Help with 4G tether or hotspot my PC

[davisdesigns.fab]

I have no current phone or hotspot device or plan

The carrier makes it difficult to understand what the price actually is for some reason.
I can't figure out what is for phones and what is for hotspot devices on the plans.

I looked at getting a Hotspot device and plan but the plans seem to just cut off connection after the data usage is exceeded?

I have read that tethering an Android phone with a 3rd party app can circumvent phone data plan cap, allowing me to still have a connection after data is exceeded but at a slower rate which seems like the best route for my needs.

Is there anything I need to look for in a plan or recommended carrier? any other options I may not be aware of ?

Comcast reported my last monthly usage was 90GB, I can slow down on the movie downloads and streaming though.

Location NorCal.

 

[Ralston18]

How is your PC, actually connected?

E.g.:

Comcast (Xfinity) ISP > Modem > Router> your PC? Connections being wired....

You cannot circumvent phone data caps and Forum rules prohibit helping with such circumventions even if possible.

Pricing is made difficult for a reason: most people will not make any effort to question the matter.

To help you:

1) Understand the pricing plan that you have.

2) Discipline yourself to stay within that plan. (I.e., as you mentioned "slow down".)

3) Contact Comcast/Xfinity "Customer Retention". Complain and you may get some discounted plan for the next 12 months or so. Then rates will jump again and you will need to call again....

Which is, very much the process that I use.... Rates still creep up but at a slower rate.

Fortunately, I have the advantage in that there is local competition to Xfinity. You may or may not have such an advantage.

 

[davisdesigns.fab]

How is your PC, actually connected?

E.g.:

Comcast (Xfinity) ISP > Modem > Router> your PC? Connections being wired....

You cannot circumvent phone data caps and Forum rules prohibit helping with such circumventions even if possible.

Pricing is made difficult for a reason: most people will not make any effort to question the matter.

To help you:

1) Understand the pricing plan that you have.

2) Discipline yourself to stay within that plan. (I.e., as you mentioned "slow down".)

3) Contact Comcast/Xfinity "Customer Retention". Complain and you may get some discounted plan for the next 12 months or so. Then rates will jump again and you will need to call again....

Which is, very much the process that I use.... Rates still creep up but at a slower rate.

Fortunately, I have the advantage in that there is local competition to Xfinity. You may or may not have such an advantage.

No ISP connection to my PC which is why i'm asking about 4G plans and options. . .

"You cannot circumvent phone data caps" Apparently you are misinformed, try doing so research before making false claims.

"Forum rules prohibit helping with such circumventions even if possible"
Nor did I ask about how to do it

Thanks for all the useful errrmmm HeLp

 

[Ralston18]

I truly have no way of knowing the full circumstances and situation with respect to your posting.

There are ways to monitor and manage data to stay within "budget". However, there are no legal ways to get more data than you are paying for per your plan.

Citing Forum policy is commonly done just to ensure that posters are aware of Forum rules, policies, and practices. E.g., "no profanity, no advertising, no GRAPES".

Agree: You did not directly ask about how to do such circumventions.

Had you done so, I most likely would have closed the thread on the spot.

 

[davisdesigns.fab]

Ralston18


The answer is to use a MVNO cell service such as Mint mobile that doesn't care if you exceed your tethering data limit.

As for your comment you have no clue what I was even asking.
Do you not know that mobile carriers have a data cap for tethering or are you just posting for a point...

 

[Corwin65]

You sure know how to make a persuasive argument to have people help you.

 

[Solandri]

I have read that tethering an Android phone with a 3rd party app can circumvent phone data plan cap, allowing me to still have a connection after data is exceeded but at a slower rate which seems like the best route for my needs.

That is not a function of the phone. If your carrier imposes a monthly data limit on your plan, there is no way for a third party app on your phone to allow you to exceed it. The carrier is measuring data their towers send to your phone, not the amount of data your phone receives. So it's impossible for your phone to hide data consumption from their measurements.

What you're describing is that certain carriers and certain plans no longer have a data cap. But they're not truly unlimited, they're quasi-unlimited. They will give you up to x GB per month at full speed, but afterwards your data speeds will be throttled or lowered in priority behind other users.

Other plans will auto-sell you additional blocks of data (typically 10 GB) if you exceed the monthly quota, rather than cut you off completely.

You'll have to research the plans with the different carriers in your country to see what the options are.

As for using your phone as a hotspot, morally, it's the carriers who are in the wrong for trying to charge you extra for tethering. Unless you have an unlimited data plan, you are paying for x GB of data per month from the carrier. It makes no difference to the carrier whether you use that x GB on your phone or via tethering. x GB is x GB regardless of which device uses it. What the carriers are trying to do is like a supermarket selling milk, but trying to charge you extra if you use the milk for cereal instead of drinking it straight from a cup. It's a ridiculous and nonsensical distinction, and nothing more than a cash grab to try to goad you into paying extra for a hotspot device or a "hotspot plan". The practice should be outlawed.

As such, there are tethering apps available which will allow you to use your phone as a hotspot even if your carrier normally disallows it. And if your phone is rooted, you can enable the hotspot feature built-in to Android. Search the xda forums for your phone and "hotspot" for more guidance.