Comments on: Smartone-Vodafone Tethering Now Exposed

By: Vinko

Vinko — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:33:09 +0000

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.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:34:22 +0000

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.

By: Vinko

Vinko — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:43:57 +0000

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.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:36:18 +0000

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.

By: Vinko

Vinko — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:23:35 +0000

I had spoken to Smartone-Vodafone about monitoring and/or throttling traffic through their regular IOM tariff plans. They assured me that they do no do neither.

Also, the APN for Smartone-Vodafone mobile data is “Smartone-Vodafone” (note that upper case “S” and “V”). I don't understand why any SMV customers would use another APN value. Where did you see this mention of another APN in the “Terms and Conditions of the $238/month Unlimited Integrated Combo Plan”.

BTW: I too am a subscriber to this Unlimited 3G Integrated Combo Plan.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:53:42 +0000

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.

By: Vinko

Vinko — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:38:53 +0000

You are quite aware of Smartone-Vodafone's tethering plans. I believe you can use any 3G enabled mobile phone to tether your computer.

The reason that I would suggest the iPhone is because using the iPhone; at least with the Mac, does not incur additional cost on your iPhone plan.

By: Datapig

Datapig — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:40:40 +0000

Anyone know if I tether any phone to Smartone?

Currently I'm paying about $180pm for the privilege of a Vodaphone stick modem. Not well supported — they haven't bothered to upgrade so its not compatible with Snow Leopard.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/10/vodafon...

Anyway, does anyone know what's the best Smartone tethering solution? If any. Prefer not iPhone.

I dont' think I'd more than $180 PM though. Why pay more to use my own modem for exactly the same data.

TIA and cheers

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 03:45:18 +0000

Received my bill today – doesn't look like there is any distinction still between browsing/data and tethering.

By: Vinko

Vinko — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:31:43 +0000

I don't believe that is the case, Smartone-Vodafone initially marked all browser HSDPA traffic from a mobile phone with the SmartoneIN toolbar. Last year after I wrote about the SmartoneIN Toolbar in my post Smartone-Vodafone’s Stubbornness and then Is Smartone-Vodafone Listening?, Smartone-Vodafone had changed their system so that it recognizes the iPhone browser as different HSDPA traffic.

Since I wrote in the post Tethering iPhone 3.0, Smartone-Vodafone did not mark or mark the HSDPA traffic from the Mac tethered to the iPhone as different HSDPA traffic then HSDPA traffic directly from the iPhone's normal use. The presence of this SmartoneIN Toolbar yesterday may be a glitch; we hope, but it may also be Smartone-Vodafone's attempt to distinguish tethered traffic.

Yes, normal tethering usually requires a dial-up sequence from the computer, but if you tether the Mac to the iPhone via USB cable that is not required. Dial-up sequence is only required if you try to tether the Mac to the iPhone via Bluetooth.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:20:22 +0000

If anything, the presence of that toolbar is a good thing, meaning that Smartone thinks that the traffic is normal mobile browser traffic.

Other “mobile as a modem” type connections, use a different protocol, something similar to dial-up which I think is how mobile companies determine the different type of traffic.