How To Get Free Wireless Hotspot On Cricket - Robot Powered Home

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A while ago, when one of my colleagues asked if he could use my wireless hotspot on Cricket, I realized that no matter what I tried, there was no method to share my data connection with him.

Upon digging deeper into this, I found out that wireless hotspot on Cricket is only available on unlimited plans.

I thought this was kind of ridiculous, and so I went online to see if there was a way to get a free wireless hotspot on Cricket.

You must be on an eligible unlimited plan to use a wireless hotspot on a Cricket wireless connection. You can then add up to 10GB of data to be used for the hotspot.

If you are not on an unlimited plan, continue reading to see how you can bypass these caveats. I’ve also talked about using ADB and tethering to a PC to share your internet connection.

Install Setting Database Editor

A settings database editor allows you to edit the registry tables for your Android device.

You can search for a settings database editor from the Play Store on your phone.

Once you have downloaded the app, you will need to give yourself access to these files. Google restricts access to these files by default.

If you are running Android 4.1 or higher, you can bypass these restrictions by running the “pm grant by4a” command through an adb shell.

If you do not know how to run code through an ADB shell, I’ve covered it in a digestible form below.

Enable Developer Options

You need to enable Developer options on your phone to run commands through an ADB shell.

On your Android phone,

• Navigate to Settings
• Scroll down to ‘About Phone’ and tap on it.
• Now select ‘Software Information’ and scroll to ‘Build Number’.
• Tap on ‘Build Number’ 7 times, and you will get a pop-up notifying you that ‘Developer Options’ are available.

Now you can go back to the main ‘Settings’ screen, and there will be a new option called ‘Developer Options. On some phones, it may be inside ‘System Settings’.

Setup ADB On Microsoft Windows

To set up ADB on Windows, you’ll need to download the Android SDK(Software Development Kit) for Windows.

You will also need to go to ‘Developer Options’ on your Android phone and turn on USB Debugging.

To complete the setup, follow these steps:

• Extract the Android SDK to your desired folder.
• Now navigate to the extracted folder.
• Hold down the shift key and right-click inside the folder.
• You can now select an option called ‘Open Command Window Here’. (PowerShell for some Windows 10 users)
• Open the command window and connect your phone to the PC via a USB cable.
• Change the USB mode to ‘File Transfer’ or ‘MTP’ on some devices.
• Now run the command’ adb devices’ to run the ADB daemon(a program that runs background processes on operating systems).
• You will receive a notification for USB Debugging. Select ‘Allow’.
• Now re-enter ‘adb devices’ into the command line.

Your device should now show up along with its serial number.

You can now run the code mentioned above and bypass any restrictions that prevent you from editing the system database.

If you have further complications with setting up ADB, I’ll be leaving sources at the end to help you further.

Navigate To Tether Entitlement Check State

The ‘Tether Entitlement Check State’ is a registry that controls the functions of the wireless module on devices.

Open the ‘Settings Database Editor’ App that you downloaded on your phone.

Now scroll down the list of settings till you see ‘tether_entitlement_check_state’.

Tap on it to edit the values.

If this registry does not exist on your device, you can create a new entry by clicking on ‘Add New Setting’ at the top of the ‘Settings Database Editor’. You can also simply turn on the hotspot and wait for the error message. This will automatically write the above line of code to your system.

Change The Subject Number

Once you have selected ‘tether_entitlement_check_state’, you will get a pop-up on your screen.

Type in the value ‘-1’ and go back to the app’s main screen and close it.

Make sure to type in ‘-1’ as this can cause unnecessary complications.

Modify The Necessary Settings On Your Phone

Now we need to change the settings on your phone’s mobile network to take advantage of the changes made to the registry.

Go to ‘Settings’ and open your mobile networks.

Scroll down and select Access Point Names or APN.

You will see a list of available network access points for your mobile operator.

Select ‘Cricket’ from the list, and you will now see a list of different values for your APN such as Name, Proxy, and so on.

Now we need to edit the values for the APN type.

Input the APN Type

Select ‘APN Type’ from the list of settings and replace the values with ‘default, MMS, dun,supl’.

Once you have made the changes, you can return to the home screen on Android and share your hotspot with another user.

In some cases, you may have to restart the device for the changes to take place.

Confirm That Your Phone’s Internet Comes From The Free Hotspot

Now that your device is set up let’s make sure the Internet you’re using comes from the free hotspot on your Cricket wireless connection.

You can do this by opening the hotspot settings. You should now see Cricket wireless working properly.

You can also check your wireless connections to see if data is being used from your data plan or the free hotspot.

Use Tethering To Use Cricket Wireless Hotspot On Your PC

You can also use USB, Bluetooth, or ethernet tethering to connect your PC to your phone’s Cricket wireless hotspot.

Connect your phone to your PC via USB cable and navigate to Settings on your phone.

From your network settings, open hotspot settings and select USB tethering for a wired connection to your PC.

You can also just use Bluetooth tethering if you only need to connect one device and want to conserve your phone’s battery.

Ethernet tethering is also an option, which allows you to connect an RJ45 LAN cable directly from your phone to your PC, but you will require an adapter for this.

Final Thoughts on Free Wireless Hotspot on Cricket

If, like me, you use Cricket wireless and you do not have an unlimited plan with hotspot connectivity, using the above steps should help you get around this inconvenience.

If you are on iOS, sadly, there is no workaround to access any of these features other than to simply opt for an unlimited plan for your Cricket account.

Plans start at $60 a month for an unlimited plan with 15 GB of hotspot connection, and you can add 15 GB at $10 as a one-time payment or a monthly payment.

The plan pricing is the same for Android, so for Android users who feel it’s too much of a workaround to manage, an upgrade can be done from the Cricket App on your phone.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is hotspot free with unlimited data cricket?

A hotspot is available for free with the $60 unlimited plans on Cricket. However, you will need an eligible hotspot device, and the data cap for the hotspot is set at 15 GB. You can use additional purchase data at $10 for 15 GB through your Cricket mobile app.

How do I activate my cricket hotspot?

Once you have an eligible plan or have used our workaround to access Cricket hotspot, you can navigate ‘Wireless and Networks’ on your phone settings and turn on your mobile hotspot.

How fast is a cricket hotspot?

Cricket hotspot can reach download speeds of up to 8Mbps using 4G LTE coverage and up to 4Mbps on 4G HSPA+ devices.

What network does Cricket use?

Cricket is a subsidiary of AT&T and, as such, currently works on the AT&T network.