Tether

Ditto.

I've tethered my Treo previously with Sprint and through Bluetooth with Verizon... now USB with Verizon and have never had any problems with any of them.

Presumably, VZW charges more for tethering because you can (and probably will) transfer a LOT more data if you're tethering than you would if you were just transferring data to your phone itself.

I would also be willing to bet that a VZW lawyer could find something in their Terms of Service agreement that makes it a violation to use your phone tethered to a computer without paying VZW for tethering.

So, the question in my mind is, if VZW does decide it's a violation of the TOS, and starts cutting off people's data plans if they're tethering without paying VZW for it, will TetherBerry give a refund? I.e. if VZW cuts off TetherBerry users who aren't paying for VZW tethering, can I get a refund on TetherBerry? If I'm paying VZW for tethering, I certainly don't need TetherBerry.

Despite my concerns about VZW finding out about this and closing this loophole, I went ahead and bought TB. Here are some notes that weren't mentioned in the installation instructions:

- You do not have to disable your other network adapters to get TB to work. However, if might be a good idea, if you're having trouble getting TB to work.

- You do not have to be actually running the BB Desktop Manager to use TB. I suspect that the only reason you have to install it is so that the BB USB drivers are present on your computer.

- I'm activated on a BES. I have now found that, unlike with regular tethering, when I'm connected to my Exchange server on my computer, going through TB, when I receive email, it shows up virtually simultaneously on my BB and in Outlook. With regular tethering, I would not receive it on my BB until I disconnected my tethering session.

- Reconciliation between Outlook and the BB seems a bit slow. I read some messages in Outlook and deleted them several minutes ago. They finally switched to showing as "Read" on my BB, but they still haven't deleted from my BB Inbox. Doh. Wait. Now they have. So, it took maybe 5 minutes. Very cool!

- You have to manually run the TB app on BOTH your PC and your BB for the connection to be made. This is mentioned only briefly in the instructions and easily missed. The app for the BlackBerry is an OTA download directly to your phone. The app for the PC is downloaded from this website to your PC as setup.exe, and then you run setup.exe to install the PC app.

- The PC app does not have any way to minimize it to the SysTray. You can minimize it to the Task Bar, just like any other desktop application. Having it minimize to the SysTray is what I would call a "Would Be Nice" enhancement.

Great app! If I get 4 months use out of it before Verizon figures it out and somehow makes it stop working, I'll break even. More than that and I'm ahead. Not too worried about it, either way.

Not to scare anyone but I did take a look at vzw customer agrement and it does say among other things that if you steal they can terminate your service. I know you people out there thinking that this is not stealing but use some logic. I'm not fighting for them but they do have a overpriced service that does what this program does and it does take more usage that you would normally use on your blackberry so thats why they charge more for the service. I could not find the data usage EULA and if anyone knows where to find it I would be happy to read it over real good and tell you what I think. Also I would like to educate my self to see if I'm giving my 3rd unborn child away here :) As for them "not caring"...for the realitivly small amount of people using this program, I think were safe for now, but like some of apples app store apps like a free app that would give you free texting through a expermental google service, google could not take the stress and had to shut that service down. Head over to modmyi.com to see the article, but if this gains popularity the we could be looking at the same kind of situation here. But dispite all of this, I did buy the program and it is awesome and I use it every day! Also I did this on my blackberry so I apologize for the bad format and spelling.

It Worked Flawlessly!! :-)

I'm tethered thru my Blackberry Storm running ver. 103. I installed the PC software then installed the Storm's. I started the program on the PC then started the one on my Storm and connected the USB. It worked FLAWLESSLY!! I got speeds up to 584 kbps. No complaints from me. Thanks Tetherberry!!

Verizon customers are used to living in a walled garden. We feel like we are breaking the rules when we actually find a way to get more value for our monthly service fees, which offer huge margins to the carriers like Verizon.

My investigation leads me to think that you are indeed violating the terms of service (at least with Verizon), if you use a solution like tetherberry - see restriction #1 in the Verizon "Terms of Service" for blackberry unlimited data plan (extracted below):

Unlimited PDA/Smartphone and BlackBerry® Plans:
Data sessions may be used for following purposes: (i) Internet browsing; (ii) email; and (iii) intranet access (including access to corporate intranets, email and individual productivity applications like customer relationship management, sales force and field service automation. Intranet access requires the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.). Unlimited plans are for individual use only and not for resale. The Unlimited plans cannot be used: (1) for any applications that tether the device to laptops, PCs, or other equipment for any purpose, (2) for uploading, downloading or streaming of movies, music or games, (3) with server devices or with host computer applications other than the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, including, without limitation, Web camera posts or broadcasts, continuous jpeg file transfers, automatic data feeds, telemetry applications, automated functions or any other machine-to-machine applications, (4) as substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections.
Data sessions automatically terminate after two hours of inactivity unless used with a Mobile IP-capable device. We reserve the right to deny or terminate service, without notice, to anyone who uses the Unlimited plan in any manner prohibited above or whose usage adversely impacts our network or service levels. We also reserve the right to terminate service upon expiration of Customer Agreement term.

By the way, I believe its also against the terms of service for your ISP, if you share your wi-fi and allow your neighbor to use your internet connection.

To me, you are in a grey area with this - at least with Verizon.

Here is the real TOS as of May 10, 2009 regarding the BB Storm specifically. This is the general terms for the "Blackberry web and email" the $29.99 a month package not the $49.99 "BlackBerry Solution"

Verizon Terms

The Email and Web for BlackBerry and Email and Web for Smartphone Features are designed for personal, consumer use and are not compatible with some Internet email service offerings or with email applications utilizing BlackBerry Enterprise Server, BlackBerry Desktop Software, Wireless Sync or Wireless Sync Enterprise Server or Good™ Mobile Messaging.

These features cannot be used to tether your device to laptops, personal computers or other devices for any purpose other than syncing of data; any other use is not permitted using these features.

Service is only available in the National Enhanced Services and Extended National Enhanced Services Rate and Coverage Areas.

(I pulled it apart a little but included the original link)

People are retarded telling Verizon anything. I was in Verizon the other day and listening to a guy tell them he was putting a leaked OS on his phone they told him his warranty was now void .If you do these things don't tell them anything

I use TetherBerry daily from client sites. No issues.

Robert

let us understand something and correct me if i'm wrong but the 40 bucks covers software and server usage . vzw has to charge more for server usage since they would rather tie up servers w/bes customers . i'm sure someone could shed a little light on the prices bes customers are charged for tethering and i'm sure it is less than standard customers pay.higher percentage of business accounts use blackberry as opposed to personal use there for they try to promote the sell of wifi cards for laptop usage. (this is first thing salesman tried to sell me was a wifi when i asked about tethering package)now i'm expanding my freedom by purchasing tetherberry . thanks for the great package and expanded freedom with MY blackberry.afterall i did pay for my blackberry and who is vzw to tell me how to use it? howwwwwln @ ya , wolf........

I've been a user of PdaNet for a while. I am with Verizon and was using it on a Treo. It worked great and the only issue I generally had was VPN connectivity. While I'm not an abuser of tethering, it is a handy solution for when I'm on a customer site or a location where there is no access to data services. I've been moved to a BlackBerry and am considering TetherBerry for various reasons. Same plan with 5G data services. I guess I missed their 'tether' service.

I'm not sure what all this banter is about. Not seeing any 'legitimate' information here, I felt it necessary to at least get something out there that has some meat to it. I took a browse to Verizon Wireless web site (see link below) and found nothing regarding tethering and their data service.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=planFirst&actio...

If I were to consider the paragraph on permitted uses (see below), I feel TetherBerry would fit in just nicely.

DATA PLANS AND FEATURES
Data Plans and Features: Permitted Uses. You can use our Data Plans and Features for accessing the Internet and for such uses as: (i) Internet browsing; (ii) e–mail; (iii) intranet access (including accessing corporate intranets, e–mail and individual productivity applications made available by your company); (iv) uploading, downloading and streaming of audio, video and games; and (v) Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

If I were to consider the paragraph on prohibited ues (see below), I feel TetherBerry or any other tethering application for that matter would violate the condition.

Data Plans and Features: Prohibited Uses. You may not use our Data Plans and Features for illegal purposes or purposes that infringe upon others' intellectual property rights, or in a manner that interferes with other users' service, interferes with the network's ability to fairly allocate capacity among users, or that otherwise degrades service quality for other users. Examples of prohibited usage include: (i) server devices or host computer applications, including continuous Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, automated machine–to–machine connections, or peer–to–peer (P2P) file–sharing applications that are broadcast to multiple servers or recipients such that they could enable "bots" or similar routines (as set forth in more detail in (iii) below) or otherwise denigrate network capacity or functionality; (ii) as a substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections; (iii) "auto–responders," "cancel–bots," or similar automated or manual routines that generate amounts of net traffic that could disrupt net user groups or e–mail use by others; (iv) generating "spam" or unsolicited commercial or bulk e–mail (or activities that facilitate the dissemination of such e–mail); (v) any activity that adversely affects the ability of other users or systems to use either Verizon Wireless' services or the Internet–based resources of others, including the generation or dissemination of viruses, malware, or "denial of service" attacks; (vi) accessing, or attempting to access without authority, the information, accounts or devices of others, or to penetrate, or attempt to penetrate, Verizon Wireless' or another entity's network or systems; or (vii) running software or other devices that maintain continuous active Internet connections when a computer's connection would otherwise be idle, or "keep alive" functions, unless they adhere to Verizon Wireless' requirements for such usage, which may be changed from time to time. By way of example only, you may not use a Data Plan or Feature for web broadcasting, or for the operation of servers, telemetry devices and/or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition devices.

I'm certainly no legal expert, however, I'd say that there is a pretty good argument to be had that prohibited uses listed 'anywhere' on their site should match all other documents. I would think it's tough to fight that out in any court. Or for Verizon to go after a customer.

Anyhow, those are my thougths and I hope to be a user of TetherBerry soon.

unless the user has their phone plugged into the wall and online 24/7 ... i see no reason why they would even come after you. I stream video and audio on my blackberry all the time. if i hook it into my comp to vpn into work for 20min to check something ....the differences are the same. You are doing what you would be doing if the phone had the correct protocols (remote desktop etc etc).

So, can I buy tether berry, and cancel my tethering service used through Verizon, and still be able to tether?

wow you people have not been at this tethering thing with vzw for long have you?
ive been tethering for more than 5 years, back when the 14.4 speeds were deemed free for use...and the 115kbps speeds were not! did that for 2 years until evdo was around, and the 115kbps became free. then as evdo became popular, then the locked everything down, because they couldn't regulate which phones would connect at, 1x or evdo.

unless YOU give them a reason to look into it, there's no reason they're going to shut you down and terminate you. also i believe if your terminated by them, they cant charge you for early termination.
i spent 2 years tethering quietly with an enV phone, and never had a problem, but i never did over a gig of data in a month either
use it when you need it, not as your main connection and you'll be fine

the language is in the terms so that it will scare aware people and to be acted against if they need to, but that's only if you abuse the hell out of it. with 50 million customers or what ever, its going to take a lot for them to notice a lot of data use on a plan with no vzaccess - and 5gb is a good way to do that