Unlimited Data with Tethering on Android killed when swapped to iPhone

[Anonymous]

I am writing this to let anyone else considering what I have done to think again before going any further with their phone choice.  

I have been a long-term monthly customer with O2 and have had unlimited data plus tethering on my Android phone for years.  

I have just purchased a sim-free iphone and asked for a nano SIM from O2.  Having enabled the iphone on the same contract as before I now fine that the tethering feature (portable Hotspot) is blocked by O2 just because it is an iphone.  

The data facility still works but interestingly when I called support and the APN values were changed to a "non iPhone tariff" value, the portable Hotspot feature immediately started working......for a few seconds!

Since then no matter how many times I have tried "chatting online" with various CS reps the story is tha same"

"That is an old tariff and tethering is not allowed"   

What possible logic is there in that argument when moments ago it was perfectly "allowed" when using my S3  ???????

[Anonymous]

Yep, I will update after tomorrow's call - not hoping for much but I would *love* to know how it all "worked" just for a few seconds...

[Anonymous]

And for the record, there is basically no difference in any of the phone's portable hotspot/tethering features.  The technical name for what is happening is IP masquerading, (not NAT as many people incorrectly believe).

It's not like doing it on an iPhone causes more network usage than any other way, for example.  Purely an accounting thing.

[Anonymous]

Nope, I am on the mobile. and wap. APNs - for what it is worth anyway 🙂 They are the "non iPhone" tariff APNs apparently

[Anonymous]

I do hope you get an agent who knows what to do.

If not as mentioned earlier perhaps a change of tariff ,and at least then you'd get to use 4G if it's in your area and the iPhone is a 5s or iP6 or iP6+

[Anonymous]

Re. "It's not like doing it on an iPhone causes more network usage than any other way, for example.  Purely an accounting thing."

Yes, it looks all of nothing but just that.  For those who are "savvy" the standard explanation is sooo "silly".

Basically it looks opportunistic when you change to an iOS device.

Oddly tho' that will not notify people on "old" tariffs and force cancellation and "upgrade" to a new tariff.  I wonder why...

[Anonymous]

You really should be on iData on your account and have the correct APN settings for the Internet part to work as it should.

http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Apple-iOS-Devices-iPhone-iPad/Connecting-iPhone-to-Data-Services/m-p/54...

[Anonymous]

Well, the idata. setting needed to be changed with the mobile. ones to "avoid" having to abandon my old tariff apparently.  Without the change the device was reporting "no data plan" (words to that effect)

[MI5]

If you ask cs to put you on iData and change your apn's accordingly I would expect you to find your hotspot working again.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Re. "It's not like doing it on an iPhone causes more network usage than any other way, for example.  Purely an accounting thing."

Yes, it looks all of nothing but just that.  For those who are "savvy" the standard explanation is sooo "silly".

Basically it looks opportunistic when you change to an iOS device.

Oddly tho' that will not notify people on "old" tariffs and force cancellation and "upgrade" to a new tariff.  I wonder why...

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Make use of the situation - get through to a decent CS representative and politely explain how you are a loyal and now frustrated customer, that you just need to use a certain amount of data in a certain way, and that you obviously want the best deal.

If you stay open to comitting to another 12 month contract, you might be able to wangle an even better deal than you had

[MI5]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Well, the idata. setting needed to be changed with the mobile. ones to "avoid" having to abandon my old tariff apparently.  Without the change the device was reporting "no data plan" (words to that effect)

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That would have been due to the wrong apn for your data type.

Request the change as above and set the correct iData apn......