[Q] AT&T Wifi Tethering restrictions - AT&T LG Optimus G

Hi all-
Does anyone know of a workaround for the OS-based restriction on tethering in the E970 stock firmware? I realize it will take a 3rd-party ROM release to fully remove this, which of course depends on an unlocked bootloader.. but in the meantime, is there anything that can be done? Any Play Store app that will bypass this problem?
Or if I call AT&T technical support and point out to them I have an unlocked, non-contract phone and I'm not even an AT&T user.. nor do I even live in the United States, will they provide some sort of unlock? :silly:

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I have the Rogers e971 which is very very similar. I am able to tether just fine with the phone using an alternative carrier. Can you list the "restrictions" so we know what you are talking about.

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Here you go. I have my Wifi hotspot configured exactly the same as my previous phone, but when I attempt to enable it I get this very helpful message..
I'm told by US friends that this is a restriction on AT&T Android phones, unless you pay AT&T a $10/mo. tethering fee to allow you to use your own data plan as you wish. So as far as I can tell, it's integrated at the firmware level? But I have no way to remove it yet, and I'm not even an AT&T customer. I assume the phone is attempting to verify whether I have 'tethering enabled' on my account.. which of course doesn't exist.

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On my S3 there is a" tethering provision" you could disable using TB....nothing of the sort on the LGOG from what I can see.....hopefully someone will figure it out....
Galaxy S III I747

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Browse to:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.tether
Download the tethering app there.
You can thank koush by buying the pro version for $2.99.
---------- Post added at 08:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:56 AM ----------
amrando said:
Hi all-
Does anyone know of a workaround for the OS-based restriction on tethering in the E970 stock firmware? I realize it will take a 3rd-party ROM release to fully remove this, which of course depends on an unlocked bootloader.. but in the meantime, is there anything that can be done? Any Play Store app that will bypass this problem?
Or if I call AT&T technical support and point out to them I have an unlocked, non-contract phone and I'm not even an AT&T user.. nor do I even live in the United States, will they provide some sort of unlock? :silly:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T will laugh at you. I'm sorry but that is the reality here in the good ole USA where mega corporations act like feudal lords over the unwashed mass.

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I'm on AT&T as well and that ClockworkMod Tether app is listed as incompatible.
EDIT: Nevermind, direct link to the apk works.

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I'm on AT&T and native wifi tether works 100% on stock firmware...no 3rd party app needed
Sent from my ARCHOS 80G9 using XDA Premium HD app

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xbutchx said:
I'm on AT&T and native wifi tether works 100% on stock firmware...no 3rd party app needed
Sent from my ARCHOS 80G9 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You probably have a tiered data plan that allows tethering. Doesn't work on unlimited plans.

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You can try FoxFi from the Play Store, or WiFi Tether from someone here on XDA, I believe is where I got it. WiFi Tether wasn't working on my SG2 after the ICS update, but FoxFi did. Now FoxFi won't work on my OG, but WiFi Tether does. :shrug:
My OG is rooted and boot unlocked, but on the stock ROM, FWIW.
Edit: For typos and clarification. Also why do I have to wait 5 min to edit my post? How is that preventing spam?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

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Have any of you gotten the 10$/mo tethering fee tacked on after using these apps? I've heard AT&T is known to do that...

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*bump*
Anyone found anything yet?
I know you could just replace the wifi drivers,because apparently that is what was done in the snow jellybean rom, but i dont have the know how to do this.
I would use the snow jb rom, but my signal gets all screwy, and my data speeds slow down drastically. May be just that im on straight talk. Anyways, i would hate to have to convert to nexus, just for wifi tether :/

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cr4zy5pacec0w80y said:
*bump*
Anyone found anything yet?
I know you could just replace the wifi drivers,because apparently that is what was done in the snow jellybean rom, but i dont have the know how to do this.
I would use the snow jb rom, but my signal gets all screwy, and my data speeds slow down drastically. May be just that im on straight talk. Anyways, i would hate to have to convert to nexus, just for wifi tether :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tethered if needed on every rom with zero issue, but never tried snow's JB
I think you'll have much success with the options to flash lately, and to be honest there is a way in one of the databases that also bypasses/enables the tethering in stock roms but for the life of me, I can't remember where I saw that one. The wifi drivers are in the ... sec lemme check..
system\vendor\firmware\wlan\prima\WCNSS_cfg.dat
and system/etc/wifi/ which has WCNSS_qcom_cfg.ini and WCNSS_qcom_wlan_nv.bin
but I'm not 100% if thats the location on stock rom either way, running a backup and dropping the files in there might be all you need if its really just the drivers, or you could just search for these files in snow's rom, which im assuming you have since you tried it, and then just replacing those in your rom.
Mind the permissions that are currently set, using whatever root file explorer your choice is, i.e. with ES File explorer, long press on the file, it will get a check mark on the right side, then on the bottom right click "more" and select properties.
for all files the permissions are -rw-r-r which you'll see in the screenshots and owner/group both root (scroll to the top when setting them, its the first entry)
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
pic 1 the properties view, pic 2 is what it looks like when setting permissions, just mirror the check marks, pic three is the system\vendor\firmware\wlan\prima\WCNSS_cfg.dat file, same permissions for it, also notice the two other files with it, they are just links from the system/etc/wifi folder, they are not actually there. I hope this helps you test your theory out, it should be very painless. and like I said, if the files are in slightly different folders, just adjust fire and mirror the locations accordingly.
good luck and please let me know if it really is just the wifi drivers that at&t screwed with, thats good info for future reference.

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There are a couple other threads on this that detail specific methods. Since you're not an at&t customer you shouldn't be bound by their restriction!
If you want to use the built-in tethering functionality, you can change a key in the settings.db (something like tether_entitlement_check) using an sql editor. First time I tried editing that db, I trashed it because aSQLitemanager truncated the 91k db file to something like 80k, then I managed to overwrite the good backup with the truncated file also, and I had to do a factory reset. So be careful if you do this, edit a backup copy of the db first and copy it in place, and make an extra copy of the good one. I can't find where I originally read about this but it's similar for all of the at&t phones. I found a command-line sql editor that worked better for me in the end, btw.
wifi tether for root users works too - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=39411328&postcount=13. I liked that it displayed a live traffic count (the built-in tethering data usage can be seen in the built-in data usage meter on the phone but it's not the same) but that stopped working with the JB update. And I sometimes had to reboot after using it before I could turn wifi back on.
What I usually really want to do is not really tethering - I want my phone connected to my wifi network which also has wired devices, and I want those devices to be able to route traffic through the phone. I wrote a script to connect the phone as a wifi client while mobile data is enabled, then setup the iptables rules to do the necessary NAT, and then I just have to change my wired devices' default gateway to point to my phone's wifi ip address (statically assigned in my router), OR just run a socks proxy on my phone and socksify as necessary on the computer.

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Sorry I'm taking so long, somehow my new baby seems to get all my time these days lol.
Anyways, i looked inside the rom and her is what i found in the stock at&t rom.
In the vendor / framework there is only one file, i just went ahead and replaced it with the one in the snow rom.
Going to flash it over later today, and see what happens.
The attached, are what is inside the rom now.

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I flashed the rom with the drivers swapped out, and everythinf worked fine, but still cant tether, i have tried the wifi tether app, foxfi, and the built in tethering, but nothing worked. I guess the next step is to try and edit that file.

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cr4zy5pacec0w80y said:
I flashed the rom with the drivers swapped out, and everythinf worked fine, but still cant tether, i have tried the wifi tether app, foxfi, and the built in tethering, but nothing worked. I guess the next step is to try and edit that file.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the below steps & tethering works perfectly on my phone now. It requires rooted device.
Download Android SDK then make a folder on the root of your 'c' drive named android (mine is c:\androidSDK and is the path Ill use in this guide). Extract the contents of the zip file then navigate through the extracted file 1 level until you see the following files: add-ons, platforms, tools, SDK readme, and SDK setup. Copy all those files into the c:\androidsdk folder.
Connecting to and testing the ADB shell connection.
On your LGOG navigate to: settings>applications>developement and select usb debugging as this allows for the shell to interface with your phone. Plug in your epic with the usb cable provided with your phone and wait for drivers to load. Then on your computer hit start and type "cmd" (without quotes) in the search box (vista/7) or select run and type cmd (XP) then hit enter. You now have a virtual MS DOS window open type the following (each line is its own command and hit enter after typing each line):
cd\
cd androidSDK\sdk\platform-tools
adb devices
This should come up with your devices serial number and show that the connection is ready to be initiated.
Running the ADB shell
Make sure your phone is in USB debugging mode, connected to your pc and open a virtual dos window again: hit start and type "cmd" (without quotes) in the search box (vista/7) or select run and type cmd (XP) then hit enter. Type the following to enter the ADB shell (each line is its own command and hit enter after typing each line):
cd\
cd androidSDK\sdk\platform-tools
adb shell
You should now see a "$" (no quotes) and that signifies that you have the adb shell up and running.
Tethering :
With your rooted device, download SQLite Installer for Root from app store. Use the app to download the latest version of SQLite in the default place. The installer will be asking for root access, that's fine.
1.This is important. Go into settings and try to turn on hotspot. It will check with AT&T and subsequently fail to enable.
2.With USB debugging on, plug the phone into your computer and go into the command line and start up adb shell. Once in the phone's shell, type su and then open your phone to give it root access.
3.Type: cd /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases
4.Type the following to open settings.db: sqlite3 settings.db
5.Type this query EXACTLY: update system set value=0 where name='tether_entitlement_check_state';
6.Close sqlite by typing (there is a dot in front): .quit
7.Type 'exit' three times and close the shell
8.Restart the phone.
9.Try to turn on hotspot (or bluetooth tethering or USB tethering if you plug your phone in). You might get a warning about how tethering drains the battery, just ignore it and hit ok.

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roockstaarr said:
I did the below steps & tethering works perfectly on my phone now. It requires rooted device.
Download Android SDK then make a folder on the root of your 'c' drive named android (mine is c:\androidSDK and is the path Ill use in this guide). Extract the contents of the zip file then navigate through the extracted file 1 level until you see the following files: add-ons, platforms, tools, SDK readme, and SDK setup. Copy all those files into the c:\androidsdk folder.
Connecting to and testing the ADB shell connection.
On your LGOG navigate to: settings>applications>developement and select usb debugging as this allows for the shell to interface with your phone. Plug in your epic with the usb cable provided with your phone and wait for drivers to load. Then on your computer hit start and type "cmd" (without quotes) in the search box (vista/7) or select run and type cmd (XP) then hit enter. You now have a virtual MS DOS window open type the following (each line is its own command and hit enter after typing each line):
cd\
cd androidSDK\sdk\platform-tools
adb devices
This should come up with your devices serial number and show that the connection is ready to be initiated.
Running the ADB shell
Make sure your phone is in USB debugging mode, connected to your pc and open a virtual dos window again: hit start and type "cmd" (without quotes) in the search box (vista/7) or select run and type cmd (XP) then hit enter. Type the following to enter the ADB shell (each line is its own command and hit enter after typing each line):
cd\
cd androidSDK\sdk\platform-tools
adb shell
You should now see a "$" (no quotes) and that signifies that you have the adb shell up and running.
Tethering :
With your rooted device, download SQLite Installer for Root from app store. Use the app to download the latest version of SQLite in the default place. The installer will be asking for root access, that's fine.
1.This is important. Go into settings and try to turn on hotspot. It will check with AT&T and subsequently fail to enable.
2.With USB debugging on, plug the phone into your computer and go into the command line and start up adb shell. Once in the phone's shell, type su and then open your phone to give it root access.
3.Type: cd /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases
4.Type the following to open settings.db: sqlite3 settings.db
5.Type this query EXACTLY: update system set value=0 where name='tether_entitlement_check_state';
6.Close sqlite by typing (there is a dot in front): .quit
7.Type 'exit' three times and close the shell
8.Restart the phone.
9.Try to turn on hotspot (or bluetooth tethering or USB tethering if you plug your phone in). You might get a warning about how tethering drains the battery, just ignore it and hit ok.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried this but sqlite3 settings.db doesnt open settings.db
Where am I going wrong?

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harshmehta29 said:
Tried this but sqlite3 settings.db doesnt open settings.db
Where am I going wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download sqleditor pro free(see pic)
Afterwards go to com.android.provider.settings.
Afterthat go to settings
Then system
Then look for
Tether entitlement state check and change value to 0. Save, reset and voila!
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk

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luisoman2000 said:
Download sqleditor pro free(see pic)
View attachment 2563287
Afterwards go to com.android.provider.settings.View attachment 2563289
Afterthat go to settings
View attachment 2563290
Then system
View attachment 2563303
Then look for View attachment 2563304
Tether entitlement state check and change value to 0. Save, reset and voila!
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Works perfect thanks a lot

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roockstaarr said:
Connecting to and testing the ADB shell connection.
On your LGOG navigate to: settings>applications>developement and select usb debugging as this allows for the shell to interface with your phone. Plug in your epic with the usb cable provided with your phone and wait for drivers to load. Then on your computer hit start and type "cmd" (without quotes) in the search box (vista/7) or select run and type cmd (XP) then hit enter. You now have a virtual MS DOS window open type the following (each line is its own command and hit enter after typing each line):
cd\
cd androidSDK\sdk\platform-tools
adb devices
This should come up with your devices serial number and show that the connection is ready to be initiated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm typing the command "cd androidSDK\sdk\platform-tools" and I keep getting back:
"The system cannot find the file path specified"
Not sure what I'm doing wrong, I've copied the appropriate files into the root file I created.