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Tethering is the process by which you can connect your cell phone to a computer as a method of connecting to the internet. This is most helpful when there is no WiFi available and there is no other internet access. Tethering is built into the latest version of the iPhone OS. You can set it up without hacking or “jail-breaking” the iPhone.
Follow the step by step instructions here:
- On the iPhone, goto help.benm.at in Safari.
- On that web page, scroll down to Mobileconfigs -> Downloads -> USA -> ATT and install the profile.
- On the iPhone, go to Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset Network settings (this step is to enable Visual Voicemail).
- Restart the iPhone just in case, especially if it does not reboot at this point.
- Turn on Bluetooth on the iPhone in Settings -> Bluetooth.
- On the iPhone, turn on tethering in Settings -> General -> Network -> Internet tethering.
- On the Mac, click on BlueTooth icon in upper right menu bar or in System Preferences -> Bluetooth. Choose “Set up a BlueTooth Device”
- Setup and pair the Mac with the iPhone, make sure the iPhone is in BlueTooth discoverable screen.
- Click on BlueTooth icon again in upper right menu bar, choose your phone from the drop-down menu and connect to network.
- Oops, my mistake, there is no step 1o.
Now the steps for a Windows machine are a little different requiring trips to the Control Panels folder, but the concepts are the same.
You can undo the process at any time by going in your iPhone Settings -> General -> Profile -> Remove ATT profile and restart the iPhone. If you want to use USB instead of BlueTooth, skip all the BlueTooth steps and just click on WiFi in the upper right-hand menu bar, open Network Preference and choose Ethernet Adaptor (en5). Everything installs itself.
USB tethering is automatic when you plug the iPhone into the laptop using the USB cable. You will see a blue bar at the top of the iPhone screen that says internet Tethering. A few warnings though: AT&T doesn’t currently support tethering so don’t expect to call them or Apple for help; and the lastest beta version of the iPhone OS (3.1) is rumored to disable tethering until AT&T can figure out a way to charge for it.
Photo courtesy of mag3737.
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I really want to try this, but only after I am assured that AT&T isn’t going to charge me hundreds of dollars on my next bill for violating their terms of service.
Has anyone successfully attempted this and seen that their next month’s bill did not go up?
Since I switched companies to have the IPhone based on Mr. J's rec these articles are excellent.
So…from a legal perspective, what can AT&T do to you for this maneuver?
I tried this today. I think the 3.1 os does not allow it. It would not bring up the tethering option. Oh well. As bad as AT&T's service is I pray every day Verizon will get the iphone.
Would you get hit with any other charges for doing this?
Nope, it's all part of your data plan.
Works fine for me on 3.1. All versions, in fact.
in step 6, there was no “Internet Tethering” under Settings -> General -> Network -> Internet Tethering. Did I do something wrong? I am on version 3.1.2 Could that be the problem?
in step 6, there was no “Internet Tethering” under Settings -> General -> Network -> Internet Tethering. Did I do something wrong? I am on version 3.1.2 Could that be the problem?
Yea well, what are the steps for pc? that and my iphone doesnt have a turn on tethering button, what can I do there?
Yea well, what are the steps for pc? that and my iphone doesnt have a turn on tethering button, what can I do there?