Cingular cellphone used with laptop for data

[Tyler Allison]

Right now I have Verizon service with my LG4500 phone and a "Mobile Office Kit" that allows me to plug the phone into my laptop and dial up the internet. Works great..no issues.

Does anybody know if Cingular has something similar?

Basically I want to "add" data services to my normal cell phone for a few months..and then take it off when Im done. I don't use the phone that much as it is so Im not concerned about missing calls or what not when using data.

 

[George Flickinger]

Cingular

Cingular has an unsupported service using a DLR3 cable plugging into a computer's serial port. I used it for a few years, though data was slow with less than 6.8k modem speed. But it was good enough for pulling up single images. It also has geographic limitations.

 

[Bill Doms]

I used Cingular for data this past season after using the ATT/Nokia/Ositech set up for several years. I used a cheapo C207 phone with Samsung's serial data cable which also allowed the charger to be plugged in at the same time. Using Cingular's data package, I usually get speeds just a little under DSL anywhere I can hit the GSM network. I am happy with this set up and plan on using it next year again.

 

[HAltschule]

What kind of service plan do you have to get for Verizon wireless? I understand it is like $70 a month for a separate account even if you have a $50.00 a month voice phone?

 

[Tyler Allison]

I just use my voice minutes since I have plenty.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

I use my MPx220 to tether to my laptop... This allows me to use the $20 unlimited MediaNet deal with my laptop. Since my phone isn't EDGE-capable, I'm stuck on the GPRS network, which is about 56k dial-up speed. If you have an EDGE-capable phone, you should be able to get into the 150-300 kbps range. Don't tell Cingular you are doing this, however, since they'll make you get the $80/mo ($60/mo on sale now) DataConnect plan since the MediaNet isn't intended to be used with a laptop. Regardless, it's worked fine for me. FWIW, the DataConnect, I've heard, is a tad faster. Head on over to howardforums.com or Google "Cingular tethering" and I'm sure you'll find lots. The MediaNet doesn't require you to "dial into" and ISP as you may have done in the past... You just set up the dialup networking to use something like *99#, and you're set (well, need to set a modem string). You don't use your minutes with this, as it's digital data (thus the reason why you'd want the unlimited data).

Before that, I used the Nokia + Ositech + ATT deal, which was deathly slow and frustratingly unreliable. I'd spend more time putzing with it then I'd actually spend connect. Of course, it was certainly better than nothing (ok, not certainly, since there were times that I just gave up on it), but the GPRS/EDGE tething thing has worked out fine for me. I just got the Bluetooth stuff on my phone set up, so now I don't need the USB cable.

 

[HAltschule]

I'll have to see what the Verizon deal entails since Tyler Allison has it set up already. I was under the impression you needed to pay for an additional data fee.

Also, what do dial into/log onto to get your data? Verizon provides the connection, but what about the data access service?

 

[Matthew Havin]

Nods to Jeff's post........ that is the same thing we did for the 2005 season, and works quite well. Used a Samsung X427 series (cheap phone).
The coverage was good, and areas like W.KS off I-70 is expected to improve before the 2006 season due to somewhat increased coverage in those remote spots. Western Iowa, however, will still be bad for Cingular users at least for a few years.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Originally posted by HAltschule
I'll have to see what the Verizon deal entails since Tyler Allison has it set up already. I was under the impression you needed to pay for an additional data fee.

Also, what do dial into/log onto to get your data? Verizon provides the connection, but what about the data access service?

I forgot to mention that I used Verizon's Office Connect or whatever it's called before I used the Ositech/Nokia/ATTWS... It worked OK, but it only worked when on Verizon-owned towers. I quickly found out that, in the areas I chased (OK/KS/TX/MN) there were relatively few Verizon-owned towers... I'd still be in Verizon coverage areas, but not on Verizon-owned towers (many wireless carriers have roaming agreements with other carriers, allowing, for example, Cingular to have coverage in areas where they don't actually own towers). This was back in 2002, so I assume things have changed a bit. I've been very pleased with Cingular data coverage, which exists just about everywhere you have voice coverage. Note that the large voice/data void north of I70 in northern Kansas has been filled.

 

[Tyler Allison]

Originally posted by HAltschule
I'll have to see what the Verizon deal entails since Tyler Allison has it set up already. I was under the impression you needed to pay for an additional data fee.

Also, what do dial into/log onto to get your data? Verizon provides the connection, but what about the data access service?

You don't dial anybody. Just just plug the cell phone into your laptop and click on the 'Verizon Wireless' icon on your desktop and you are connected using your voice minutes.

All you need is the Mobile Office kit that goes with your phone and then you use the 'Quick 2 Net' option instead of the 1xRTT (the one that needs a data subscription).

Verizon Stores will tell you this doesn't work and you'll find NOTHING about it on their website of course...but it works just fine. Not broadband speeds...but it's not dialup either.

-Tyler