1. korbas12's Avatar
    Well, I finally decided to put all my eggs in one basket. I cancelled Comcast (cable broadband internet, for those of you not in the US) and got a Sprint data access plan that runs $10 more than what I had previously. Now I can connect my Pearl up to anything running Windows and give it the gift of reasonably speedy internet. I had a Sprint modem last year sometime and it was awful...but the service seems to be considerably better with this.

    Has anyone else done this, and what (if any) difficulties have you run into by entrusting all internet access to your Blackberry for the long term? I realize there's the problem with voice and data at the same time, but that can be mitigated with proper timing (and connecting/disconnecting is fast anyway). So far it's really pretty fast, and I don't see any reason why I shouldn't just use this for the foreseeable future.
    04-12-08 11:34 PM
  2. surfcitybum's Avatar
    I use the Phone as modem quite a bit and it works really good and it's pretty fast. I have absolutely no problems with it. As fas as canceling my internet at home, it's never come up as I have Verizon Fios and it runs my HDTV, my VOIP etc.
    04-13-08 02:03 AM
  3. wirelessforever's Avatar
    what (if any) difficulties have you run into by entrusting all internet access to your Blackberry for the long term
    I tether my laptop to my Curve a lot depending on where I am.

    I've noticed it's pretty rough on my battery.
    04-13-08 02:59 AM
  4. philb's Avatar
    Sprint data access plan that runs $10
    Sprint wanted $19 from me, I got mobishark for $50 and now there is no monthly charge. It only connects at about 250k but it connects.
    04-13-08 05:50 AM
  5. Solachica's Avatar
    The fone lines by me were cut by the copper thieves and the lines were not repaired for over a year.
    Since we only had access to dial up my internet days at home were gone because of the copper thieves.
    When I bought the BB I soon found out that it could be used as a tethered modem and for over a year now I've been using it as my only source of internet at home.
    04-13-08 06:46 AM
  6. macnkat's Avatar
    How do we do this?
    04-13-08 08:46 AM
  7. korbas12's Avatar
    How do we do this?
    Sign up for the plan, download the data program from sprint.com (or whoever your provider is), plug the Berry in via USB and click "Go" and it should connect you. It's that simple.
    04-13-08 03:24 PM
  8. garbagefairy1967's Avatar
    Thanks for the info korbas, gives me something to think about!!
    04-13-08 03:29 PM
  9. macnkat's Avatar
    This is really cool. Do the cool tricks you can do with this Crackberry ever end? I followed this link to configure my 8130 from Verizon.

    http://www.blackberryforums.com/blac...em-laptop.html

    Now my question is I have a standard data plan (unlimited) will this be covered in the plan?
    04-13-08 06:57 PM
  10. Solachica's Avatar
    Some fone companies charge a fee to use the BB as a tethered modem so be sure before use.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-13-08 07:07 PM
  11. Erikgreenlee's Avatar
    Do you have a link to connect for tmo?

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-13-08 07:17 PM
  12. macnkat's Avatar
    The link I posted above is for all carriers, but apparently if you do it through your carrier it's a much simpler process. I also can NOT get mine to connect. I get an error saying "not authorized" er some such thing. It needs to have the service added to the plan and then it will connect.
    04-13-08 07:39 PM
  13. TBolt's Avatar
    Uhhhh...I'm in the US (California), and I've heard that Sprint (and Verizon, for that matter) does not really offer truly "unlimited" data service. So, unless you don't use the Internet very much, aren't you worried about Sprint canceling your data plan?!?
    04-13-08 07:58 PM
  14. korbas12's Avatar
    Some fone companies charge a fee to use the BB as a tethered modem so be sure before use.
    Yep...Sprint does too but basically it was just a modification to my existing data plan that only bumped me up by $15. Since Comcast is charging me $60/month, this is a significant cost savings. I don't use TV anyway so I won't notice not having the cable.

    I have stored the connection software on the microSD card. Any computer I connect to instantly recognizes the SD as an external drive, without even having the Blackberry Desktop software. I can then move the relevant software over, and make that machine accept the Berry as a modem.

    It's also great because:
    • Everything is all on one bill.
    • I'm not paying for something (internet to the house) that I'm not using when I'm not there. At least this is constantly providing some kind of benefit.
    • My internet is tied to me, and not to a particular computer. Whether it's my desktop, laptop, or someone else's machine, it follows me around like a cloud. As long as there's coverage, I'm good.
    • There's no ethernet cords running through the house.
    • It's a natural firewall - when I'm not there, no data can go in or out.
    • If I decide to move, it's one less thing to worry about - no disconnection/reconnection of service, no routers to carry, etc.
    • Using this as my only ISP slightly increases network traffic, which indicates that there is a slightly greater demand for services, and everyone loves progress!
    • It's a great way to poke Comcast in the eye.
    04-13-08 08:06 PM
  15. muu's Avatar
    man i couldn't part with comcast, i'd kill myself if i had to rely only on my berry as a modem. compared to comcast, this is turtle slow but it helps when i'm out and i use it often but im not parting with comcast just yet besides do u know what kind of lag i would get on my 360, omg
    04-13-08 08:16 PM
  16. korbas12's Avatar
    Uhhhh...I'm in the US (California), and I've heard that Sprint (and Verizon, for that matter) does not really offer truly "unlimited" data service. So, unless you don't use the Internet very much, aren't you worried about Sprint canceling your data plan?!?
    I've heard that. Most dedicated ISPs don't actually offer "unlimited" either...they have a limit of something like 800 GB a month, which you'd be hard-pressed to meet even if you did nothing but download full-length movies all the time to watch. I asked them several times whether there was a hidden bandwidth limit, and they assured me there wasn't...which probably just means it's really high.

    I don't play games or download huge torrent files or anything like that; the speed may not be ideal if you want to play a competitive game of WoW anyway. Mostly I use the internet for email, research, business and shopping. It also handles Skype reasonably well. I also have plenty of time at work to do pretty much whatever I want on a corporate LAN, so that also takes some of the heat off, but I still use it probably a few hours a day.

    If you require a massive pipeline of bandwidth for games or downloading every movie made, don't tell your current provider to get lost. However, this is more than sufficient for most applications.

    The only limitation is that while using the Berry as a modem, it won't work as a phone (Skype Pro will fix that problem) and you can't use its data access for itself. You can still use the internal apps, SD card and it still sends SMS messages for some reason.
    04-13-08 08:20 PM
  17. TBolt's Avatar
    Hey, I'm glad it works for you. I'm a heavy Internet user; so, I couldn't go with wireless not-quite-broadband service.

    It's good to know that you are aware of the fact that your service isn't unlimited. That's all I wanted to be sure of.
    04-13-08 09:11 PM
  18. K. Flower's Avatar
    Hey all....just thought I'd put my two cents in.

    I've only recently - and I mean, as of a couple days ago - started using my 8320 as a tethered modem through T-Mobile. I know that the speed could be better, but for what I'm using it for, it's sufficient.

    My question is, knowing how difficult it would be to get a virus on the bb itself, what are the odds of getting one on my laptop while using bb as modem? Obviously there's the bb firewall, and I'm also running MS Defender (don't know if that's a joke or not) as well as Trend Microvirus. On Vista. With SP2.

    It's not like I'm visiting all the crazy, infected, broken websites...but I'm not exactly sure where viruses come from, besides emails (which I don't open unless I know the person, obviously). With normal web browsing, what do you all think the odds are I could infect my laptop with this setup?

    -K
    06-27-09 07:15 PM
  19. TBolt's Avatar

    My question is, knowing how difficult it would be to get a virus on the bb itself, what are the odds of getting one on my laptop while using bb as modem? Obviously there's the bb firewall, and I'm also running MS Defender (don't know if that's a joke or not) as well as Trend Microvirus. On Vista. With SP2.

    It's not like I'm visiting all the crazy, infected, broken websites...but I'm not exactly sure where viruses come from, besides emails (which I don't open unless I know the person, obviously). With normal web browsing, what do you all think the odds are I could infect my laptop with this setup?

    -K
    The way I see it, for home use, nothing beats cable modem if it's available in your area. The speed and reliability are 1,000 times greater than any wireless service.

    Most people use hubs - both wired and wireless - as part of their home network, and the hub may even have a firewall and data encryption built in. That offers security for the network and your data that your cell phone can't provide.

    Most Windows-based PC's also have a firewall and anti-virus software running. It's smart to have software that will remove malware and junk files every week or so. These combined measures offer as much safety as most PC users will need.

    I don't know of any instances where the BlackBerry was attacked when being used as a modem. Would be interesting to hear from anyone that has experienced a problem.
    06-28-09 11:49 AM
  20. anthonyg817's Avatar
    i wouldnt do it because its the same speed as your phone so why bother
    06-28-09 11:51 AM
  21. Thumb-Berry's Avatar
    Does Verizon charge a monthly fee for the ability to do this?
    07-06-09 07:07 PM
  22. TBolt's Avatar
    Does Verizon charge a monthly fee for the ability to do this?
    Yes. I know Verizon does, and I'd bet that every company charges as well.

    Something like $15 per month. Ask for the 'tethered modem' option.
    07-06-09 07:31 PM
  23. elchavo117's Avatar
    Well I actually don't go with my cell phone provider I bought the teherberry app and let me tell you that app works really good. Never had a slow connection and it's even faster than the internet I have now. My wife still uses the internet because she doesn't have a smartphone but let me tell you that tetherberry is the best app I ever purchased. Sure it's a steep 40 bucks but it worked better than using verizon access manager
    07-06-09 07:36 PM
  24. jakrip's Avatar
    I use my BB as a modem for the laptop and it is not as fast as my work pc but it is about the same service I got from air cards I used in the past.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    07-06-09 09:33 PM
  25. trucky's Avatar
    Uhhhh...I'm in the US (California), and I've heard that Sprint (and Verizon, for that matter) does not really offer truly "unlimited" data service. So, unless you don't use the Internet very much, aren't you worried about Sprint canceling your data plan?!?
    Most of the carriers have stopped offering "unlimited" data services via your Blackberry and are now limited to a 5GB cap. That's still quite a bit as long as you're not downloading movies and a ton of music.

    There are also devices you can connect your Blackberry to that creates a wireless access point or hot spot wherever you're at. Very handy if you have more than one PC or want to work away from where your BB might get the best signal. When you live beyond the normal connection options you learn to get creative.
    07-07-09 08:00 AM
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