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Earlier this summer, my wife and I spent almost two weeks on an extended roadtrip through part of the American Southwest. In preparation for that trip, Imade a remarkable discovery: my traveling habits have changed dramatically sincethe last time I made such a trip. I think I spent more time prepping and packingthe digital gear than I did packing clothes.
As part of trip preparation, I decided to try to ensure that we had Internetaccess every step of the way. I was preparing a podcast episode and needed notonly to pass on a few files to the rest of the team, but also stay in contactwith them as well. My wife also wanted to keep in touch with a few friends viae-mail and perhaps play a bit of World of Warcraft. At first glance, thisappeared to be an easy task since all the hotels we were staying in advertised'in-room' wireless Internet access, but if you've been following my columns fora while, you know that when it comes to technology I can't resist asking 'Whatif…?' In this case the question was, 'What if the hotel Internet access isunavailable or otherwise unreliable?' I needed a backup plan.
I didn't want a new dialup account as a backup. We don't do enough extendedtrips to justify that; besides, it would have meant making long distance callsfrom the hotel. I have used my cell phone alone to access the Internet, but Ihate entering data on cell phones. Besides, no World of Warcraft there, so Iwanted something more.
I knew it was possible to access the Internet using your computer via a cellphone account, and that seemed like the best option. Keep reading and I'lldescribe some of your options and some questions you need to have answeredbefore making your decision. This is an overview rather than the step-by-stepinstructions you have come to expect, because the information needed will varydepending upon your particular cell phone, carrier, and data plan.
Connection Options
I had never used my mobile account to access the Internet from my computer, butsurely someone had created an option to make this easy for Mac users. After alittle research I concluded that the most likely options were broadband accessthrough your cell phone account and cell phones used as modems.
Cellular-based Broadband Access usually requires additional hardware in theform of a broadband modem that connects the computer to a provider's cellularnetwork. These devices are usually either USB or card slot based. Card slotbased options are available for both PCMCIA and ExpressCard slots, so choose theone that matches your computer's interface. There are some cards, such asThe AirCard 402 thatfit either type of slot via an adapter.
Using your existing cell phone as a modem, often referred to as'tethering' or 'phone as modem,' uses your existing cell phone to provide anInternet connection for your computer. In order for tethering to work it mustbe supported by your phone, carrier, and cell phone plan. As users of the newiPhone 3GS can attest, just because the phone supports tethering does not meanthe provider or data plans support it as well.
Asking the Right Questions from the Internet and Tech Support
Before you can decide whether to spend money on a wireless broadband modem, makesure you know your present phone's limits. Do it and your provider bothsupport tethering? If tethering is supported, what speeds is it capable ofattaining in the area where you will be using the phone? Some phone and networkcombinations appear to be capable only of 56K modem speed at best. Is that goingto be fast enough to meet your needs? It's fast enough for e-mail and light Websurfing, but if you are interested in media intensive activities such as gaming,tethering may not be your best option.
You may be able to get this information from your cellular provider, but manyMac users find it easier to consult the Internet first. Try a search thatincludes your phone's make and model and the name of your provider. This shouldget you at least some of the necessary information. Once you decide to contacttech support, keep asking questions until you get the necessary information. Ifreports that I have read are correct, some tech support staff don't fullyunderstand 'tethering' so it may take a while.
While you are looking for the necessary information, keep an eye out for anyindication that your phone needs to be manually put into data mode before youcan use it as your computer's modem. Some posts may mention a particular numericcode that must be entered from the dial pad. There may also be software that willaccomplish this for you. I am currently using USB Modem to connect my Palm OS–basedphone. You may have to specifically ask your provider about this. I spent morethan two hours on the phone with my provider trying to get this process workingunder Mac or Windows. We never got it working under Windows so he decided to trythe Mac side. After about half an hour of that, we must have gotten'disconnected' because he never came back to the phone. I realized later thatwhile we were testing the configuration from the Mac side I don't remember beingasked to put the phone into data mode.
Cell Phone Mac Address Lookup
What Does the Wireless Broadband Modem Cost?
Whether it's USB or card-based, when purchasing a broadband cellular modem fromyour carrier, look to spend anywhere from less than $100 to several hundreddollars depending upon what deals/rebates are being offered. The best pricesare usually contingent upon upgrading/extending your current contract. Myprovider was even willing to give me a free card modem if I extended my currentcontract an additional two years. I decided against this option because the newiPhones are calling my name when my current contract expires. Some of thesecards are available cheaper through third parties, but take care to make surethe card you are interested in will work with your carrier. Make sure yourchosen vendor has a reasonable return policy.
Which Wireless Broadband Modem Should I Choose?
Most U.S. cellular providers have several broadband options on their Web site,either card slot or USB-based options. If you are opting for a broadband card,find out which ones will function with OS X and fit the slot on your computer.Although some providers have this information on their Web site, the informationis not always accurate. From what I have encountered, some of the modem cardswhich do not list OS X drivers will actually work with little or nomodification.
When it comes to solving this issue, be prepared to do some independentresearch. There may be problems using some modems with your Mac that yourprovider's tech support staff may not be aware of. For example, USB-based modemsavoid the issue of choosing a correct card slot, but some of those same modemswould block access to both USB ports on some Macs. These modems usually workwhen attached to a USB extension cable, but it's nice to know that ahead oftime.
I Decided to Use Tethering—How Do I Make It Work?
If you have read this far, you've decided that tethering might be a viableoption. Assuming that your phone and carrier support this option, you're almosthome. All that is left to do is locate the correct username and password,connect your phone to the computer, configure the appropriate settings inNetwork preferences, and put the phone into data mode before connecting to theInternet.
Tethering your cell phone to the Mac is a bit like connecting and configuring adialup network connection. In most cases, you are going to need to know thecorrect username and password. Typically the username and password used fortethering is not the same as any password you may have been given to access Webservices and e-mail. Some providers leave these fields blank. If you didn't findthis information mentioned in your earlier Internet search, contact yourprovider's tech support.
After you have chosen the method to connect your phone to the Mac, launch SystemPreferences and select the Network pane. In the left pane, select yourconnection type (Bluetooth or USB). In the right pane, enter the phone number,account name (username), and password required by your provider. While you arehere, you might find it helpful to check the option to put the modem status inthe menu bar. This will make connecting easier later.
The next step is to connect the Mac to your cell phone. I used a USB cable forthe connection, but many cell phones which support tethering will also functionvia Bluetooth over short distances. If you are going to attempt to use Bluetoothfor the connection, consult your phone's manual for the specific steps to followduring pairing.
Before we attempt to connect to the Internet, be aware that some phones need tobe put into data mode first. Although you can often accomplish this using a dialcode punched in manually via the keypad, I chose to use third-party software.Once your phone is in data mode, all that is left to do is choose yourconnection from the menu bar and wait for the connection to complete.
What's It Going to Cost?
Whether you choose tethering or broadband modem access, most carriers are goingto require that you have a data plan. Make sure you understand the terms andlimitations of your plan. Does your carrier require an additional charge forwireless broadband access? Do they charge an additional per-month fee fortethering? The answer in both cases is probably yes. In other words, you willlikely pay for a data plan and pay an additional fee for either broadbandaccess or tethering.
While you are asking about costs, be aware that some data plans have a limit or'cap' on the amount of data that can be downloaded in any given billing period.This 'cap' is typically around 5 GB per month. Once that cap is exceeded,additional data usually costs a few cents per kilobyte.While 5 GB may sound like a lot of data, it can disappear quickly for heavyusers. The provider may tell youthat they do not charge extra for occasionally exceeding the 'cap'—the bottomline is that they could.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, tethering can be a daunting process. I spent several hoursscouring the Net for the information I needed for the Palm Centro and testingthe setup. Much of that time could have been saved if I had realized that mycellular provider had never added 'Phone as Modem' to my data plan despiteassuring me that it had been added. Tech support tried valiantly but wasn't veryhelpful. We spent most of the more than two-hour-long support call attempting toget this working on my Boot Camp installation of XP. We never got that working,and the last half hour or so of Mac work could have been avoided if I hadremembered to put my phone in data mode before attempting a connection to theInternet.
We used this feature a little bit during out trip, especially during the threedays were were completely without WiFi access in the middle of Phoenix, Arizona.We never attempted World of Warcraft because of the speeds we were achieving. Wealso didn't use it nearly enough to justify the amount of time and energy thisproject required. I hope you will profit from my experiences. Mac os catalina and office 365.
Copyright © 2009 Sylvester Roque, sroque@atpm.com.
Also in This Series
Mac Address On Cell Phone
- Give Alert Sounds a Little Personality · March 2012
- Create Your Own iPhone Ringtones · February 2012
- Create Your Own Homemade Audio Book · December 2011
- Upgrade to Lion Painlessly · August 2011
- Make the Most of TextEdit · July 2011
- Using the Free Disk Utility on Your Mac · May 2011
- Making Use of QuickTime X · March 2011
- Making the Most of What's Already on Your Mac · February 2011
- Making the Most of What's Already on Your Mac · January 2011
