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Author Topic: Use a mobile phone to access the internet? Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 04-13-2006 12:00 AM                     I know there are cell phones that can get onto the internet, but I don't need it frequently enough to be worth the monthly expense. Here is my specific question... Can I use my phone to get onto a dialup account that has nothing to do with the cell phone provider? Essentially I just want to be able to use the phone like a normal land line and let it eat up minutes (of which on weekends and nights are free anyway). I an on Cingular with a Razr. Any info on this would be appreciated, as I'm sure someone on here has done this somehow.  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: California, U.S.A. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 04-13-2006 12:10 AM                     A lot of phones (not sure if the Razr is one of them) can be used in this or similar fashion with a data cable. Check with your wireless provider, they usually have access to the cable. But take any thing they tell you with a grain of salt just in case they're not "familiar" with that feature of the phone.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 04-13-2006 12:11 AM                     I found this article. It might help. http://www.jiwire.com/motorola-razr-v3-setup-usability.htm To this day I have not purchased a mobile phone. But I am thinking about buying a RAZR V3i (iTunes capable model) once they are released; I don't like the current "candybar" SLVR model Cingular is pushing.  |  IP: Logged Andrew McCrea Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 645 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Registered: Nov 2000 posted 04-13-2006 12:14 AM                        My phone service provider, Telus (Canadian), use to sell an adapter that works with some phones (LG, I believe), that could be used for this purpose with dial-up connections.  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 04-13-2006 01:24 AM                     If you phone is Bluetooth capable, you might be able to get a USB Bluetooth adapter for the laptop and use it that way. While I just *know* somewhere out there, there is a cable to hook directly to your laptop via USB, I can't seem to quickly locate one. I'm surprised Sky Mall didn't have anything. I have a Sony Ericsson GC83 card. While I have a separate service for my laptop, this PCMCIA card uses a SIM card that I have removed and used in cell phones that also use GPRS cellular service, so if your phone uses a SIM card, you might be able to get one of the GCxx cards and use your phone's current cell service. Depends on what service you have. It runs a little faster than dialup, depending on the signal and network. What happened to that phone you had with the slide-out keyboard? [ 04-13-2006, 02:59 AM: Message edited by: Adam Martin ]  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 04-13-2006 01:40 AM                     Ok now I'm confused. Adam you are saying to buy one of these Sony cards and put it's SIM card in my cell phone, then use the usb connector to connect? Somehow that doesn't make sense (but I don't doubt you, I just don't get it). I got rid of the keyboard phone, as it was too bulky.  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 04-13-2006 01:43 AM                     No, I'm saying to get the card and use your cell phone's SIM card in it instead of buying a separate service. This all depends on what kind of data service your cell phone account comes with. And go back and read my Bluetooth edit. I could never use a flip phone, much less that thinner-than-paper Razr. It would be broken in less than 3 minutes. [ 04-13-2006, 02:57 AM: Message edited by: Adam Martin ]  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 04-13-2006 01:57 AM                     I use a cable between my Nokia and my laptops USB port, connection is made by GPRS, which is surprisingly fast. I'm charged per megabyte of data trasnferred, so if I don't use it, I don't pay any more than the standard rental & call charges, or rather the company doesn't.  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 04-13-2006 02:56 AM                     It turns out that Cingular is phasing out the technology that Brad wants to use that would allow him to use his cell phone as an analog modem. So that leaves Brad paying for bandwidth on GPRS or getting a data service for the laptop. If a bear shits in the woods, does Cingular charge me for it? Probably.  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Tiffany Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Sanford, Florida, USA Registered: Feb 2006 posted 04-13-2006 05:09 AM                     The RAZR can use a standard mini-usb cable the connect to a computer(PSP cable, some Dig. Cameras, etc.). You'll just need to install the proper driver so Windows can use the phone as a modem. You'd get charged per KB by Cingular. I don't ever do this but I do use MiniOpera on my RAZR once in a while. I just set it to not show images and it keeps the data usage down.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 04-13-2006 10:47 AM                     They make "cellular modems", both for desk tops and laptops. You add it to your plan as if it were a second cell phone (cheap if you have a family plan). On the other hand, the cellular modems are not cheap for the hardware. Search the internet on "cellular modems".  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 04-13-2006 12:00 PM                     T-Mobile will let you use your phones GPRS to blutooth functionality without charging any additional service fees.  |  IP: Logged

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