Smartphones / BB / Treo : How to tether / Use phone as modem (USA Carriers)

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From the computer of: seamonkey420 (132 recipes)
Created: Apr 13, 2007     Updated: Dec 28, 2007

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This recipe will give a very general overview on how to use your expensive phone as a modem w/your laptop via a usb cable. I will explain what is needed for the big 4 carriers in the USA and a quickie on how to do it. I'll even go into a quick overview on tethering via Bluetooth.

Tethering or Phone As Modem (PAM) allows users w/a compatible phone and data plan to use their phone as a modem to get internet access wherever they have a data connection. This is very similar to how the EVDO cards work except w/the phones you also have the phone part vs just using as a modem.

Depending on the carrier and the model of phone; the procedure for using a Blackberry or Motorola Q or a Treo as a modem will differ.

The following phones currently support tethering/PAM (sprint term for tethering).

Sprint: (Requires Sprint Broadband application, specific data plan feature)

Sprint Broadband application should be on a CD that came w/the phone or can be downloaded by logging into your Sprint site on a PC and downloading


• Treo 700P
• Treo 700wx

• BB 8703e
• BB7130e

Verizon: (Requires VZAccess manager application, specific data plan feature)

Download VZAccess Manager here:
http://support.vzw.com/how_to_use/downloads.html

• Motorola Q
• Treo 700W
• Treo 700P

• BB 7250
• BB 8703e
• BB 7130e

Cingular: (Requires Cingular Communication Manager, specific data plan feature)

Download Cingular Manager here: http://business.cingular.com/businesscenter/solutions/wireless-laptop/software.jsp

• BB Pearl
• BB 7290
• BB 7130c
• BB 8700c

• Treo 700P
• Treo 700W
• Treo 750/680 (??)


T-Mobile: (Requires using the Blackberry Desktop Manager and setting up a modem in Windows to dial into; T-Mobile DOES NOT advertise these abilities on their site, specific data plan feature required also)
• BB Pearl
• BB 7290
• BB 7105t
• BB 8700g

• Treo 700P (require a non-published workaround)
• Treo 700W (require a non-published workaround)


Bluetooth Users
Sprint, Verizon, and Tmobile phones from the list above that have Bluetooth can alternatively connect their phone to a pc via Bluetooth (this will not require any additional software but requires your PC/Laptop to have either a bluetooth dongle or it builtin).

Here is a quick run-through on doing this:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on the phone. Make sure the phone is discoverable.
2. On your pc, pair your pc and your phone.
3. Once paired, it should discover services and find “Bluetooth Modem”
4. Finally, you will need to create a Dialup connection in Windows

Use the Bluetooth Modem as the modem.

Use: *99# as the phone number to dial

Username: same as your Sprint/Verizon user name; you can contact customer service to find this out also (usually your phone# @ vzw.net or sprintpcs.com, again check w/Sprint or Verizon if you are unsure).
Password: leave blank

Hopefully that will get you started on using that phone and data plan w/your laptop. Too bad things aren't the way they used to be and tethering was included w/the data plan.

So if you have problems or cannot tether, you most likely will need to call your carrier and get the options added to your account (generally costs an extra $15/mo but when compared to having an EVDO/Edge PC Card is a pretty good deal!)