CELL PHONE INTERNET ACCESS

[DanaMc]

CELL PHONE INTERNET ACCESS

This is designed to explain the basic approach to using your cell phone with your computer to connect to the internet. It is not intended to be an in depth coverage of the topic. Rather it is intended to help folks get acquainted with what is necessary and a suggested resource or two. The first step in this process would be to check with your cell phone carrier. Make sure there is no reason you can’t use your phone like a modem. Some carriers can provide this for an additional fee.

It is the most cost effective way to keep up with your email and favorite web pages from nearly anywhere. In most cases you do not need a separate or different phone plan. You will use your plan minutes and can manage it to take advantage of the unlimited nights and weekends just as you might for conversations. Regular cell phone roaming charges may apply depending on where you are and whether your carrier has an agreement with the local service provider. This is no different than any other situation.

The key components needed are your cell phone, a special USB cord designed specifically for your cell phone. It will connect your cell phone directly to your computer via a USB port on the computer. Finally you will want software to manage the connection and compress the data being sent. There are many sources for this equipment. You can check with your local cell phone retailer. Radio Shack is a good source on this topic as well. But they will only be familiar with the phones they sell. I have been using SnapDialer. I have been very happy with the combination of Verizon and SnapDialer to connect to the internet.

Once your software is installed and configured for your internet service provider, you will only need to click on the Icon to launch your internet session. What service provider you use is not part of this topic. However there are many low cost or free email services such as Google’s Gmail, Microsoft’s Hotmail, or Yahoo.

Below is some additional reading on this topic:

HOW-TO: Use your CDMA cell phone as a USB modem

Cell Phone Internet Connections

Cellular Fills Gap Between Hotspots

Looking for a boost in your signal? There are third party systems that can enhance your cellular signal and/or facilitate the use of a cell phone in your RV or your home. One example of this is Wilson Cellular Antennas & Amplifiers. Properly installed, these systems can enhance your range of coverage.

[Jbird]

1x via vcast does not work in southern illinois now. Verizon connects you to a web page which will sell you internet for 59.99/mo for whats essentially 1x unless you live in broadband range. With tax, 70.00/mo ,for what was part of one's 50/mo phonr plan 6 months ago. Progress!

[garym114]

at&t has a Unlimited MediaNet add on for $15.00 a month, no texting, just data. It is for phone data, browsing. It is not unlimited though, there is a 5GB cap. It is not supposed to be used for tethering but they have not shut anyone down for doing so. Only for going over the cap.

[MrWizard]

I have another report from Tenn ,Knoxville area, about 1xDUN no longer working,

[MrWizard]

I have the nationwide & the $15 Vpak/vcast for mobile web, i had too change in Dec when , i got my new Voyager phone, no choice, it was the only way i could activate it.

but ON wed i switched phones, i'm testing a xv6900 HTC 'Touch' pocket pc. and i had too switch to the $45 data feature.(still on the NaTIONwide account NO way to go back to AMC after 5 months) to make full use of the mobile internet & data services, if ( at the end of 30 days ) I go back to the voyager and the $15 service , depends on how well i like this phone and IF i can get the NEW $30 PDA data plan that came out on the 14th but is only available for (3) phones and this one isn't on that list of (3) , that feature-plan is supposed to be rolled out to more WM-OS smart devices soon. ( depending on what vzw means as soon )

[Btravelen]

MrWizard wrote:
what is your current account, AMC or the NEW nationWide accounts

the NW accounts are $1.99mb, unless you have a data feature on the account like vpak or BBA

on the NW accounts all data is MB not minutes, its either pre-paid like vpak/vcast/BBA or its PER mb, $1.99 mb, $100 would be 50mb, at that charge rate,

how many MB was listed ?

I just updated my plan to a shared 700 minutes. Nationwide? I think my old plan was Americas Choice but has been changed to the most current.

[Jbird]

Another question born of ignorance as I try to avoid 59.99/mo for internet access as I travel now that Verizon has shut off my 1X ability. Can I just subscribe to an ISP such as Juno, use my LG8300 as modem to dial up, get slower speed browsing using my Verizon minutes? Mr Wizard?? Or any other experts? Seems like somebody suggests this on the Howard forum, but that forum is way over my head.

[MrWizard]

what is your current account, AMC or the NEW nationWide accounts

the NW accounts are $1.99mb, unless you have a data feature on the account like vpak or BBA

on the NW accounts all data is MB not minutes, its either pre-paid like vpak/vcast/BBA or its PER mb, $1.99 mb, $100 would be 50mb, at that charge rate,

how many MB was listed ?

[Btravelen]

I set my LG 8300 up for 1x only last week and got national access for a week before 'not authorized' showed up when logging on. In the meantime, I chalked up 100 bucks in MB charges. I guess Verizon was keeping track before they cut me off.

Mr Wizard, are you sure VCast doesn't charges minutes or MB's?

Take Care

[MrWizard]

from a msg I got on HOFO

- My location is Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor, Michigan (30 miles west of Detroit). I don't tether a lot but I first noticed "dead DUN" on 4/18

[MrWizard]

NO changes, just call them up, add vcast to the account for your 8300, if they ask them your nephew ( or some other family member ) showed you how , he checks sports scores and weather on this phone

there's an added advantage to this, NO plan minutes are used, you don't have to wait till night or the weekend to do your email

[Jbird]

Verizon 1X backdoor now disabled in south Texas (Corpus Christi area). I guess I need VCAST. Do I need to do anything to my phone (LG8300) once I subscribe to VCAST in order to access 1X? (My phone settings are all as instructed by Mr Wizard and everything worked a few weeks ago).

[MrWizard]

different subject, put i found this while perusing the new 'smart phone' data plan.. likely it is the same charge for an 'aircard' used in canada, look at CDMA data roam, in the middle of the picture

$2.05 MB

[Belgique]

Gone in Tidewater area of VA also. Alas. Wish Verizon would offer something for those that don't full time. Hard to justify $60/mo since we don't full time and the Aircard won't work where we live so we still need DSL. If I could turn it on and off, I'd be first in line.

[MrWizard]

1x update

Upstate South Carolina stopped working around the 3rd.

jdbraun wrote:
Hey all. I'm writing with my experience here in Minneapolis area as well- as of April 4, no access could be had using my Motorola V3M.

Prior to 4-4-08, I had been routinely turning off EVDO and dialing up (DUN) using only minutes (MOU) on 1xRTT to verizon's provided ISP.

After receiving the redirect message at https://dunsp.vzw.com/, I attempted to modify my tethered NAI as described elsewhere on HowardForums (was supposed to allow tethered EVDO use without a data plan). That did not work either.

If anyone runs across ways to re-enable DUN access without a data plan, I'd be very interested.

FYI: I can still access my third party WAP/Mobile Web proxy, so it appears that Verizon can now distinguish between tethered and untethered access using something other than the NAI (as this thread would suggest:

from this thread
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1352407&page=1&pp=15

this brings the location total to 7, for places reporting 1x on minutes NO longer works

I think everybody who reads this thread, and uses the 1x backdoor, should make a test NOW of their Pc & phone, before they go camping, and again before they leave..

some of us are going to be on the road and find out, we don't have internet. many use it only occasionally, but you won't be happy when you get settled in your camp spot and find it doesn't work

[MrWizard]

here where where i am T-mo SUCKS, the connections drop and there used to be lots of squealing in my earpiece when a friend with t-mo called.. the squealing has stopped, but they still complain about NO service