Microsoft: "Using Your Windows Mobile Phone for Laptop Internet Access"

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/totalaccess/columns/windows-mobile-laptop-internet-access.mspx' target='_blank'>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmob...net-access.mspx</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"As ubiquitous as Wi-Fi networks are, they're not everywhere, and open Wi-Fi access points designated for public use are becoming more and more rare every day. You can pay to subscribe to Wi-Fi networks, but that can be expensive over time - as can buying latte after latte at your local coffee shop. The cellular networks will sell you a USB or ExpressCard-based wireless modem for anywhere Internet access, but they'll charge you an extra monthly fee (usually in the $50 realm) for the privilege of this service. There's a better way, and it involves using your Windows Mobile phone in a way you might not have considered before: as a wireless modem."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//spt/auto/1235354983.usr2.png" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>If you're new to tethering, check out this informative column on the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/totalaccess/columns/windows-mobile-laptop-internet-access.mspx" target="_blank">Windows Mobile web site</a>. It just happens to be written by our very own Jason Dunn, so if you have any queries or comments, feel free to fire them off in this thread and I'm sure our head honcho will attend to them, as always.</p>

[euphoria]

I am using this feature all the time. It is great.
It has become really a pain to find a decent working free wifi network. Most useful while traveling, as hotel wifi is usually expensive or disconnecting or just not working. I have an unlimited data plan from t-mobile, so this means that my laptop is always connected along my htc touch cruise to 3G internet for no extra cost.

[davea]

This is my favorite way to connect my laptop to my Motorola Q9h with WM 6.1 using T-Mobile WAP access. I ended up purchasing BlueSoleil Ver 6.4+ for
the laptop to properly support my bluetooth dongle. Your results may improve significantly with that bluetooth software interface.

My request would be for the next procedure that would connection my Q9h with my Dell Axim X51V with WM 6.1 via bluetooth. I can't get that combination to "share the internet" yet.... Anyone have a pointer to the best step by step for
that combination?

TIA...

[tamoochin]

I have a question. I heard that if you use your WM as a modem, the operator will charge you for using extra services, because the packets being sent from the laptop has a header which shows you are using a computer not a cell phone. I have unlimited plan from Sprint, I love to use my Touch Pro as a modem, but I think it costs me money. Do you think it is true? I haven't tried this to see if it is true or not. Thanks

[Brad Adrian]

...the operator will charge you for using extra services...
That depends upon your exact carrier and plan. All I can say is that with the AT&T unlimited data plan for my WM device I've never gotten an extra charge when using it to connect my notebook PC.

[psyjohn]

This is how I access the web from home. Living in a rural area, broadband is unavailable, but I can pick up a cell signal. It sure beats the old dial-up days. :)

I was in a meeting recently where 3 of us were online with this method (one blackberry and 2 WM phones) and some of the older members of our group were simply bewildered that we were able to do that. LOL

[emuelle1]

I use this quite a bit on my Samsung Epix. It's come in handy many times. I got sick of dealing with the highly restrictive proxy at work, so I started tethering my laptop during the day when I can. My company gave me a Verizon BlackBerry with a tethering plan, but when "the network" isn't working (which happens about twice a day) my Epix makes a good backup. 3G is faster than EVDO.

[tospappy]

I have been connecting my trusty Ipaq 5500 via bluetooth to my Motorola E815 for the last 4 years. I turned on DUN and just connect to the Verizon network using the #777 method. It uses minutes (which are free nights and weekends) so I don't pay the bucks for the data plans. I don't think I am getting the EVDO, just the regular broadband with this method. It has been 4 years and Verizon hasn't given me a warning to stop even though I average about 500 data minutes (mostly free ones) a month. I tried to upgrade my phone, but could not find a new Verizon phone that would allow me to connect. Just hope the old Ipaq and E815 keep on trucking.

[tamoochin]

Thanks guys. But none of you have a sprint phone.

[Sasoon]

There is even better way of using your WM device as modem. If it has WiFi, you can convert it to a hot spot, so all wifi devices in range can use it as access point. But you need to install additional software.

[karen]

We Canadians just laugh, then cry, at the thought of doing this. With our unlimited plans maxed out at 30 MB per MONTH, the thought of running up a muti-million dollar monthly bill will stop us from using this year 2009 technology. Probably until Telus, Rogers, and Bell start offering data plans that work in this century.

...which means when a certain warm spot turns icy....

[Brad Adrian]

...With our unlimited plans maxed out at 30 MB per MONTH...
I had forgotten all about that wonderful Canadian definition of the word "unlimited.!" It always reminds me of that running joke in The Princess Bride:

Vizzini: He didn't fall? INCONCEIVABLE!
Inigo: You keep using that word. I do not tihnk it means what you think it means.

[karen]

I had forgotten all about that wonderful Canadian definition of the word "unlimited.!"

And I'm not just a whiner about these plan prices. I seriously believe that the Canadian telecommunications model puts Canada at a strategic disadvantage when it comes to competitiveness, innovation, and public safety.

I tweeted last week that I thought is was very, very odd that I saw ZERO live twitpics of Obama's visit to Canada. Sure, there may have been some, but it was nothing like other Obama sightings around the globe, even before he held the office of President. This week I saw dozens of live twitpics of a specialty conference in Vegas. You'd think that I would have seen many times more of those from the Obama visit.

I don't believe that the average Canadian cell phone user can reasonably adopt wireless data technologies and actually make use of them in any meaningful way. Sure, we lived for centuries without twitpic, twitter, and mobile phones. But the rest of the world is conducting business, living their lives, and saving their lives via these newish communication methods. The world is moving on, and Canadian mobile customers are being left behind. The pricing and restrictions (think about Bell Mobility's recent bad PR about their twitter war on device tweets, think the extra year of committment required on an iPhone contract, think about the 30MB "unlimited" plans...) are barriers to entry into a global discussion that the rest of the world has been having for years.

Get clued in, Telus, Bell, Rogers, and Fido.

[psyjohn]

Can anyone help out with a problem? I have no problem connecting to the internet using my phone as a modem. My wife, however, has a recently reformatted laptop that does not recognize her phone when she tries to connect. She can access files, etc. through USB, but when she tries to connect with Internet Sharing she gets pop-ups on her laptop saying "new device installed" and then the new hardware wizard comes up. She gets messages referring to Broadcom Security Platform Personal Secure Drivers and another that says the TPM Connection is disabled or not installed. This is all beyond my understanding, but if anyone can help I'm generally pretty good at figuring things out.

Her laptop is a Dell Latitude D810 and her phone is a Samsung Omnia i910.

Thank you,
John