MEdia Net ?

[Kris Kumar]

Does the MEdia Net Unlimited plan, the $19.99 one, allow use of the Smartphone as a modem? So that I can use the PDA or my laptop to surf at EDGE speeds in case I do buy the 2125 or SP5.

[Sven Johannsen]

Should. I can use my SMT5600 as a modem, with the $20 Media Net. Don't know why you couldn't do that with the new phones, other than Cingular fixing it so you can't use the higher speeds that my SMT doesn't support.

[Kris Kumar]

Should. I can use my SMT5600 as a modem, with the $20 Media Net. Don't know why you couldn't do that with the new phones, other than Cingular fixing it so you can't use the higher speeds that my SMT doesn't support.

I know carriers like Verizon have dual pricing. The unlimited for surfing and email download on the device. Versus using the phone as a modem for surfing and email download on the laptop.

I am sure I will be able to do it. In fact the carriers want me to do that. But then once they detect it (which they can), they will bump me into the higher price bracket. :evil: I know Verizon did that to a lot of people.

[Rocco Augusto]

if you are using a WM smartphone like the mpx220, 5600 or 2125 youre good on the $19.99 plan. if you are using a PDA device like the treo then you need the PDA connect plan which i believe is $44.95 a month

[Kris Kumar]

if you are using a WM smartphone like the mpx220, 5600 or 2125 youre good on the $19.99 plan. if you are using a PDA device like the treo then you need the PDA connect plan which i believe is $44.95 a month

But can I use my laptop with the $19.99 plan?

Laptop - > 2125 as modem -> Internet :-)

I couldn't find any limitations when I was looking at the MEdia Net plan.

[Kris Kumar]

Should. I can use my SMT5600 as a modem, with the $20 Media Net. Don't know why you couldn't do that with the new phones, other than Cingular fixing it so you can't use the higher speeds that my SMT doesn't support.

Glad that you are using it. And I believe you haven't been charged extra. ;-) Cool.

[jtheun]

I am using my 2125 with the Media.net package as a modem with my laptop. It works, but I cannot seem to get more than 50 kbps - even with the Edge sign showing on the phone.

[Kris Kumar]

I am using my 2125 with the Media.net package as a modem with my laptop. It works, but I cannot seem to get more than 50 kbps - even with the Edge sign showing on the phone.


Eeeeeeeeeeeeesh!

[encece]

What's the EDGE Sign???

[Kris Kumar]

What's the EDGE Sign???

The alphabet "E" instead of "G" I believe.

[encece]

Never saw it on my phone. Thought I was using edge. Is that documented anywhere?

[Kris Kumar]

Never saw it on my phone. Thought I was using edge. Is that documented anywhere?

I believe one of the readers mentioned it. I remember seeing the photo. This is what I could find.
http://smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9789

The "E" is clearly visible in the image associated with the above front page post.

[encece]

hmmmm.....I see it in the screenshot but have never seen it on my phone. I wonder if I am indeed getting edge in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area?

[Kris Kumar]

I just checked the user manual (at FCC site ;-)), it does not talk about E in the list of indicators. :?

I am positive E indicated EDGE.

[Sven Johannsen]

Just to add, I am using my Cingular, with $20 Media-Net, SIM in my K-Jam. I get all the stuff you would expect. I've used my SMT5600 as a Modem for my Dell Axim with that same SIM in it. I've not been charged any extra for either using it as a pass-through modem, or in a PDA. Of course I bought and set the SIM up in a Smartphone.

BTW, I recall seeing that E for Edge as opposed to G for GPRS thing too, but don't recall where. Think it was in a review.

[jtheun]

The E appears instead of the G when I am in an area with Edge service. Sometimes, it changes to a G...

[Rocco Augusto]

if you are using a WM smartphone like the mpx220, 5600 or 2125 youre good on the $19.99 plan. if you are using a PDA device like the treo then you need the PDA connect plan which i believe is $44.95 a month

But can I use my laptop with the $19.99 plan?

Laptop - > 2125 as modem -> Internet :-)

I couldn't find any limitations when I was looking at the MEdia Net plan.

sorry it took me so long to respond to this, dunno why i didnt see this before. yes you can teather with your laptop on the 19.99 plan if you had the 2125.

also i dunno about the SP5(m) devices but on the 2125 when you are using EDGE service the G icon will be replaced with a E icon. i have read reports all over the internet about people never seeing the E icon and i dont know why this happens for those individuals but i do know on my phone I always have the EDGE icon.

for the first couple days i had it though all i was able to connect to was GPRS but then one day i got the E and never went back :)

[rdecker]

I am using my 2125 with the Media.net package as a modem with my laptop. It works, but I cannot seem to get more than 50 kbps - even with the Edge sign showing on the phone.

if you are using bluetooth to connect from your PDA or PC to the phone you are not gonna get full Edge speeds.

[Qzic]

sorry it took me so long to respond to this, dunno why i didnt see this before. yes you can teather with your laptop on the 19.99 plan if you had the 2125.

I would really like a confirmation on this one. I have been looking at the different data plas from Cingular, and the official line (maybe not actual, but the pricing policy) is:

MEdia Net: access to port 80 and a few other
PDA Connect: access to every port, but no tethering
Laptop Connect: access to every port and tethering

Of course prices go up quite a bit at each stage.

[Mike Temporale]

sorry it took me so long to respond to this, dunno why i didnt see this before. yes you can teather with your laptop on the 19.99 plan if you had the 2125.

I would really like a confirmation on this one.

If anyone should know this, it's optikalsaint.

[Qzic]

Even if tethering does work on all plans, what about port access? Can you do VPN, SSH, VOIP, or whatever from a tethered device on MEdia Net?

[Rocco Augusto]

Even if tethering does work on all plans, what about port access? Can you do VPN, SSH, VOIP, or whatever from a tethered device on MEdia Net?

honestly, i personally havent tried using any of those services with my $19.99 plan. I can tell you now that i pretty much been able to do anything else i have wanted to do. FTP, streaming audio/video, filesharing, etc.

maybe when i get home tonight ill try out some VoIP solutions for you and see what i can find but to be honest i really dont think you'll have a problem.

in all honesty though being able to use the $19.99 MediaNET plan with your smartphone is just a glitch in the system. i honestly dont think they realized that people would be using there smartphones to teather to laptops. the whole reason why they have the PDA connect add-on ($44.99 w/voice plan) is because they encourage those individuals to teather and use all the data they can either by browsing or downloading emails, etc.

the average user usually wont spend $400USD+ for a phone, mostly because the average joe can't afford it. if you cant afford or wont buy a $400USD+ phone why would you spend $40-50USD a month on internet access for it?

all PDA connect is really is MediaNET in a nice big pretty bow that cost a lot more :)

[Tony Rylow]

I used my Dell Axim to connect through my Razr on MediaNet for months, never was charged extra. Trying to get the Axim connected through my SP3i this morning.

[elehcdn]

I purchased one of the Sony/Ericsson Edge PC cards off of ebay for my laptop. I pull the sim out of my MPx220, put it into the Edge card and connectd at Edge speeds. I have never been charged any more than the 19.99 for MediaNet Unlimited even though I surf the web, use email (including secure email) and newsgroups (secure as well). I have not used ftp, but have downloaded large files with the web browser.

Now, I am upgrading to an 8125 due to arrive tomorrow, since I have not had much luck in actually tethering to my laptop or PDA with the MPx200. I can't wait, and am hoping that my plan doesn't change and that I don't have to pull my sim card as much.