New to Cingular n00b question

[GoJackets]

Two Quick question for those with SmartPhones and Cingular from a soon to be SprintPCS convert

1- Which additional plan do I need to get to be able to "tether" my laptop/PDA to my Smartphone to surf the internet? I checked out the data service link on both the Cingular and AT&T Wireless sites and both of those plans are for the add-on card.

2- When you use the service does it eat your minutes or is it based on the amount of data transferred?

Thanks in advance for your help, once I figure this out I've got to make the decision between the Audiovox 5600 and the Motorola MPX 220

[Kris Kumar]

Since I am not a Cingular customer, I cannot comment on the first one. But I know the answer to the second one.

On GSM networks like Cingular, the data is charged based on download or bytes tranferred. Voice minutes are not used for data download. Voice and data are billed separately.

[gapfilmvideo]

still haven't figured how to do it with ipaq 2215/bluetooth and mpx 220 because the last thing i want to do is carry another cable but tethered or not, if you connect through cingular its data charge....if you dial in to another isp it is a per minute charge.....that is how it worked with my v600 and ipaq bluetooth connection.....possible cheat(i've been told) is use the cingular dial up number instead of *99***1#.....kris i stillneed help with this connection ..colud you remind/repaeat the steps for the bluetooth conneection to gprs modem ????

[Kris Kumar]

still haven't figured how to do it with ipaq 2215/bluetooth and mpx 220 because the last thing i want to do is carry another cable but tethered or not, if you connect through cingular its data charge....if you dial in to another isp it is a per minute charge.....that is how it worked with my v600 and ipaq bluetooth connection.....possible cheat(i've been told) is use the cingular dial up number instead of *99***1#.....kris i stillneed help with this connection ..colud you remind/repaeat the steps for the bluetooth conneection to gprs modem ????

Have you tried out the instructions I mentioned in the following thread?
http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6674

[Jerry Raia]

You do need a special plan from them to use your phone as a "modem". I used it for a while I think it was called GPRS. So even though you can get on the internet on the phone, you probably can't use the phone as a modem without that plan added.

The things Kris is talking about will still apply as well.