I have recently acquired a PlusNet SIM, to replace my existing one that uses the Three network. Roughly two thirds of the mobile data that I access is done via my laptop and my tablet, whilst tethered to my mobile phone, with the remaining third being accessed by the phone itself. Hence a SIM that is incapable of tethering is useless to me.
PlusNet advertise their SIMs as allowing tethering but the SIM which they have sent me will not permit it. My mobile phone is setting up a wireless hotspot OK and other devices, like my laptop and tablet, can log onto the network thus created but these devices are denied internet access. I have never had this problem with my Three SIM - Three also advertise their SIMs as permitting tethering. Right from day one, without any adjustments to my phone, my Three SIM allowed tethering.
My phone uses the Android 6 operating system and I have discovered, from posts on other sites, that this operating system defaults to the blocking of tethering. SIM providers who accept tethering (like both PlusNet and Three) should provide users with a SIM that has firmware to automatically move the phone's tethering settings from the default position to the tethering enabled situation. Three clearly did this. As I have said, I have never had any problem with my Three SIM and it still continues to tether OK when I put the Three SIM back into my phone - I have both SIMs at the moment, thank goodness! However, it seems that PlusNet have provided me with a SIM without such firmware and, furthermore, they refuse to help in any way to sort out the problem, even though, as I say, they manifestly permit tethering and, indeed, solicit business on this basis through their advertisements - apparently as long as the user can sort out how to access the feature themselves!! The legality of this stance is, in my view questionable but that might be for another day. At the moment, I want to pursue a possible alternative solution.
Firstly, I would like to hear from anyone else who has been unable to access tethering with a PlusNet SIM and what you did about it, particularly if you found a solution to the problem. Please give details of the solution.
Secondly, I have read, again from posts on other sites, that it is comparatively easy for a phone owner to manually switch the tethering feature on the phone away from its default position and thus enable tethering. This feature would then work with all SIMs inserted into the phone that had a data facility. The procedure apparently involves connecting the phone to a PC and then, by using an Android Debug Bridge command, to enable tethering on the phone. I would like to hear from anyone who has used this methodology successfully, as I would need more details on how to do it than I currently have.
I thank in advance anyone who is able to help - otherwise I am afraid that it will have to be ditch PlusNet and back to Three!
