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| Thread ID: 43354 | 2004-03-12 04:09:00 | How can I connect to the internet with a laptop and a mobile phone? | Antoz (4559) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 221863 | 2004-03-12 04:09:00 | I am thinking about purchasing a laptop and mobile phone for my partner for her birthday (lucky her!). What I would like to know is: I already have a dial up ISP account on my desktop PC. Can I use the same account to access the internet using the new laptop via a mobile phone? What sort of leads do I need, can I even do such a thing? Will any laptop/mobile phone do the trick or do I need to get a specific one (I'm on a tight budget here!) I'd like her to be able to connect to the internet whilst on the road, or in the bush (we live in New Zealand) so I'd like it to work. Any help? |
Antoz (4559) | ||
| 221864 | 2004-03-12 04:52:00 | The easiest way to do it would be to get a bluetooth adaptor for the laptop, and a bluetooth enabled telephone handset (you could connect the handset to the computer using a cable, but the cables tend to be extremely expensive). Bluetooth is supported natively by MacOS X.2 or higher, so it will automatically detect the bluetooth adaptor. I'm not sure about Linux or Windows, but the later versions should be okay. Once you've got bluetooth enabled on both the computer and the handset, it's just a matter of 'pairing' them. As far as handsets go, the Sony Ericsson T610 would be a good option. Have a look at www.vodafone.co.nz for the latest bluetooth handsets. You could use your existing dial-up connection, but it would be much more cost effective to use Vodafone's GPRS service which charges by the megabyte. If you're using GPRS, connecting to the Internet is just a matter of starting the Internet dial-up program on your computer and entering '*99#' as the phone number. No username or password is required. |
Alasta (1420) | ||
| 221865 | 2004-03-12 05:19:00 | As far as Im aware, you can use any Cell Phone that has IrDA, Bluetooth, USB etc connectivity to your PC. I dont know of a single Cellular Manufacturer yet who has released a phone with PC Connectivity that hasnt released a Driver to go with it. Basically your PC just see's the Cell Phone as the Modem. I did this with an 88** series Nokia on a 5 year old Laptop via IrDA about 6 months ago. Just downloaded the Driver and configured it. Bear in mind you get charged for call time on the Cell Phone, so PrePay isnt a very good option if you plan on using it a fair bit ;-) Hope this helps Chill. |
Chilling_Silently (228) | ||
| 221866 | 2004-03-12 05:23:00 | I use a Nokia 6210 phone (old model now) and connect to my laptop via an Infa Red connection. I also have a data cable for the phone. IR is usually supported on data capable phones and on most good laptops. No cables needed, just make sure the devices can see each other. Beware of the cost however. The cellphone connect time for any reasonable amount of data puts surfing out of the question for me, I only use it for email headers and important attachments I can use this method both in NZ and in Australia with no difficulty, using the Vodafone network. |
godfather (25) | ||
| 221867 | 2004-03-12 08:39:00 | You only get charged by the minute if you use circuit switched data (i.e., using your existing dialup account). The majority of modern GSM handsets support packet switched data (General Packet Radio Service, or GPRS), which is charged for by the megabyte. In most cases, packet switched data works out to be the cheaper option. | Alasta (1420) | ||
| 221868 | 2004-03-13 12:39:00 | Thanks for all the help guys, much appreciated! Will a Motorola T190 GSM mobile do the trick for connecting to the internet? Is it infra red and USB compatible? Cheers! |
Antoz (4559) | ||
| 221869 | 2004-03-13 23:02:00 | The T190 might be data capable but it does not support infrared or bluetooth. You would therefore have to purchase a data cable which would cost about as much as the phone itself. Instead of wasting money on a cable, you'd be better to invest that money in a phone with infrared or bluetooth. I have just had a look on Vodafone's web site for you, and the following might possibly be suitable for you: Sony Ericsson T610 (bluetooth and infrared) : $599 Nokia 3200 (infrared) : $499 Motorola V525 (bluetooth) : $599 Alcatel OT735 (infrared) : $399 If you're buying a handset that only has infrared, make sure the computer you're buying has an infrared port. It's my understanding that infrared ports on laptops are going out of fashion (someone will correct me if I'm wrong). |
Alasta (1420) | ||
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