Anyone connect to the web via mobile phone?

ironman · 27 Nov 2007 at 12:40

Just wondering if anyone here uses their mobile phone via bluetooth to connect to the internet on their macbook? Is it possible? Do you need 3G and what are the costs?

gumbald · 27 Nov 2007 at 17:59

Most networks charge about £3 per MB unless you're on an unlimited plan. Can't comment on using it for a bluetooth connection with a MB though

Energize · 27 Nov 2007 at 18:03

T-mobile charge £1 for 24 hours browsing (40MB). However using your phone as a modem is against the t&c of pretty much every network unless your on a contract.

It would be easier to just buy a hsdpa card for the macbook. They do have express card slots don't they?

T-mobile have some good contracts.

£20 for 3GB and £53 for 10GB.

And of course it goes without saying that "unlimited" plans are very very far from unlimited when you check the t&c's.

wij · 27 Nov 2007 at 18:06

I use my N95 over bluetooth with my MBP to get online when I'm out and about.

Speed is pretty good, normally get about 1.8Mbit/sec over HSDPA (I mainly use it in cities, so its not normally a problem getting a good connection).

On T-Mobile contract with Web n Walk which gives me unlimited data usage.

theheyes · 27 Nov 2007 at 18:56

Express card slot is only on the MacBook Pro unfortunately.

Energize · 27 Nov 2007 at 18:56

Good lord. Even the most basic £300 laptops have them.

radderfire · 27 Nov 2007 at 19:08

Connection speeds with the phone are said to be lower than when using the dedicated USB modems / datacards as offered by 3, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

Rgds

Radderfire

theheyes · 27 Nov 2007 at 19:49

Energize said:
Good lord. Even the most basic £300 laptops have them.

Welcome to Mac Land.

k3v · 27 Nov 2007 at 19:54

I feel rather smug with my unlimited 3g account for £4 a month.......

MagicBoy · 27 Nov 2007 at 22:30

Works quite well. I added Web'n'Walk to my contract when I moved and was waiting 3 months for BT to connect the building up. 3G is recommended as I originally tried EDGE from my SE W810i and it was poor. Borrowed a Nokia N70 from a mate and it was a vast improvement. I can only imagine that HSDPA is near residential broadband speed.

Nokia's are the easiest to connect up and get working via BT. When I was using it Sony Ericsson's we're a pain to get recognised.

My only major beef was that the networks insist on transparent proxying everything and compressing the images, which gets really annoying when you are using via a PC.

wij · 28 Nov 2007 at 14:30

MagicBoy said:
My only major beef was that the networks insist on transparent proxying everything and compressing the images, which gets really annoying when you are using via a PC.

It is annoying, I believe you can get a Firefox plugin though that stops it happening by force refreshing the page for you.