VF prepaid with tethering no longer works

G-Man

I use VF prepaid and got great service top up by 20 every 28 days. I dont know when it happened but now it appears I am on some APN ( which I cant change) which means I cant tether my laptop via wifi hotspot.. It connects ok, but just no data.

WHy is this APN setting locked - is there any tricks to unlock it, some suggest just go with another provider on prepaid. Someone else suggeted a second sim in the phone will allow APN unlock and then the VF apn for teterhing will work.

The correct solution when I call VF is just just to pay up for billpay connection.

Are there other cheap prepaid SIMs allowing laptop tethering.

rhinosaurious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058321082/vf-prepaid-with-tethering-no-longer-works

Eir. Unlimited calls and texts to any network, unlimited data including 5G for €20 every 28 days, no speed cap either, so you get the fastest available speed

Ten Pin

VF have probably pushed the APN settings to your phone and also disabled the ability to change them. Charging extra for tethering is against EECC regulations but they have not been transposed/enacted here yet (how convenient for VF). An older handset (pre Android 8) should allow full user control of APNs. Can you add another APN or is it any way editable? These threads might help...

https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/yet-another-hotspot-bypass-nougat-ok.3563446/

https://www.reddit.com/r/lgv20/comments/745i0b/tethering_hotspot_on_an_unlocked_att_phone_on/

https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/8p5tug/bypassing_verizons_unlimited_plans/

moonboy52

What is the APN on your phone?

My PAYG VF has live.vodafone.ie

Zimmerframe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121325944#Comment_121325944

That's the "normal" apn, works fine on tethering anytime I tried it, including now.

moonboy52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121325997#Comment_121325997

For posterity (and Google searches) what is the APN that they are pushing on your end. Just curious 🤔

Ten Pin

The standard APN is

live.vodafone.com

The other one they route hotspot data through & charge for (depending on device) is

hs.vodafone.ie

TheDriver

Postmobile if you need vf reception but it doesn't work on apple's and data speeds are pants.

Gomo is postpaid but cheap

Zimmerframe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121326076#Comment_121326076

as per your own, live.vodafone.com

G-Man

Thanks guys . .This has been really helpful.. The change in terms and conditions is bad.. I recommended a bunch of these SIMS to colleagues and now that they dont work when they try on laptop ( at moment OK - no road warriers ... all officebound... OK but good to know there are alternatives on phone settings, SIM from others.. Another phone techie just told me .. it changes all the time, all the time, coverage changes, rules change.. Expect it.. Damn..

Ten Pin

Search online for "windows TTL tethering" for a registry fix that worked in the past to bypass tethering restrictions.

There's also an android setting called "WiFi direct" that might work by creating a different virtual hotspot on the phone. The laptop operating system would need to support it too.

Vodafone are close to the line of breaching regulations on device neutrality by doing this APN modification but Comreg are weak on enforcement.

G-Man

@Ten Pin Thanks... I went thru some old notes.. We actually bought these SIMS as prepaid with express allowance for tethering.. I am the only one using it regularly.. They were cheap and are still sort of, but if tethering doesnt work, sounds like someone broke something here. Grrn

I went back to my old setup VF on SIM1 and Gomo on SIM2 .. Tethering only works when DATA is on Gomo. Weeks~months ago it used to work on both , but preferrablt on VF as the yjust have better coverage.

For anyone asking .. I used to get tethering on hs.vodafone.ie, now while APN is visible I cant select it on VF, only option is live.vodafone.com

Ten Pin

Sounds like it's a legacy broadband SIM. Maybe try out a new VF PAYG SIM, that might fix the issue? It won't cost anything if ordered on line. Then try loading a zero rated website (gov.ie) to see if tethering works.