dial-up via cell phone?

[Relztrah]

OK, I know I'm not supposed to post technical questions to the After Hours Club, so slap my wrist and move this one to the appropriate forum...if there is one.

I did a search and somebody previously posted a similar question some time ago regarding a laptop, but I'm thinking the technology has advanced and maybe now there is a way to connect my dial-up modem to my cell phone for Internet access. Due to, shall we say, budgetary constraints, I am disconnecting my landline telephone and going to use my cell phone exclusively. I have free calls after 9:00 PM and I would like to continue using my dial-up account with my desktop.

So, has anybody out there successfully connected a dial-up modem to a cell phone and sufred? I know that a modem needs to "hear" a dial tone to dial out, and a cell phone doesn't have this, so it may not be possible. I don't know if it makes any difference, but my cell phone is a Verizon.

Thanks,
Relztrah

[Fruss Tray Ted]

What you're asking is to have a cab driver take you on a flight to the moon.

What you need is satellite internet and that will cost you BIG TIME. You'd be better off giving up your cell phone and keeping the domestic account if you want to save money.

[Bumpus]

Nextel offers, for around $60.00 a month and unlimited internet package. The top speeds, if I remember right are around 50kb(close to 56K modem). I don't remember all the specifics but we are looking into it for business use, email, small file access, that sort.

Bumpus

[Relztrah]

[QUOTE=Fruss Tray Ted]What you're asking is to have a cab driver take you on a flight to the moon.QUOTE]


Hey, I once took a cab to the moon!

[PrntRhd]

So, has anybody out there successfully connected a dial-up modem to a cell phone and sufred?

I use a Treo 600 daily and it has a browser, I have set it to "text only" because the connection is way too slow for web graphics, 10 min per page.........

[bassman]

I'm not going to be a terrible lot of help here as I can't find a page to tell you more, but a friend of mine has a service through Verizon. It is a PCMCIA card that goes into his laptop. It has a small antenna and works just like a cell phone. he currently pays $80 a month and has unlimited minutes for data transfer only (web/fax/... ). It works at dialup speed but he just told me he heard the price is coming down and that it may be going to DSL speeds.
He found this while in a Verizon store so he didn't have much more info then that.

Good luck :cool:

[chaos]

Yes,

I do what you want to do (if that makes sense) :)


I have a nokia which has a built-in infra red modem, I just stick the phone round the back of the laptop, (you could use a IR dongle), and the Nokia software recognises the phone.

I then tell the computer to use the Nokia modem.

One thing to note, in the UK, most ISP's give you a lo-call phone number, so in order to take advantage of your free calls, you need to make sure you use a 'landline' number for your ISP.

Of course, I only really do this so I can check email when I am away from home, as the speed really is painfully slow. :p



C

[Relztrah]

Thanks for your posts. I want to avoid upgrading my cell phone to web access or buying any new handheld device. (See my previous post about budgetary constraints.)

But I have since learned that Verizon has a product called Mobile Office that is software and a cable, one end of which connects to the cell phone and the other end connects to your computer's USB port. So it doesn't plug into the modem at all, and I imagine you just select your phone as the modem just as if you added a second modem.

If you have a data-capable cell phone, which I don't, you can get pretty fast speeds. Otherwise, you make a voice call to your ISP using what Verizon calls Quick 2 Net. In truth there's nothing quick about it, but it should be adequate to check my e-mail. I'm not sure how good a connection I would get using a cell phone to my ISP, but hopefully I can try it for 30 days free.

So, to answer my own question, yes it can be done with my current cell phone. The package costs $40 and will save me $35 a month that I'm currently paying for my landline.

[123456]

I use a Treo 600 daily and it has a browser, I have set it to "text only" because the connection is way too slow for web graphics, 10 min per page.........

If I'm in the car, sometimes I'll use my dad's Treo 650 for internet. Just to check here and and another forum and mail.

[stefanus]

I am at present on line in Zambia via CellNet, use a cell link via a 15ft arial etc. I will get the details and revert back to you.

[stefanus]

I am at present on line in Zambia via CellNet, useing a cell link via a 15ft arial etc. I will get the details and revert back to you. ps Susceptable to weather and power cuts!!!