Handy Light for iPhone's dirty little secret: tethering (update)
By Ross Miller 
posted July 20th 2010 8:46PM
posted July 20th 2010 8:46PM
You may ask yourself, why on earth would anyone pay 99 cents for an iPhone app whose sole purpose is to flash bright, solid colors? We certainly wouldn't recommend it, but Handy Light has a great little Easter egg that undoubtedly doesn't jive with the folks at Cupertino HQ. Like Nullriver's Netshare app before it, this little piece of software allows for SOCKS proxy tethering, without having to sign up for AT&T's tethering plan. Instructions available via the video below, and if you're looking to pick up the app yourself, better hurry -- we can't imagine Apple will let this one stay in the store for very much longer.Update: Looks like the app's been pulled. Ye who snoozes, ergo must lose. If you did manage to nab and the video below isn't working (we see it just fine), check out App Shopper for more detailed, text-based instructions.
I got it to work in Windows 7 but only in Chrome browser. Strangely, I couldn’t get other browsers to work (IE, FF, Opera). I also tested Skype and it worked. I made a VoIP call to a toll free number and it sounded pretty good.
Steps:
1. Create ad-hoc connection without encryption (iPhone was unable to connect to my ad-hoc network if I setup encryption. I wonder if this is a security risk to my laptop/iPhone)
2. Search for “Manage wireless networks” and open it.
3. Select the newly created access point (AP) and click ‘adapter properties’ from the toolbar above.
3. click on ‘Internet Protocol version 4′ and click properties.
4. Set a static IP address (13.37.13.36 for example). 255.255.255.0 as netmask. 8.8.4.4 (Google’s DNS server, not sure if it’s required)
5. Configure proxy settings in IE -> Interet options -> connections -> LAN settings -> Use a proxy server -> advanced -> SOCKS type -> 13.37.13.37 port 1337
6. Close all open windows and connect to the ad-hoc access point.
Now, open Chrome or Skype and it should work fine.
@giriz
speedtest.net results :)
2.8 Mbps down
0.3 Mbps up
@giriz
btw, you have to configure SOCKS proxy in Skype before you login (and restart skype once)
@giriz
ahh, some nice person wrote instructions to configure firefox. The extra step is to set 'network.proxy.socks_remote_dns = true' in about:config
http://modmyi.com/forums/member-written-iphone-news/720025-tether-inside-app.html#post5354044
@giriz Why couldn't this be on the FIRST page?? Good work! And Google DNS not required (not using it myself)
@giriz I actually came up with the instructions, they just decided to copy and paste from my macrumors forum post: http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=10601540&postcount=457
I wonder if there are more apps currently on the app store that snuck in with this easter egg. *sigh* I am forced to have dial up at the house and this would have helped me a ton.
Damn I check engadget all day every 5 minutes, I take a bathroom break and look at what happens.
Steps to get it to work on Windows.
I'm running XP sp3 and this is what I did.
Set up the ad-hoc network on the PC and connect to it via the iPhone as shown in the video. Then start the flashlight app and click blue, yellow, red, and the corner.
Now on the pc, set the ip address for the wifi card to be 13.37.13.38, netmask 255.255.255.0 and gateway of 13.37.13.37
i also hardcoded dns entries for 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
my last step was to set the proxy. i personally use proxifier which let me proxy any app throughout the system, which i point to 13.37.13.37 port 1337 as the video says. you should be able to set individual apps and stuff. didn't have success setting it in the control panel. The proxy app worked perfect and was lightning fast connection speeds, faster than my home DSL.
How is this ppc chip laptop running snow leopard?
I got it working on my macbook but not on my iPad.
didn't grab it in time.... fuuuuuuuck
lol stop snitchin Engadget
i want this app so bad! :(
Looks like i will just have to go in the android app store to do this better than that app
OH WAIT I HAVE BEEN DOING FREE TETHERING FOR 6months+ WITH NO COST!!
All the more reason I grabbed this when I did. Yay $.99 cent tethering app!it's hilarious though how this works...pick blue, then yellow, then red....turn it to purple aaaaand blamo, tethering without AT&T's blessing.
Can Apple yank this from your personal itunes library?? Like say when you would connect your iPhone or do updates to iTunes?? Just Curious?
Can ATT tell if I am tethering? If so will they switch me to the $45 data plan.
Nah, who cares. This is why I got the N1. 2.2 got me covered.
Lol, it said carrier Verizon in the beginning.....
Guile's theme goes with everything!!
I don't know why anybody puts up with it. In other countries tethering is available no problem. I get 3gb per month for iphone use or as a tether to my PC. The phone company just set it up at no extra cost as a "service"
That is in Australia on the "3" network. $99 per month, unlimited calls, text and 3gb. AT&T are gouging you guys.
@CultOfOne
I know, but theres not a whole lot we can do.
Back when data was limited tethering charges made sense, since a laptop uses data at a far greater rate than a cellphone and would use a ridiculous amount of data if left on 24/7. But now that there are caps, AT&T is screwing us big time. Sad that we cant do anything about it:/
@Firewave
I hope that a few other providers allow it so that once the contracts are over the users can port out.
Then again if the 3gs users go to iphone 4 they will be back where they started. It sounds like share cropping a bit.
Just wait till I run the whole world, then you will see some changes, this will be in my top 10 things
Hellz yes!! Got it before it was pulled. Caught it close to the end too. Tested it out and it works great. Kinda wish there was a way to keep working in the background but then again that's just not possible with the Multitasking API so I'm not complaining. Tethering for a buck instead of twenty a month? Hell yes.
Mywi is soooo much easier.. FYI
Why now that I have an imposed data limit of 750MB, is tethering an issue? Surely by tethering there's a good chance I'll exceed my limit and O2 will make more money?
I could sort of understand it when I had unlimited data allowance but not now Im capped?
haha. poor little apple kids...
I got it working in Win7 with those instructions in Chrome.. is there that 5-10 second delay for any webpage you go to?
It's nice to know that Apple isn't fully testing apps before they accept them. What happens when someone puts something in their store that deletes everything...or purposely corrupts data?
Just jailbreak the goddamn device
Got it working on my netbook with XP. DL response is snappy, and getting 1.6Mbps down. I have practically no need to tether, so I will likely not use it much, if at all, but it's cool.
The writers at Engadget are idiots. Why announce this to the world knowing that companies visit this website daily?
@cd5love96 If they didn't, would any of us know about the app? No. By the time it would have gotten out by word of mouth, Apple would have gotten wind if it too.
So, hows that jailbreak coming along.... I want my mywi again.
Works like a charm. I got 3.01 mbps on my 3GS. Awesome!
I get free Internet from tmobile and on top of that I use wi fi hotspot from cydia to give free interent to everyone else!!!
Hack the world!
Heres a link to a guide so you can use this app to tether to an iPad without the use of a computer.
http://modmyi.com/forums/ipad-jailbreaking/720060-use-handy-light-tether-ipad-unjailbroken-iphone-4-0-without-another-pc.html