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Has anyone ever been charged for tethering on Virgin mobile? |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 48
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Has anyone ever been charged for tethering on Virgin mobile?
Hi,
I recently took out a 4gb sim only plan from Virgin and despite reading everywhere that Virgin don't allow data tethering, it appears i CAN tether from my iphone SE. So just wondering will i get hit with tethering charges as VM's t&c's make it clear that tethering is not allowed? So far tethered data is showing as 'inclusive' in 'recent usage' online... Cheers |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 53,646
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i don't know if this helps, but i was talking about the FUP with someone from Virgin a while back and told him that i'd heard so many different versions of what is and isn't allowed that I didn't know what to think.
He told me that since he'd actually worked in that particular department (or words to that effect) that he would give me the definitive answer once and for all. He said that the FUP isn't arbitrary and isn't a case of you hit 3.5gb and you're immediately throttled. He said that they look at each account individually and work out why you've hit the limit when you've hit it and if they feel you're using it excessively, i.e, you hit the 3.5gb limit inside the first week, they you likely will be throttled. Other than that, he said that the "Unlimited" data allowance really was "Unlimited". So you might find there's a similar approach to tethering. He did also mention that tethering isn't allowed but maybe it might be a situation where if you don't over-use it, you might get away with it. |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Central Belt
Posts: 12,277
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Quote:
i don't know if this helps, but i was talking about the FUP with someone from Virgin a while back and told him that i'd heard so many different versions of what is and isn't allowed that I didn't know what to think.
He told me that since he'd actually worked in that particular department (or words to that effect) that he would give me the definitive answer once and for all. He said that the FUP isn't arbitrary and isn't a case of you hit 3.5gb and you're immediately throttled. He said that they look at each account individually and work out why you've hit the limit when you've hit it and if they feel you're using it excessively, i.e, you hit the 3.5gb limit inside the first week, they you likely will be throttled. Other than that, he said that the "Unlimited" data allowance really was "Unlimited". So you might find there's a similar approach to tethering. He did also mention that tethering isn't allowed but maybe it might be a situation where if you don't over-use it, you might get away with it. After all there are competitors to Virgin who offer 20GB or 30GB of sim data, so it would not be very wise for Virgin to throttle everybody for the whole of the rest of the month who hits 3.5GB before the month ends. I don’t know how much data in GB’s consumed before the 30 day period ends (if you have not gone mad and used your 3.5GB within the first 4 days of the 30 day period. You would probably have heavily tethered to consume that much that soon) is considered excessive so that they would throttle you. Bear in mind that if you don’t have frequent access to wifi whether at home and/or out and about that you’re going to tether like MBB more and consume a lot more handset data than someone who does have the frequent access to wifi. Even when you normally have frequent access to wifi, you may suddenly need to go somewhere for 2 or 3 weeks where there is no wifi access so you are forced to use your virgin sim card constantly. |
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#4 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 932
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I've had a Virgin Mobile SIM for over 2 years now and I've never been charged for tethering. Alright, I haven't tethered much before, but I still haven't been charged for it.
This is on the 3.5GB data plan that was sold as Unlimited (though it isn't unlimited, due to the steep slowdown @ 3.5GB). Last month, I did get reasonably close though - 2.35GB total; 1.83GB tethered The previous month (Feb - Mar): 1.25GB total; 0.93GB tethered So far this month: 0.89GB total; 662MB tethered Most of the tethering is due to our cranky VM Superhub playing up, my laptop says "Resolving host" and refuses to load anything - so out comes the hotspot. In all honesty I really don't like Virgin Mobile, due to: 1) No 4G 2) No official tethering support (you can tether though) 3) Mis-selling unlimited plans with FUP* *I heard one story on the Virgin Media forums whereby a user was complaining about poor data speeds. Their speeds were initially fast, but then went very slow. They tried a whole array of troubleshooting techniques, including (but not limited to): different locations, trying the SIM in another phone (still slow), trying a different SIM in the phone (separate SIM was fast) and factory resetting the phone (did nothing). They were advised that there was no speed limit. This person had very little access to Wi-fi, hence paying for the unlimited package. They were then told (by a different user) to check their usage, as it sounded like they had hit the hidden 3.5GB usage cap. Usage check showed them as using 8GB data. Ouch! Although I cannot remember exactly what happened after that, I think the user left and went to Three, seeing as Three don't have a FUP like that (they do have TrafficSense though). I'm not worried about Virgin Mobile anymore either. I've taken the 16GB EE SIMO deal that was on promotion a few days ago. So I'll be leaving VM Mobile as well. |
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 53,646
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I've exceeded the 3.5gb "limit" on multiple occasions and I've yet to have my connection slowed down. I think I hit 6.5gb in my first month on unlimited with Virgin.
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: In The Garden
Posts: 371
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Is the 3.5gb/unlimited plan no longer available then?
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#7 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 932
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Quote:
I've exceeded the 3.5gb "limit" on multiple occasions and I've yet to have my connection slowed down. I think I hit 6.5gb in my first month on unlimited with Virgin.
Although I've never gone above 3.5GB (highest was about 2.5GB?), I was very cautious incase I did get speed capped. At least with EE I can throw caution to the wind, because 16GB will last for a long time and I know that I won't be able to go over without buying more data (I think?). |
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#8 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 932
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Quote:
Is the 3.5gb/unlimited plan no longer available then?
edit: according to their website, their top plan is £23 per month and includes 8GB data. Its OK but I'd want to pay less than that for a 3G only plan (remember Virgin don't do 4G). |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: In The Garden
Posts: 371
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Yeah, when you can get 12gb for £20 on three payg virgin isn't really that good a deal.
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Central Belt
Posts: 12,277
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Quote:
Yeah, when you can get 12gb for £20 on three payg virgin isn't really that good a deal.
But exceed it by > 0KB, 1.00 comes off your airtime balance, as you get charged 1.00 for consuming up to 100MB a day, and likewise a further 1.00 for up to another 100MB in the same day. Not exactly 1p per MB. Though I only went with virgin mobile PAYG for the then unlimited data at the time, and then the 3GB when they removed it and I am left with a hefty airtime balance which I’m trying to slowly get down in case they switch to using another MNO’s network. Mind you I am using that said PAYG sim card in a smartphone to autoconnect to various wifi hotspots when out and about on this new updated virgin wifi buddy app, and you don’t even have to top up the sim card every month to use the service and access the hotspots. But is this new updated wifi buddy app a con though? |
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Central Belt
Posts: 12,277
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Quote:
Not that I'm aware, but I'll check.
edit: according to their website, their top plan is £23 per month and includes 8GB data. Its OK but I'd want to pay less than that for a 3G only plan (remember Virgin don't do 4G). |
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#12 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 932
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Quote:
Yeah, when you can get 12gb for £20 on three payg virgin isn't really that good a deal.
On a 12 month contract (on Three) you can have 12GB data/600 minutes/UL texts for £22 Or for £25 per month you can have either 30GB data or AYCE data - also with 600 minutes/UL texts. edit: Yep, they've ditched AYCE on PAYG and replaced it with 12GB.
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#13 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 932
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Quote:
If you don’t have a 4G phone, a 3G phone will do. Not that I’ve noticed a great deal of difference between 3G and 4G anyway now that I have a 4G phone now.
Some congested areas can make quite a bit of difference between 3G and 4G - for example, when I last went into Leicester and did a 4G test (using an EE 100GB SIM), I got 10Mbps down from one mast and 20Mbps down on another. Both gave about 20Mbps up. However, when I recently used 3G in Leicester (via Virgin, on EEs network), I got about 1.5Mbps down. I also think that somehow, EE have altered the priority, so that it prioritizes EE before Virgin. |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Central Belt
Posts: 12,277
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Quote:
So they've got rid of AYCE data on PAYG then? As it used to be AYCE.
On a 12 month contract (on Three) you can have 12GB data/600 minutes/UL texts for £22 Or for £25 per month you can have either 30GB data or AYCE data - also with 600 minutes/UL texts. edit: Yep, they've ditched AYCE on PAYG and replaced it with 12GB. ![]() With the cut to 12GB on the All In One 20, it has made a lot of people think how much data they really need. Whether or not you exceed 300 minutes of calls, you will need to buy an All In One 25 now. Between 6GB and 12GB of data and don’t exceed making 300 minutes worth of calls you will not be affected. But if you don’t consume as much as 6GB (but well in excess of 1GB) of data in a month and you don’t make many phone calls it is better to buy a PAYG MBB sim package now and use a 3-2-1 sim to make phone calls and send texts, just swapping sims when requirf. Three need to come up with a PAYG sim that offers something somewhere in between 1GB and 12GB of data for 15.00. At least the All In One 10 has doubled in data now. |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 53,646
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Quote:
That's strange... I always thought that you'd be slowed down if you exceeded 3.5GB... never mind
Quote:
Is the 3.5gb/unlimited plan no longer available then?
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