[Q] Using Tethered LTE connection to host Services? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have a grandfathered Unlimited Verizon Data Plan that my company is paying me to have. I do not like Verizon, and am out of contract, so I recently purchased a Nexus 5 and plan on paying monthly with Ting. I have to maintain a "company phone" but using Google Voice, and importing all my accounts, it is really trivial that I would be using the Nexus 5 on a different carrier, since they only subsidize their employees, the device does not actually belong to them.
Instead of leaving my GS3 in a shoe box somewhere or selling it, I wanted to try using it as a dedicated hotspot for my apartment since I live in an area that has capped data from ISP's and no real solution (read FIOS) yet.
I purchased a Netgear Wireless Bridge Adapter WNCE2001 and set it up to connect to the phone's wifi hotspot and plugged that into the WAN "internet" port of my router running Tomato 1.28 firmware.
All seemed ok as far as ability to surf the web, use netflix from my TV, etc however there was a huge problem with some of the things I host from my internal network, such as media servers Subsonic, and Plex.
I am not able to access anything hosted on my internal network from any external network, even though I have not touched or altered my configurations - just replaced the WAN / "internet" port of my router with the tethered data connection.
After days of research and reading I have attempted a few fixes, although none have truly worked so far:
1) I tried connecting the phone to an open VPN server and then routing that traffic through the built in wifi tethering . This indeed worked - I followed some threads linked below, and was able to verify that now everything on my network was using the Open VPN connection - however I could not figure out a way to forward the ports appropriately and access Subsonic or Plex from the outside world.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1993689
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2317841
2) I attempted using SSH tunnel from a remote Linux Server and although I could verify tha the tunnel was getting data piped through, I could not actually access Subsonic or PLex from the outside world. I tried to use tsocks to force all traffic for each service to use an established SSH tunnel but did not have much success.
It is important to note that these methods were tested on a shared server of a friend of mines, as far as I know they do not have root access and can not alter the open VPN or Open SSH configs or manually open ports on the server side. I wanted to just test it out to verify that it could work because I do not have a dedi or vps at the moment, I would consider getting something small from digital ocean or Amazon EC2 if this could actually work.
3) Lastly, I tried to use this port forwarding app, which as far as I can tell did absolutely nothing
Any help or direction is much appreciated, at this point I am more frustrated because after hours of reading and trying things out I feel as though I am now even more confused as to why this isn't / can't / could be working?!?!
Another thread I found here that seems like maybe it could be similar is the ability of getting NAT free with XBL using tethered data. I dont play video games, but I am wondering if something similar could be done using a crossover cable to allow for opening up ports through the wireless ISP as well? The older computer I use to host my media stuff from is running Ubuntu, and I have a Macbook Laptop, I only run Win7/8 in VM's on occasion - ideally though I want to find a solution that only uses the Linux Laptop, the phone, and the router - I can't leave my laptop home.
TLDR;
Halp! :silly:
[old desktop]- - - - ->{ROUTER]- - - - - >[WIFI ADAPTER]- - - ->[TETHERED GS3]- - - >[VZW]- - -> INTERNETS :good:
How to I send media servers from one side to the other and avoid all the NATing and dynamic IP's ? :victory:

I use versavpn with verizon and connect with openvpn. They give 3 ports to forword and dedicated ip. You chose the ports u want to forward on there web site. I have plex and remote desktop and a ftp server running on my unlimited data Verizon plan 300 gigs used a month for 3 years now. This has worked OK for me. I also ditched the tethered phone and went for a 4glte router instead much less hassle.
Sent from my LG-VS980 using XDA-Developers mobile app

Related

Problem with Wifi or USB tether on LG Motion

I have searched but could not find any thing related and there is no specific forum for this device. The problem is when I connect my laptop using the Android Wifi or USB tethers, I can only access HTTPS sites. If I try to hit a HTTP site, they give the general 'could not connect' error. I have tested to ensure I can hit both HTTP and HTTPS sites from my phones browser. I have the same issue using multiple different Wifi and/or USB tether apps. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
TL;DR
With LG Motion (MetroPCS) I am able to browse HTTPS sites but can not browse HTTP sites when using an Android Wifi or USB tether app.
Explanation
I did some more research and found that MetroPCS is now blocking tethering traffic
"Their filtering is based on HTTP user-agents. If your user-agent matches a known user-agent that is not android it
will reject the traffic. Now there are two problems with this,
A.) If an unknown userAgent is passed or No user agent, your traffic is accepted.
B.) There are a bazillion TCP protocols that do not have user-agents.
So off the bat with no user-agent spoofing, all protocols work except HTTP, including HTTPS, HTTPS works out of
box because of its encryption."
so it is safe to assume you are tethering w/o paying their $10/mo fee to allow thethering through you MetroPCS phone?
FYI, I feel that fee is a pretty high premium as it brings the unlimited 4g LTE use plan to $70mo. Still not that bad if you can make use of it. Extras like this bug me for some reason, but if they put it in the plan and just charged more I prolly would not think twice.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
So I'm not Crazy
this had me pulling my hair out...
tethering was working for me- but then stopped mid-session. thinking it was due to network errors i just quit for the day... only to find tethering never working again.
tracert discovered traffic bouncing through near half a dozen 10.x networks before only finding "no replies". as you suggest, dns traffic worked (non http) and thus added to the confusion.
it appears i hit some usage threshold and http traffic was disabled. funny thing is i was willing to pay the $10/month tethering fee but was told i can't simultaneously have unlimited 4G and tethering on my account. i opted in favor of spending my $10 on unlimited 4G. i'm not necessarily a heavy network users but definitely beyond their 2.5 GB cap.
thanks for sharing and confirming i wasnt crazy thinking my tethering was broken.
MetroPCS 4g tether not allowing http sites fixed
Tonight, I found a solution for this same issue. I was not able to see this review except on the lg-ms770 phone I have with Android 4.0.4. After seeing the term userAgent, and how that seems to be the issue, I tested an Android tablet on my WiFi tether. It worked great! However, this laptop and my desktop could not surf using http.
As my terminology is out of date, and I am a bit overwhelmed at times by all this great achievement, I found something in the Google Play store called Chrome UA Spoofer. It let me change the user agent that MetroPCS sees when using Google Chrome on my Windows XP and 8 computers. Now, I can surf all http sites that I usually use at work. It's a little slow but I think that has to do with local 4G issues that seem persistent to all users of the services here where I live.
At least it helps me save the $10.00/mth I really didn't want to have to pay. I currently shell out $60.00/mth for my phone with "unlimited everything" service, but the http issue was really bugging me. Thanks to your posts and the key term userAgent which was needed for me to first understand the issue and then find a way around it.
Hope I can be helpful in the future.
-Leo

[Q] Make apps think you're using Wifi

I've searched around for some solid technique or, preferably, app that allows you to trick apps into thinking you are using Wifi when in reality you are still on 3g/4g.
- I am NOT looking for alternatives or workarounds for a specific app
I found it crazy that the iPhone has over a dozen apps, tweaks, etc that can easily do this type of thing, but the only stuff I've found on the subject for android were either ridiculous techniques that don't work, or people questioning WHY you'd want to do this...
If anyone has ANY information on this subject, please tell.
Is there a reason why this is so much harder on Android than on iPhone? I'd be happy to learn exactly what the problem is here.
bump
Im also interested on this. I have unlimited data and i find it ridiculous that devs make apps to only work on wifi. I use to use 3g unrestrictor all the time back when i had my iPhone.
bump
bump again...
Well i know this works with certain android games like zenonia and modern combat which require wifi not data connection so you can try it with other stuff. You have to be rooted.
The first step is to turn your Wi-Fi on and*download Android Wi-Fi tether app*available in Market.
Once you have the app downloaded, launch the app and go to Menu > Settings > Change > Setup Method and select Softap option.
Now start tethering and drag down the notification bar.
In case your Wi-Fi icon is still enabled, it means that you have done it right so far.
Do not press the Wi-Fi toggle icon and launch the game you want to play
-------------
I am a dishonest man, and you can always honestly trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly it's the honest ones you have to watch out for.
xMrArnoldx said:
Well i know this works with certain android games like zenonia and modern combat which require wifi not data connection so you can try it with other stuff. You have to be rooted.
The first step is to turn your Wi-Fi on and*download Android Wi-Fi tether app*available in Market.
Once you have the app downloaded, launch the app and go to Menu > Settings > Change > Setup Method and select Softap option.
Now start tethering and drag down the notification bar.
In case your Wi-Fi icon is still enabled, it means that you have done it right so far.
Do not press the Wi-Fi toggle icon and launch the game you want to play
-------------
I am a dishonest man, and you can always honestly trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly it's the honest ones you have to watch out for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It didn't work.. My wifi is turned off as soon as the tethering starts. What app exactly am I supposed to use?
Thanks!
Try wifi tether for root users.
---------------------
Give me a thanks if i helped
Lg Lucid running Cm10
w/ Cm10 Kernel
Asus Tf700 running Cromi-X 4.6.5
w/ Max's v4 kernel
Some Android games and application require a Wi-Fi connection due to the large amount of data that they use. If you don't have Wi-Fi available, however, you won't be able to use the apps or play the games, even if you have a fast 3G connection. You can trick your phone into believing that the Wi-Fi is connected by saving a small text file to your SD card so the phone will play games and apps as if it's on Wi-Fi when it's only connected to 3G.
Things You'll Need
PC
Data cable
Text editing app
Instructions
1) Launch a text editing program on your computer and type "FALSE" in all caps. Save the file and give it the name "qaWifiOnlyMode.txt" exactly with all the lower-case and capital letters duplicated precisely, otherwise the Android operating system won't see the file. Close the text editing program.
2) Plug your Android device into your computer and drag your finger down from the top of the screen to open the notification area. Tap "USB Connected" and then confirm that you want to mount your SD card as a drive on the computer.
3) Find the qaWifiOnlyMode.txt file on your computer and click to select it. Press "Ctrl" and "C" to copy the file. Browse to the location of your Android device's SD card on your computer. In the base(root) directory, not in any sub-folder, press "Ctrl" and "V" to paste the text file to the card.
4) Drag down the notification area on your Android device and tap the USB connection to disconnect the device from the computer. Unplug the USB cable. Your device will now play games and apps as if it's on Wi-Fi even if it's only on 3G.
Diablo67 said:
Some Android games and application require a Wi-Fi connection due to the large amount of data that they use. If you don't have Wi-Fi available, however, you won't be able to use the apps or play the games, even if you have a fast 3G connection. You can trick your phone into believing that the Wi-Fi is connected by saving a small text file to your SD card so the phone will play games and apps as if it's on Wi-Fi when it's only connected to 3G.
Things You'll Need
PC
Data cable
Text editing app
Instructions
1) Launch a text editing program on your computer and type "FALSE" in all caps. Save the file and give it the name "qaWifiOnlyMode.txt" exactly with all the lower-case and capital letters duplicated precisely, otherwise the Android operating system won't see the file. Close the text editing program.
2) Plug your Android device into your computer and drag your finger down from the top of the screen to open the notification area. Tap "USB Connected" and then confirm that you want to mount your SD card as a drive on the computer.
3) Find the qaWifiOnlyMode.txt file on your computer and click to select it. Press "Ctrl" and "C" to copy the file. Browse to the location of your Android device's SD card on your computer. In the base(root) directory, not in any sub-folder, press "Ctrl" and "V" to paste the text file to the card.
4) Drag down the notification area on your Android device and tap the USB connection to disconnect the device from the computer. Unplug the USB cable. Your device will now play games and apps as if it's on Wi-Fi even if it's only on 3G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, this whole text file thing didn't work for me. Do you have to be rooted for this to work?
It didn't work for me either and I'm rooted
Work for anyone
Did the above fix work for anyone?
.txt thing didn't work for me either and I'm rooted]
I am having a rooted phone with busybox and this text file trick doesn't work.
Sent from my GT-S5360 Gadget of Mass Destruction using xda-app
Using CWM........Busybox Commands........No I use my hands
I've been searching for a way to fool apps into thinking their on WiFi. No luck.
I hate to beat the dead horse but I switched from an iPhone to a HTC One and its turning out to be a bad deal. Your telling me all these yrs and no one has been able to make one of the most basic apps the iPhone can get via cydia yet.
We should start a bounty ...
I'll throw in 100 to start it off with.
omf05 said:
I've been searching for a way to fool apps into thinking their on WiFi. No luck.
I hate to beat the dead horse but I switched from an iPhone to a HTC One and its turning out to be a bad deal. Your telling me all these yrs and no one has been able to make one of the most basic apps the iPhone can get via cydia yet.
We should start a bounty ...
I'll throw in 100 to start it off with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's pretty pathetic really
I'll be abroad next week and wanted to catch a bit of the French Open Tennis but one of the TV apps I'm using requires a wifi connection. The fact there is no workaround yet is almost as idiotic as the morons who implement this "feature" in their apps.
Why should I care if someone is dumb enough to rinse their 1GB Data limit when I have unlimited 4G internet?
I asked about this in the Xposed forum, since it seems like an Xposed module might be the way to trick apps into thinking you're on wi-fi.
For me, the issue is with PdaNet+. I have unlimited data with T-Mobile, and I can pair my tablet via bluetooth and use my phone's data on my tablet. However, some apps don't work because they don't detect a data connection (ie: wi-fi), even though there is one. I can browse the internet. I can browse Google Play. But I can't download anything from Google Play, because it keeps waiting for a network connection. I can use Facebook, but I can't use the Facebook Messenger.
The work-around I can use at home is to use a virtual wi-fi router program on my laptop, connect my tablet to my laptop's wifi, and then connect my tablet via PdaNet+ bluetooth. Even there's no data going through the wi-fi, it still "tricks" my tablet into thinking there's a network connection, and it proceeds to download through bluetooth. Of course, this only works at home or if I have my laptop with me.
Yeah, I can always just tether my phone to my laptop and run my tablet off the laptop's virtual wi-fi router (which I typically do), but that's slower, and again, only works when my computer is with me.
Planterz said:
I asked about this in the Xposed forum, since it seems like an Xposed module might be the way to trick apps into thinking you're on wi-fi.
For me, the issue is with PdaNet+. I have unlimited data with T-Mobile, and I can pair my tablet via bluetooth and use my phone's data on my tablet. However, some apps don't work because they don't detect a data connection (ie: wi-fi), even though there is one. I can browse the internet. I can browse Google Play. But I can't download anything from Google Play, because it keeps waiting for a network connection. I can use Facebook, but I can't use the Facebook Messenger.
The work-around I can use at home is to use a virtual wi-fi router program on my laptop, connect my tablet to my laptop's wifi, and then connect my tablet via PdaNet+ bluetooth. Even there's no data going through the wi-fi, it still "tricks" my tablet into thinking there's a network connection, and it proceeds to download through bluetooth. Of course, this only works at home or if I have my laptop with me.
Yeah, I can always just tether my phone to my laptop and run my tablet off the laptop's virtual wi-fi router (which I typically do), but that's slower, and again, only works when my computer is with me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you provide a little more detail in how to do this? What program are you using on your laptop? So the phone is running PDANet and then you connect it to your laptop via Bluetooth. Then after that you connect your tablet to the laptop's virtual wifi router?
Don't know if I understood completely but thanks in advance.
taino211 said:
Could you provide a little more detail in how to do this? What program are you using on your laptop? So the phone is running PDANet and then you connect it to your laptop via Bluetooth. Then after that you connect your tablet to the laptop's virtual wifi router?
Don't know if I understood completely but thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have T-Mobile's Unlimited plan, which has unlimited data and 5gb free hotspot. My phone is a T-Mobile branded Samsung Galaxy Light SGH T399. On my phone I have PdaNet+ installed, with the full unlock key purchased ($8).
There's a free one to try, to make sure it works with your phone; whether it works or not depends on the phone itself, the version of Android it runs, and the provider from which you got it (if you didn't get an unlocked version). For example, a particular phone might work fine with T-Mobile, but the Sprint version of that phone might not. That's why there's the free version - to test before purchasing. The limitation with the free version is that it times out after about ~10 minutes and you have to reconnect.
PdaNet can connect to your computer in 3 ways. Wifi, Bluetooth, or USB tethering. Again, depending on your phone, carrier branding, and Android version, some methods may work while others won't.
Wifi works just like any wifi hotspot. However, depending on the afore mentioned conditions, wifi hotspot might not work the way you want it to. For example, on my T-Mobile branded Samsung Galaxy Light SGH-T399, using the wifi hotspot on PdaNet also loads up the pre-installed T-Mobile hotspot, which drains the 5gb mobile hotspot allotment. I haven't found a way to break that on this phone. On other phones (like Nexus devices), I know there are ways to only use your phone's data, and not the hotspot allotment, but frankly, these are very complicated and need a VPN subscription (ie: more money) to work. Wifi hotspot use is often broken anyway, depending on your carrier and Android version.
Bluetooth and USB tethering work differently than wi-fi, but otherwise work essentially the same way as each other. Both require a companion program to be installed onto your computer. A good idea is to keep a copy of this program on your phone, so you can install it on other people's computers if necessary (and perhaps the USB drivers for your phone as well).
I haven't messed around with Bluetooth much, because the Bluetooth on my laptop (via a dongle) is glitchy as $#@!, and I've never been able to get PdaNet to work with it properly except for a couple times which didn't last. Actually, I've never gotten anything to work properly with Bluetooth on my laptop, so this is probably just a problem with my computer/dongle/drivers, and YMMV. On the few times I've gotten PdaNet or other internet via Bluetooth (which some phones have built-in, and don't require PdaNet at all), speeds have been much, much slower, and I'd rather tether via USB anyway.
I connect my phone's internet to my laptop with USB tether. Make sure USB debugging is enabled, and plug it in. Make sure it's set as a Mass Storage device (4.1 or earlier), or as a Media Device (4.2+). Then on your phone, open PdaNet+ and Activate USB Tether (you can do this before plugging it in, it doesn't matter). On your computer, load PdaNet, and select Connect Internet (USB). If everything has been set up correctly, it should say "Connected", and you can now use your phone's internet on your computer.
Here's the important part:
If you don't have an Unlimited plan, tethering (via any method) will suck down your data. If you do have an unlimited plan, there's an option in PdaNet's settings (on your computer) to "Hide Tether Usage". This uses a proxy or VPN (not sure which) to fool your provider into thinking you're on your phone, and not on your computer. This works for me, with my phone, on T-Mobile. No guarantees that this will work with other phones, or other providers. Try the free version first, monitor your data usage (use your provider's account app, not the built-in Android one), and see if it works for you.
As for the virtual wifi network, there are a couple ways to do this. The PdaNet program for your computer actually has this built into it. Once you're connected, select the "WiFi Share" option, and it'll set up a wi-fi network that you (and others) can use on other devices, like other phones, tablets, computers smart-TVs, etc. Obviously, the computer you're tethered to needs to have wi-fi capability for this to work. But as long as you have a wi-fi modem, it can be turned into a wi-fi router with this option. It's not as strong as a real wi-fi router, but you don't have to buy and network a different piece of equipment either.
There are also stand-alone virtual wi-fi router programs. The one I've used mainly is Virtual Router Manager beta 0.9. A while ago, I tried a newer, non-beta version, but it was extremely unstable, so I went back to the 0.9 beta. I haven't tried any newer version in quite some time. I used this when I had proper internet (cable) in my apartment, but wanted to use wi-fi instead of my phone's data to do downloads or updates on my phone.
Neither the Virtual Router Manager or the WiFi Share option on PdaNet are 100% stable. Every once in a while, something glitches out, and I have to reboot my computer (I usually reboot my phone at the same time, just to be sure). But hey, apart from the $8 for PdaNet+, I get unlimited mobile and home internet for $80/month, so I can't complain.
To recap, I have my phone USB tethered to my laptop (which is plugged into a 42" HDTV) via PdaNet+. I use a virtual wi-fi router option to give wi-fi to my tablet. One internet connection, 3 devices connected.
My problem is that, even though I own a laptop, it practically never goes with my anywhere. It sits on a cooling pad, plugged into 2 external HDDs and my 42" HDTV, and I sit at my couch with a wireless mouse/keyboard. But when I'm away from my apartment, and I have my tablet, there's certain things I can't do on the tablet connected via PdaNet and Bluetooth, because it doesn't have a wi-fi connection, and these certain apps don't detect a network connection.
Planterz said:
I have T-Mobile's Unlimited plan, which has unlimited data and 5gb free hotspot. My phone is a T-Mobile branded Samsung Galaxy Light SGH T399. On my phone I have PdaNet+ installed, with the full unlock key purchased ($8).
There's a free one to try, to make sure it works with your phone; whether it works or not depends on the phone itself, the version of Android it runs, and the provider from which you got it (if you didn't get an unlocked version). For example, a particular phone might work fine with T-Mobile, but the Sprint version of that phone might not. That's why there's the free version - to test before purchasing. The limitation with the free version is that it times out after about ~10 minutes and you have to reconnect.
PdaNet can connect to your computer in 3 ways. Wifi, Bluetooth, or USB tethering. Again, depending on your phone, carrier branding, and Android version, some methods may work while others won't.
Wifi works just like any wifi hotspot. However, depending on the afore mentioned conditions, wifi hotspot might not work the way you want it to. For example, on my T-Mobile branded Samsung Galaxy Light SGH-T399, using the wifi hotspot on PdaNet also loads up the pre-installed T-Mobile hotspot, which drains the 5gb mobile hotspot allotment. I haven't found a way to break that on this phone. On other phones (like Nexus devices), I know there are ways to only use your phone's data, and not the hotspot allotment, but frankly, these are very complicated and need a VPN subscription (ie: more money) to work. Wifi hotspot use is often broken anyway, depending on your carrier and Android version.
Bluetooth and USB tethering work differently than wi-fi, but otherwise work essentially the same way as each other. Both require a companion program to be installed onto your computer. A good idea is to keep a copy of this program on your phone, so you can install it on other people's computers if necessary (and perhaps the USB drivers for your phone as well).
I haven't messed around with Bluetooth much, because the Bluetooth on my laptop (via a dongle) is glitchy as $#@!, and I've never been able to get PdaNet to work with it properly except for a couple times which didn't last. Actually, I've never gotten anything to work properly with Bluetooth on my laptop, so this is probably just a problem with my computer/dongle/drivers, and YMMV. On the few times I've gotten PdaNet or other internet via Bluetooth (which some phones have built-in, and don't require PdaNet at all), speeds have been much, much slower, and I'd rather tether via USB anyway.
I connect my phone's internet to my laptop with USB tether. Make sure USB debugging is enabled, and plug it in. Make sure it's set as a Mass Storage device (4.1 or earlier), or as a Media Device (4.2+). Then on your phone, open PdaNet+ and Activate USB Tether (you can do this before plugging it in, it doesn't matter). On your computer, load PdaNet, and select Connect Internet (USB). If everything has been set up correctly, it should say "Connected", and you can now use your phone's internet on your computer.
Here's the important part:
If you don't have an Unlimited plan, tethering (via any method) will suck down your data. If you do have an unlimited plan, there's an option in PdaNet's settings (on your computer) to "Hide Tether Usage". This uses a proxy or VPN (not sure which) to fool your provider into thinking you're on your phone, and not on your computer. This works for me, with my phone, on T-Mobile. No guarantees that this will work with other phones, or other providers. Try the free version first, monitor your data usage (use your provider's account app, not the built-in Android one), and see if it works for you.
As for the virtual wifi network, there are a couple ways to do this. The PdaNet program for your computer actually has this built into it. Once you're connected, select the "WiFi Share" option, and it'll set up a wi-fi network that you (and others) can use on other devices, like other phones, tablets, computers smart-TVs, etc. Obviously, the computer you're tethered to needs to have wi-fi capability for this to work. But as long as you have a wi-fi modem, it can be turned into a wi-fi router with this option. It's not as strong as a real wi-fi router, but you don't have to buy and network a different piece of equipment either.
There are also stand-alone virtual wi-fi router programs. The one I've used mainly is Virtual Router Manager beta 0.9. A while ago, I tried a newer, non-beta version, but it was extremely unstable, so I went back to the 0.9 beta. I haven't tried any newer version in quite some time. I used this when I had proper internet (cable) in my apartment, but wanted to use wi-fi instead of my phone's data to do downloads or updates on my phone.
Neither the Virtual Router Manager or the WiFi Share option on PdaNet are 100% stable. Every once in a while, something glitches out, and I have to reboot my computer (I usually reboot my phone at the same time, just to be sure). But hey, apart from the $8 for PdaNet+, I get unlimited mobile and home internet for $80/month, so I can't complain.
To recap, I have my phone USB tethered to my laptop (which is plugged into a 42" HDTV) via PdaNet+. I use a virtual wi-fi router option to give wi-fi to my tablet. One internet connection, 3 devices connected.
My problem is that, even though I own a laptop, it practically never goes with my anywhere. It sits on a cooling pad, plugged into 2 external HDDs and my 42" HDTV, and I sit at my couch with a wireless mouse/keyboard. But when I'm away from my apartment, and I have my tablet, there's certain things I can't do on the tablet connected via PdaNet and Bluetooth, because it doesn't have a wi-fi connection, and these certain apps don't detect a network connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the great explanation! This helps quite a bit. I'll give this a shot to see how it goes.

[Q] Tethering on SPRINT via USB

I found this but it didnt answer my question completely http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1479500
I need to tether at work to a couple times during the day to show media files, pictures, etc of things while I'm teaching (4th grade). Netflix also has quite a bit of educational videos I would like to stream to supplement science and social studies. I can't use my school's network because they have so many restrictions that it blocks nearly everything.
If I tether via USB connection with PDA Net or Easy Tether, is there any way Sprint can tell that I'm tethering?
I tried the wifi feature on Pda Net and the phone brought up a message saying I did not subscribe to those services.
When I connected via USB, I didn't have that issue. I just want to make sure I can use it consistently without getting kicked off the network and before I pay for the full app.
I would assume if you are using a 3rd party USB tethering app and the phone doesn't give you Sprint's hotspot warning that you should be in the clear.
I'm also looking into tethering with my GN3 via USB and WiFi... Still looking/waiting for the best (free) options.
There is also the Bluetooth tether.
Sent from my SM-N900P using xda app-developers app
seoulbrova said:
I found this but it didnt answer my question completely http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1479500
I need to tether at work to a couple times during the day to show media files, pictures, etc of things while I'm teaching (4th grade). Netflix also has quite a bit of educational videos I would like to stream to supplement science and social studies. I can't use my school's network because they have so many restrictions that it blocks nearly everything.
If I tether via USB connection with PDA Net or Easy Tether, is there any way Sprint can tell that I'm tethering?
I tried the wifi feature on Pda Net and the phone brought up a message saying I did not subscribe to those services.
When I connected via USB, I didn't have that issue. I just want to make sure I can use it consistently without getting kicked off the network and before I pay for the full app.
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You can right click on the PDA net icon on the pc, click settings, and hide tether usage.
Also, be careful about going around those restrictions at work. 1 kid mentioning it at home and parents complaining about something and it would not look good for you.

[Q] VPN On phone worth it ?

I was trolling thru the settings and saw there's a built in VPN that can be used is it worth it or is this one that Verizon has control over and would just hand over your info to the mafiaa anyway ? Anyone know more about this or have you used it yet ?
It's just a remote access client. Stock Android comes with one, which you can still use here, LG has provided a more advanced one that has better compatibility with more advanced forms of IPSec encryption, haven't really played with it to see what else it does.
I highly doubt that Verizon has instructed LG to intentionally compromise the security of their VPN client, the legal ramifications alone would make this a very foolish decision, even for Big Red. The security of the traffic sent over the tunnel depends on what type of encryption was used, and we can't currently be positive that there is a type of encryption out there the NSA can't crack, they don't need Verizon's help to do so.
What type of VPN are you trying to connect to? If this is corporate or educational the security of the traffic isn't your responsibility anyway.
I just use the stock Android on. I have been using it for years so I stuck with it. I played with the LG one but for what I need, the stock is all I need. I use it to stream movies to me phone from my home server and I can access my drives.
Sent from my VZW LG G3 (tapatalk)
I never used it before and all I would need it for would be the occasional stream when Netflix don't have something. So I guess the LG one would work just fine. I didn't know much about there VPN being on he in the first place or android. So thanx I leaned a bit tonight. ?
And ya I know all about if the nsa wants you they'll get you lol. Which is why I won't even step near anything like Expendables. Lions gate is like a pack of wild dogs going after people right now. ?
Given the actions of our Broadband and Cellular companies over the last few years, i have decided i wont use my computer and phone without a VPN. They have no right snooping.
I use VYPRVPN and i have tried many Vpn services over the last 2 years. VyprVpn seems to be the best bang for the Buck and the have the fastest speeds and a large amount of servers. Two things that separate Vypr from all the other VPN services is they use their own proprietary Protocol called Chameleon Protocol which is built on top of OpenVPN. It adds another 256bit layer of encryption on top of OpenVpns 256bit encryption and keeps our ISP's from knowing if were are using a VPN at all. The other added Benefit is they use their own DNS servers and detect and prevent DNS leakage also built in kill switches for in case you loose your VPN connection for what ever reason it will disable your internet all together to keep whatever you were working on from leaking out for prying eyes. They do minimal logging. They would prefer you not to do any torrenting but they dont block you from torrenting. But if you are someone who likes to torrent then use a server outside the US that doesn't have strict piracy laws.
Like i said i have used many VPN services and VyprVPN is by far the best ive ever used. There are tons of perks that others cant come close to offering. I have the premier plan and its worth it.
YES VPN IS WORTH IT. Anonymity is a must for me and should be for everyone else. What i do with my connection is none of anyone else's business. Especially since i pay a buttload of money to have internet. Hope that helps.
jmotyka said:
YES VPN IS WORTH IT. Anonymity is a must for me and should be for everyone else. What i do with my connection is none of anyone else's business. Especially since i pay a buttload of money to have internet. Hope that helps.
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My ISP (Sonic.net) allows VPN if you have a valid account.
The LG VPN works fine. Still getting LTE speeds through their backbone.
I guess I'll keep VPN enable permanently.
Sounds good. Now to learn how to use it properly lol. But ya my thoughts exactly no one needs to see what I have on my connection but me. And with all the snooping going on and intrusive adds grabbing info to see what sites you visit just to send you relevant adds (cough cough ) it's a great idea.
Most routers support VPN so its free to setup and easy to do
Sent from my VZW LG G3 (tapatalk)
Hi all. Trying to get the lg VPN going but I've only ever set one up for my home comps n they basica9did everything for you. One click setup so to speak.
I got to name the VPN then it asks for the ip address but is that my ip or the one I want it to show (masked) ?gotta admit I don't know much bout this lol thanx in advance guys .
VPN on Android
VPN on Android has kind of been a sore subject since KitKat. I used to connect to L2TP on Mac OS X Server (snow leopard) from my phones as far back as Gingerbread, but with KitKat, L2TP became incompatible with Apple's implementation. That being said, PPTP works fine although being slightly less secure than L2TP. Android connects just fine to my Ubuntu Server PPTP, but no matter what I do I can not get get OpenSwan (Linux L2TP) to work outside my local LAN. Considering I have the EXACT same problem with OS X L2TP over the Internet but iOS devices can still manage to "phone home" to my L2TP server, I'm sure has something to do with my ISP considering L2TP an "enterprise" application and blocking my traffic, but iOS devices use some form of non-standard/undocumented L2TP.
I use VPN all the time for the simple fact that it provides a secure tunnel back home so I can grab files off my server, etc. Not only that, but it's a good way to provide at least some security when using public wifi. The thought of using public wifi without VPN gives me chills. It is disappointing that Android has deemed PPTP not secure enough to enable "always on vpn", which would tunnel 100% of your data through your VPN whenever a data connection (4G or WiFi) are available.

[Q] How does a carrier know if a user is tethering as a wi-fi hotspot?

I am currently using Straight Talk, and found that the Android built-in "portable wi-fi hotspot" worked right away for me in seconds. I know this is against the terms of use for Straight Talk, but how can they tell I am using it? I would like to be able to tether my laptop once in a while (perhaps 100 MB/month for work when I can't access wi-fi). How would they know? Couldn't Android apps be coded in some way where the carrier cannot tell that an external device is connected?
martyxng said:
I am currently using Straight Talk, and found that the Android built-in "portable wi-fi hotspot" worked right away for me in seconds. I know this is against the terms of use for Straight Talk, but how can they tell I am using it? I would like to be able to tether my laptop once in a while (perhaps 100 MB/month for work when I can't access wi-fi). How would they know? Couldn't Android apps be coded in some way where the carrier cannot tell that an external device is connected?
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well, using a laptop takes a lot more data, then say using your brower on android. so the upstream and downstream of data being pulled would be a dead givaway
? I didn't say what I was doing on each device. I probably use 1GB/month on my phone, and as I said, maybe 100MB if tethered.
Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk
It's called packet sniffing. They know what browser you're using, and what websites you're visiting. They know you're not using the phone to browse, but rather a computer via tethering.
The way around this is to use a virtual private network (VPN). VPNs are a service you pay for, monthly or yearly.
Another way is to use PdaNet+ and USB tether to your computer. PdaNet has a companion program that you install on your computer, and there's an option to "hide tether usage", which creates a VPN between the 2 devices. It has a bluetooth tethering option as well, but connection speeds won't be as fast. PdaNet+ is $8, which might seem a bit high, but it's only $8 once, and the freedom it gives you is well worth it. I USB tether my phone for my home internet, have been doing it for months with T-Mobile's unlimited high speed, and use a ton of data (100gb+...one month I used nearly 400gb).
If you have no carrier provisioning (ie: a Straight Talk tethering app) on your phone, it's possible that you can use a browser plug-in that masks the browser. In other words, instead of your Firefox browser being detected as for PC, you can mask it as Firefox for mobile, or Chrome mobile, or whatever. YMMV, and sites will tend to load up the mobile version, which can be a bit of a PITA.
It is not illegal to use your data as a wi-fi hotspot. FCC law. It's not against user agreements to do so either, except for certain circumstances (like running a server, but you're not doing that anyway).

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