Looking for a specific I Phone App

[Admin]

I heard that there was an app out there that will turn your I phone into a Wifi hotspot. For example, Nora has an I phone and there is supposedly an app out there that will allow me to connect to the world wide web via a Wifi connection through the I phone as it uses a standard or 3G/4G cell connection.

Anyone know of this one and what it is called, would make life very nice for me when we travel.

-John

 

[frnash]

Google that...

I get a lot of hits on Googling "turn your I phone into a Wifi hotspot".
Other than that, I am not familiar with any of the resulting hits.

 

[m8man]

Well,
I checked this out a month ago as well and one thing I kept hearing was you needed to jailbreak your phone, which is a way to rig it so you can install 3rd party software that wouldn't normally be allowed. I did find some other stuff out so I'll share that.

http://www.intelliborn.com/mywi.html

http://www.iphonedownloadblog.com/2010/02/12/iphone-wifi-hotspot/

The best I've heard is of the first link which is MyWi for a jailbroken iphone. Now from what I've read the wifi thing is outside the "terms of use" for iphone data plans.

Hope this helps.

m8man

 

[m8man]

Also there may be an app to make tethering cordless, I know this sounds weird. It is something like, iTether and TetherMe, or something. You may want to check it out. I've found that in a 3G network the net is fast on my phone. I've been to Chicago with it and Green Bay and it rocked.

later

 

[frnash]

Off topic: Glympse

Slightly off topic, but here's another application that's really handy for travelers.

Share your "where" with Glympse.
You can choose to share your "where" with any of your contacts, via email or text message. Recipient can then visit the link that is passed in the sharing invitation, and follow your movement on either a PC or another iPhone. Really neat! (And surprisingly frugal with resources.)

 

[snowdance]

Internet Tethering

Under Settings > General > Network there is an Internet Tethering option, but I believe this a $20 month option from AT&T.

http://gizmodo.com/5553135/att-iphone-tethering-an-extra-20month

 

[frnash]

What data plans are available from AT&T?

Q: What data plans are available for my smartphone?
A: Answer.

DataPro with Tethering - $45 per month gives you up to 2 GB of domestic data usage on your smartphone or while tethering to your laptop; additional usage is charged at $10 for 1 GB.

(That's $25.00/month for the 2GB DataPro plan plus an additional $20.00/mo for the tethering option.)

I'm on the 2GB DataPro plan (without tethering) and I have only used a small fraction of the available 2GB eachmonth with just the iPhone.

 

[polarisman_98]

Well,
I checked this out a month ago as well and one thing I kept hearing was you needed to jailbreak your phone, which is a way to rig it so you can install 3rd party software that wouldn't normally be allowed. I did find some other stuff out so I'll share that.

http://www.intelliborn.com/mywi.html

http://www.iphonedownloadblog.com/2010/02/12/iphone-wifi-hotspot/

The best I've heard is of the first link which is MyWi for a jailbroken iphone. Now from what I've read the wifi thing is outside the "terms of use" for iphone data plans.

Hope this helps.

m8man

I don't even have an I phone but I have heard that "jailbreaking" your I phone automatically voids any warranty you might have and can damage the phone. For what its worth. Not 100% though....

 

[frnash]

I have heard that "jailbreaking" your I phone automatically voids any warranty you might have and can damage the phone.

However, "jailbreaking" is not needed, just follow the steps shown in the link provided by snowdance, to set up "Internet tethering" with your iPhone.

(I suspect the "jailbreaking" was used before version 4.0 of the iPhone4 software was available; the earlier versions didn't support tethering!)

 

[polarisrider1]

How about trading up? My Droid has it as standard feature and I never use it. Faster to internet over the droids wireless phone service ($30 extra per month). guess thats the 3G part of it. Not sure how any of this stuff works, my oldest son set it up for me.

 

[doospunk]

I heard that there was an app out there that will turn your I phone into a Wifi hotspot. For example, Nora has an I phone and there is supposedly an app out there that will allow me to connect to the world wide web via a Wifi connection through the I phone as it uses a standard or 3G/4G cell connection.

Anyone know of this one and what it is called, would make life very nice for me when we travel.

-John

Hey there John. Hope all is well. I work for ATT and will tell you that there is an app out there for just about anything on that device. The problem is, whether or not its certified or requires a jail break on your device, which (as mentioned above, would void all warranty) If it was an approved app, it would be associated with some type of subscription fee. ATT will soon be deploying a device similar to Verizon's MiFi (A wireless hub that connects up to 5 users simultaneously), but as mentioned above, it will obviously come at a price most likely based on a tiered usage plan similar to data plans you have in place today.

 

[big_motor_guy]

doospunk, maybe you know as you work for ATT. Can't you already activate a plan to "teather" your iphone which would make it a wifi hotspot. I thought my iphone 3gs had an option to make it teather but I also thought it came with a price tag of 39.99/mo. I could be wrong about this but thought it was an option.

Edit: I found it. It looks like only an extra 20 on top of the datapro data plan which is 25/mo check you local att dealer for rules and eligability (did that last part make me sound like a corpo lawyer, haha)

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=17991&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=30854&mapcode=financial|Wireless

 

[doospunk]

doospunk, maybe you know as you work for ATT. Can't you already activate a plan to "teather" your iphone which would make it a wifi hotspot. I thought my iphone 3gs had an option to make it teather but I also thought it came with a price tag of 39.99/mo. I could be wrong about this but thought it was an option.

Edit: I found it. It looks like only an extra 20 on top of the datapro data plan which is 25/mo check you local att dealer for rules and eligability (did that last part make me sound like a corpo lawyer, haha)

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=17991&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=30854&mapcode=financial|Wireless

big motor guy - Yes, tethering is available for I-phone, but that only benefits you for areas that don't have wi-fi service and really only provides you the capability to connect your laptop to the 3G/Edge network associated with your data plan.

Maybe I misunderstood, but my interpretation of the original question was whether there is an app that would make the device a mobile "wi-fi" hotspot - meaning that the device provides the wi-fi signal to connect your PC to so your not drawing off your data plan. This is not an "apple approved" application today. IF their is an application that enables that, you'd need to jailbreak the device, but risk voiding your warranty.

On the flip side - The I-Phone is enabled with "WI-FI", meaning you can walk into any wi-fi hotspot (Such as Starbuck's/Carribou), pick up a signal, and revert from using your data plan. THe benefit to you is that the wi-fi is provided to by the retailer as an added convenience/attraction to their location. It also allows you to take advantage of that signal so that your not drawing off of your data plan. Once you leave that location, your device will revert back to the 3G/EDGE signal that your data plan is provided from.

 

[Admin]

I guess I did not make my reasons for asking very clear. Sorry.

The main reason is when the family and I travel to my Mom's in southern WI, I typically have to do my work for the commodity customers. She only has dial up, which really makes it tough to get all my work done at that speed.

There is 3G service in the area that Nora's phone uses when we are down there and also pretty much uninterrupted service from Wausau south to my Mom's. So I was hoping to be able to use Nora's phone as a WiFi hotspot as we travel and when we are at my Mom's. It is just once or twice a year for a few days, so paying a monthly tethering fee would not be cost efficient for me.

Thanks for all the input everyone!

-John

 

[srt20]

doesnt the Iphone have an app like PDA.net for free tethering? It wouldnt be wireless, but if your working off a laptop, who cares? PDA.net doesnt require jailbreaking. It works for Droids, but I cant imagine somebody hasnt come up with one for the Iphone.

 

[doospunk]

I guess I did not make my reasons for asking very clear. Sorry.

The main reason is when the family and I travel to my Mom's in southern WI, I typically have to do my work for the commodity customers. She only has dial up, which really makes it tough to get all my work done at that speed.

There is 3G service in the area that Nora's phone uses when we are down there and also pretty much uninterrupted service from Wausau south to my Mom's. So I was hoping to be able to use Nora's phone as a WiFi hotspot as we travel and when we are at my Mom's. It is just once or twice a year for a few days, so paying a monthly tethering fee would not be cost efficient for me.

Thanks for all the input everyone!

-John

John - The i-phone can receive and use a wi-fi signal for it's own use with the internet, but cannot transmit wi-fi for your PC/laptop to access in that instance. Hope that helps clarify. Your only option for using it as a point of access to the internet is tethering for use with the EDGE and 3G ntwk as part of a data plan.

As mentioned above, there may be an app out there, but if so, it would require a jailbreak on the device at this time.

 

[yamadooed]

There is no apple supported app that is currently available to do what you (we) want... I guess from apples eye that feature would make their ipad 3G useless as seems most people that buy one also currently own a iphone which would render the 3G option most useless...

 

[Northstar]

I would check with AT&T regarding adding tethering. As an optional feature you should be able to change your data plan to add tethering and then remove it after you return home. Then you only end up paying for the pro-rated period of time you had it on Nora's phone. We can add and subtract features on our corporate devices, and are not required minimum billing periods. The problem is AT&T may regulate IRU plans differently, and you may not get a straight answer from an agent when you call in because I am sure they are trained to sign you up for the higher plan and tell you you cannot back it off.