Internet connection through phone via bluetooth?

[Garemlin]

Most of what carriers are looking for with unauthorized tethering is huge spikes in bandwidth. Using it to check email and facebook on a tablet will pretty much go un-noticed.

Just avoid large file downloads and streaming videos when tethered to your phone and you should be fine.

Kind of reminds me of this guy on Droid X Forums that admitted using his X as a modem for his XBOX to play XBOX Live. Ran up like 20GB of data in a month and then cried because VZW flagged him.

[buzzman]

Android phones play nicer with the TF. My Iphone tethered via bluetooth but needed to be jailbroken. It also works with the MiWi tether app via hotspot on the iphone. I got hold of an android Lg thrive and that tethers via hotspot fine on ATT. And if you root you can download wireless tether for rooted phones from the market. The carriers sometimes block your ability to download this via your 3g connection. just take out your carrier sim, and download it over wifi, install, and put your sim card back in. The Thrive or Phoenix ( same phone- just one for prepaid and one for contract (although the thrive works with a contract sim anyway) is very easy to root- put the apk gingerbreak on your micro sd card and run it- done- rooted. Easiest root I have ever done. Sometimes you have to get superuser off titaniun back up problems area.

Whatever you go with, it is about time to retire your Razr. Make sure you are comfortable with just a touch screen, or look into the smartphones with a slide out keyboard.

[leeshor]

The problem with any kind of tether off contract, BT or otherwise is that excessive usage will do you in. A phone is only expected to download just so much. The TF can do so much more, especially when you are already doing it on the phone. A customer got caught by AT&T using the BT tether and he didn't feel he was using that much. I need to be a little more careful since all 3 of my phones, (includes my wife's phone) have minimal 200MB/Mo. data plans. That's where my WiFi hotspot from Verizon come in. Had lunch yesterday with a customer and we were both merrily surfing and he downloading, apps to his TF, over my one connection. And at 4G speeds.

[buzzman]

The only problem we had with att was my son had family data and switched his dumb phone- original shine- to my old blackjack for the keyboard. That phone is over 5 years old. ATT flagged him and stuck on the smartphone data automatically- $25. I was not happy cause he doesn't use data- he just wanted the keyboard to text easier. I ended up getting an Sharp FX- which is a messaging phone (not a smart phone) from Craig's list for $60. Called ATT- he needed to get a new sim card- why, I don't know, and called att after the new sim card showed up and changed the imei officially. He is back to family data(only because it's $10 and will cover any inadvertent connection to the internet) and family texting.

The blackjack runs windows 6.5. I read somewhere ATT is starting to crack down on smartphones running windows OS without data plans for smart phones. Proof here that is true.

My normal data usage is less than 300 mb per month and i very rarely tether. Maybe that's why they leave us alone? Same for my husband on his iphone plan- original for unlimited data. He uses less than 300 mb/month too.

[samtgrizz]

I have a HTC Thunderbolt and cannot get it to connect. It sees the bluetooth device but won't connect.

[buzzman]

I have a HTC Thunderbolt and cannot get it to connect. It sees the bluetooth device but won't connect.

There is a certain sequence to follow. I'll try to find them for you.

[buzzman]

I have a HTC Thunderbolt and cannot get it to connect. It sees the bluetooth device but won't connect.

I played with this on the xoom when I had one and the TF using my iphone 3gs. I couldn't get the TF to connect for the longest time till I came across the xoom stuff.

1. Put TF into airplane mode (turns off all data access)
2. Turn ON bluetooth on the TF
3. Turn ON internet tethering or whatever app your are using- on your Phone,if a popup asks if you want USB only or bluetooth, select bluetooth,
4. Pair Phone with TF (if you haven't already)
5. Under paired devices on TF, select Phone until it says connected (important step)- you should see a wrench icon- if this icon does not appear it will not connect. If it is a no go, try to delete pairing and try again after placing into airplane mode. Pair, then try to connect. Good Luck!

let me know if this was helpful. Feedback is great for passing on these instructions as working ones. Thanks.

[Garemlin]

I played with this on the xoom when I had one and the TF using my iphone 3gs. I couldn't get the TF to connect for the longest time till I came across the xoom stuff.

1. Put TF into airplane mode (turns off all data access)
2. Turn ON bluetooth on the TF
3. Turn ON internet tethering or whatever app your are using- on your Phone,if a popup asks if you want USB only or bluetooth, select bluetooth,
4. Pair Phone with TF (if you haven't already)
5. Under paired devices on TF, select Phone until it says connected (important step)- you should see a wrench icon- if this icon does not appear it will not connect. If it is a no go, try to delete pairing and try again after placing into airplane mode. Pair, then try to connect. Good Luck!

let me know if this was helpful. Feedback is great for passing on these instructions as working ones. Thanks.

AFAIK HTC phones do not have the ability to bt tether natively buzz. These steps work with Motorola phones.

[buzzman]

AFAIK HTC phones do not have the ability to bt tether natively buzz. These steps work with Motorola phones.

They worked with my iphone and optimus V too. Thought it was worth a shot. Never had an HTC.

[NML]

Just tethered my iphone following your steps. Thanks!