Is it simple? Yes. Risky? A bit. Legal? We'll leave that to the lawyers 'cause we know that you're aching to give tethering a spin over your newly downloaded iPhone OS 3.0 update. We've seen several guides to enable tethering ever since
OS 3.0 was first released into beta (and into the wilds) oh so many days ago. However, these were always carrier/country specific and required a bit more command line tampering than the common man could stomach. Now an automated solution has come to our attention that just works, is global, and doesn't require a jailbreak. Essentially, you use your iPhone to browse to a site that you've never heard of (help.benm.at), download a file that promises to reconfigure your local carrier profile, and then switch on tethering as you would had you tithed a monthly tethering fee to your carrier. We've confirmed that it works on T-Mobile NL and on O2 UK. There's obvious risk here so be careful and
backup your iPhone first before giving this a shot. And don't go nuts either -- remember, your unlimited data plan likely contains a "fair use" clause and you can bet that carriers won't be happy to see their bandwidth diminish without compensation. Now brace yourselves and hit the read link for the full procedure... ready, go!
Update: Some are reporting that this procedure could disable MMS and visual voicemail depending on your country and carrier -- a fair trade for many.
Update 2:
Techradar reports that O2 UK
has responded to the tethering hack saying, "we reserve the right to charge customers making modem use of their iPhone or disconnect them." This assumes O2 can identify such customers.
posted June 18th 2009 3:52AM
how well does it work with att
Off topic question. I updated to the 3.0 and now i can't use the internet. Every time i try to go on it says "Could not activate cellular network: You are not subscribed to a cellular data service" and i dont have iphone 3g data plan. In 2.2.1 firmware i can still go on the internet w/o iphone data plan. I used to have to turn off "edge" in Bossprefs since i dont want to get charged. now i got unlimited data plan but for different phone (its cheaper only $15/mo. on top of my voice plan) thought it might work in 3.0 fw but i guess not. Anyone is in the same situation as me?
Notice: i ddint buy the phone from AT&T, i got it from someone via craigslist.
Should work regardless. I have the same $15 medianet plan as you and I've been using it on my 3G for almost a year now. Still working after 3.0
@kevin really? and at&t didn't force to get iphone data plan? that's awesome! y didn't i think of this along time ago. i got my 3g since october '08 and been using it with only WIFI since then because $30 extra is a lot. So yours still work on 3.0? that's weird i can't go on mine. could be it be the GM firmware? i'm going to restore and try it again with official 3.0. Thanks for the reply. i thought i was alone lol.
Ok.. I've been using this for the past 24 hours or so and watching my usage on the AT&T website. Right now it appears you really can't tell when you're tethering or not except that some of the times I've tethered have resulted in higher data usage in a specific session than normal.
Checking email and basic web browsing and you should be OK. Most likely when they start seeing 100+MB in a single session ESPECIALLY a short session they'd probably start assuming that you're tethering.
You know, I own a radio shack device that allows you to connect a dial-up modem into any phone system (including PBX and digital setups) by intercepting the the connection to the receiver. I'll bet the thing could be modified to operate through any standard cell phone by adapting it to one of those headset kits.
Anyone ever attempt something like this?
No, that can't be done. The compression on the signal would tear the digital data to shreds.
Works with AT&T in US, no problems!
Downloaded it from http://www.iphone-notes.de/mobileconfig
I tested this on AT&T this morning via both bluetooth and usb just to see what speeds we could expect via tethering:
I was seeing around 1600+ Kbps down and 300 Kpbs up via USB and 750+ Kbps down and 300 Kpbs up via Bluetooth.
Clearly this is a limitation of the bluetooth spec in the phone, but otherwise pretty impressive for tethering.
Now if AT&T would roll out their HSUPA network here we'd be set for higher upload speeds.
my iphone on att after i install it and hit the tethering button says to call att to set up tethering. sweet.
Works for me: O2 Germany
Tethering works on AT&T but breaks Visual Voicemail. Anyone know how to get VVm back? I removed the profile, but Tethering is still working and VVm is not.
Thanks in advance.
(with AT&T) Try General->Network->Cellular Data and set the Visual Voicemail APN = acds.voicemail
Doing this and then calling my voicemail and restarting my phone fixed it for me.
When I go to settings -> general -> network, cellular data is not an option. What are you talking about with the visual voicemail APN?
Confirmed working on AT&T, but voice mails aren't showing up.
Confirmed tethering works on AT&T. Visual Voicemail still works too. SWEET!
For those of you who got it working on AT&T, can you provide instructions on what steps were necessary on the PC (XP) for setting up the network, if any? I can't get mine to work.
No kidding, Ive been scouring the net for a few hours trying to figure that one out...
Same problem and searching for a few hours has produced nothing but pdanet and some older iTunes 8.2 hack stuff. Youd think more people would have this problem but I guess not =P
Works with O2 in the UK, with Pay&Go iPhone. Tried on an iMac, and both Bluetooth & USB connections work great.
Works on o2 UK on Pay as you go!
Screw o2, who say theres not gonna support PAYG until they bill me haha!
How to get voicemail back:
Call you phone from another line and leave yourself a voicemail.
Your iPhone should then ask you for you voicemail password shortly after.
Enter this password and you voicemail will come back up. (You set this password when you originally set up visual voicemail)
Hope this helps!
I'm on O2 and am quite tempted to complain about the whole farce - i signed up for unlimited internet and technically, now, i am not getinng it!
has anyone on O2 been charged for doing this yet?
Does anyone know how to enable MMS on AT&T with this? The page gives the settings but doesn't make it clear where I need to enter them.
Fair use? MB's? How about Gigs? I use my iPhone as an internet radio over 3G every day, for at least 3 hours, on 320k quality... In the last 10 months I've received over 10 GB!! How is this different from tethering? AT&T disappoints me with their ridiculous "clauses"!
This almost makes me want an iPhone...
My old laptop's wifi has become really weak and as such I'd love to tether my iPod touch's wifi access, alas, the iPod touch 3.0 firmware doesn't have tethering preferences! Anyway I can enable them ?
I looks like you CAN get away with tethering IF you keep to web browsing only. That kind of traffic is norm via the iPhone.
As soon as you start nailing the connection, or use abnormal ports for messenger, machine updates (windows update, OSX update) o2 will flag your number and charge or disconnect.
I've not heard of any cases yet, but its most likely to be the route they will take.
Keep it to casual browsing of no more than a few hundred meg a month with updates and other web reliant apps and you will stay under the radar!
Got it working with Optus Australia no fuss
Tethered up to MBP and happy to not be paying $9.99 p/month
I am having trouble on att&t when i first when to "set up tethering" it said "contact at&t to enable tethering. I continued to go through the whole process, my macbook even shows its connect. but it still wont work. any ideas?
Thanks
Thanks, it works. I am going to download lots lots of stuff and see what happen. Again, thanks.
Warning!
Just got AT&T tethering to work and tried a handful of sites. Then I went online to check my online AT&T account (on a family plan, all of us have the new iPhone 3G S) and my account is flagged with this error message when I look at the data plan for my phone number -
"U1536: Due to the recent change to your data feature, we are unable to display usage information until after your next billing cycle which begins on [date at the beginning of next month]."
None of the other iPhone 3G S phones have this, and mine is the only one that I've tried the tethering on.
So AT&T users, tether with caution, I think they're going to charge us on the next bill with some major $$$/MB.
Anyone have any more insight into this? I'm afraid of some nasty bills, but would REALLY like to have the ability to work while running around (as all freelancers do).
"U1536: Due to the recent change to your data feature, we are unable to display usage information until after your next billing cycle which begins on [date at the beginning of next month]."
That's the automated thing it always says when you upgrade or change your service. It also happens when you get a new phone. AKA 3Gs
Don't worry. I think they actually come to your house and take you away in hand cuffs at gunpoint when there is a over-usage of data on your UNLIMITED data plan.
Does this work on a 3G S?
Can anyone help me uninstall the tether patch? It crashed my visual voice mail and I can't seem to get it turned around.
Will AT&T find those who use this hack and charge them exorbitantly?
no joy here on o2, both carrier profiles fail to remove the tethering popup.
Hey, so it's interesting that you bring up the early termination fee. I am a fourth year law student, at a law school in Florida, working on a business law degree. It is patently illegal to charge an early termination fee for "shutting a user off." The early termination fee is based upon the discrepency in cost of the device (or other asset) that the service provider pays and the fact that over 1 or 2 years, fulfilling a contract, the user will pay the difference.
This is true regardless of the reason you are terminated, with the notable exception of non-payment, as this is a form of voluntary cancellation on the user's part. Many carriers will offer to buy users out of contracts, as signing gives the user as many rights as the carrier, by law, is entitled.
The user is required to pay the bills as they come, as well as a few other basic requirements. The carrier is required to provide its services, as well as similar basic requirements. The end result, of course, is that shutting you off is a breach of contract, where using 1TB of data transfers per day (yeah... I know its an exaggeration) is not, in fact, a breach of contract.
Why? Because Contract law says that anything not exclusively spelled out on your contract is "fair game." Look it up.
WHAT ABOUT BACK-UPS & RESTORES???
I did this and so far, it has worked really well in both the NYC area and Boston areas. Naturally, I did a back-up of my phone before applying the hack. Question: does anyone know if this carrier profile is included in the back-up? Reason I ask is that I don't want to re-sync now for fear of over-writing my old back-up and not being able to go back to normal. Can I safely sync my phone without worrying about the back-up? If so, just out of curiosity, how do I get rid of this thing off my phone?? Thanks!
O2 have fixed this hack!!!
As of yesterday (21/07/09) if you have this hack (profile) installed you will not be able to get any data (3G, EDGE). if you remove the profile then everything works again.
BUT... if you then reinstall the profile from http://help.benm.at/up.php (O2 Vertigo version, even if you are on a contract) Tethering works fine again and you can still get data.. Yey! But for how long I don't know
I spend most time on PC, but I'm on dialup out in the sticks. If I tether a cell, do I need an unlimited minutes plan to cover all the web time? Is the data time interpreted like voice time?
Most of the majors charge $60US/mo for mobile broadband (5GB/mo). Any helpful recommendations gratefully appreciated.
Does this allow you to make your iPhone a WiFi access point? That's what I want to do, not share via bluetooth or USB. I want to be able to, for example, connect my Nintendo DSi to the internet through my iPhone 3GS.
so, does this work on the first generation iphone or not???
i've downloaded the mobilconfig file and now have the pro file, but no tethering option!
usa att&t by the way