Phone as modem?

Still trying to decide between verizon and cingular (currently month to
month with verizon). One plus verizon holds over cingular appears to be
the ability to use your phone as a modem for a laptop using 1xrtt, and
only plan minutes (no extra "data service" charges). This is a little
faster than dialup. With the roll-out of EVDO, I am not sure whether
this is still possible but I'm assuming it still works (can someone
confirm?).

Does anyone know whether the following scenario is possible with a
cingular bluetooth phone: could I configure my bluetooth laptop to use
the phone as a wireless modem to dial into my ISP? This would not use
any Cingular data service, but should just appear to be a voice phone
call. Could I surf the net this way at dialup speeds? Thanks for any
help.

Right now, getting an unlocked GSM world phone with Cingular is
extremely tempting.

Wiggling

---

› See More: Phone as modem?

[email protected] wrote:
> Still trying to decide between verizon and cingular (currently month
> to month with verizon). One plus verizon holds over cingular appears
> to be the ability to use your phone as a modem for a laptop using
> 1xrtt, and only plan minutes (no extra "data service" charges). This
> is a little faster than dialup. With the roll-out of EVDO, I am not
> sure whether this is still possible but I'm assuming it still works
> (can someone confirm?).
>
> Does anyone know whether the following scenario is possible with a
> cingular bluetooth phone: could I configure my bluetooth laptop to use
> the phone as a wireless modem to dial into my ISP? This would not use
> any Cingular data service, but should just appear to be a voice phone
> call. Could I surf the net this way at dialup speeds? Thanks for any
> help.
>
> Right now, getting an unlocked GSM world phone with Cingular is
> extremely tempting.
>
> Wiggling

Still not only possible, but I am using it right now on my tethered phone in
Las Vegas.. (EVDO active area, but the Cell/1x is on free time after 9:01PM,
much faster than dial-up).

As an aside, I also have a 5220 card for EVDO in my laptop. While there are
supposed to be phones that can use EVDO coming out, don't think they are
available yet.

Since you asked about Bluetooth, there is no speed standard for them. My
Zoom Bluetooth modem only runs at 19.2 kb, and the cell at 14.4. I would
suspect that whatever speed you get will be phone dependent. You can surf,
but some phones may be VERY slow.

In article <[email protected]>,
"Peter Pan" <[email protected]> wrote:

> [email protected] wrote:
> > Still trying to decide between verizon and cingular (currently month
> > to month with verizon). One plus verizon holds over cingular appears
> > to be the ability to use your phone as a modem for a laptop using
> > 1xrtt, and only plan minutes (no extra "data service" charges). This
> > is a little faster than dialup. With the roll-out of EVDO, I am not
> > sure whether this is still possible but I'm assuming it still works
> > (can someone confirm?).
> >
> > Does anyone know whether the following scenario is possible with a
> > cingular bluetooth phone: could I configure my bluetooth laptop to use
> > the phone as a wireless modem to dial into my ISP? This would not use
> > any Cingular data service, but should just appear to be a voice phone
> > call. Could I surf the net this way at dialup speeds? Thanks for any
> > help.
> >
> > Right now, getting an unlocked GSM world phone with Cingular is
> > extremely tempting.
> >
> > Wiggling
>
> Still not only possible, but I am using it right now on my tethered phone in
> Las Vegas.. (EVDO active area, but the Cell/1x is on free time after 9:01PM,
> much faster than dial-up).
>
> As an aside, I also have a 5220 card for EVDO in my laptop. While there are
> supposed to be phones that can use EVDO coming out, don't think they are
> available yet.
>
> Since you asked about Bluetooth, there is no speed standard for them. My
> Zoom Bluetooth modem only runs at 19.2 kb, and the cell at 14.4. I would
> suspect that whatever speed you get will be phone dependent. You can surf,
> but some phones may be VERY slow.

and if the rated speed is 14.4 the REAL WORLD through put is more like
having a 9600 modem.

> Does anyone know whether the following scenario is possible with a
> cingular bluetooth phone: could I configure my bluetooth laptop to use
> the phone as a wireless modem to dial into my ISP? This would not use
> any Cingular data service, but should just appear to be a voice phone
> call. Could I surf the net this way at dialup speeds? Thanks for any
> help.

Stick with the VZW network - calling a modem is *much* slower and fraught
with problems.

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on 13 Jan 2005
23:33:07 -0800, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Still trying to decide between verizon and cingular (currently month to
>month with verizon). One plus verizon holds over cingular appears to be
>the ability to use your phone as a modem for a laptop using 1xrtt, and
>only plan minutes (no extra "data service" charges). ...

You do need a basic data package to do this on Cingular, although the cost is
low, and GSM CSD (9600 bps on Cingular) is much slower than 1xRTT.

>Does anyone know whether the following scenario is possible with a
>cingular bluetooth phone: could I configure my bluetooth laptop to use
>the phone as a wireless modem to dial into my ISP?

Yes *if* you have CSD, which you only get with a data package AFAIK.

>This would not use
>any Cingular data service, but should just appear to be a voice phone
>call.

I'm afraid not.

A GSM phone has no real dialup modem, just a sort of virtual modem which
makes a connection to a carrier's IWU (Inter Working Unit), located in some
service center. The IWU has the actual modem that can make analog data calls
and/or fax calls over the PSTN (public switched telephone network). If the
carrier doesn't provide an IWU, or if your account isn't provisioned for CSD
(Circuit Switched Data), then a GSM phone cannot data and/or fax calls. If
your account is provisioned for CSD, then all you need is to install the phone
as a modem with Windows Dial-Up Networking.

>Could I surf the net this way at dialup speeds? Thanks for any
>help.

Only 9600 bps, which is much slower than current dialup speeds.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

SinghaLvr wrote:
> On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 04:30:25 -0500, Peter Pan wrote
> (in article <[email protected]>):
>
>> As an aside, I also have a 5220 card for EVDO in my laptop. While
>> there are supposed to be phones that can use EVDO coming out, don't
>> think they are available yet.
>
> When they do become available I would guess that they wouldn't let us
> use the high-speed for "free" as we can now with our 1x phone-data
> connections.
> What I am hoping is that they at least give us the same slower
> connections that we have now. I really don't want to have to buy a
> data plan to use since I use it so infrequently.

I see you cut the first paragraph of what I wrote...
Still not only possible, but I am using it right now on my tethered phone in
Las Vegas.. (EVDO active area, but the Cell/1x is on free time after 9:01PM,
much faster than dial-up).

Note that it is a tethered cellphone using 1X.. I have been using it for
close to two years free, and never gotten charged...I just also happen to be
in Las Vegas/Have two accounts/one of which is a business use thing for the
EVDO card in the laptop (they pay the bill).

Back to your original worry.. There are **MILLIONS** of people that use it
at the cost of minutes, it is only the a**HOLES that don't have it/don't
know how to use it/don't want someone to use something free that they don't
know how to, that spread scare stories (like you are repeating).. Must be
that they are envious of those of us that have a brain and are getting
something free that they don't know how to get, so they have to spread
totally false scare stories to make themselves feel better.

Got a cellphone bill handy? Look down a little ways at "Your Service Profile
", then a box down for "Promotional Details: ", then see what's under
"Enhanced Services:"... Look for "National Access" ((depending on your
market it may be called a new name "Natl Enchanced Svc Access")).. If there,
you already have it, and it's just a matter of using it. Check the Yahoo
group InternetByCellphone or Howardforums for info on how to actually use
it. It was added automatically to new contracts from July 15th 2003 to Oct
2003, and then again from Jan 2004 to now... If you got your contract in
that time frame, you may already have it!

Peter Pan wrote:
> SinghaLvr wrote:
>> On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 04:30:25 -0500, Peter Pan wrote
>> (in article <[email protected]>):
>>
>>> As an aside, I also have a 5220 card for EVDO in my laptop. While
>>> there are supposed to be phones that can use EVDO coming out, don't
>>> think they are available yet.
>>
>> When they do become available I would guess that they wouldn't let us
>> use the high-speed for "free" as we can now with our 1x phone-data
>> connections.
>> What I am hoping is that they at least give us the same slower
>> connections that we have now. I really don't want to have to buy a
>> data plan to use since I use it so infrequently.
>
> I see you cut the first paragraph of what I wrote...
> Still not only possible, but I am using it right now on my tethered
> phone in Las Vegas.. (EVDO active area, but the Cell/1x is on free
> time after 9:01PM, much faster than dial-up).
>
> Note that it is a tethered cellphone using 1X.. I have been using it
> for close to two years free, and never gotten charged...I just also
> happen to be in Las Vegas/Have two accounts/one of which is a
> business use thing for the EVDO card in the laptop (they pay the
> bill).
>
> Back to your original worry.. There are **MILLIONS** of people that
> use it at the cost of minutes, it is only the a**HOLES that don't
> have it/don't know how to use it/don't want someone to use something
> free that they don't know how to, that spread scare stories (like you
> are repeating).. Must be that they are envious of those of us that
> have a brain and are getting something free that they don't know how
> to get, so they have to spread totally false scare stories to make
> themselves feel better.
>
> Got a cellphone bill handy? Look down a little ways at "Your Service
> Profile ", then a box down for "Promotional Details: ", then see
> what's under "Enhanced Services:"... Look for "National Access"
> ((depending on your market it may be called a new name "Natl
> Enchanced Svc Access")).. If there, you already have it, and it's
> just a matter of using it. Check the Yahoo group InternetByCellphone
> or Howardforums for info on how to actually use it. It was added
> automatically to new contracts from July 15th 2003 to Oct 2003, and
> then again from Jan 2004 to now... If you got your contract in that
> time frame, you may already have it!

Not exactly... VZW is closing the window. You *cannot* activate
any sort of PDA phone without having some sort of data plan option
on the account. If you already have the option and you already have
the PDA phone activated it still works. If you swap the PDA phone
in and out it won't let you re-activate it.

-Quick

Justin wrote:
> Peter Pan wrote on [Fri, 14 Jan 2005 12:10:17 -0800]:
>> Got a cellphone bill handy? Look down a little ways at "Your Service
>> Profile ", then a box down for "Promotional Details: ", then see
>> what's under "Enhanced Services:"... Look for "National Access"
>> ((depending on your market it may be called a new name "Natl
>> Enchanced Svc Access"))..
>
> Would this be "Enhanced Svc Access" by any chance?

Probably, there are different names for it in different areas... Just in the
last few years I have seen it called 4 different things....

Quick wrote:
> Peter Pan wrote:
>> SinghaLvr wrote:
>>> On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 04:30:25 -0500, Peter Pan wrote
>>> (in article <[email protected]>):
>>>
>>>> As an aside, I also have a 5220 card for EVDO in my laptop. While
>>>> there are supposed to be phones that can use EVDO coming out, don't
>>>> think they are available yet.
>>>
>>> When they do become available I would guess that they wouldn't let
>>> us use the high-speed for "free" as we can now with our 1x
>>> phone-data connections.
>>> What I am hoping is that they at least give us the same slower
>>> connections that we have now. I really don't want to have to buy a
>>> data plan to use since I use it so infrequently.
>>
>> I see you cut the first paragraph of what I wrote...
>> Still not only possible, but I am using it right now on my tethered
>> phone in Las Vegas.. (EVDO active area, but the Cell/1x is on free
>> time after 9:01PM, much faster than dial-up).
>>
>> Note that it is a tethered cellphone using 1X.. I have been using it
>> for close to two years free, and never gotten charged...I just also
>> happen to be in Las Vegas/Have two accounts/one of which is a
>> business use thing for the EVDO card in the laptop (they pay the
>> bill).
>>
>> Back to your original worry.. There are **MILLIONS** of people that
>> use it at the cost of minutes, it is only the a**HOLES that don't
>> have it/don't know how to use it/don't want someone to use something
>> free that they don't know how to, that spread scare stories (like you
>> are repeating).. Must be that they are envious of those of us that
>> have a brain and are getting something free that they don't know how
>> to get, so they have to spread totally false scare stories to make
>> themselves feel better.
>>
>> Got a cellphone bill handy? Look down a little ways at "Your Service
>> Profile ", then a box down for "Promotional Details: ", then see
>> what's under "Enhanced Services:"... Look for "National Access"
>> ((depending on your market it may be called a new name "Natl
>> Enchanced Svc Access")).. If there, you already have it, and it's
>> just a matter of using it. Check the Yahoo group InternetByCellphone
>> or Howardforums for info on how to actually use it. It was added
>> automatically to new contracts from July 15th 2003 to Oct 2003, and
>> then again from Jan 2004 to now... If you got your contract in that
>> time frame, you may already have it!
>
> Not exactly... VZW is closing the window. You *cannot* activate
> any sort of PDA phone without having some sort of data plan option
> on the account. If you already have the option and you already have
> the PDA phone activated it still works. If you swap the PDA phone
> in and out it won't let you re-activate it.
>
> -Quick

Hate to tell you bud, but YOU are passing on the lies.. This discussion is
about *PHONES* (see the subject).....The *only* person mentioning PDA's is
you.

and PS If you have a PDA tethered to a phone (again see the subject), there
is no problem and no plan needed.

SinghaLvr wrote:

>
> My question was will they charge us extra to use HIGH-SPEED on an EVDO
> handset or will they allow us to drop the speed back to 1X speed on
> such handsets when TEATHERED to a laptop.
>
> I *know* that you can use 1x in an EVDO environment. (I'm in such an
> area now and do just that with my current VX6000.)
>
> I'm really not sure why you thought I was asking about using slow
> speed on the EVDO network since I specifically asked about
> "high-speed".
>
> It really wasn't my intent to ruin your day. I guess I have to type
> the keywords of my message in a big font or something.

Nope, the OP had specifically asked
"With the roll-out of EVDO, I am not
> sure whether this is still possible but I'm assuming it still works
> (can someone confirm?).


Then you took a second paragraph of what I wrote and said:
"> When they do become available I would guess that they wouldn't let us
> use the high-speed for "free" as we can now with our 1x phone-data
> connections.
> What I am hoping is that they at least give us the same slower
> connections that we have now. I really don't want to have to buy a
> data plan to use since I use it so infrequently.


I confirmed that you can STILL use 1x (High speed not broadband speed) on
your current plan in an evdo active area.... I am using 1X in an EVDO area.

Maybe it's a matter of terminology... to me there is slow (QNC 14.4) high
(1X up to 144) and broadband speed (EVDO 400-600 up to 2 mb) access.

PS you can also do QNC (what I call slow) in EVDO areas too.

SinghaLvr wrote:
> On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 16:26:37 -0500, Peter Pan wrote
> (in article <[email protected]>):
>
>>
>> Then you took a second paragraph of what I wrote and said:
>> "> When they do become available I would guess that they wouldn't
>> let us
>>> use the high-speed for "free" as we can now with our 1x phone-data
>>> connections.
>>> What I am hoping is that they at least give us the same slower
>>> connections that we have now. I really don't want to have to buy a
>>> data plan to use since I use it so infrequently.
>>
>>
>> I confirmed that you can STILL use 1x (High speed not broadband
>> speed) on your current plan in an evdo active area.... I am using 1X
>> in an EVDO area.
>>
>> Maybe it's a matter of terminology... to me there is slow (QNC 14.4)
>> high (1X up to 144) and broadband speed (EVDO 400-600 up to 2 mb)
>> access.
>>
>> PS you can also do QNC (what I call slow) in EVDO areas too.
>
> What I was asking is if you can use these "slow connections" (QNC
> 14.4) with a "high speed" EVDO phone. Or will they allow us to do
> what we do now with the QNC 14.4 with the broadband speeds on the
> EVDO handsets for free.

Don't know about the EVDO phone (As far as I know, it isn't avalable yet, so
I can't answer if it will fall back to QNC when no 1X also).. Only Data
cards in laptops can use EVDO at the moment. However (my guess) is they have
three NationalAccess aircards (1X), but now have 1 (one) NationalAccess AND
BroadbandAccess card. If you have the card that does both, it drops to the
1x speeds when not in a broadband area. If you happen to be in a real bad
area (non 1x but have a digital signal), you can force the cards to QNC
speeds (14.4). I would guess the phones will do the same.

However, QNC (14.4) is essentially circuit switched... Same as voice..
(rather than packet switched like the 1x or evdo).. Can't imagine them ever
getting rid of that or they would have to get rid of voice too....So it
should work (whenever they come out) on the newer phones too.

Peter Pan wrote:
> Quick wrote:
>
> Hate to tell you bud, but YOU are passing on the lies.. This
> discussion is about *PHONES* (see the subject).....The *only* person
> mentioning PDA's is you.

O sorry... Look up "Kyocera 7135".
What exactly would you call that?
I can make phone calls and talk to people.
It has an ESN.
You cannot activate that ESN (or the ESN from any 7135)
without a data plan/option (paid not free). Since you seem
to have some comprehension problems note that I said
"activate" -- that implies that it is not currently activated
on a plan with NA. For example, if I was to swap phones
and activate my LG for a bit and then go to swap back
to my 7135 VZW's system wouldn't let me.

So are you saying that it is NOT a phone? What if I get it
to simply make phone calls on. Are you saying it won't do that?

"lies"? You're basically a pin head. sorry.
-Quick

[email protected] wrote:
> Still trying to decide between verizon and cingular (currently month to
> month with verizon). One plus verizon holds over cingular appears to be
> the ability to use your phone as a modem for a laptop using 1xrtt, and
> only plan minutes (no extra "data service" charges). This is a little
> faster than dialup. With the roll-out of EVDO, I am not sure whether
> this is still possible but I'm assuming it still works (can someone
> confirm?).

If your Verizon service is suiting you month-to-moth right now, I would
recommend sticking with Verizon (with no contract). I think both
companies will be doing a lot in the near future. Verizon is pushing
its EV-DO rollout, and Cingular is integrating two national networks and
will have spectrum to expand further. If something works, stick with it.

> Does anyone know whether the following scenario is possible with a
> cingular bluetooth phone: could I configure my bluetooth laptop to use
> the phone as a wireless modem to dial into my ISP? This would not use
> any Cingular data service, but should just appear to be a voice phone
> call. Could I surf the net this way at dialup speeds? Thanks for any
> help.
>
> Right now, getting an unlocked GSM world phone with Cingular is
> extremely tempting.
>
> Wiggling
>