Using Sprint cell phone as modem!

[causality]

Here is a question that has been hard to get an answer to...

I want to use my sprint phone to get wireless internet access for my laptop (Using a data cable from phone to laptop.) I know that I can use the phone to dial into an ISP if I purchase the $5 wireless internet option. However, this method results in sloooow speeds.

I have heard of people using 'vision enabled' phones to access the unlimites pcs vision internet that sprint offers, which is much faster than dialing into my own ISP.

1. Is this possible?
2. Will Sprint allow this? So far, all the confused Sprint people have told me I need to pay $100 a month and buy a card for my computer to get limited bandwidth...

Thanks!

 

[Lord Evermore]

So you're wanting instructions on how to get free Sprint Vision access?

Depending on the type of phone, you may just need to get the correct phone to USB cable that allows the phone to act as a USB modem, load the drivers and set up a dialup connection. Your phone just dials out and uses your normal minutes, just like a regular telephone and modem. Of course you only get whatever connection speeds the modem supports. Other types of cables may be for the phone to jack into a laptop modem, so the phone detects the dialling from the modem and makes the call.

 

[dmcowen674]

Connection through the Data channels (144k) is $100 month. Using old analog will net you only about 19.2K tops.

 

[bUnMaNGo]

go down to Radio Shack and see if they have a USB cable for your phone, that's where my boss got his. And yes, it uses PCS Vision.

 

[TJN23]

it's an economical way to get free dial-up internet (provided u are signed up with a dial up ISP)...

however the cable is waaay expensive, i'd look on eBay for it. I believe if your phone is PCS vision enabled it will work, and you can use it for free during your nights and weekends, etc

i never tried but i've seen this on ebay (i have a Sanyo 4900)

 

[jvang125]

i too have a Sanyo 4900 with PCS vision enabled and i too want to know how i can use my phone as a wireless modem. i got XP to recognize the phone as a usb modem but the software to dail out will not. and is it really $100/month to access the data service? if so, that's ridiculous.

 

[JackMDS]

Connection cable is not the issue.

Regular Wireless Cell phone can not be used as a regular Internet DialUp.

Verizon and Sprint have special service that enables some of their cell phone to be used for this purpose.

In other word you have to make sure that your combo Phone Provider is capable to support Cell DialUp.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Why not? The digital signal is converted to analog again when it hits the phone network. It'd be crappy speeds, but I can't see why it technically can't work.

 

[TJN23]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
In other word you have to make sure that your combo Phone Provider is capable to support Cell DialUp.

whats a "combo" phone provider? shouldn't a pcs vision enabled phone be able to do the trick?

 

[saimike]

looks like u're asking for cdma 1xrtt

to do this, u need a 3g phone, u need 1xrtt data service with ur cellphone carrier. u do not need another isp like earthlink etc. to get further info, u can look at verizon.com or sprintpcs.com ... any carrier that has "downloadable ringtones" should be able to provide data service. LOL.

like an earlier poster said, u cannot use any old cell phone as a modem. it is technologically impossible in usa, which doesnt have is95b.

 

[Santa]

There is actually a documented way to use the software to dial up an ISP but the fastest speeds you are able to attain doing this is 14.4Kbps.

Check your manual and the help guide with the software download of their dialer.

They are hopfully going to finish their next release that will allow me to set WINS settings and other company specific settings onto the dialer so I don't have to edit host files (crossing fingers)

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: TJN23

Originally posted by: JackMDS
In other word you have to make sure that your combo Phone Provider is capable to support Cell DialUp.

whats a "combo" phone provider? shouldn't a pcs vision enabled phone be able to do the trick?

As far as I know PCS Vision may be able to provide this service call Sprint and ask.