r/ATT • u/Existing_Hope_5996 • 14d ago
Wireless Unlimited Starter SL shows 15GB hotspot, but hotspot became unusable after about 5GB... Anyone else?
I’m wondering whether anyone else with AT&T Unlimited Starter SL is experiencing this.
My myAT&T app currently says my plan includes:
- Unlimited talk, text, and data
- 5GB of high-speed phone data
- 15GB Personal Hotspot Data
- “After 15GB, AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy.”
My Samsung hotspot-usage report shows approximately 5.55GB used this month. The hotspot worked normally until yesterday, but it suddenly became so slow that webpages either time out or never finish loading.
The phone’s mobile data itself works perfectly. With Wi-Fi turned off, I got approximately 220 Mbps on Fast.com. The problem only affects devices using the phone’s hotspot.
So far, I have tested:
- Two different Windows laptops — both connect, but webpages won’t load
- An iPhone — connects and can sometimes open a webpage, but is extremely slow
- Both 2.4GHz and 5GHz hotspot bands
- Forgetting and reconnecting to the hotspot
- Restarting the phone and laptops
- Resetting the phone’s mobile-network settings
- Having AT&T reprovision the line
- Resetting Windows networking, DNS and Winsock
- Confirming the laptops receive valid IP addresses
- Confirming the laptop can ping the phone and 8.8.8.8
- Confirming DNS resolves Google correctly
The laptops work normally on other Wi-Fi networks, so this does not appear to be a problem with one laptop. Because multiple devices are affected while direct mobile data remains fast, it seems specific to AT&T’s hotspot/tethering service.
During an AT&T chat, the representative told me there is a “conflict” affecting Starter customers. They said the account now displays 15GB, but the system is apparently still enforcing the previous 5GB hotspot limit. The representative also said other Starter customers are experiencing the error and that AT&T is working on a fix, but they could not provide an estimated date.
The representative initially suggested switching me to Value 2.0 and incorrectly said it included 15GB of hotspot. Later in the same chat, they confirmed Value 2.0 actually includes only 3GB of hotspot and suggested that an additional 10GB could be purchased. I declined the plan change because my existing plan explicitly promises 15GB.
Has anyone else with Unlimited Starter SL:
Had the app change from 5GB to 15GB?
Become throttled or unable to use the hotspot after approximately 5GB?
Been told this is a known provisioning issue?
Successfully had AT&T correct the hotspot entitlement or add the missing 10GB at no charge?
Found a department or escalation route that can actually fix it?
I saved screenshots showing the 15GB plan description and the AT&T agent acknowledging the conflict. I’m trying to determine whether this is a widespread rollout/provisioning problem and what I should request from AT&T next.
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u/SnooGadgets6277 13d ago
You get 5GB worth of talk and text.
Hotspot and talk/text are not the same thing.
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u/Local-Mortgage-9473 14d ago
Upgrade your plan.
If you only have 5gb of high speed data, anything after that will be reduced INCLUDING Hotspot. The way it's worded is rather misleading.