Ask HN: Google (Nexus) no more 'does no evil'

[ronzensci]

I just bought a Google Nexus 7 32GB wifi + 3G (mobile data). I bought the device without going into the details of all the terms & conditions, having confidence that the android tablet will most certainly be able to do everything that I expect it to do. To my utter surprise I found that even though I took a new 3G data plan for this device, the nexus tablet didn't allow me to tether or create a WiFi hotspot. I read online that if I 'root' the device and go through ten hoops, then it's possible to setup a hotspot. So that means that the device is capable of providing hotspot features, but supposedly 'Google' has disabled those APIs. This is what I've found: Google has hidden some methods from the class WifiManager. Specifically, the method setWifiApEnabled.

It just boggles my mind and it is infuriating to me as a technical user that Google has chosen to 'hide' certain APIs from its android tablet.

My basic economic issue is this- I pay monthly $35 for home broadband, $10 for an internet plan on my cellphone, $15 for an internet USB stick for my laptop and now $15 for a 3G data plan for my tablet. My plan was to take the 3G data plan on my android tablet and eliminate the monthly expense of $25 from my cellphone and internet USB stick. I know that technically this is possible using my android tablet.

The only logical explanation I could make why Google chose to disable certain APIs was that they didn't care about what technology could accomplish or f*#@k!ng the end user (and making them pay more) as long as their collusion with the large telecom operators stayed intact.

For me this was yet another reason to confirm my suspicion that Google is now just another corporation out there to cede to the demands of big telecom corporates and big governments at the expense of doing what is right for people and what is right for technology. A sad day indeed for Google users.

[lifeguard]

This is not Google, it is your phone company. You are describing a common practice and it does not matter if the phone OS is Google, Apple or MS.

If you don't want to jump through hoops to root your phone, you can pay full price for it.

[ronzensci → lifeguard]

I paid the full price for the device. It is a Nexus 7 tablet and not Nexus 4 phone. In fact, the device has not been bought or is being used in the US. This is not a phone company issue but Google deciding to hide certain APIs which provide this feature. Pls see link in above reply.

[lifeguard → ronzensci]

It is your phone company as other replies point out.

[dangrossman → lifeguard]

Those replies were wrong. He purchased a tablet directly from Google; there is no phone company involved. The hotspot isn't being made non-functional, it simply isn't there to turn on at all. That's something controlled by the stock Android image Google installs at the factory, not by any carrier. Two seconds with Google will show plenty of threads talking about the surprising lack of built-in tethering on this device, unlike the Nexus phones.

[ronzensci → dangrossman]

Thanks dangrossman. I wish someone from Google would read this and chose to explain why did they do this. And if there is a way to fix this.

[cylinder714]

You don't have to root your device. In all probability, your Nexus 7 supports tethering, but your 3G plan may not.

I've got a Nexus 4 running the same version of Android as you, using T-Mobile's $30/month plan (unlimited data, 100 minutes/month talk) and my laptop can connect to my phone via WiFi easily, but my plan won't let the laptop connect to the Internet--that's another $15/month.

I bought the device without going into the details of all the terms & conditions

Perhaps you should do that.

[dangrossman → cylinder714]

> but my plan won't let the laptop connect to the Internet--that's another $15/month

T-Mobile is just doing dumb user-agent sniffing at their proxies. Install a user-agent switcher extension/plugin in your browser and identify yourself as a mobile browser and the "please pay for hotspot" message goes away. They weren't disabling anything on your phone.

This isn't related to OP's issue. The Nexus 4 has a button to enable wifi hotspot, his Nexus 7 doesn't. That's an Android thing, not a carrier thing. There are hundreds of forum posts about it -- Google did this -- Google shipped a tablet with Android's wifi tethering feature disabled.

[ronzensci → cylinder714]

This link seems to indicate it's an OS issue and not an operator issue. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14917450/create-an-access...

I've read it all over the web that Nexus 7, by rooting it, can support tethering. How can that be a 3G plan related feature? I've read that Nexus 4 has wifi hotspot settings enabled but Nexus 7 does not.

Once trust is established, people tend to have faith in a company. I doubt many people read Gmail's terms of service before using it.

[grumps]

I own both a Nexus 4 & 7. I believe that the Nexus 7 is total piece of crap compared to the Nexus 4. I'm completely annoyed with Google.

[munimkazia]

I tether data using WiFi out of my Nexus devices regularly. Your phone company is restricting it. I am kinda feeling bad for you though as you took so much effort to type out a large rant.

[ronzensci → munimkazia]

Have you been able to tether using a Nexus 7? Can you kindly provide a screen shot of the 'tethering and wifi hotspot' settings screen from the latest Android on a Nexus 7. Will appreciate it.

Don't feel bad. A lot of good had come out for me via HN :)

[munimkazia → ronzensci]

I use a Galaxy Nexus and a Nexus 4. I am a little surprised that a device with the exact same OS version doesn't have this, and I have seen it almost all other android tablets. I guess I made the wrong assumption. Sorry.