A Guide to Wireless Tethering (AT YOUR OWN RISK)

[brandonfish]

With the demand for information about wireless tethering resulting in new threads every day, I am creating a thread which I hope to be a continually evolving centralized source of tethering information. There are constantly changing methods of tethering and covering up the tethering, and I believe it to be important that this information is centralized and accessible to people who are going to attempt to tether. I will change this post and add to it if and when new information emerges, as I am certainly not an expert. I am also not an expert on forum rules, and if I am violating any of them, please let me know. I believe that this is a forum of information, and this is information that people should be aware of.

By doing this, I am not endorsing this practice, but rather providing tools to people who are going to do it anyway. If you're going to tether, you might as well cover your bases, and new root users should know what they are doing. I am certainly no expert, but I hope that anyone who knows more than me will assist me in presenting this information.

The following information is simply the limited tools and information I have gathered about tethering so far. That being said, wired and wireless VERIZON CONSIDERS TETHERING WITHOUT PAYING THE ADDITIONAL MONTHLY FEE A THEFT OF SERVICE. IF YOU CHOOSE TO TETHER, IT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. I WILL NOT TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR DECISIONS . That should be sufficient to quash the inevitable barrage of negative comments.

This group of tools contains both tools that allow you to tether, and tools that allow you to cover your tracks to some extent. If you are going to tether, I recommend using any and all methods of covering up the usage. Although tethering is easy, the trick is to not get penalized for doing so.

TOOLS TO CONCEAL TETHER USAGE:

1) The Team Black Hat Patch - Team Black Hat released a patch altering the way your phone records information about tethering. The patch essentially makes data used through tethering look like the data used internally in your phone. They have removed the patch from their app and no longer distribute it. It can be obtained, however, through a quick google search. It is flashed in recovery and has no noticeable effect on the operation of your phone. The patch (and unpatch) can be found here in WugFresh's tethering repository. There is another patch available to unpatch the patch, if you decide to do so.

2) Snow02 has discovered a service that documents tether usage and the database it creates. The service is called DataManagerService.apk, and should be frozen using a program like Titanium Backup. It is also essential to delete its associated database file, which can be found in /data/data/com.motorola.android.datamanager/databases and deleted by a program like Root Explorer. It should also be noted that instead of freezing the apk and deleting the database, they can also be paralyzed by placing ".bak" at the end of their filenames (with a program like Root Explorer). Although there may be other ways tether usage is tracked, it's probably a good idea to do this. It will not affect your phone in any noticeable way and seems to be safe to do. This service and it's database are not found in ROMs like CM7, so if it isn't on your phone, don't worry about it.

At this point you should not be getting Verizon's page when you attempt to tether. A good way to test this is by turning on the stock Mobile Hotspot app and attempting to pull up a page on your phone's browser. If the Verizon page doesn't intercept it, the above methods have worked. Although you are bypassing their page, it might be a good idea to use a different tethering app, most of which contain extra methods of reducing the risk involved.

TETHERING APPS:

3) Wireless Tether Beta: Wireless Tether for Root Users is a program that allows you to wireless tether and allows you to utilize different DNS servers to help conceal your tether usage. The consensus seems to suggest using google's public server which is 8.8.8.8. More information and a link to the app can be found here. You can use a program like Masqed Crusader to accomplish the same trick, along with other optimization tools. Masqed Crusader can be found in the Market here.

4) PDAnet: PDA Net is an app that accomplishes pretty much the same thing as Wireless Tether, but only works if your phone is directly USB connected to your computer. This app is free, but costs about $15 if you want the ability to access secure sites.

STEPS 1,2, & 3 CAN NOW BE ACCOMPLISHED ALL AT ONCE BY FLASHING WUGFRESH'S ALL IN ONE TETHERING PATCH IN RECOVERY MODE! THE PATCH CAN CAN BE FOUND: HERE. THANK YOU WUGFRESH!

ONCE AGAIN, VERIZON CONSIDERS TETHERING WITHOUT PAYING THE ADDITIONAL MONTHLY FEE A THEFT OF SERVICE AND YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK
I am also not suggesting that you use an excessive amount of data. It makes all of our services more expensive, and will draw attention to your account.

I am sure I am missing some information, but this is a start, and I would greatly appreciate and be welcome to any corrections or additions. I am no expert. I am sure there will be a rash of negative comments (wireless tether is risky or stealing or wrong, etc.), but for those of you who are going to do it anyway, I hope this helps. Also, regarding the riskiness of this practice, maybe this can serve as a thread where people who have PERSONALLY experienced penalties from Verizon to relate that experience. I have never seen a first-hand post of this sort, but if this is happening, it might as well be on the same thread as the information about doing it. Enjoy, and feel free to contact me through PM with any missing information.

P.S.

Thanks to Snow02 for the datamanagerservice discovery, WugFresh for putting together the all-in-one tether patch, wireless tether for root users for being awesome, droid-life.com for detailed instructions regarding the use of wireless tether for root users (and for partcipating in a formal civil complaint regarding wireless tethering charges), and all of the generous people on DroidXForums and elsewhere who give away their time & energy to help other Android users.

[Droid-X-Forums]

[magnus7661]

Is this safe for people on .596 to do?

[brandonfish]

Is this safe for people on .596 to do?

If you have root, you can do anything listed above. Their is a risk, as Verizon Considers Free Tethering a Theft Of Service . . . but it should work fine on 596 : )

[B3N]

Thanks for putting this all together. Your hard work is very appreciated.

2 tether or not to tether. The ability to choose. I love it.

[EdJanx]

This is a great guide, and a well needed centralized post. The only thing I could add is that if you have a problem freezing DataManagerService.apk with Titanium Backup and deleting the com.motorola.android.datamanager database (such as not being able to access the web via your browser, which is a different issue than receiving the Verizon warning), then you can rename both of these by placing a .bak at the end of each. Comments on that method vs. deletion are welcome.

[brandonfish]

This is a great guide, and a well needed centralized post. The only thing I could add is that if you have a problem freezing DataManagerService.apk with Titanium Backup and deleting the com.motorola.android.datamanager database (such as not being able to access the web via your browser, which is a different issue than receiving the Verizon warning), then you can rename both of these by placing a .bak at the end of each. Comments on that method vs. deletion are welcome.

That's true, I'll go ahead and add that.

[dAi]

I am on limited data. Is there a way to wireless tether without using all of my data?

Sent from my DROIDX using Droid X Forums

[brandonfish]

I am on limited data. Is there a way to wireless tether without using all of my data?

Sent from my DROIDX using Droid X Forums

Wireless Tethering uses your data the same way accessing the internet on your phone does. Apparently, there will soon be products that reduce the data you use by optimizing that data: http://www.droid-life.com/2011/06/23...p-should-help/.

[theotherone]

Thanks!

[brandonfish]

Edited above guide to include link to TBH tether patch and unpatch.