T-Mobile and Hot spot, NOT

hotshotnot
hotshotnot May 31, 2018 5:46 AM
  • Member Since: May 30, 2018

    I am starting this discussion out of frustration  with dealing with terrible-Mobile. Hopefully, someone has solved the problem since t-mobile technical cannot!!

     

    I have a Huawei Honor 6 (android) with current OS. My T-Mobile plan (literally) is 5GB data and 30min of talk time each month. Over the last year or so, I have made several attempts to have my phone serve as a hotspot for my computer when the local wireless internet is down/slow, My phone and computer connect (both 'see' each other), however, the phone does not get through to T-mobile network for computer-initiated data. Incidentally, the phone's data needs are met adequately--no problems there at all. All apps work just fine. IT's only the computer connection that has not network access/.

     

    Curiously, I was just in the Bahamas. I had a sim card for their network (BTC) and funds in my data-only account. For three months, my phone worked great as a hotspot. When I returned to the US and went back to terrible-mobile, no data  again. as before, the phone and computer connect. On the computer, the node is marked as 'no internet.' On the phone, I can see the computer, both with IP4 and MAC address. Signal strength is 5 bars at 4G.

     

    Now, here is where it gets interesting. When I change the phone from T-Mobile to use the local wireless internet provider, the hotspot works! You can imagine my surprise when I discovered this. Am I doing something wrong in the setup--keep in mind that the phone hotspot worked great in the Bahamas?

     

     

    Am I wrong in suspecting that the (terrible) carrier restricts non-phone data access to the cell network for budget plans?

     

    Any help would be much appreciated.

    • 1257 Views
    • 7 Replies
    • Latest reply on May 31, 2018 6:59 AM by hotshotnot

      All replies

      • smplyunprdctble

        Re: T-Mobile and Hot spot, NOT

        smplyunprdctble May 31, 2018 6:04 AM (in response to hotshotnot)
        • Member Since: Jul 15, 2011

        What you describe your plan as is something I've not heard of before.  You probably do not have Hotspot available on your plan.

          • gramps28

            Re: T-Mobile and Hot spot, NOT

            gramps28 May 31, 2018 6:10 AM (in response to smplyunprdctble)
            • Member Since: Jul 15, 2011

            Isn't that the "Walmart" plan.

             

            smplyunprdctble wrote:

             

            What you describe your plan as is something I've not heard of before. You probably do not have Hotspot available on your plan.

            1 of 1 people found this helpful
              • smplyunprdctble

                Re: T-Mobile and Hot spot, NOT

                smplyunprdctble May 31, 2018 6:18 AM (in response to gramps28)
                • Member Since: Jul 15, 2011

                gramps28 wrote:

                 

                Isn't that the "Walmart" plan.

                 

                smplyunprdctble wrote:

                 

                What you describe your plan as is something I've not heard of before. You probably do not have Hotspot available on your plan.

                I must be going senile in my old age.  Yeah -- I'm now recalling that "walmart" plan.

                 

                My googling says T-Mobile never "allowed" hotspot, per the plan, however, some people were able to "bypass" for a while.  Probably when T-Mo used an app installed on the phone to determine if SMHS / tethering was allowed and people had non-T-Mo / rooted phones to get around it.  I know in recent times, they've changed their methodology of determining SMHS / tethering usage, so it may actually be locked down now.

                1 of 1 people found this helpful
                  • hotshotnot

                    Re: T-Mobile and Hot spot, NOT

                    hotshotnot May 31, 2018 6:34 AM (in response to smplyunprdctble)
                    • Member Since: May 30, 2018

                    Thank you very much. I'll be canceling my service plan before it renews and

                    getting a plan that actually works for me.It doesn't say much for the

                    T-Mobile technical support--they checked my plan numerous times and never

                    said it did not include hotspot.

                     

                    On Thu, May 31, 2018 at 9:18 AM, smplyunprdctble <no-reply@t-mobile.com>

                      • smplyunprdctble

                        Re: T-Mobile and Hot spot, NOT

                        smplyunprdctble May 31, 2018 6:55 AM (in response to hotshotnot)
                        • Member Since: Jul 15, 2011

                        Newer plans include hotspot.

                        I believe all but one or two plans when this plan was introduced included hotspot.  I don't think any current plans don't include hotspot.  Because it's been like this for so long, it's probably not encountered often enough to look to see if hotspot is enabled on a plan within the 'script'.

                         

                        We have stuff where I work where something will happen, and the [outsourced] people who's job it is to know everything to solve cannot figure it out because it's an odd enough and rare enough exception.  We've jokingly made the "you should have known this" comment to them, but also know (and tell them) that it's an odd enough exception that it didn't surprise us that it was missed.

                         

                        Remember, when you're calling Customer Care for any cell provider, they're supporting probably hundreds of phones and hundreds of plans.  If you consider most of the bell curve of those 10,000+ possibilities are current T-Mobile ONE plans with an iPhone or Galaxy, and your plan has been discontinued about a year, you're probably one one of the far edges of the bell curve.  I wouldn't get upset at people because of that.

                        1 of 1 people found this helpful
                • gramps28

                  Re: T-Mobile and Hot spot, NOT

                  gramps28 May 31, 2018 6:08 AM (in response to hotshotnot)
                  • Member Since: Jul 15, 2011

                  Since you're using a non Tmobile phone have you tried contacting Huawei customer support?