PAYG tethering

[Matthew-1-9-9-1]

Hi everyone. I've been a Vodafone customer for a long time now and I'm a relatively VERY frequent user of my hotspot.

For a bit of background information I'm a little confused in general as my previous 2 phones the Vodafone Smart 4 Turbo and the LG G4 I was allowed to access hotspot and connect to my PS3 PS4 both phones were used in a 3 year period until recently. My LG G4 was used just 2 months ago before I had a freezing problem that is well known and was forced to buy a new one 

I've recently brought the Vodafone Smart V8 and then tried to connect to the PS4 to find out I'm getting a DNS error. Went in to store to find out why this was happening and was told PAYG customers are no longer allowed to use hotspot. 

Why has this changed? Why was I allowed to use hotspot with my LG G4 just a short time ago? And finally since when has this change occurred? Is there plans to see hotspot comeback? 

Overall as a frequent hotspot user I was disappointed with the news but was delighted to hear that the £30 BVB has gone from 12GB data to a massive 20GB and will likely be keeping me on Vodafone for a while 

[BandOfBrothers]

As far as I'm personally aware @Matthew-1-9-9-1 a Hot Spot / tethering on Payg is still currently allowed. 

No mention of Payg type accounts being removed > How-much-does-it-cost-to-share-my-data-connection-through-a-personal-hotspot-or-tethering.

I have known in the past where the actual phone itself and not the Vodafone Account has caused the problem. The iPhone in particular being a culprit. 

Are you able to test your Sim Card in another phone ? A Vodafone Highstreet Store would be able to let you try an i house phone I'm sure if a family member, work colleagues or family friend are unable to let you try. 

The Vodafone Social Media Team here look at all posts and engage to help where they can. Please let them catch up with your thread. 

[AnnS]

Hi @Matthew-1-9-9-1

There is no reason for you being unable to use your Smart V8 as a hotspot.

Although you have already probably tried, if you follow the instructions from the device guide on the link below, it should get you connected.

Device Guides

If you still have issues, please come back to the forum.

[Annie_N]

You need to make sure that the hotspot is using the PAYG APN - mysteriously, some phones seem to try to switch to the PayM settings when used for a hotspot, though I suspect it may be mainly an iPhone problem.

Unfortunately the poor data signal here seems to have deteriorated even further recently, so I doubt I'll manage to make a connection via my hotspot. I haven't tried it recently, but I'll make the attempt!

[Annie_N]

Just to confirm that, after a considerable struggle, I eventually made a sufficiently good data connection to be able to share it with another phone, and the second phone managed to visit a very small website. So hotspot is definitely working on PAYG - but unfortunately it isn't a realistic proposition where I live, although I've found it useful on holidays, when only one of us needs to have a data connection.

[Matthew-1-9-9-1]

Hi guys update 

In response to your reply BOB unfortunately I do not have any other device that I can trial my SIM card with and I do not have any close friends or family member who works in Vodafone but a nice idea 

In response to your reply AnnS this is exactly what I have believed to be the case all along no restrictions of hotspot yet now I'm told that this isn't the case no more and they have apparently changed it so PAYG customers no longer can use hotspot but again I don't think that's the case as I've seen no evidence of any change of terms and conditions nothing at all and my past 2 phones as mentioned I've been using hotspot for 3 years without a hitch. Thanks for the link but I have tried that and still no connection (recent pic of me connecting to my PS4 shows this) 

In response to your reply Annie I have noticed that I've gone to my "settings" then pressed "more" then gone to "mobile networks​" then "access point names" and it shows that I'm on "PAYG WAP" is this potentially why I am not being able to connect to my PS4? (See pic) 

[Annie_N]

@Matthew-1-9-9-1 Until your image has been approved by a Moderator, I'm not able to see it, so I'm not quite sure what problem you're getting.

To run through various things, hotspot and tethering are definitely available on PAYG, and despite the very poor local signal, I managed to use it yesterday (I'm also a PAYG customer). In some dim and distant past, it wasn't available on PAYG, so maybe the store you visited was referring to ancient history!

PAYG WAP is the correct title for the PAYG APN, so your Smart V8 should be connecting to mobile data satisfactorily. I gather that you've gone through the set-up for a hotspot on your V8, so it should have a recognisable name, and a password.

Then the procedure should be:

• Make sure that mobile data is switched on on the V8, and that you're getting an adequate signal.
• Switch on the Hotspot on the V8.
• Using the PS4 (of which I have no experience), scan for available wifi connections, and choose the hotspot from your V8.
• On the PS4, enter the password for the hotspot, and you should then connect to the hotspot and thus to mobile data.

As you've used this before with other devices, this should be very familiar to you - so at what point is it breaking down, and what error message(s) are you getting? Sorry, this is probably shown clearly in your image, which will show up the minute I've posted this, but I have time now, and not necessarily later!

[Annie_N]

@Matthew-1-9-9-1

I can see the image now! If you're still having the problem, are you able to try connecting some other device to the hotspot, and see if you can connect to a simple website, such as the google main page?  You could try another smartphone, simply using it as a wifi device, so it wouldn't need an active SIM. I've even connected my laptop to my phone's hotspot when I was in an area of really strong signal.