
Seems like it would be great customer relations, marketing, and a blow to verizon if ATT and came out with a marketing campaign that said Free Mobile AP/Tethering. Use as much data as you need....pay for the data you use. If those still grandfathered under unlimited plans are the concern you could easily audit those accounts if the usage is excessive and either throttle or require tethering for unlimited plans only which might encourage more people to give up the unlimited and take one of the tiered plans. They talk about tethers using all the data while i suspect those doing a combination of significant streaming and downloading torrent using in an untethered state.
A good question is why is one industry being allowed wipe their A** with net neutrality (with so little backlash)

bames said:
WOW what are you doing to use 9gb of data lol.
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Lol, I just opened my own auto shop, and we have yet to get internet hooked up in there, so I'm tethered to my desktop there for about 5-8 hours a day. I wouldn't be surprised if I do hear from AT&T, but they can't do anything to me. They've tried before and I fought them and won. I have unlimited text and data and I'm going to use it to my advantage. If they want to try and blow smoke up my ass, go for it. I'll blow it right back

Funny how this coincided with the new bandwidth cap for cable customers... AT&T is slowly trying to eliminate all unlimited customers. I wish they spent as much time working on increasing signal strength across the US as they do finding ways to squeeze more money from their customers.

vunuts said:
+1
Just a scare tactic. I'm on my 11th day of this months cycle, and between tethering, mobile ap, and downloads, I'm sitting at 9gb of data usage and haven't heard anything from AT&T. Yet
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I thought my 3 -4 gb / month was a lot.
Isn't a byte of data still a byte of data no matter how you view your porn.

what they are doing with tethering would be akin charging us $10 per month to use google navigation.
They could say "hey our navigation per att nav with your device is $10 per month.....if you want to use navigation on your phone you must have a navigation plan add on and if you try to use another free navigation program we can tell and will change your plan without your permission"

I don't get any letters, but I get a "friendly call" from AT&T about every other month asking why I use so much data. I've been on unlimited since it first came out and I'm taking full advantage of it. When I get the call about my usage, I start downloading on my phone, just to eat more data. I've downloaded several ISOs of Linux distros and MS ISOs from the MSDN. Is it my fault I signed up for 'unlimited data' or is it there fault they didn't look into the future? ComCast tried to complain when I pulled down over 300gb in a month and wanted to charge me for it. Sent off a copy of the original contract and there was no bandwidth cap in it. It becomes a breach of contract if you haven't physically signed anything new accepting and agreeing to the new changes.

If you don't mind switching carriers (which isn't that attractive because they all suck and use the same ploys pretty much)
but if they change your plan (for example adding a tethering plan to your account) you have 30 days to cancel your contract WITHOUT penalty no matter how many months you have remaining.

bames said:
If you don't mind switching carriers (which isn't that attractive because they all suck and use the same ploys pretty much)
but if they change your plan (for example adding a tethering plan to your account) you have 30 days to cancel your contract WITHOUT penalty no matter how many months you have remaining.
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This is true. You can avoid any early termination fees and essentially end your contract in good standing credit wise.

pbclst said:
I don't get any letters, but I get a "friendly call" from AT&T about every other month asking why I use so much data. I've been on unlimited since it first came out and I'm taking full advantage of it. When I get the call about my usage, I start downloading on my phone, just to eat more data. I've downloaded several ISOs of Linux distros and MS ISOs from the MSDN. Is it my fault I signed up for 'unlimited data' or is it there fault they didn't look into the future? ComCast tried to complain when I pulled down over 300gb in a month and wanted to charge me for it. Sent off a copy of the original contract and there was no bandwidth cap in it. It becomes a breach of contract if you haven't physically signed anything new accepting and agreeing to the new changes.
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Click to collapse
For every time they call and ask you you should place 20 calls to their customer support line asking them why someone called you again and telling them you just wanted to make sure they knew you had an unlimited data plan because someone keeps calling.

vunuts said:
Lol, I just opened my own auto shop, and we have yet to get internet hooked up in there, so I'm tethered to my desktop there for about 5-8 hours a day. I wouldn't be surprised if I do hear from AT&T, but they can't do anything to me. They've tried before and I fought them and won. I have unlimited text and data and I'm going to use it to my advantage. If they want to try and blow smoke up my ass, go for it. I'll blow it right back
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I'm sorry, but this attitude just rubs me raw. Cell phones were never designed to be ISPs. It's abusers like you that have made it hard for the rest of us by forcing AT$T to eliminate unlimited plans and by slowing down the network with your extreme usage. Why do so many feel the need to squeeze whatever they can however they can out of a company? If you think they're screwing you then simply take your business elsewhere.

People receiving the letter today are iphone users? am i correct? Did any android user receive it?

Free hotspot for another month

Well I didn't see this posted anywhere else but I just got a text message from Verizon saying I get another month of hotbot free. Here is a copy of the text.
FREE VZW MSG: The Mobile Hotspot/Mobile Broadband Connect promotion for your Smartphone has been extended to 6/15/2011. Share your internet access with up to 8 Wi-Fi capable devices or with your notebook or netbook. After the promotion expires, additional access charges will apply.
Did anyone else get this?

Yes, I got this message as well.

Got it too, made my day
Sent from my T-Bolt

The extension is probably in lieu of the Charge being released soon. Cant complain.

RossLH said:
The extension is probably in lieu of the Charge being released soon. Cant complain.
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Charge has been out for a few days now...

I never claimed to be on top of things...

this could be a case of moron-employee, but a rep I talked to today at a store in Thousand Oaks (Cali.) told me they had no plans to charge for wi-fi hotspot use provided you already had unlimited data.

I suspect it will be free until they have tiered data pricing in place. Because it's free, you can't sign up for it. After tiered data is in place, when you sign up, you're not grandfathered, so that means a contract change along with tiered pricing.
Net/net, there will be no way to grandfather unlimited data along with tethering on the TB.

my mobile hot spot has been shotty lately. Constantly cutting out but i did get the text 5/16

mike.s said:
I suspect it will be free until they have tiered data pricing in place. Because it's free, you can't sign up for it. After tiered data is in place, when you sign up, you're not grandfathered, so that means a contract change along with tiered pricing.
Net/net, there will be no way to grandfather unlimited data along with tethering on the TB.
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I called on the 15th and asked about the pricing and here's what they thought was reasonable......
$50 - 5GB
$80 - 10GB
$10 - EVERY GB Over!!!
I balked and hung up, got a callback for a customer survey 2 min later, told them I wasn't happy and they said a manager may call me back....
The next morning I get that message and it was on engadget...
I guess they had a lot of calls like that....
Sent from my AdasR6400L from the matrix->

I got the message too about charging after a certain date. I seriously doubt Verizon is going to let any money slip through their fingers by grandfathering anyone in. Which is fine with me, I like Wireless Tether better!!!

This may sound a bit on the paranoid side. But, did any one ever think that maybe VZW was letting us have free hot spot feature to see how much DATA we would actually incure on our individual lines? Verizon has a way of finding out how much DATA is being passed through there tather app. That will give them an idea of who is using the after market teather app when there hotspot feature goes to a teared price plann. They know that some will go back to the teather app. And they will be able to make a pretty good educated guess as to whoo is using what. And please, don't tell me that they wouldn't do that. This is a corporation that is out to make money. And we have all the technology that is needed to acquire any info that is desired. And there is nothing wrong with that. But, they think it is OK to charge us for data passing through our phones to any other device other than the phone. When truly, we can download anything we want to the phone and then pass it to a device of our choice either through WiFi or USB. They are merely trying to charge us for convenience. I don't ever use more DATA when teathered to an external device than I could or do when I am on my phone. This charging for DATA tunneling is ridiculous. And has to stop. These a$$ hat clowns have to stop charging for anything they like. What hell! There prices are above and beyond ok. 5 gigs for $50 and so on? Yeah, that's totally reasonable!
One other thing. I don't particularly want to hear some snub nosed douch tell me if I don't like the prices that I can go somewhere else for a cell provider. Yeah, that would be great if 1, VZW didn't purchase Alltel. Or 2, ATT didn't purchase T Mobile. Not that I would move to a GSM carrier. And I kind of need the coverage that aCDMA company can provide. Yes, I know the saying, you pay higher prices for better service. And don't get me wrong. I am grateful to have these technologies available to us. But, the prices have to come down a bit. Any way, I am done *****ing an wearing my tin foil hat. Good evening every one.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

If you don't like the data (what do you use DATA as an acrynym for?) pricing, you can cancel the service. No one is forcing it on you.

mike.s said:
If you don't like the data (what do you use DATA as an acrynym for?) pricing, you can cancel the service. No one is forcing it on you.
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That's not a solution either. While I completely agree with the poster your replying to, I'm not sure there is much we as consumers can do about it. Those of us who actually care and realize what is happening are in the minority. The rest of the consumers who simply use their phones to broadcast their location to everyone on facebook and twitter or check their e-mail will never know that they are being ripped off.

Well unfortunately if Verizon does put me on tiered pricing for data I actually would change carriers. The main reason I came to Verizon was for their service. I don't tether that often, but I like to have the option without having to worry about extra fees but I use the data on my phone A LOT. I honestly doubt they will, but if Verizon does force everyone onto tiered pricing, well, at that point I might as well be with Cricket because all I'll be using is the phone.

I would like to be honest, so given a reasonable price I would buy the tether service, but still use my wired tether app because they wont support wired teather themselves....
The CSR did however tell me that supposedly you will only be charged for what the tether app itself uses and that regular phone data would not count...
Sent from my AdasR6400L from the matrix->

I would be willing to pay $60/mo for unlimited access on top of my current plan. That would match my current ISP. Anything more and I'll just get a VPN service and tether using VPN to prevent them from seeing what traffic is from my phone and what is from another device.

meh, I went ahead and put wifi tether on my tbolt

1 two hour hd movie uses 3 gb of data. I dare Verizon to put a 5gb cap considering a lot of kids use their phone for YouTube viewing which if I remember correctly has hd viewing.
Just as a side note I was on at&T's website the other day (don't ask) and used their usage calculator. They basically told me none of their plans were big enough for what I do on my phone alone let alone tethering with other devices. LOL.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

I had a question regarding the hotspot. I verizon rep told me that we have the hotspot free until 6/15 and after that it will be $20/month for 1G. If you go over its and additional $20 for every following GB. My question is does anyone know how the free hotspot works. Do we only get 1G free and if we go over we will be charged or is it unlimted until the pricing starts and then it has the cap?

Best qHD Android Phone that does AT&T 3G & 4G, but isn't their device?

It seems that I'm in a catch 22. I'm on a great unlimited data plan, but AT&T insists that if I move to a Atrix or similar device that is recognized by their network, the network will automatically update my data plan to one of the newer ones. As a result, I won't just loose my unlimited data, but I'll have to pay more.
That leaves me only one obvious alternative. Get another non-network phone, that is capable of working on their network (much like my current phone, the Telus Motorola Milestone). That way, I get a newer device with the features I want, but they don't see the phone as an Atrix or whatever... and they don't change my plan.
Would REALLY like the Atrix. The qHD display is something I really want at this stage. Otherwise, a Galaxy S II would be a no-brainer. So I'm hoping with all the great users we have on these forums, someone can recommend a qHD Android 2.2+ device that I can buy unlocked and fits my needs.
Thanks in advance.

merkman said:
It seems that I'm in a catch 22. I'm on a great unlimited data plan, but AT&T insists that if I move to a Atrix or similar device that is recognized by their network, the network will automatically update my data plan to one of the newer ones. As a result, I won't just loose my unlimited data, but I'll have to pay more.
That leaves me only one obvious alternative. Get another non-network phone, that is capable of working on their network (much like my current phone, the Telus Motorola Milestone). That way, I get a newer device with the features I want, but they don't see the phone as an Atrix or whatever... and they don't change my plan.
Would REALLY like the Atrix. The qHD display is something I really want at this stage. Otherwise, a Galaxy S II would be a no-brainer. So I'm hoping with all the great users we have on these forums, someone can recommend a qHD Android 2.2+ device that I can buy unlocked and fits my needs.
Thanks in advance.
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Well, I'm a representative @ a corporate-owned AT&T store and you WILL NOT lose that unlimited data plan. I deal with this on a day-to-day basis. I'm in the Dallas,TX market. We GRANDFATHER the unlimited data plan. It is the NATIONAL policy. We hire the biggest idiots to run the pen. Bro, you keep that data plan unless YOU change it. Don't let them fool you. I PROMISE this is the case. You even have ways of sideloading the wireless tether apk to avoid having to subscribe to the tethering plan. The ATRIX is a great qHD phone. I've seen the GreyBlur and GingerBlur ROM for it. Snappy device with unlimited potential once development starts snowballing.

Bullet,
Thanks. I've spoken to several good people at AT&T, but the "hiccup" is this. When I joined AT&T, I had the $20/month unlimited data plan with the Cingular 8525 phone. But since then, we added unlimited texting to our family plan with 5 phones. At that point, my data plan dropped from $20/month to $10/month. The explination at the time was the unlimited texting was part of my data plan, so my data plan price decreased.
However, now everytime I speak to an AT&T representative and they look at my plan, they tell me I'm on plan OTHER than the standard unlimited smartphone plan. They called it something else last night, I can't remember which. So they say that if I put my sim in an AT&T smartphone, like the Atrix, the network will see I'm using an AT&T smartphone, and change my plan automatically. They say the network will poll my phone, and even if they change the plan back after it switches the first time, that before long it would switch again.
Since several users here have reported to using an Atrix and never having their plan changed, I'm not sure this is true. But maybe with my plan being changed without my knowledge in the past... maybe I AM doomed to change my plan unless I use another non-standard phone?
While my phone is personal, I've spoken to my corporate account mananger who I work with on a daily basis. We didn't get very far with a representative at a store last night, despite her knowing him well. He said the system will change it, and there is nothing we can do. But if anyone knows better, I'd sure appreciate their input.

Went ahead and looked up my plan online, so I could tell you the exact plan I'm using now. It's listed as "Data Unlimited for Non-Smartphones (Messaging Unlimited required)". Which is bogus, cause I never agreed to change my plan from the smartphone plan I had in the past. If it hadn't been working just fine with non-network smartphones the last 3+ years, I guess I'd have noticed it sooner.
So I guess if I don't wanna change my data plan, I'll have to use non-network device. Really sucks, cause I don't think there IS a non-AT&T qHD phone that will work on their network at the moment. Though I'd love to hear I'm wrong...

T mobile pyramid maybe?
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So the problem is not that you wont be able to keep your unlimited plan its that you're paying $10 a month for an unlimited plan and if you get a new phone you'll have to pay $30 a month. If that is the correct issue than what they are telling you at AT&T is correct. The plan you are on has been updated and you will have to change if you get a new phone. With that said... I would tell you just to go ahead and bite the bullet and pay the difference. You will pay less going to the more expensive data plan over 2 years then you would if you buy a phone no contract phone. But that's my opinion.

Why not just go with a carrier that actually offers unlimited to anyone without jumping through hoops?

thanks of your leading i was also facing the same problem in my phone but i hope now i will cover it and this is a good news which you have updated us and thanks to share with us
mobile news

the qhd display on the atrix uses pentile display technology. Which quite frankly sucks. I was really excited about it too, and expected the screen to look something like the iphone's retina display which is 960x640. But nope, it lacks major sharpness, and text and small pixels just look bad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp6JgchXFtg&feature=player_embedded#at=64

Is anyone being throttled?

Killed 17GB last month. Now my tether kicks on, I start a download, it drops slowly and crashes. My phone browser even looses internet and I still have "4G." I am just curious to see if anyone else is having the same issue.

AnalyzeFaith said:
Killed 17GB last month. Now my tether kicks on, I start a download, it drops slowly and crashes. My phone browser even looses internet and I still have "4G." I am just curious to see if anyone else is having the same issue.
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you probably are. none of what i'm going to say is verified but my friend told me that verizon will give you 5GB of 4g and then drop you down to 3g. in addition, if you are in the top 5-10% of users of data for a month you will be throttled and they will probably look at what you're doing too.
using 17gb on your phone is not a smart thing to do and you shouldn't do it again. all it does is take bandwidth from others and cause verizon to go to tiered data plans

I used 34gb last month and the month before I used 26gb. I'm not being throttled. My billing month just started and ive burned 6gb already too.
But I wouldn't be surprised if they started throttling me. Lol. Its definitely possible.
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streetlightman said:
you probably are. none of what i'm going to say is verified but my friend told me that verizon will give you 5GB of 4g and then drop you down to 3g. in addition, if you are in the top 5-10% of users of data for a month you will be throttled and they will probably look at what you're doing too.
using 17gb on your phone is not a smart thing to do and you shouldn't do it again. all it does is take bandwidth from others and cause verizon to go to tiered data plans
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Do you work for verizon?
Why is downloading 20gb+ of data bad? If I'm paying for unlimited data that is what I should get. I will take full advantage of it unitl they force us all onto the tiered plans. They can look around all they want at what I'm downloading, I don't care.

Ever hear, "takes on bad apple to ruin it for the rest?"
Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD.
It's uwhy prices are the way they are. I hope they are throttling abusive users.
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you can and should because you pay for it. the prices are rising, because companies need to find ways to make shareholders happy by making more expensive crappier services. if what netflix says is true then that 17GB cost verzion less than a dollar.

With 4G phones it will be commonplace to use that much data. Look at all the streaming media services that come preinstalled and others that are available like netflix. Peoples data usage will continue to increase and the carriers know it.

blahdc said:
Do you work for verizon?
Why is downloading 20gb+ of data bad? If I'm paying for unlimited data that is what I should get. I will take full advantage of it unitl they force us all onto the tiered plans. They can look around all they want at what I'm downloading, I don't care.
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You are paying for unlimited data for your PHONE not unlimited data for whatever you feel like downloading from whatever device you have. If you were downloading more then 3-4GB on your phone in a month, I'd love to know how you did it, even with 4G. If you have a tethering plan and it is unlimited, then go for it, but if you're going to complain about the data caps and throttling when being part of the problem, GTFO.

I am currently at 41 gb, no problems so far. I did sign up for the unlimited tethering the day it launched though. It was a no brainer for me.
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A whole bunch of tornlogic going on in here. From people I would not expect it from either.
IMO download as much as you want.anyway you want. Throttling is BS.
Its your right to try and screw them and if course they are taking full advantage of their right to screw you.
But we will find a way around these tier data plans just like we find a way around everything else they shackle us with.
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A single movie stream could be more than a gigabyte. If i watch one movie a day i could easly hit 30+ gigabytes. That is just streaming to the phone. Correct me if im wrong but that's the point right.
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mohsseni said:
A single movie stream could be more than a gigabyte. If i watch one movie a day i could easly hit 30+ gigabytes. That is just streaming to the phone. Correct me if im wrong but that's the point right.
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If the bold statement is true, then I wholly agree with this argument. With all the services being offered for the mobile devices, it will be much easier to burn through GB of data. A phone doesn't have to be tethered to anything to stream media.
HBO Go looks like it is streaming low quality video, sometimes worse than YouTube. Netflix, however, looks very crisp and clear and I suspect uses much more data. Sometimes even YouTube HQ looks superb. The last two streaming services probably use a boatload of bandwidth, all legally of course.
This hasn't even taken into account streaming audio with high quality from services like Pandora or Slacker Radio. And yes, the difference between low quality and high quality is very noticeable.
With that said, I really do not know for a fact exactly how much data a movie stream is using. It is just easier these days to use more data with access to high quality streaming media. The service providers probably realize this, and it is probably their justification for going into tiered plans and protecting their assets. This way, when their infrastructure does catch up to the demand, we the users are used to paying more. At this point the service providers might not feel the need to lower prices back to what they once were - it's all just profit.

Got my charge the day before the tiered pricing on data started and am grandfathered in on the unlimited plan. Still lookin for loopholes on how I can keep it that way.
In the three days of having the phone, I had racked up 1.2gb in data. That was just from downloading a few apps and themes as well a moderate pandora usage. Lately, I have been turning off my mobile data and using wifi anytime it's available.
VZW has been talking about moving to a tiered pricing structure for quite some time now. It's rather sad that they push all of the benefits of blazing fast data, then jack up the prices once people are hooked. Fact of the matter is, that from a coverage standpoint, I have nowhere else to go, and they know it.
The ball is in big red's court now. They may lose customers. They may not. But, until I have a more viable solution, I will have to pay.
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Could you legitimately rack up several GB/mo streaming media? Yes. Are you going to? Doubtful. Who watches 30+ movies on their phone in a month? You're going to tie yourself to a wall outlet, and given that everyone already complains about bad battery life, you aren't watching that many movies, or that many YouTube videos on your phone.
I could see streaming high quality Pandora, but then again, it seems that everyone here is to cheap to pay for Pandora, so after your 40 hrs are up, there goes your usage, and I doubt you'd get over say 10GB using Pandora for 40 hrs as I can't see even their "high quality" stream being to significant in terms of the bit rate.
Can we use more data now? Most certainly, and 4G only lets us do it faster, but be reasonable in your assumptions. Who has time to watch a movie on their phone every day of the month, or would even want to do so? I'd rather watch a movie on a crappy tube TV before I sat and watched one full movie on my phone. Streaming music is about the only reasonable excuse people have, even with the nice display on the Charge making video look good. Even then, there is no way you're going to use 30+GB every month just on your phone unless you have it constantly plugged in.

does Verizon need tiered plans? Honestly I agree with the fact that you pay for unlimited you get unlimited, no matter how you achieve it. Verizon should just make their hotspot free and then throttle that and put a cap on that is more reasonable than forcing everyone into a data plan that doesn't fit their needs... Verizon is out to screw people so is att and all the rest. Verizon wouldn't have gone to tiered if it weren't for their competition doing the same. One company does one thing all the rest follow suit. Come on verizon! what i pay $100 for insurance or something and if my phone breaks i still have to pay 100$ for a new phone?( I'm sorry refurbished..someone elses broken fix POS) What the heck good is insurance then? The economy is falling apart because of companies doing this. And people pay because they cant get out without a fee and they have no where to go because all the other companies either lack in service or are doing the same practice. Companies are suing each other for millions sometimes billions like its toy cash. That's proof they are ripping off the end user. Where does alll this money come from that should be used to invest in their company not throw it around in other companies faces. Heck was this a common practice even 10 years ago? NO. Cell phone companies have users by the nads and are not going to let go anytime soon

I agree with the OP. If Verizon sells unlimited data, it is their responsibility to provide it. Reaching over ten gb a month is easily achievable (I had one gb in my first day). Just because customers like the OP take advantage of their unlimited data does not mean they should be punished for it with a throttle. IMO, throttling is false advertising. Now, I can see throttling for those who tether through root and rack up an excessive amount of data. However, as long as it's on the phone, its rudiculous to throttle.

wow this is a heated thread.
I have both the unlimited on phone and unlimited on the hotspot and ill keep this phone forever if i have to do that to keep it.
I am a truckdriver so i dont have the option of jumping on the house internet everyday and i pay for my netflix so im going to use it and that uses alot of bandwith.

does Verizon need tiered plans? Honestly I agree with the fact that you pay for unlimited you get unlimited, no matter how you achieve it. Verizon should just make their hotspot free and then throttle that and put a cap on that is more reasonable than forcing everyone into a data plan that doesn't fit their needs... Verizon is out to screw people so is att and all the rest. Verizon wouldn't have gone to tiered if it weren't for their competition doing the same. One company does one thing all the rest follow suit. Come on verizon! what i pay $100 for insurance or something and if my phone breaks i still have to pay 100$ for a new phone?( I'm sorry refurbished..someone elses broken fix POS) What the heck good is insurance then? The economy is falling apart because of companies doing this. And people pay because they cant get out without a fee and they have no where to go because all the other companies either lack in service or are doing the same practice. Companies are suing each other for millions sometimes billions like its toy cash. That's proof they are ripping off the end user. Where does alll this money come from that should be used to invest in their company not throw it around in other companies faces. Heck was this a common practice even 10 years ago? NO. Cell phone companies have users by the nads and are not going to let go anytime soon

mrtruckincowboy said:
wow this is a heated thread.
I have both the unlimited on phone and unlimited on the hotspot and ill keep this phone forever if i have to do that to keep it.
I am a truckdriver so i dont have the option of jumping on the house internet everyday and i pay for my netflix so im going to use it and that uses alot of bandwith.
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Hope you aren't using that Netflix/Mobile Hotspot while driving your trucks

mrtruckincowboy said:
wow this is a heated thread.
I have both the unlimited on phone and unlimited on the hotspot and ill keep this phone forever if i have to do that to keep it.
I am a truckdriver so i dont have the option of jumping on the house internet everyday and i pay for my netflix so im going to use it and that uses alot of bandwith.
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This is how I racked up the majority of my gb's. Netflix on the big screen in hd.
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