How is the mobile phone company limiting communication by tethering?


by

Yosomono

' Tethering ' is a convenient feature that allows you to connect your laptop or tablet to the Internet, as long as you have a smartphone, even in places without internet access or where free Wi-Fi is not running. However, tethering is not included in the regular contract, and is often provided as a paid option that needs to be separately contracted, and can not be used by default. It was commented in Stack Exchange of the Q & A site how the mobile phone company distinguishes 'communication of single smartphone' and 'communication through tethering'.

mobile network-How can phone companies detect tethering (incl. Wifi hotspot)-Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/47819/how-can-phone-companies-detect-tethering-incl-wifi-hotspot

Provision of the 5th generation mobile communication system (5G) will start in spring 2020 in Japan. In 5G, which is an ultra-high-speed connection with 762 Mbps and a ping value of 19 ms, which is actually measured, it is expected that not only smartphone communication but also tethering will enable a more comfortable Internet experience with notebook PCs and tablet devices.



Depending on the mobile phone company, tethering communication is often provided as an option, and it is almost necessary to make a contract separately. Mobile phone companies distinguish and control communication through tethering and communication with smartphones alone.

Mobile carriers have not clarified how communication via tethering is distinguished from communication by a smartphone alone. This is because knowing the detection method makes it easy for the user to hide what is being communicated via tethering and avoids additional charges.

The easiest way to limit tethering is to ask the network if tethering is allowed in the current contract, and if it is not, disable the device tethering option completely. The method of restricting the tethering itself from the contract is used in the case of running a customized OS by a mobile carrier.

Furthermore, depending on the operating system of the device, when making a Wi-Fi connection, it may connect to a web server on the Internet to check if the expected response can be obtained. If you do not get the expected response, the connected Wi-Fi is often a captive portal, and you need to log in or pay to connect. For example, if it is a Windows PC, it will connect to the Microsoft server and check it, but if the connection information includes the information of Android's SIM card at this time, it will be understood that it is tethering.


by Doug Belshaw

Every network packet sent contains information on the sending station's MAC address. Since the MAC address is made up of the identifier of the terminal to communicate, etc., check whether the client is accessing the Internet from the mobile phone or using a tethering communication from the notebook PC. It can be determined by

Respondents also say that some smartphones use regular APNs for traffic from mobile phones, while others may use another APN if the tethering function is enabled. I was answering.

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