Moto Droid Hack Provides Much-Needed Tethering
Can't wait until 2010? A recent hack provides tethering for Motorola's Droid on a GUI level.
As a Verizon subscriber, one of the few things that's kept me from buying the new Motorola Droid--aside from the fact that I'm broker than shattered glass--is that the device doesn't offer tethering. That's not the smartphone's fault: it's another one of Verizon's silly business practices to keep control of consumer-owned hardware (don't get me started on the GPS lock-out).
Various sources have indicated that, yes, USB tethering is somewhat possible running a shell script on the PC or Mac. But now a DroidForums user, known as webacoustics, has figured out how to activate GUI-based wi-fi tethering on the Droid. The drawback to this method is that it uses a custom-built image of Android firmware 2.0.1; the author had the help of the Android Wi-Fi Tether Project.
As it stands, consumers will be required to root (jailbreak) the Motorola Droid, install a custom kernel, and install a custom recovery image to enable tethering. As the instructions states, this procedure is not endorsed by the Android Wi-Fi Tether Project, Google, or Verizon, so hack the smartphone at your own risk. "If your phone stays at the white Motorola logo for longer than a minute or two, you probably bricked your phone," the instructions read.
Verizon's executive director of corporate communications Brenda Raney stated earlier that Mobile Broadband Connect, Verzion's official title for tethering, will arrive in 2010. However, we were unable to get a narrowed date.
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They're already imposing 5 GB MONTHLY data caps on most of their plans... I don't see why they treat tethering like it's special. At worst a user is going to use their puny little 5 GB from their laptop... I just don't get it. Prior to having the data cap in place... sure, but with the cap in place? Just give that to the users for free.
Now that Red eye just looks pure Evil!
Honestly, I would have switched to verizion YEARS ago if they didn't limit the use of their phones so much. They easily have the best phone service and the widest available 3g network, but limiting the use of smart phones loses customers.
Honestly, I would have switched to verizion YEARS ago if they didn't limit the use of their phones so much. They easily have the best phone service and the widest available 3g network, but limiting the use of smart phones loses customers.
Do you really use more then 5GB's a month of bandwidth on your phone? I sure as hell don't and I'm on Youtube A LOT and download music by the truck load.
They're already imposing 5 GB MONTHLY data caps on most of their plans... I don't see why they treat tethering like it's special. At worst a user is going to use their puny little 5 GB from their laptop... I just don't get it. Prior to having the data cap in place... sure, but with the cap in place? Just give that to the users for free.
I dont find 5gb of data per month that bad, for a f***** phone that is.
Wait, I thought "Droid does. . . " so much for truth in advertising!
The 5GB cap doesn't apply to cell phone usage. Only tethering/mobile broadband/etc.
Verizon needs to seriously dump their custom software loads. Most of the apps are not as functional as the stock apps are for the non-smart phones, most of which are BREW enabled. Verizon follows the Apple app store development plan, pay us or no play.
I wouldn't mind it as much if the software load was an add-in that you couldn't delete, but they remove the OEM software for their own and lock down then phone from parts of the OEM tools.
all the carriers impose the 5GB cap. even AT&T and Sprint. If you all know of one that doesn't, then I'll switch my aircard over to them. But we looked all over the place for an unlimited data plan and we couldn't find one.
They're already imposing 5 GB MONTHLY data caps on most of their plans... I don't see why they treat tethering like it's special. At worst a user is going to use their puny little 5 GB from their laptop... I just don't get it. Prior to having the data cap in place... sure, but with the cap in place? Just give that to the users for free.
Agreed, it's funny seeing all this from a US perspective, with your lack of data caps.
in Australia, you get like a 700MB monthly cap, and they still charge you $10 a month for tethering. we have caps for EVERYTHING. it makes sense though, you should pay by how much you use, like you do for every other utility, just wish it was a simple (reasonable) cost per GB, rather than a subscription with a limit that you have to plan around.
US cellphone service is antiquated. European providers have offered mobile broadband with caps of 7GB and 14GB for at least a year already, have no problems allowing you to tether your phone, and will let you buy a data-only SIM.
While I'm a big proponent of eliminating caps altogether, the least I'd like to see in the US is that cap moved up. I can always get an unlocked phone for tethering.
To those who don't understand the point of charging for tethering, I believe the strategy goes something like this.
You can access Verizon's 3G network using the Motorola Droid and a monthly data plan. To use the their network on your laptop you need a USB modem and another monthly data plan. If you could freely grant the network access from your phone to your laptop, the addition monthly service charge for using your laptop is avoided.
I should note since no one else has, its highly likely that this hack will NOT work for the Milestone (the EU version of the Droid). I say this because the root hack for the Droid will not work on the Milestone and since this soundly like a similar procedure it will most probably not work on the Milestone ether.
"I'm broker than shattered glass"
Seriously? Broker isn't even used in the right context there. It should be "I'm more broke than shattered glass." Please, at least read over an article a couple times before it's published.
broke, broker, whatever, it's a piss poor attempt at a joke, no wonder this writer is broke
Comment to bedford10 from author of article: "Mom, is that you?"
dear kevin parrish, the g.p.s. is not locked out on this device. Everything on this device is g.p.s. related. I USE g.p.s turn by turn directions on the droid for free & have tested it at the same time as my garmin & was quite impressed by it. What do you mean by g.p.s. "locked out"?
Second, Verizon allows tethering on every other active device they've released? Are you sure their the one's not enabling it on this so far?
http://www.junefabrics.com/android/index.php - pdanet allows tethering on a droid without rooting the phone
http://www.junefabrics.com/
no need to root the phone..
I use pdanet also, works great
I am plugged in -- to a point. I don't use new-techy devices. I don't honestly have the need, or time, or money to waste on, well, anything premium.
This being said ...what exactly is "tethering"? Thanks.
I find it interesting that Alltel has always allowed tethering. Plus, I have never seen a cap for them. They actually encourage tethering!
"Seriously? Broker isn't even used in the right context there. It should be "I'm more broke than shattered glass." Please, at least read over an article a couple times before it's published."
you're probably foreign or something
and i dont know where he is from
but that is a really common phrase here in the midwest
it's like "how do you like them apples"
set phrases which fail grammatically are pretty common in english