Tethering
 

Been reading the community forum and people are discussing that tethering is no longer allowed. I can anyone confirm this?

http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/...3/td-p/1677100

I have a Samsung galaxy s2 and use it frequently as a hotspot so I can connect my laptop to the Internet.

If I can't do this, then need to look at other options.

Re: Tethering
 

http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/gener...r.sm068#Virgin Media Mobile Acceptable Use Policy Pay Monthly

For new & upgrading customers from 24 January 2013: If your tariff includes data, then this is for mobile internet services and data consumption actually on your handset. It does not include using your handset as a modem to connect other devices such as laptops and tablets - also known as "Tethering".

Virgin Media reserves the right to impose network protection controls which may reduce your speed of transmission if your data usage is excessive and not in keeping with that reasonably expected of a private individual.

For customers who joined Virgin Media after 25 June 2012 excessive use over 3.5GB of data per calendar month will result in their maximum bandwidth being restricted to 3G speeds (384kbit/s downstream, 200kbit/s upstream) on our network between midday and midnight. For customers who joined before 25 June 2012 excessive use over 2GB of data per calendar month will result in this restriction being applied. This policy will apply until the end of the calendar month, when it will be automatically removed. We reserve the right to review these usage levels from time to time. At this reduced speed, customers will still be able to browse web pages, send/receive emails, and stream audio and video all at 3G data speeds, but peer-to-peer and large file downloads/uploads will be slower than normal.

---------- Post added at 08:46 ---------- Previous post was at 08:42 ----------

Live chat response just now

"We currently don’t offer tethering service. If your tariff includes unlimited data, that will cover mobile internet services and data consumption of the handset. It does not include using your handset as a modem to connect other devices such as laptops and tablets."

Re: Tethering
 

Thanks, I am on a 1gb package, and have never gone over this. My contract was renewed in September last year, so I wonder when it will effect me.

Re: Tethering
 

Thankfully i upgraded in December 2012 so it means i can still tether if needed, i think i have done it 2 or 3 times when needed if my cable modem goes down during a network outage or fault.

Re: Tethering
 

Their limit was 10GB a few months ago so 3.5GB is quite a cut in allowed data before being slowed to the slowest 3G speed. Especially if some took up the service in the last 3 or 4 months due to the 10GB limit.

Re: Tethering
 

Been on a Virgin mobile for a good few years but hardly ever tethered. The ability to tether for me is mainly as a backup in case my main connection goes down and that has only ever been a couple of times over the past few years. i have never used more than about 1 gig in all that time tethered i would say

Re: Tethering
 

My tethering usage is similar to yours, simply for broadband downtime. Not everyone has the same needs though and if they looked in the last 6 months they may have signed up to virgins unlimited due to its 10gb threshold, which has now been reduced to 3.5GB.

I am fairly sure a few months ago virgin were saying on their forums that tethering was allowed when asked. So the policy on tethering as well as data limits appear to have radically changed.

Re: Tethering
 

I cannot understand why they have changed it so much in such a short time ?

Re: Tethering
 

Maybe due to advertising it as unlimited, people took that at face value and tried to use it in an unlimited way. Virgin couldn't handle that use?

If someone wants unlimited mobile data with tethering that they can make heavier use of they usually choose Three. It seemed like Virgin wanted some of that pie then changed its mind. Might be a way out of contract as the change is significantly different to what some signed up for.

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2013/01/9.png

Re: Tethering
 

There is a distinct lack of 'Ben's reply here. Mirrors the way VM have seemed to ignore a fair amount of tethering related questions on their own forum lately. One has to wonder if they don't wish to announce their new tethering rules and new 3.5gb data limit on their unlimited plan...

Re: Tethering
 

Well they have said this on there support forum

http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/...y/td-p/1679688

Re: Tethering
 

So they finally posted that a few days ago then. Makes sense now as to why they had been ignoring questions on the subject. Still no mention of the 10gb limit being moved down to 3.5gb though.

Re: Tethering
 

You could of course accept that you're no longer a VM customer and it's time to move on. You'll find life much more enjoyable if you don't scour the internet looking for ways to have a dig at every opportunity. I used to be with sky - I left and moved on. I used to be with vodafone - I left and moved on. I used to be with tmobile - I left and moved on. When I left it was because I'd issues of one kind or another. Since leaving I've seen news that these companies have been having problems - not once have I felt a compelling urge to post about it - I've contented myself with the knowledge that it's no longer my problem!

I think we've all realised by now that you've moved to pastures new. I do feel for anyone having issues, but your constant digs do nothing other than diminish any credibilty that your posts carry.

No doubt you'll say I'm being predictable, but if we weren't bombarded with pedantic nit-picking I wouldn't feel that you needed pulling up on your posting style.

Cheers

Grim

Re: Tethering
 

Re: Tethering
 

That is this bit:

Re: Tethering
 

So no numbers mentioned in the statement, you have to go and find them.

Are those that signed up in the last 6 months after being told they could tether and the unlimited virgin package was 10GB data, given the chance to cancel now that tethering is not supported and the allowed unlimited usage has dropped to a third of what it was?

Nice timing, almost suspicious ;)

Re: Tethering
 

Which seems sensible to me. Get customers to go and read the terms that apply to them.

For those that have already signed up before the 24th, tethering is still allowed, just as the statement says.

Re: Tethering
 

Re: Tethering
 

You avoided the question. Some have signed up recently after seeing the Terms and Conditions say the Virgin Unlimited package was limited to 10GB, which was a deciding factor in joining up. Now they are being told the limit is 3.5GB. Can they cancel their contract due to this significant change?

Up until a couple of months the terms and conditions said 10gb. So can the people who signed up on the 26th June up until the T&C change (this month?) cancel on this basis? Remember that virgin staff have been telling customers the 10gb limit up until very recently.

Re: Tethering
 

It's not a limit. You can continue to download data, just at a slower speed.

Re: Tethering
 

That is just playing with words. Lets call it a threshold then. When my friend signed up with Virgin Mobile, the threshold before you strangled his speed down to a crawl was 10gb. Virgin Mobile have now changed this threshold to 3.5gb. This is different to what he signed up for and he chose Virgin based on the stated threshod at the time. Can he get out of contract due to this change of limit/threshold?

This will be an interesting one as he will be happy to pursue this in the right places :)

Re: Tethering
 

Do you have a Virgin Mobile phone that is affected by this.

As far as your friend is concerned maybe he needs to speak to Mobile customer service himself ;)

Re: Tethering
 

How is this your concern? ;)

As the go to guy for computer and internet advice it is assumed I know about mobile phones and providers too. I have ended up pointing some towards virgin mobile and one of them was due to the limits.

So rather than be cloak and dagger and hide information from other people, asking here opens up that information to others wondering the same. This appears to be why Virgin will not give a straight reply and are/have been avoiding the tethering and limits changed shortly after many signed up.

If there is nothing to hide, straight answers would be given here. Makes virgin mobile look shifty and I had respect for that side of the business before.

Re: Tethering
 

Then as i am not a member of virgin mobile and as you said this is non of my concern i will be of no help to you, maybe someone else will help you.

Re: Tethering
 

Your first reply showed you had no help to offer anyway ;)

/me smells off-topic diversion away from the actual question and lack of official answer

Re: Tethering
 

You can smell what you want, i smell big chip on shoulder ;)

Re: Tethering
 

Quoting so we are back to where before the pointless posts. This is the question that needs answering and asked here as this part of the forum is about virgin mobile and a virgin employee answers in an official capacity here :rolleyes:

Re: Tethering
 

Nope

Re: Tethering
 

Bad assumption on my part then. Easy to do when you answer most questions here.

Speaks volumes that you replied to tell me this but not answer the question though.

Re: Tethering
 

Because Sirius has provided the answer you were wanting - anyone who this impacts will need to to speak to Virgin Media to discuss the situation

Re: Tethering
 

:tu:

Re: Tethering
 

Why can an answer not be given here? i would make a guess that the change is significant enough to get out of contract early and that virgin mobile do not want customers to be able to find that information easily.

Re: Tethering
 

The change only effects new or upgrading customers so no the change doesn't mean you can get out of contract early.

Re: Tethering
 

What you are saying is completely different to what Virgin Mobile have said.

When my friend signed up in November the FUP said there was a 10GB limit for those signing up after the 25th June. The FUP has been changed recently and although the date stayed the same, the limit was moved down to 3.5gb:

The question was not about new customers from today.

Re: Tethering
 

i find that virgin are not at fault here.
virgin has no mobile network they use the t-mobile network.
and you will find that is is t-mobile that has stop the tethering
and virgin has no choice but to follow. :shrug:

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php...d-package.html

Re: Tethering
 

Virgin had a 10gb threshold on data in their FUP until very recently. That news article is 6 months old so not relevent to the change to 3.5gb before slowing data down to a crawl.

Re: Tethering
 

Ermm, bollocks.

Re: Tethering
 

What a completely pointless post.

Also please mind your language. This is as you know a family forum.

Re: Tethering
 

Ironicly it was more relevant to the post it was addressing than your prevois reply ;)

Re: Tethering
 

I use Joikuspot on my Nokia 5800 as a modem for my laptop. It's only used when at my Fathers as he has no Internet and it helps relieve boredom. Not downloading loads, just browsing newsgroups and newspapers. I've never come close to my 1gig limit.
However I cannot use my Nexus 7 in the same way. It just does not see the hotspot in the first place. Apparently this is down to tethering.
Any ideas please?

Re: Tethering
 

Who do you get your airtime from?

I have an S3 on Voda, and can tether my iPad and my Nexus7 to it.

Re: Tethering
 

So can my mate but I can't. I am with Virgin Mobile on contract.

Re: Tethering
 

Re: Tethering
 

What is off topic about talking about tethering on a tethering thread? Tethering is the reason I have been told my Nexus cannot talk to my mobile. I am trying to get to the bottom of this.

Re: Tethering