What is Reddit's opinion of
FoxFi (WiFi Tether w/o Root)?
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Popularity Score: 36
This app was mentioned in 40 comments, with an average of 3.20 upvotes
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Right, no disagreement that people are getting fucked over. But my question was alluding to the fact that you could have summed up your blog post in a simple text post:
"If you don't like paying excessive tethering fees, install this app on your android phone and your carrier won't be able to tell your tethering data from your phone data."
Instead, you over complicated the issue and made it as a blog post in order to get more views on your site. For a relatively new redditor, who has already been accused of using the platform to spam your site, you don't seem to understand the users here are not huge fans of blatant self promotion.
I use FoxFi to tether without rooting. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi
The free version is limited- you can only transfer a bit at a time (something like 50-100MB) before you have to restart the connection. Full version (unlimited) of the app is $8.
Edit: speeling
All carrier branded devices have locked down native hotspots that "call home" to check tethering provisioning on your account. These settings are hard-coded to check in with Verizon, regardless of what SIM card you use. So dumb. The work around this is rooting and editing some files, but this isn't an option for all device.
You can try FoxFi in the PlayStore (does not need root): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi&hl=en
This really isn't something the customer has to deal with honestly. More carrier bs, you already paid for the data.
I honestly haven't tried (nor do I have a Verizon phone), but as per Foxfi's app description it seems like 6.1 is the latest version that will work
theoretically.
this might help https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi&hl=en
I don't thoroughly understand it but it seems to suggest some models can share the wifi connection as a hot spot.
you can try foxfi for free (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi&hl=de) but for larger data volumes you'll have to buy the key for several bucks.
--or you use any other phone with data and use guest mode
--or you invest in another device like the netis but without client isolation.
Note: rooted is NOT actually necessary if you're ok with a USB hotspot.
I use foxfi and pdanet and it is fantastic https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi&hl=en_US it pretends to be android app logging.
They have a hidden charge tho, it'll lock after 500mb and then it's like $4 to unlock the app with foxfi key but its totally worth it. I've tethered over a terabyte over it, over the last 3 years or so. same at&t $60/mo unlimited plan, pixel 1 xl
I think FoxFi still has USB and Bluetooth tethering enabled even if Wifi doesn't work. I've used USB tethering with my Macbook Air at airports. Carriers don't seem to care about non-Wifi tethering for some reason. And people don't seem to talk about it much, but if all you need to do is get one device online and you have a USB cable or it has bluetooth...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi&hl=en
Otherwise, you can still get around it with root, but Samsung phones can be notoriously difficult to root due to their Knox security stuff.
Edit: Oh, and to answer your question, nope. I don't think it's worth $10 for tethering at all when a lot of other carriers throw in 5-10 GB for free.
Get in as much data as you can, ladies and gentlemen!
FoxFi is the best $7 I have ever spent. It bypasses the Hotspot Paywall and can also be used to Bluetooth Tether.
You'll have to download the OTA on the phone and use the app. You can use the buildprop editor app to edit the file on the phone itself.
Or you can try this app instead of editing buildprop https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi
Have you tried FoxFi ? I'm on Verizon, but might be worth a shot on Sprint: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi
Also, have you tried this trick? Sprint S7, free wifi hotspot without any mods
I've seen lots of people recommend FoxFi (not free) if they have an unlimited data plan but not subscribed to tethering/hotspot. I can't vouch for it since I've never used it because I've been able to use the built-in native tethering feature on all of the phones I listed in my earlier post.
I've been using FoxFi on my last 3 Verizon phones(Note5 now) without activating tethering and haven't had any problems. I'd highly recommend it.
For root you might want to try kingroot. I don't know much about ZTE devices but I imagine that cricket has probably locked the bootloader and that usually means either you don't get root or you need to depend on an exploit tool. Kingroot seems to support a number of ZTE devices.
For tethering, you could try a third party app like FoxFi, doesn't require root.
FoxFi: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi
Try it out and see if it acts and behaves the way that you desire and then hop over and buy the key to unlock the full functionality of the application. For people without root, it is a very reliable application and works nicely without hastle after initial setup and configuration of your hotspot settings, etc.
FoxFi key: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi.key
FoxFi is the equivilant of USB tethering, only it broadcasts as a WiFi signal, so it's essentially a mobile hotspot, but it gets around it by using the tethering feature wirelessly.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi&hl=en
I haven't done it in years, but FoxFi worked very well for me in the past. I believe it will bypass the carrier check and does not require root.
FoxFi worked great for me back when I didn't have tethering on my account. But that was a while ago, not sure how well or if it does still work.
As I said above it's all powered by a Raspberry Pi B+
Features-
* Connected to google's API for text messaging
* Edit 3- I wasn't going to throw this one in but it also uses the Twitter API to send me a picture, google gave me a problem with sending pictures
* Tied into home alarm system for extra backup abilities
(Some) Security Features-
* Backup battery for the Pi, i use a 2200mah cellphone backup charger that is charging off the AC power, about 30 minutes of run time
* Lock solenoid is powered by a 9v battery charged off the AC as well
* 2 vibration sensors, one easy trigger and one medium trigger. An event on either sends me a text message. FYI the easy goes off with ANY movement of the nightstand
* Every wrong keypad entry sends a text message with a certain amount locking the safe for an undisclosed amount of time. I have a very long code to reset that timer
* Text on power outage
* I can preform certain tasks from my smart phone when i get the alerts such as activate the home security system alarm
* There are several more but i don't want to give away all the secrets
To clarify for everyone, this is meant to protect my children. Anyone else i would have known of their presence way before they made it that far into my house.
Edit-
For the super paranoid, telnet, http, and ssh and every other entry into the Pi are turned off. SSH can be turned on with a very long password for when i need to get into the Pi and make changes. I also have passwords for adding one time codes, changing the main unlock code and/or deleting codes and a reboot code.
2nd Edit- you need a good quality cellphone backup charger. The mah isn't as important as the voltage drop when it loses it's power source. For example the first one i bought was way too much and would cause the PI to reboot. You also need to add a circuit like this so the battery backup go to sleep because the pi sometimes drops below it's threshold for current draw.
4th Edit- There was confusion about whether or not you need a rooted phone for tethering (as a backup wifi). Source Motorola still blocks tethering without a subscription from the carrier. This can be bypassed by either rooting the phone or following these instructions and then changing the hash in foxfi to something like hello.
Thanks for the striking PSA post /u/apalacrypto - I had some traveling coming up and came here to check on the things related with the new IP announcement changes from PIA :
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/forum/discussion/23853/pia-ip-changes
Nevertheless, I'd love to hear more on what is possibly being manipulated from the location's side and to any workarounds we could try.
The easiest reason would have been a globally shared VPN-IP range block but it seems /u/apalacrypto tried switching geolocation servers and from my experience, a few of attempts on trial and error PIA-sided servers, can still bypass those but obviously not the case here.
> Wasn't Marriott caught not that long ago literally jamming cell signal to force people to pay for their WiFi?
You're right /u/Max-P - here's a reddit topic reference from ~Jan 2015:
https://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/2ty937/fcc_blocking_wifi_in_hotels_is_prohibited/
In the past when I had traveled or visited the coffee shops/etc, sometimes I would have to first log into their location's web service (e.g. browser > splash page > user agreement) - this was also quite annoying because I have noscript on firefox and it didn't play well with that company's setup. Afterwards, I would generally be able to load up the client GUI (windows) and then connect...
Other unfavorable solution other than possibly trying another VPN service (who knows on the guarantees that this described scenario wouldn't be duplicated... most are affordable enough for a 1 week/month trial), tethering your mobile device and using the carrier's data connection would have been one solution... PIA's app and tethering are a hit or miss from my experience but if I had to choose on connecting over public wifi or my mobile carrier's network, it would definitely have to be the latter.
If you have a rooted device like on specific versions of android for example (am sure on iOS but not a user), it's possible by adding a few lines to your build.prop - notably several drawbacks to this and you'd have to research your device specifics and how-to's on someplace like xda-forums.
Another alternative I've used was FoxFi-PDANet on Android, there's a free limited version and the paid version runs anywhere up to $10-$15/one time from what I've seen in the past (bought this years ago on google play when it was a few bucks). There's a small freeware utility that needs to be installed on your desktop client if using the Bluetooth method (for non-root users). Wifi-hotspot/USB-tethering possibilities are also there but is very device specific.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi.key
A few, (not exhaustive) downsides to mobile tethering: (besides speed)
- good for only short durations, would not keep connected for hours/nonstop due to battery drain/excessive heat generation
- connectivity/stability: If you don't have GSM-LTE (SIM-card) service such as tmobile/att in the U.S. where you can talk/use data simultaneously, if you make/receive a phone call, the data connection will break. (meaning CDMA only like verizon/sprint would be at higher risk of connection loss).
Whether this is a PIA-issue or general VPN issue, is important for us to find out more on and goes back to hopefully figuring out a workaround as mentioned above.
For whatever has changed or not, we should be informed of aspects to troubleshoot with... having a VPN for these specific purposes of hotel/public WIFI, was one of the many reasons one would want to use a personal VPN service in the first place.
Only two options are available:
Either root your phone,
Or....
Use an app like PdaNet or FoxFi. I believe they are the same app now.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi
Try FoxFi. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi
I used it on Verizon with a Verizon branded Galaxy S4 that did the same thing.
What do you recommend for this? I'm on Android, and I'm looking at FoxFi (WiFi Tether w/o Root).
Would that free version work, or would I need the full version?
Oh, or is this what you would recommend?
Do it for free
Need to right app and the right software on your PC.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi&hl=en
If an iphone idk if it's possible without jailbreaking.
FoxFi (WiFi Tether w/o Root): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi&hl=en
I used to use FoxFi, but it doesn't work anymore :(
I use this regularly on my Note 5 which does not have a tethering plan.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi&hl=en
Have you tried FoxFi? Without root, you might be limited to Bluetooth tethering instead of WiFi, but give it a try: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi
Only way I've found around this is an application called FOXFI.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi&hl=en
You can try this (no root required).