Websocket-based Tethering for iOS devices | Hacker News Reader

Websocket-based Tethering for iOS devices

github.com

47 pointstehwebguy11 comments

A while ago I bought this App: http://www.macrumors.com/2011/11/29/itether-app-offers-inter...

Best $15 I ever spent on an App, because Apple pulled the App shortly thereafter, and I have unlimited data.

It uses the same sort of technology ... having a web browser open on your phone within an App that provides a tunnel. You have to have the App open on your phone and on your Mac/PC.

However, there's one downside: You need to have the App foregrounded on your phone, regardless of method, due to the fact that I believe WebSockets are inactive when backgrounded on iOS.

The App still works on iOS 7.

Don't they remove the app and credit you back $15(when you connect to internet or the appastore)?

Nope -- I've had that exact app working like a charm across multiple devices and OS updates.

Very cool. Charging for tethering when you are already charging for data is ridiculous.

Of course many cell providers are now bundling tethering for free...

I was confused why one needs this but it is because in some places tethering costs extra dime i guess ?

I dont have that problem, but i only get 750 Megs unmetered traffic in my EUR 50/month contract anyway, so i hardly use tethering.

Yeah, from what I understand a lot of providers in America charge extra for tethering (Which is absolutely ridiculous since you're just using data). I'm quite happy with tethering my 1GB for EUR 10/month myself.

Tethering costs extra on US carriers other than Verizon. Verizon's contract plan for 1 smartphone with the minimum amount of everything is $100/mo, though, which is about the same as AT&T's minimum everything + tethering pricing. At $100/mo, it is actually cheaper to pay $50-60/mo for a prepaid plan with all of the same stuff and no tethering and get a separate device only for tethering (~$35/mo).

As with any non-standard tethering solution, make sure you have a firewall somewhere along the way that blocks ports that your phone doesn't normally access. Your provider will detect these outgoing connections and send you a warning/threat.

T-Mobile actually does DPI over unencrypted HTTP, and throws up an error in your browser if you're using tethering without paying for it (Galaxy Nexus + Macbook Air + HTTP Everywhere works though).

Any reason why this wouldn't work with WebOS devices or other non iOS?

Probably not, it seems to only require a websocket capable browser. That said, I haven't tested that.

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