How do I turn off Internet Tethering?

I'm seeing the same thing so maybe I can clarify: I go to General > Network and all I see is Internet Tethering and a spinning ball that never stops. I think the OP believes this is interfering with the WiFi signal and wants to know how to stop this spinning and/or turn it off so it doesn't do this constant searching.

Does your iPhone currently show as "Settings > General > Network > Internet Tethering - off" or "Settings > General > Network > Internet Tethering - on"? If it's on the slide it to off. Since some people confuse internet tethering via Bluetooth to a laptop to be the same as connecting to a WIFI Hotspot please clarify if you see "Internet Tethering" pulsing on the top of the screen? If not then you are not tethering.

Forgot to add if you are seeing a status icon that you don't recognize please refer to the user manual to help us understand what you are seeing. Also do you have a data plan with your carrier that supports internet tethering? Reason for asking is carriers offer different data plans and not all data plans are compatible with internet tethering. Example if you're an AT&T customer they didn't offer internet tethering support until recently so you may have to upgrade your data plan if you want that feature. If not then the iPhone may be just letting you know that you don't have a data plan that supports internet tethering.

http://manuals.info.apple.com/enUS/iPhone_iOS4_UserGuide.pdf

i am having the same issue. it appears that my phone is looking for a network to tether to i get the spinning circle in the tab in the general network settings and no option to turn it on or off even after it doesn't find one. i do not have nor do i need tethering any suggestions on how to turn this off.

roritchie,

I think Imagine Engine has it right and that you are confusing "network access" with Internet tethering.

The iPhone does not try to tether. If you connect to it via bluetooth or hook it up to a USB port (and your computer is configured to get internet from such a source), it will share its internet connection but tethering, from an iPhone point of view, is a passive thing.

Could you try to be a bit clearer and tell us exactly what you're doing and how the phone behaves in the simplest terms... for those of us who are simple.. 🙂

Felix

Same thing here. Settings/general/network and I see Internet tethering spinning all the time. No off switch to change.

Is this using up my battery power?

iPhone G3s, IOS 4 (I am using my phone as an ipod and don't have any network phone services. Does that make a difference?)

same thing here, the internet tethering is always gray, and has a circle keep searching something. I am sure that i have the correct data plan.
how can i turn it off? my battery drains fast, i think it is one of the reasons.

thanks

hey
try this, it might work for your
it worked for me !!!!!!
i had the same problem with my iphone replacement 3GS with 4.0.2 iOS

i took it home, activated and let it charged until full.
then i unplug it and 7 hours later i checked it, it was 55% battery life left
i didnt do anything with it, no even call or surf on the net
it doesnt even have the sim card on (only stanby)

so looking at the setting
i saw the internet tethering spinning and spinning never stop
i didnt want to restore it as it has 4.0.2, dont want 4.1 yet

so i put my sim card
turned the 3G setting off
turned the celullar data off

internet tethering still spinning

then i turned the 3G setting on (internet tethering still spinning)
turned on the cellular data on (internet tethering still spinning)
turned on the data roaming on ( voila!!! internet tethering OFF )

then turned data roaming off and cellular data off

and internet tethering still off
let me know if works for you

i will compare the battery life if this was affecting or maybe something else