Galaxy S3 + Unlimited Data - Not rooted/unlocked = ?? for Wifi Hotspot?

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Kelvarr

Supreme [H]ardness
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We will be taking a long drive to Florida and back from Michigan next week. I'm not planning on needing to make a hotspot on my phone, but I won't rule it out either.

As the title says, I currently have a stock Galaxy S3 with unlimited data (no hotspot service with Verizon though). Is my best bet still paying for FoxFi? I think I tried it once before with the free version, and it kept cutting off the hotspot after 30 minutes or something.

I just want to be able to enable WiFi hotspot should we need it, and do it without problem.
 
If you're running Android 4.1 the free Hotspot Toggle Widget should work. You can run the widget to enable/disable the native HotSpot and just hit the home button to bypass the notification about subscription.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fattin.togglewidget.hotspot

Android 4.3 and 4.4 will require the purchase of FoxFi (Wifi Tether w/o Root) so there is no time limit. App also minimizes the notification. Definitely worth the $8 or so.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi

Obviously, test for functionality and stability before you go on your trip. No issue here with either.
 
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I pay the 30 bucks a month for the hotspot. Verizon's 4G is more reliable and faster than anything in my area. AND it's still unlimited. All of the ISPs in my area (Mediacom and ATT) have caps.

Buy the app if you're going to go that direction. I bought the hotspot service and told the ISPs to go **** themselves.
 
I have AT&T, GS3 and was using the unlimited plan for a long time. I always used FoxFi for the kids every blue moon when we needed it for car rides. We recently took our yearly trip and sure enough I received a letter from AT&T saying to stop using my phone as a hot spot immediately. Said stuff about violations and charges. After looking back we used about 1-2g through FoxFi...so nothing major.
 
Not sure what firmware you're on , but I recall foxfi's wireless tether being locked on my wife's moto x. I'll have to take a screenshot when I get the chance
 
JD03Cobra said:
I have AT&T, GS3 and was using the unlimited plan for a long time. I always used FoxFi for the kids every blue moon when we needed it for car rides. We recently took our yearly trip and sure enough I received a letter from AT&T saying to stop using my phone as a hot spot immediately. Said stuff about violations and charges. After looking back we used about 1-2g through FoxFi...so nothing major.
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OP has Verizon so he won't have to deal with the gestapo AT&T. Other than blocking the loophole with every OTA release Verizon hasn't made a fuss about it.
 
Kelvarr said:
We will be taking a long drive to Florida and back from Michigan next week. I'm not planning on needing to make a hotspot on my phone, but I won't rule it out either.

As the title says, I currently have a stock Galaxy S3 with unlimited data (no hotspot service with Verizon though). Is my best bet still paying for FoxFi? I think I tried it once before with the free version, and it kept cutting off the hotspot after 30 minutes or something.

I just want to be able to enable WiFi hotspot should we need it, and do it without problem.
Click to expand...

There are some free USB tether apps if you are connecting a laptop. I think I still had to root my verizon phone to use them properly though.
 
Kelvarr said:
We will be taking a long drive to Florida and back from Michigan next week. I'm not planning on needing to make a hotspot on my phone, but I won't rule it out either.

As the title says, I currently have a stock Galaxy S3 with unlimited data (no hotspot service with Verizon though). Is my best bet still paying for FoxFi? I think I tried it once before with the free version, and it kept cutting off the hotspot after 30 minutes or something.

I just want to be able to enable WiFi hotspot should we need it, and do it without problem.
Click to expand...

Slightly off topic but, where in MI are you coming from and where in FL are you going to? I took a long drive from MI to FL about 16 years ago and never went back.:D
 
just keep in mind if verizon gets the itch to kill your unlimited they will so if you use the hotspot frequently with high usage expect to loose it. I had a former employee of verizon tell me about how they watched those foxfi and stuff and they can tell that your are doing it but that for what ever reason they just dont drop everyone who does it...

that said verizon strait talk and several others have dedicated hotspot that you can get they have no contract versions at like 15-75 for 60 days 75 dollars gives you 7 gigs of data... i believe strait talk also has a 45 dollar/month unlimited data card.
 
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Lunas said:
just keep in mind if verizon gets the itch to kill your unlimited they will so if you use the hotspot frequently with high usage expect to loose it.
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I've been using around 50GB up to 100GB a month tethering my Samsung Note 3 on Verizon for the last year and they don't seem to care, one bit. I'm pretty sure when they pull everyone's unlimited data it won't actually be for using too much data, it'll be because they just want to, and they can.

They went to a data tiered plan for the additional money. And just for the additional money.
 
JaiWebb said:
I've been using around 50GB up to 100GB a month tethering my Samsung Note 3 on Verizon for the last year and they don't seem to care, one bit. I'm pretty sure when they pull everyone's unlimited data it won't actually be for using too much data, it'll be because they just want to, and they can.

They when to a data tiered plan for the additional money. And just the additional money.
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I'm just warning the op that if he does do tethering they can drop his account i have yet to hear one case where verizon did drop someone for tethering but they can also go back and charge him for it too. And that i had someone who worked with verizon say yes they watch that sort of thing.
 
Lunas said:
I'm just warning the op that if he does do tethering they can drop his account i have yet to hear one case where verizon did drop someone for tethering but they can also go back and charge him for it too. And that i had someone who worked with verizon say yes they watch that sort of thing.
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I pay for unlimited data on a phone that comes with a mobile hotspot feature. That's probably why they haven't done shit about it, I'm using my phone as it was meant to be used. They can kick rocks.
 
Lunas said:
I'm just warning the op that if he does do tethering they can drop his account i have yet to hear one case where verizon did drop someone for tethering but they can also go back and charge him for it too. And that i had someone who worked with verizon say yes they watch that sort of thing.
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I appreciate it. I don't plan on tethering to a laptop or anything. I am only going to be using a wifi hotspot to serve other devices. Probably a semantic difference, but that's what I'm going to do.

I fairly consistently use only about 4-5GB per month. I haven't done anything with hotspotting in at least a year.
 
do you currently have the locked bootloader or the unlockable one... the latest update on the s3 locked the boot loader and you must now deal with knox and safestrap... that is the one big thing i miss about my vzw s3 i had the unlocked bootloader and since vzw will never let that phone up to kitkat i gave in and loaded a asop rom runs really well...

nearly every rom you could load has tethering/hotspot patched to be used freely and foxfi likes root access last i checked...

if your on 4.1.2 you can still unlock if your on 4.3 your boned and only have root as a option and safestrap if it ever leaves alpha. If your on 4.1.2 you can get to 4.4.2 kit kat and it runs alot better than jb
 
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Didn't the latest updates break all functionality with tethering apps? I haven't been able to tether using my Note 3 for some time.
 
Puterguru said:
Slightly off topic but, where in MI are you coming from and where in FL are you going to? I took a long drive from MI to FL about 16 years ago and never went back.:D
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Coming from Novi, MI, headed to Orlando, FL. I am taking my 7 y/o and 4 y/o daughters to Disney World.

Lunas said:
do you currently have the locked bootloader or the unlockable one... the latest update on the s3 locked the boot loader and you must now deal with knox and safestrap... that is the one big thing i miss about my vzw s3 i had the unlocked bootloader and since vzw will never let that phone up to kitkat i gave in and loaded a asop rom runs really well...

nearly every rom you could load has tethering/hotspot patched to be used freely and foxfi likes root access last i checked...

if your on 4.1.2 you can still unlock if your on 4.3 your boned and only have root as a option and safestrap if it ever leaves alpha. If your on 4.1.2 you can get to 4.4.2 kit kat and it runs alot better than jb
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4.3, and I have been for a little while now. Sounds like I might need to flash my phone.


On a side note, but similar...I actually really don't care about having internet access to other devices at all. I want to create a local network inside the car. Would I still be using the same software ffor that?
 
Kelvarr said:
4.3, and I have been for a little while now. Sounds like I might need to flash my phone.

On a side note, but similar...I actually really don't care about having internet access to other devices at all. I want to create a local network inside the car. Would I still be using the same software for that?
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no creating a network inside a car would require router of some sort you could just wire one up under a seat it would be the easiest way... there are instructions online for putting a linksys router in a car... there are several ways of doing it easiest is to get a small power inverter and use the ac plug for the router otherwise there is several line filters and such to clean up the dirty power from a cars accessory plug...

Now if your on 4.3 you are screwed you already have the knox locked boot loader you cant flash anything...yet...you can if your on the ML1 update root using saferootif your on the NC1 update then you will need to downgrade to ML1 to get root your stuck on 4.3 though the boot loader was relocked with ml1

for your phone you will need foxfi...
 
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Lunas said:
no creating a network inside a car would require router of some sort you could just wire one up under a seat it would be the easiest way... there are instructions online for putting a linksys router in a car... there are several ways of doing it easiest is to get a small power inverter and use the ac plug for the router otherwise there is several line filters and such to clean up the dirty power from a cars accessory plug...

Now if your on 4.3 you are screwed you already have the knox locked boot loader you cant flash anything...yet...you can if your on the ML1 update root using saferootif your on the NC1 update then you will need to downgrade to ML1 to get root your stuck on 4.3 though the boot loader was relocked with ml1

for your phone you will need foxfi...
Click to expand...

So just an update on what I settled on...

Since I didn't really need internet in the car, just a wifi local network, I used my wife's Transformer TF101 w/ Keyboard dock as the "server".

Transformer TF101
Set up WiFi Hotspot
Plugged USB External drive into keyboard dock.
Downloaded/Installed XBMC XAF Custom Build on the TF101
Set up source on XBMC to the local external USB
Set up UPnP on XBMC

Asus ME400C Win8 tablet
Connected to Wireless AP on the TF101
Installed XBMC Gotham
Set up source using UPnP to browse to the external USB

7" Android Tablets
Connected to Wireless AP on the TF101
Installed XBMC Gotham
Set up source using UPnP to browse to the external USB


I have an inverter that we will be using in the car to keep the TF101 charged while it continues to serve up video, and to power the external USB drive. I will just shove this under a seat or something. I have confirmed that I can stream at least 2 movies independently of each other without stuttering....hopefully I can do 3 streams.

There may be better/easier ways of doing this, but this is what I had to work with. Since we are renting a car, I can't hardwire anything in. A router would work, but I don't have a spare router. With the right one, I could just connect the USB drive to the router. Alternatively, I could have used a Pi for the server. Maybe this will be something I do in the future.
 
Pretty creative solution.

Road trips aren't what they used to be though, LOL. What happened to eye spy and the driving tunes on a mixed tape? :)
 
JaiWebb said:
I've been using around 50GB up to 100GB a month tethering my Samsung Note 3 on Verizon for the last year and they don't seem to care, one bit. I'm pretty sure when they pull everyone's unlimited data it won't actually be for using too much data, it'll be because they just want to, and they can.

They went to a data tiered plan for the additional money. And just for the additional money.
Click to expand...

Its never been about someone using to much during the month because bandwidth isn't a finite resource. Its only been about how much load is on the network at one time. These companies have gone to these tiered data plans to get out of having to upgrade their own network and still make a killing.

Im happy I am with Tmobile now, they are building up their network expecting an increase. These other companies are playing catch up when the impact has already effected the network.
 
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