Gogarty wrote:

How, exactly, does one connect a cell phone to a computer?


Actually, now you can do it with Bluetooth. For those wondering what
Bluetooth is, its a short distance radio protocol that acts like a
serial line. Computers, keyboards/mice, headsets, GPS's, PDA's etc,
are now being made with this capability. Adapters can be used to add
it - I use it, with adapters, whenever I hotsync my Palm PDA. It is
particularly handy in a cell: If your cell goes close to a unit with
which it is registered, it automatically connects. For instance,
getting into your car will connect the cell in your pocket to the
speaker phone built into many new car's hifi. Magic!

You should consider Bluetooth whenever you get a new gadget.


As to connecting to the 'net, the latest technology allows cell
connection at around 100kB using EGPRS (Verizon calls it EDGE).
Bluetooth (or a USB cable) allows this to become a standard connection
on a computer. The real issue is the billing. The service is
intended for simple surfing on the new GMS phones. Some service
people will say it isn't allowed for computer connection ("tethered"
is what they call it), but there is nothing in my contract that
precludes it. Some carriers do specifically preclude tethered use. I
have a friend who has been using the Sprint version for several years
for $10 a month surcharge, but this is grandfathered; its no longer
available. My $20 "unlimited" service (for cell phone surfing) seems
to work, though I haven't used it extensively. The unlimited tethered
data version is about $80, cheap for a serious business, but rather
pricey for recreational use. Do not use a "pay by the byte" billing.
This can get very expensive, very quick!

Good choice. Just make sure they understand that you want to do a direct
dialup and not gain access to the net.

Good Luck!
Doug

"Gogarty" wrote in message
...
In article ,
dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom says...



"Gogarty" wrote in message
...
In article ,
dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom says...


My impression is that the server is not on the net. Just a direct
dialup. Must be a TRS80 or something.

No, it's not on the net. Can't be accessed via the net which makes our
DSL quite useless for that business. But TRS-80? Intriguing thought. My
very first computer was a Trash-80 before it even supported lower case
characters. All the prinouts looked like teletype and my wife had to
retyped them on a manual typewriter before the clients would accept
them.

How, exactly, does one connect a cell phone to a computer?

Do you mean directly? Mine interfaces via a USB port. My old phone
used a serial port. You might check with your cell provider. Before Sprint
offered the wireless service, the mechanism consisted of a bank of modems
somewhere (probably at a regional office). The modem then dialed the
number you provided so any dialup would work. If this kind of service is
still available then it sounds like it is what you need..

Many thanks. I know a lot more now than I did. Our provider is T Mobile
and I
will contact them directly.

Gogarty wrote:

Looks like we may be spending a month on the boat in September. No
problem with that except we can't just cut the cords and sail away.
Business still has to be attended to and business is highly dependent
on computers and communications.

Is it possible or feasible to link a computer to a cell phone so that
one can access the Internet and, more important, send and receive
data that can only be managed through a dial-up connection? The
server we deal with is very unforgiving. One has to send data over a
28K dial-up line or it just won't accept it.

Any thoughts or experience? It's a 37-foot sloop so we are not talking
Marsat.

Normal digital cell phone data links are 14.4k. I use this for email and it's
fine. It works wherever there's a digital network -- not analog. In some
areas -- mostly major metropolitan areas but others too -- you can get broadband
access through your cell phone. Verizon's version of this service is about $80
a month. I've tried a demo and it works very well. Check with your provider to
see if it's being offered in your area.

If you're in a marina...

Many marinas offer WiFi, as do cafes and restaurants around them, often for
free. Also, if your marina offers cable TV, chances are you can get broadband
internet pretty easily. DSL might be harder, but if phone service is offered
there's a good chance it's fast enough (28.8k).

Matt O.

"Matt O'Toole" wrote in message
...
Gogarty wrote:

Looks like we may be spending a month on the boat in September. No
problem with that except we can't just cut the cords and sail away.
Business still has to be attended to and business is highly dependent
on computers and communications.

Is it possible or feasible to link a computer to a cell phone so that
one can access the Internet and, more important, send and receive
data that can only be managed through a dial-up connection? The
server we deal with is very unforgiving. One has to send data over a
28K dial-up line or it just won't accept it.

Any thoughts or experience? It's a 37-foot sloop so we are not talking
Marsat.

Normal digital cell phone data links are 14.4k. I use this for email and
it's
fine. It works wherever there's a digital network -- not analog. In some
areas -- mostly major metropolitan areas but others too -- you can get
broadband
access through your cell phone. Verizon's version of this service is
about $80
a month. I've tried a demo and it works very well. Check with your
provider to
see if it's being offered in your area.

If you're in a marina...

Many marinas offer WiFi, as do cafes and restaurants around them, often
for
free. Also, if your marina offers cable TV, chances are you can get
broadband
internet pretty easily. DSL might be harder, but if phone service is
offered
there's a good chance it's fast enough (28.8k).

Matt O.


ATT (now Cingular) Wireless has broadband, which claims to be 115K. I'm not
sure it's actually that fast, but it's not bad. It's also about $80/mo, plus
your regular service. It works well.

That's a bad deal. My Sprint phone operates at 115K baud at a flat rate of
$9.95.

"Matt O'Toole" wrote in message
...
Gogarty wrote:

Looks like we may be spending a month on the boat in September. No
problem with that except we can't just cut the cords and sail away.
Business still has to be attended to and business is highly dependent
on computers and communications.

Is it possible or feasible to link a computer to a cell phone so that
one can access the Internet and, more important, send and receive
data that can only be managed through a dial-up connection? The
server we deal with is very unforgiving. One has to send data over a
28K dial-up line or it just won't accept it.

Any thoughts or experience? It's a 37-foot sloop so we are not talking
Marsat.

Normal digital cell phone data links are 14.4k. I use this for email and
it's
fine. It works wherever there's a digital network -- not analog. In some
areas -- mostly major metropolitan areas but others too -- you can get
broadband
access through your cell phone. Verizon's version of this service is
about $80
a month. I've tried a demo and it works very well. Check with your
provider to
see if it's being offered in your area.

If you're in a marina...

Many marinas offer WiFi, as do cafes and restaurants around them, often
for
free. Also, if your marina offers cable TV, chances are you can get
broadband
internet pretty easily. DSL might be harder, but if phone service is
offered
there's a good chance it's fast enough (28.8k).

Matt O.

Did you sign up recently, or is that from a few years ago? I believe
their current deals are nowhere near that generous.

Also, they may preclude "tethered" mode (feeding a computer), but they
don't have any easy way to determine if that's what you're doing.
However, if they figure it out, you could be in for a big surprise at
billing time. Cingular has an unlimited deal for $19 - half of their
sales people say its non-tethered only, the other half (probably those
on commission) say you have no problem using it tethered.


Doug Dotson wrote:
That's a bad deal. My Sprint phone operates at 115K baud at a flat rate of
$9.95.

"Matt O'Toole" wrote in message
...

Yeah, that was my situation. You weren't allowed to use it as a modem
without going through their tethering system. Not sure how they would know,
but....

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
Did you sign up recently, or is that from a few years ago? I believe
their current deals are nowhere near that generous.

Also, they may preclude "tethered" mode (feeding a computer), but they
don't have any easy way to determine if that's what you're doing. However,
if they figure it out, you could be in for a big surprise at billing time.
Cingular has an unlimited deal for $19 - half of their sales people say
its non-tethered only, the other half (probably those on commission) say
you have no problem using it tethered.


Doug Dotson wrote:
That's a bad deal. My Sprint phone operates at 115K baud at a flat rate
of
$9.95.

"Matt O'Toole" wrote in message
...

So far, no response from T Mobile.