Unlimited data plan in Nation FamilyTalk

Can you tether a laptop to your cellphone and use the unlimited data
transfers this way, or does Cingular restrict the unlimited transfers to
phones only?

Also, in a FamilyTalk plan with two phones, do you need to get separate
data plan for each phone? Or can you just tack the $20 plan to the main
FamilyTalk account and share it with all phones in the account?

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› See More: Unlimited data plan in Nation FamilyTalk

"Kael Vaeltaja" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Can you tether a laptop to your cellphone and use the unlimited data
> transfers this way, or does Cingular restrict the unlimited transfers to
> phones only?
>
> Also, in a FamilyTalk plan with two phones, do you need to get separate
> data plan for each phone? Or can you just tack the $20 plan to the main
> FamilyTalk account and share it with all phones in the account?

The $20 unlimited "MEdia" plan is WAP only. If you tether it to a laptop
you'll only get 7-10kps on average. You'll need the Data Connect add-on to
tether it.

You can't share data between phones that I'm aware of.

---
MD

"Kael Vaeltaja" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| Can you tether a laptop to your cellphone and use the unlimited data
| transfers this way, or does Cingular restrict the unlimited transfers to
| phones only?

I'm not sure of their policy on the matter, (i.e., if they want you to or
not), but yes you can tether it to a laptop and use the unlimited data.

|
| Also, in a FamilyTalk plan with two phones, do you need to get separate
| data plan for each phone? Or can you just tack the $20 plan to the main
| FamilyTalk account and share it with all phones in the account?

You must add the plan to each phone that you want the unlimited data plan
on.

I was told by a tech today that the $20 unlimited plan allowed me to connect
my laptop via the phone to the GPRS high speed data system!? (I already
have the data cable but I'm assuming this can be done just as well via
bluetooth.) I asked the guy several times if he was sure about this and he
even asked his supervisor. Now, I'm not saying that means anything but it's
what I was told.

JP


"MD" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Kael Vaeltaja" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Can you tether a laptop to your cellphone and use the unlimited data
> > transfers this way, or does Cingular restrict the unlimited transfers to
> > phones only?
> >
> > Also, in a FamilyTalk plan with two phones, do you need to get separate
> > data plan for each phone? Or can you just tack the $20 plan to the main
> > FamilyTalk account and share it with all phones in the account?
>
> The $20 unlimited "MEdia" plan is WAP only. If you tether it to a laptop
> you'll only get 7-10kps on average. You'll need the Data Connect add-on
to
> tether it.
>
> You can't share data between phones that I'm aware of.
>
> ---
> MD
>
>

"Jason Puckett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| I was told by a tech today that the $20 unlimited plan allowed me to
connect
| my laptop via the phone to the GPRS high speed data system!? (I already
| have the data cable but I'm assuming this can be done just as well via
| bluetooth.) I asked the guy several times if he was sure about this and
he
| even asked his supervisor. Now, I'm not saying that means anything but
it's
| what I was told.
|

He is correct. I have been doing since the day the unlimited package was
available. And you are also correct in assuming it can be done over
bluetooth.

Can you all provide me with a reps or managers name that said this? Every
rep I come up against says I can't have it because they do not offer it.
Please let me know. Thanks!

Ronny


"Jason Cothran" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Kael Vaeltaja" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> | Can you tether a laptop to your cellphone and use the unlimited data
> | transfers this way, or does Cingular restrict the unlimited transfers to
> | phones only?
>
> I'm not sure of their policy on the matter, (i.e., if they want you to or
> not), but yes you can tether it to a laptop and use the unlimited data.
>
> |
> | Also, in a FamilyTalk plan with two phones, do you need to get separate
> | data plan for each phone? Or can you just tack the $20 plan to the main
> | FamilyTalk account and share it with all phones in the account?
>
> You must add the plan to each phone that you want the unlimited data plan
> on.
>
>

"Ronny Julian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| Can you all provide me with a reps or managers name that said this? Every
| rep I come up against says I can't have it because they do not offer it.
| Please let me know. Thanks!
|

Sorry, but I signed up online when I got mine.

>He is correct. I have been doing since the day the unlimited package was
>available. And you are also correct in assuming it can be done over
>bluetooth.
>

I haven't been following this thread. Let me see if I understand the last
couple of messages.

1. If I have a Cingular family plan (GSM) they offer a $20 add on for unlimited
data?

2. If I add the $20 to the plan, I can then tether my laptop via IR, Cable or
Bluetooth and connect to the internet?

Am I understanding this correctly? Is it on their web site? Can you provide a
URL?

Neat! Getting into the range of the T-Mobile offering now!

--
John S.
e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net

It appears you are correct on both counts John, as long as we are right
about the unlimited nature of the plan. I signed up for this deal yesterday
and had some problems getting connected, but after reading a post in this
newsgroup last night I was able to solve my connection problem in two
seconds and my laptop was online over bluetooth to my v600 at about 57k.
(It's not a T1 but its mobile!) BTW, that connection problem was a simple
User ID error that I had spent about an hour and a half on the phone with
Cingular's data techs trying unsuccessfully to resolve. They had given me
[email protected] as the User ID when it should have been
[email protected] instead. Once I read that here and plugged it in,
everything worked perfectly.

JP
"John S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >He is correct. I have been doing since the day the unlimited package was
> >available. And you are also correct in assuming it can be done over
> >bluetooth.
> >
>
> I haven't been following this thread. Let me see if I understand the last
> couple of messages.
>
> 1. If I have a Cingular family plan (GSM) they offer a $20 add on for
unlimited
> data?
>
> 2. If I add the $20 to the plan, I can then tether my laptop via IR, Cable
or
> Bluetooth and connect to the internet?
>
> Am I understanding this correctly? Is it on their web site? Can you
provide a
> URL?
>
> Neat! Getting into the range of the T-Mobile offering now!
>
> --
> John S.
> e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net

The guy I spoke to that sold me on the plan and verified it with his
supervisor was Bill Nichols. He was in Kentucky; other than that I don't
know any other information. I got to him by calling 866 CINGULAR and
explaining exactly what I wanted to do (connect my laptop to the internet
via a bluetooth connection to my phone).

HTH

JP


"Ronny Julian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Can you all provide me with a reps or managers name that said this? Every
> rep I come up against says I can't have it because they do not offer it.
> Please let me know. Thanks!
>
> Ronny
>
>
> "Jason Cothran" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "Kael Vaeltaja" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > | Can you tether a laptop to your cellphone and use the unlimited data
> > | transfers this way, or does Cingular restrict the unlimited transfers
to
> > | phones only?
> >
> > I'm not sure of their policy on the matter, (i.e., if they want you to
or
> > not), but yes you can tether it to a laptop and use the unlimited data.
> >
> > |
> > | Also, in a FamilyTalk plan with two phones, do you need to get
separate
> > | data plan for each phone? Or can you just tack the $20 plan to the
main
> > | FamilyTalk account and share it with all phones in the account?
> >
> > You must add the plan to each phone that you want the unlimited data
plan
> > on.
> >
> >
>
>

I'll try calling them back again next week. I am so frustrated with getting
this going. Wardriving is getting to be so much easier. Why pay for the
cell phone coverage when there are 30 routers in my apt complex with no SSID
and a system name of DEFAULT or Linksys that I can connect to faster.


"Jason Puckett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> It appears you are correct on both counts John, as long as we are right
> about the unlimited nature of the plan. I signed up for this deal
yesterday
> and had some problems getting connected, but after reading a post in this
> newsgroup last night I was able to solve my connection problem in two
> seconds and my laptop was online over bluetooth to my v600 at about 57k.
> (It's not a T1 but its mobile!) BTW, that connection problem was a simple
> User ID error that I had spent about an hour and a half on the phone with
> Cingular's data techs trying unsuccessfully to resolve. They had given me
> [email protected] as the User ID when it should have been
> [email protected] instead. Once I read that here and plugged it in,
> everything worked perfectly.
>
> JP
> "John S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > >He is correct. I have been doing since the day the unlimited package
was
> > >available. And you are also correct in assuming it can be done over
> > >bluetooth.
> > >
> >
> > I haven't been following this thread. Let me see if I understand the
last
> > couple of messages.
> >
> > 1. If I have a Cingular family plan (GSM) they offer a $20 add on for
> unlimited
> > data?
> >
> > 2. If I add the $20 to the plan, I can then tether my laptop via IR,
Cable
> or
> > Bluetooth and connect to the internet?
> >
> > Am I understanding this correctly? Is it on their web site? Can you
> provide a
> > URL?
> >
> > Neat! Getting into the range of the T-Mobile offering now!
> >
> > --
> > John S.
> > e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net
>
>
>

"John S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| >He is correct. I have been doing since the day the unlimited package was
| >available. And you are also correct in assuming it can be done over
| >bluetooth.
| >
|
| I haven't been following this thread. Let me see if I understand the last
| couple of messages.
|
| 1. If I have a Cingular family plan (GSM) they offer a $20 add on for
unlimited
| data?
|
| 2. If I add the $20 to the plan, I can then tether my laptop via IR, Cable
or
| Bluetooth and connect to the internet?
|
| Am I understanding this correctly? Is it on their web site? Can you
provide a
| URL?
|

You are correct. The unlimited package is on their website. It is called
"MEdia Works". It also includes a package of SMS and MMS messages. To my
knowledge, there is no way to get the unlimited GPRS without getting the
package that includes the messages. As far as Cingular's official stance on
the issue, I haven't read the TOS to see if they "allow" you tether this
way, but there is nothing in their MEdia Works TOS forbidding it.

http://www.cingular.com/beyond_voice/media_packages#

http://www.cingular.com/beyond_voice/media_packages#

Jason-

What kind of connection speeds are you experiencing with this setup? I
have been getting 57.6kps until tonight. I set up a new connection profile
through a different program and ended up getting consistent 115kps
connections.

JP

"Jason Cothran" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "John S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> | >He is correct. I have been doing since the day the unlimited package
was
> | >available. And you are also correct in assuming it can be done over
> | >bluetooth.
> | >
> |
> | I haven't been following this thread. Let me see if I understand the
last
> | couple of messages.
> |
> | 1. If I have a Cingular family plan (GSM) they offer a $20 add on for
> unlimited
> | data?
> |
> | 2. If I add the $20 to the plan, I can then tether my laptop via IR,
Cable
> or
> | Bluetooth and connect to the internet?
> |
> | Am I understanding this correctly? Is it on their web site? Can you
> provide a
> | URL?
> |
>
> You are correct. The unlimited package is on their website. It is called
> "MEdia Works". It also includes a package of SMS and MMS messages. To my
> knowledge, there is no way to get the unlimited GPRS without getting the
> package that includes the messages. As far as Cingular's official stance
on
> the issue, I haven't read the TOS to see if they "allow" you tether this
> way, but there is nothing in their MEdia Works TOS forbidding it.
>
> http://www.cingular.com/beyond_voice/media_packages#
>
> http://www.cingular.com/beyond_voice/media_packages#
>
>

"Jason Puckett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| Jason-
|
| What kind of connection speeds are you experiencing with this setup? I
| have been getting 57.6kps until tonight. I set up a new connection
profile
| through a different program and ended up getting consistent 115kps
| connections.
|

Is that the connection speed reported by Windows, or test results through a
speed test site? If they are actual speeds, that is awesome! I typically get
no higher than about 30kbps actual throughput, and the few times I have
tested at my house (low signal area) it was only about 5 lol. No biggie at
the house though, since of course I have my DSL and wireless network here
for my laptop anyway.

"Jason Puckett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| Bingo! I was quoting the Windows connection speed. Testing at a couple
of
| different sites yeilded much more realistic results of 25kps-43kps.
|
| Still, it's great in situations where you'd otherwise have nothing at all.
| Thanks for the reality check...
|

I agree. It's nice to have if you ever need a real internet connection when
on the road. Still about as fast as a typical dial up connection, and even
cheaper than (ick) AOL lol.