Mobile phone provider suppressing tethering

Alex516

Newbie
I bought a SIM only contract with "all you can eat" minutes, text and data from Lebara mobile. Lebara piggy back on Vodafone.

I tried tethering my phone and it worked very briefly on 2 occasions but most of the time devices connect to the phone correctly but advertise as "no internet" and I get no data connection beyond the phone. I cannot get any internet connectivity.

I have tested by trying to tether to the same phone and SIM using different devices. They couldn't connect to the internet. I tried the same SIM in another phone and no internet connection from any tethered devices.

I have used other SIMs at the same location from other providers and can tether and get full internet connection.

It is clear that Lebara are blocking my tethering. They say they aren't. What can I do to verify this please ? I need the mobile equivalent of wireshark. Also are there other forums that are recommended ? A mobile service provider should not be allowed to suppress my access if they say I can tether. I am not certain this is the case but need to investigate where the "blockage" is. It doesn't look to be the SIM, the phone or the location but something on the mobile network !??

Many thanks,

ALEX
 
I could not tether to labara when i tested a couple of years ago. Its seems things may have changed according to a quick look on the net but maybe it has not.
 
Thanks, yes that's something I didn't mention. It looks like they did prevent tethering previously. They now say they don't. I don't want to accuse them of anything without evidence but my testing points at their network. I need some guidance on how to check if they are blocking or not. Thanks

ALEX
 
Tethering: Which UK Mobile Networks Allow You To Tether?

I found this info for you on the interwebby, Quote below is on the link above?

"Quote

Lebara Mobile​

Lebara Mobile allows the use of tethering on their network, but typically advises customers against doing so. According to an FAQ posted on their website in January 2017:

Tethering is something that we don’t advise since our data plans are design to be use with our sim cards not to be shared. You can share data if your device lets you, but if you have connection issues or other issues related to the tethering, we won’t be able to assist you.
Previously, the use of tethering was explicitly prevented in the Lebara Mobile terms and conditions, but this clause has now been removed from the contract.

Source: Lebara Mobile Terms & Conditions
Tariff Information: Lebara Mobile Website
"
 
Tethering: Which UK Mobile Networks Allow You To Tether?

I found this info for you on the interwebby, Quote below is on the link above?

"Quote

Lebara Mobile​

Lebara Mobile allows the use of tethering on their network, but typically advises customers against doing so. According to an FAQ posted on their website in January 2017:


Previously, the use of tethering was explicitly prevented in the Lebara Mobile terms and conditions, but this clause has now been removed from the contract.

Source: Lebara Mobile Terms & Conditions
Tariff Information: Lebara Mobile Website
"
That is the issue. They allow it apparently but it doesn't seem to work. I am going to test on a Vodaphone SIM with the same phone devices and tethered devices. If they all consistently work then I will investigate their network and will refer this issue.

Tethering is a basic offering from almost all mobile phone service providers. Lebara need to urgently rethink their policy. Quoting an FAQ is useful but not satisfactory. Lebara need to make this service affecting statement more clearly visible for potential customers planning to buy their services.

I hope that the advice not to use tethering and the apparent difficulty in using it are purely coincidental !
 
Last edited:
I bought a SIM only contract with "all you can eat" minutes, text and data from Lebara mobile. Lebara piggy back on Vodafone.

I tried tethering my phone and it worked very briefly on 2 occasions but most of the time devices connect to the phone correctly but advertise as "no internet" and I get no data connection beyond the phone. I cannot get any internet connectivity.

I have tested by trying to tether to the same phone and SIM using different devices. They couldn't connect to the internet. I tried the same SIM in another phone and no internet connection from any tethered devices.

I have used other SIMs at the same location from other providers and can tether and get full internet connection.

It is clear that Lebara are blocking my tethering. They say they aren't. What can I do to verify this please ? I need the mobile equivalent of wireshark. Also are there other forums that are recommended ? A mobile service provider should not be allowed to suppress my access if they say I can tether. I am not certain this is the case but need to investigate where the "blockage" is. It doesn't look to be the SIM, the phone or the location but something on the mobile network !??

Many thanks,

ALEX
im with voxi no problems at all
 
I'm with "3" . BT had the road up saturday afternoon repairing cables ( just as football was starting) , broadband was down, tried tethering from my phone to stream my IPTV and even after entering password and it saying connected , nothing would open.
 
im with voxi no problems at all
Thank you I'll try them. Can't remember why I rejected them. I need Vodaphone "under" the hood because of reception issues where I live. I have found they are the best of a bad job. Will look into VOXI again, thank you !
 
My brother has Voxi and under the voda umbrella but he says no issues with it and good enough signal.

He uses it to tether to his laptop.

But only downside for him is not enough data.
 
Tethering: Which UK Mobile Networks Allow You To Tether?

I found this info for you on the interwebby, Quote below is on the link above?

"Quote

Lebara Mobile​

Lebara Mobile allows the use of tethering on their network, but typically advises customers against doing so. According to an FAQ posted on their website in January 2017:


Previously, the use of tethering was explicitly prevented in the Lebara Mobile terms and conditions, but this clause has now been removed from the contract.

Source: Lebara Mobile Terms & Conditions
Tariff Information: Lebara Mobile Website
"
Thanks for this. I just get the feeling that they have had to remove this from their contract maybe to be competitive in the market but I get a strong feeling they are still trying to limit even block tethering ! If a customer buys data it should be up to them how they use it !?
 
I bought a SIM only contract with "all you can eat" minutes, text and data from Lebara mobile. Lebara piggy back on Vodafone.

I tried tethering my phone and it worked very briefly on 2 occasions but most of the time devices connect to the phone correctly but advertise as "no internet" and I get no data connection beyond the phone. I cannot get any internet connectivity.

I have tested by trying to tether to the same phone and SIM using different devices. They couldn't connect to the internet. I tried the same SIM in another phone and no internet connection from any tethered devices.

I have used other SIMs at the same location from other providers and can tether and get full internet connection.

It is clear that Lebara are blocking my tethering. They say they aren't. What can I do to verify this please ? I need the mobile equivalent of wireshark. Also are there other forums that are recommended ? A mobile service provider should not be allowed to suppress my access if they say I can tether. I am not certain this is the case but need to investigate where the "blockage" is. It doesn't look to be the SIM, the phone or the location but something on the mobile network !??

Many thanks,

ALEX
I'm having the same issue, they claim it's my phone and I need to speak to the phone manufacturer but tethering worked fine on the phone on my old SIM card. Did you ever get this resolved? Customer service just lied to me and then hung up on me!
 
I'm having the same issue, they claim it's my phone and I need to speak to the phone manufacturer but tethering worked fine on the phone on my old SIM card. Did you ever get this resolved? Customer service just lied to me and then hung up on me!
Sadly no. I did write to Trading Standards and they said based on what I'd told them I did have a right to take it further but then told me I had to go talk to CAB etc. basically once again if you've got money and time you can chase it with no certainty you'll get a result. I think the sneaky lying little bastards are supressing tethering illegally and if somebody had the means to prove it I think they could. I went VOXI not brilliant but at least I can tether. I needed a Vodafone backbone to get a half decent signal at home. I'd bought Lebara so that I could tether from girlfriend's house, she has no broadband, and got down there spend a couple of weeks only to find it didn't work. I want to kick those lying turds in Lebara. All I can say is DON'T GO LEBARA. TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW. Sorry I know that doesn't help you much ;-)
 
Have you tried the SIM in a 4G router,?
It shouldn't appear as tethering that way
Don't have access to a 4G router. So does that mean the device does some advertising that the data it is sending and receiving is under tethering ? In other words, can the service provider tell from the data itself, how it is presented or by some identifying packets (I'm no expert clearly ;-), that it is being used for tethering. In that case the router wouldn't work to hide your tethering ? Or is it more simple than that, the device just advertises secretly to the service provider that you have switched on tethering so it assumes data is tethered data ? If you do tether on a phone doesn't it need to differentiate between your standard data usage and identify the additional data used for tethering, i.e know the difference !?
 
AFAIAA when you tether the ISP provides each device with an IP address,
When you use a 4G router the ISP provides the router with one IP address, the router then provides LAN IP to the connected devices
 
AFAIAA when you tether the ISP provides each device with an IP address,
When you use a 4G router the ISP provides the router with one IP address, the router then provides LAN IP to the connected devices
Okay, I assumed your phone worked like a router and passed all data over one IP negotiated with the service provider when you switched on. So that means each device that connects to your tethered connection will have and advertise to your ISP it's own IP ? Okay sorry just to clarify. If that's the case why are there no "hack" pages out there suggesting using a 4G router ;-) ??
 
I'm not saying that is definitely how it works with all phones, and all providers,
But that is my understanding of how it normally works.
You could try "what's my IP" on different devices to test how your setup works.
 
Back
Top