Verizon hotspot?

Drez

Anyone have any experience with Verizon/iPhone 4S hotspot? I'm grandfathered into unlimited data with Verizon and I don't want to lose that, um, unlimitedness.

Will they drop me to a capped service if I add the hotspot for a month?

Hotspot would actually be cost effective for me. I have an AT&T iPad and now a PS Vita.

Also, I went with the iPhone anyway, but the Verizon rep I dealt with told me that my unlimited data plan would carry over to a 4G phone as well. Is that true?

illig

i used the hotspot functionality with an Android phone when i needed to have access for a tablet and laptop for a few weeks... i also have the unlimited data plan for my phone, but the hotspot was simply a $30/month additional fee with limited bandwidth (2GB IIRC?), so it was almost like adding another device to the plan irrespective of my current device/plan...

Drez

Ah, that sucks. They set you up with a cap? Fuck it then.

emp123

While I dont know if it works this way on the iPhone, I can tether my HTC Incredible to my desktop/laptop/whatever (basically, my phone will work as a wireless router of sorts), but even with an unlimited plan (which I also have and they can pry from my cold dead hands) you only get 5GB of tethered data a month. Its not super ideal I guess (youre still only getting 3G speeds) but its functional.

Drez

Okay so basically my worry is this:

I'm grandfathered into unlimited data with Verizon. I don't want that to change.

I called Verizon and asked them what happens to my data plan if I sign up for Mobile Hotspot and then drop it later - will I keep unlimited?

They said yes, but I have trust issues. Thoughts?

SammyF

Drez wrote: »

Okay so basically my worry is this:

I'm grandfathered into unlimited data with Verizon. I don't want that to change.

I called Verizon and asked them what happens to my data plan if I sign up for Mobile Hotspot and then drop it later - will I keep unlimited?

They said yes, but I have trust issues. Thoughts?

I would think you'd be able to get that in writing if you went into your nearest Verizon store and amended your plan to include Verizon Hotspot in person, wouldn't you?

Drez

Like, ask them for a letter? Anyway, going to a physical location isn't terribly convenient for me.

SammyF

Drez wrote: »

Like, ask them for a letter? Anyway, going to a physical location isn't terribly convenient for me.

No, I mean, when you go to a store to pick out a new phone and sign up for a new plan (or extend your old one), they print up the terms of your contract on something that looks like a twenty-foot long grocery receipt. I presume they'd do the same thing if you amended your contract in person. If it's not feasible for you to go in, though, it doesn't matter.

Drez

SammyF wrote: »

Drez wrote: »

Like, ask them for a letter? Anyway, going to a physical location isn't terribly convenient for me.

No, I mean, when you go to a store to pick out a new phone and sign up for a new plan (or extend your old one), they print up the terms of your contract on something that looks like a twenty-foot long grocery receipt. I presume they'd do the same thing if you amended your contract in person. If it's not feasible for you to go in, though, it doesn't matter.

Oh I see.

xThanatoSx

Drez wrote: »

Okay so basically my worry is this:

I'm grandfathered into unlimited data with Verizon. I don't want that to change.

I called Verizon and asked them what happens to my data plan if I sign up for Mobile Hotspot and then drop it later - will I keep unlimited?

They said yes, but I have trust issues. Thoughts?

How this works with the feature codes in the system:

- Your grandfathered unlimited plan is one SFO. This SFO says "The phone can use all the data it wants for itself."
- The tethering plan is a separate SFO. This SFO says "Another device can use (x) amount of data through the phone."

In the case of your iPhone 4S, x = 2GB per billing cycle.

The tethering feature can be added and dropped at any time and will prorate both the cost and data allotment if added and dropped in the same billing cycle (i.e. if you have the tethering code on for 15 days, you'll get about 1GB allotment for about $10 if I remember the cost of the hotspot correctly).

The newer tethering codes are built into the tiered data plans.

To avoid any customer care fuck-ups, add and remove the tethering feature via your My Verizon account. Don't get me wrong - most care reps are fine, but I spend too much of my day cleaning up other peoples mistakes to completely trust any of them