Networking Sure, you can get on-line from a hot-spot Internet cafe or conference center. But when you’re in a cold spot and want your mail anyway, try making a connection through your GSM mobile phone—no cables required.
Getting On-line Anywhere with Bluetooth and GPRS
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Eugenia Loli
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Step 1) Run the Bluetooth setup assistant to find your phone.
Step 2) Open the system prefrence called ‘Network’
Step 3) Select Bluetooth from pull-down menu
Step 4) Type in account info ‘internet2.voicestream.net’
Step 5) Check ‘Show Bluetooth in Menu Bar
Step 6) Click the Modem Connect menu in the menu bar
Step 7) Select ‘Connect’
Step 8) Enjoy…
about a 7 second setup.
There are two nice gui bluetooth utils for Linux too:
http://usefulinc.com/software/gnome-bluetooth
http://usefulinc.com/software/phonemgr
however, they are not exactly GPRS-specific.
More info here:
http://www.holtmann.org/linux/bluetooth/
What kind of throughput would you typically get doing this? This sounds like a good way to make better use of extra cell-phone minutes.
A couple of months ago I bought a 3G cell phone.I don’t need to search for hot-spots anymore,just plug USB-cable into my laptop,and I’m connected.The speed is 500 kb/s,unlimited traffic,always on.Price: 20 $ monthly.
i recently bought a new nokia n-gage qd and it is wonderful. i went to t-mobile and for $4.99 i got unlimited internet, GPRS network + i got the Opera web browswer with mobile accelerator and it is like to have DSL. i barely use my computer to surf the net now. i take my n-gage wherever i go. i can not
imagine the EDGE network.
….but i am happy with mine. very happy.
– 2501
ps: DSL is $26!!!!
Something like up to 170kbps data speeds, but more realistic about 56kbps . The speed are pretty good, depends some on your provider and number of users on the node ect. I used GPRS for some lov volume traffic like mail and IM, most providers bills by the volum so general browsing can get expensive.
The hardest part in setting up was setting up bluethoot correct, on MDK 10 it works out of the box (minus paring of the phone and pins etc) and i think i had to manually symlink /dev/rfcomm0. Setting up the GPRS part are easy, use Kppp. One thing, remember to delet the voulume settings in the modem commands dialog so you don’t set the phones volume every time you use the connection 🙂
This is so weird, i was just thinking about using a GPRS phone and bluetooth over the weekend, and now this article
I was using a GPRS phone over bluetooth last week and would have to say it was more like a 19kbps link vs the theoretical maximum of 170kpbs.
GPRS is usually charged differently from your normal cell minutes. i.e. you have to sign up and usually pay for a certain allowance + Xc/kilobyte after that. Some plans offer unlimited data.
knoppix 3.4 lets me use GPRS over bluetooth from my laptop very easily. i can’t say it’s ever worked in windows.
what are the costs of using gprs in the uk? the $20 per month seems too good to be true.
It’s going to be way more expensive than anywhere else and then they’ll complain about the low uptake.
Even using Orange Pay As You Go GPRS, Ive had my dell inspiron 8600 using a Sony Ecrisson T68i over IR – simply install the modem driver from the cd that comes with the phone and windows treats it like a regular modem.
As for costs, yes its insane, not quite sure, PAYG GPRS is more expensive but not much more than contract last time I looked. This experiment was conducted in April when Orange had a free trail for new customers.
Seeing as most phones Orange supply are GPRS enabled (even the Nokia 6100) with at least IR, buying a PAYG phone or (£10 Orange SIM or however much they are these days) to keep in the car with £20 or so credit on it would be an idea for occasional use.
Vodaphones GPRS card looks like a right royal rip off at the same price as a pre pay phone handset.
What provider were you using? Was it in the US? I use GPRS/IR with T-Mobile in Boston for $20/month for unlimited access (though I have yet to receive my first bill), and its pretty cool. If there was a provider that provided 3G across the US (highly unlikely), I’d even consider buying a new phone <rant>why, oh why, must they all have cameras these days</rant>.
the speed depends on your GPRS Class, you can get 3:1 which is 3 sockets down, 1 socket up, its like ADSL ones it usually larger than the other.
You mentioned $ instead of Euros or Pounds, so that points to your using a US based service. I guess I’ll have to do some surfing to find this service.
Actually,I am in Denmark,and the company’s name is ‘3’.I can assure you that 500 kb/s is for real,and 150 DKK for always-on is really cheap considering that other internet providers charge for the same speed and ADSL about 400 DKK.
Unfrotunately the cost is prohibitive. I see alot of posts here for like $20/unlimited. That is for data only, and the additional charge for each minute of using the phone service still exists. That makes it much more costly, especially when the biggest time to use a service like this is when traveling..hello roaming charges.