Aug
17

Smartone-Vodafone Tethering Now Exposed

Smartone-Vodafone logoToday all PCCW Home Netvigator (one of the largest Broadband ISP in Hong Kong) customer encountered problems accessing web sites outside of Hong Kong. It started for me some time around 14:00 and is still an issue.

Fortunately, many people who has an iPhone was able to tether their computer to their iPhone’s HSDPA connection.

This produce a very good result. Although, as the PCCW problem persist throughout the evening. I presume more and more HSDPA customers are tethering their phone to their computer for Internet connection.

I notice Smartone-Vodafone; who previously did not make a distinction between regular HSPDA traffic and tethered traffic. This evening all of a sudden modified their settings so that their “SmartoneIN Toolbar” momentary appeared in the Safari browser window on the Mac, while the Mac is tethered to the iPhone.

This means that Smartone-Vodafone may have changed their exchange settings in an attempt to identify tethered traffic and/or control the bandwidth usage on their network.

For anyone who is not paying for a Smartone-Vodafone Tethering package, I suggest you stop tethering your computer to your iPhone until we who had used this service this month check our upcoming bills for charges from Smartone-Vodafone.

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Tags: iPhone tethering, Smartone-Vodafone, tethering

Posted by Vinko Advice, iPhone Subscribe to RSS feed
  • Stephen
    I had a look at someone's contract who signed up to the $238/mth unlimited plan. In the terms and conditions it says that you must use the APN "smartone-vodafone". It said that if you use a different APN something like "smc-voda broadband" (I can't remember exactly what it was) you would be charged the data rate and a maximum of $898/mth.

    So maybe this is the way Smartone distinguishes whether to charge data, and can also throttle data going through the standard "browsing" APN vs their "Broadband" APM.
  • Stephen
    Mine works with "smartone-vodafone" without the capitals.

    The reference to the other APN is just in the verbage of the terms and conditions quite clearly. Maybe they have changed the T&C recently as my friend signed last week. I'll get another look at it and find out the exact words.

    There must be some kind of difference in quality of service or else they wouldn't be so clearly making a distinction between the 2 APNs.
  • Stephen
    The exact text in the contract is:

    The data usage applies to mobile phone use only and handset APN setting must be "SmarTone-Vodafone". The data usage includes internet browsing, watching videos on the Internet, file upload/download, VoIP and instant messaging.

    Data usage on smartone does not include Vodafone Email usage, in which case #0.03/KB will be charged and maximum charge is $898 per month. $0.06 for data access from PC using mobile phone as a modem or using "SMC-Voda Broadband" (internet) APN or any other APN, and maximum charge is $898 per month.
  • I believe the "SMC-Voda Broadband" is the APN for SMV's Home Broadband and Mobile Broadband services. The latter is the service utilizing their USB Modem, USB Stick or built-in Vodafone notebook. These two services have different pricing plans and broadband services.
  • It appears that Smartone-Vodafone had corrected their APN settings so that it is no longer case sensitive. Another one of my suggestions to them resolved.
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