Re: Getting Internet by Cellphone?

On Sat, 08 Apr 2006 18:43:00 -0600, Gio <giomedici@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I'm not going to have a land line soon, so I'm wondering about
internet via cell-phone. How does that work? Say I get a 1500 minute
cellphone plan, do I keep my local ISP and dial that number for
internet like I do now? Do I need to get a specific kind of phone when
I sign up, say one that plugs into a USB port, or something?

Gio

I use my cell phone right now for Internet service - however - let me
explain.

Currently, I've got a Motorola RAZR. It has Bluetooth capabilities
AND supports the Bluetooth profile for using it for Internet
connections. NOT all Moto RAZR's are created equal - as odd as that
would seem. Example - my phone was, of course, manufactured by
Motorola FOR Cingular, which supports the use of the phone in this
manner.

Verizon, which I just left by the way for this exact reason - also
offers a Motorola RAZR, BUT they have crippled that part of the
Bluetooth profile which allows the phone to be used for an Internet
connection. Why? My guess is so that Verizon customers are forced
into specifically using only Verizon's crappy Internet service that
allows the phone to connect to Verizon's "Internet" services, but
doesn't allow the phone to be used as a generic Internet "modem" and
connect from let's say a laptop or PDA.

So the answer to your question is yes, but let's continue.

Say you sign up with Cingular and get your Motorola RAZR. You would
then need to have a Bluetooth device on your PC, laptop or PDA -
whatever device you wanted to connect to the net with. Also, keep in
mind that you will be paying a monthly fee of anywhere from 20 bucks
to 70 bucks a month for unlimited service to use the phone for this
purpose.

Let's talk about speed. Are you going to come close to anything close
to DSL or cable? Hell, no. There are a multitude of services that
the cell companies are rolling out, such as EVDO, etc (see your
specific carrier for details) that will allow connection speeds
somewhat better then dial up and - as these services are improved -
they will start to approach a slow DSL connection (say 256 kbps
speed). There are way too many variables to go into here that are
mostly carrier specific.

Going back to what you initially talked about - keeping your current
ISP and connecting to them via your phone and then using USB:

Your phone will need to support this and this is again - carrier
specific. How they will deal with it is also carrier specific.
Verizon, for instance, just considered it minutes off my plan when I
did this. Cingular, who I'm with now - does not. They closely
monitor data calls and if you're not signed up to a data service, you
might wind up with a bill listing each and every bit of data you
"downloaded" - and you will be charged accordingly.

And yes, you most definitely *can* use a USB connection to do this -
*provided* your phone supports it. You also may need software to make
the net connection. Here's how mine works:

I use software called Mobile Phone Tools - available from Motorola. My
phone that connects via a USB cable to my PC. From MPT, I can then
make a net connection as if I were using a modem - very simple and
very easy.

What is of prime importance is making sure you understand exactly what
your cell phone carrier will support with what phone *and* what they
are going to charge you for it. That's the million dollar question
and issue right there in a nutshell.

I was very happy with Verizon for a long time and I've been doing net
connections from my Palm for years - 8 plus. In the early days I had
to use a cable from the phone to my PDA, but that was all there was
back then.

2 months ago I go looking for a new phone and I find out - via the
fine print - that Verizon offered the Moto RAZR, but they had disabled
ALL of the Bluetooth profile that would have allowed me to use the
phone as a net connection for my PDA.

I was stunned. After I got over my astonishment, I went looking for a
new cell phone carrier and found Cingular, which offered the same
phone WITH the Bluetooth profile intact, including OBEX (the ability
to move files between devices).

So Verizon lost a customer and Cingular gained one.

Moral of the story: Be sure to read the fine print and make sure you
talk to a rep (preferably someone in tier 2 support) that will
reliably tell you what will work and how and what you'll be charged
for it all. You'd be surprised at how misleading some of the ads are
until put get into the fine print.

Good luck!

Regards,

LiRM
.

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