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How To Tether Your iPhone 3G For Browsing The Web Via Laptop

Submitted by Edward Kirk on July 21, 2008 - 5:37pm.
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Now that there is an iPhone that runs on the much faster 3G networks, one of the things we want to do with it is naturally plug it into our laptop and use it as a modem when Wi-Fi isn't around. After all, we're paying for "unlimited" 3G data, right? Well if you're one of those people, you're in luck. Nate True has put together a method for tethering your iPhone 3G to a laptop for use as a 3G modem has been found.

Keep in mind, if your on AT&T (and the same is probably true in other countries as well), your iPhone 3G's data plan does not include tethering it to a computer, so using it in this way is technically illegal. If you're willing to risk getting caught and paying the consequences, then go for it. It is suggested it only be used in emergencies.

A brief summary of the steps:

  1. Jailbreak your iPhone 3G (or original iPhone)
  2. Install 3Proxy and Terminal from Cydia
  3. Create an ad-hoc network with your Mac or PC
  4. Set up a static address on your computer (ex. 10.3.3.1)
  5. Join the network with your iPhone
  6. Set your iPhone's IP address to something on the same subnet as your computer (ex. 10.3.3.2)
  7. Open Terminal (on your iPhone) and run 'socks' (no quotes)
  8. Open Safari on your iPhone and load a web page
  9. Configure your browser/computer to use the socks proxy on your iPhone

For Nate's complete instructions, visit cre.ations.net/blog.

Addition by Michael: If you're on a Mac, you can create a new location from the Network preference pane with all of the odd proxy settings and static IP address for easy switching between Wi-Fi and iPhone tether modes.

Submitted by Kevin Dunahee on July 21, 2008 - 7:27pm.
AT&T is going to be pissed. Luckily there are those jailbreak and terminal procedures that will keep the majority of people from trying this for the time being. However, it won't be long before somebody writes an app to automatically set up the ad hoc network and run the terminal script all behind the scenes. The day is coming.

Submitted by RY@NCHRI$TOPHER (not verified) on July 21, 2008 - 7:51pm.
YES!!!

I just got this to work woohoo

Submitted by Martian Manhunter on July 21, 2008 - 9:29pm.
I don't think they will be angry at all, because if they find abnormalities in your data usage then they are going to charge you out the well you know...That or cancel your service...Then again that could be a good thing unless the rumor is true that they can take your phone back.

Submitted by Kevin Dunahee on July 21, 2008 - 9:35pm.
I think the only reason they could do something about your data using is if they could monitor what it was you were downloading. For example: if they could tell you were downloading flash videos somewhere, this would send up a red flag. Obviously we don't have flash support yet so it would clearly be a tethered computer. However, I don't know if they can even see that much detail.

Submitted by Martian Manhunter on July 21, 2008 - 9:48pm.
Supposedly if you have more than one window open at a time on your computer they can tell that you are using more than your "one window at a time" iphone data allows...hopefully this isn't true so everyone out there with 3g service can be iphone happy haha.....

Submitted by ghstomahawks on July 21, 2008 - 10:38pm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Superman View Post
I think the only reason they could do something about your data using is if they could monitor what it was you were downloading. For example: if they could tell you were downloading flash videos somewhere, this would send up a red flag. Obviously we don't have flash support yet so it would clearly be a tethered computer. However, I don't know if they can even see that much detail.
Uhhh ... AT&T sent out bills hundreds of pages long to some of the first iphone owners last year listing every site/image/file downloaded over their edge network. I believe that suggests that they'll be able to know just what's being transferred over their network whenever they actually care to look at it.

Thought so

Submitted by Martian Manhunter on July 21, 2008 - 11:13pm.
I thought they did that but i wasn't sure so i wasn't going to use that as my argument unless someone else brought it up.

Submitted by Kevin Dunahee on July 22, 2008 - 12:37am.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghstomahawks View Post
Uhhh ... AT&T sent out bills hundreds of pages long to some of the first iphone owners last year listing every site/image/file downloaded over their edge network. I believe that suggests that they'll be able to know just what's being transferred over their network whenever they actually care to look at it.
Yeah definitely good point. I forgot about that completely. I don't know what they can really do though. They sold me an unlimited data plan. I can't really go over infinity. Would do you guys think is the worst that could happen?

Submitted by TKNY (not verified) on July 22, 2008 - 10:55am.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Superman View Post
Yeah definitely good point. I forgot about that completely. I don't know what they can really do though. They sold me an unlimited data plan. I can't really go over infinity. Would do you guys think is the worst that could happen?
If I could use my RAZR as a modem why can't I use my iPhone?

Submitted by Martian Manhunter on July 22, 2008 - 12:00pm.
its in your ATT contract that you signed that you can't use your iPhone data plan as a modem, therefore i believe what they would do is charge you what ever they want because you broke the contract. They may even go as far to cancel your contract.

not necessarily illegal

Submitted by Unregistered (not verified) on July 22, 2008 - 12:03pm.
what actual LAW says this is illegal? just because it's not part of the contract doesn't make it illegal. there's no trouble to get in. at the very worst, they MAY terminate your contract if there was a huge enough problem that they'd want to lose a customer & even then, the legality of them doing so would be debatable. my guess is not enough people will actually be doing it for them to care. -doing something about it may attract even more attention & get more people wanting to do it. also it would be bad press. when enough do, they'll just start charging for tethering.

Submitted by Unregistered (not verified) on July 22, 2008 - 6:02pm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
what actual LAW says this is illegal? just because it's not part of the contract doesn't make it illegal. there's no trouble to get in. at the very worst, they MAY terminate your contract if there was a huge enough problem that they'd want to lose a customer & even then, the legality of them doing so would be debatable. my guess is not enough people will actually be doing it for them to care. -doing something about it may attract even more attention & get more people wanting to do it. also it would be bad press. when enough do, they'll just start charging for tethering.
You may want to review your contract. It's not about 'illegal' it's about what you agreed to do or not to do when you signed the contract.

Submitted by Kevin Dunahee on July 22, 2008 - 7:52pm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martian Manhunter View Post
its in your ATT contract that you signed that you can't use your iPhone data plan as a modem, therefore i believe what they would do is charge you what ever they want because you broke the contract. They may even go as far to cancel your contract.
I didn't realize this was the case. Don't worry though. There's plenty of people out there willing to be the guinea pigs. We will find out soon enough what AT&T does to them..."Let's put a smile on that face."

Submitted by Unregistered (not verified) on September 2, 2008 - 7:23am.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
You may want to review your contract. It's not about 'illegal' it's about what you agreed to do or not to do when you signed the contract.
But that's the point they were making, this isn't about "illegality". By saying (as the article does) that this may be "illegal" that suggests that you'd be committing a crime in doing this, and that the police could come take you away. As much as AT&T would *want* everyone to believe that, it's not the case at all.

In civil terms, yes you've signed a contract, and one of your obligations is to not use your data plan for tethering, but the worst possible outcome of that is termination of the contract (and possibly some steep charges), nothing more than that. Contracts are a civil matter, their terms can (and usually do) change over time, and they're always open to interpretation and negotiation.