macbook pro and 3g phone compatability on ?tmobile

I'd like to use my macbook pro (with express card slot, not pc card)
with 3g data. From what I've read so far I'd be better off doing this
using a 3g phone as a bluetooth modem rather than getting an expresscard
modem (which wouldn't allow normal phone use anyway)

The webnwalk max package on tmobile looks like it would suit me. Most
of the 3g nokia phones listed for that package on their site are also
quite attractive.

So my main question is will they work well as a 3g bluetooth modem with
a mac? Has anyone actually done this?

Could I get a similar deal with vodafone, my current network? I haven't
been able to find one, although I think 3 does something similar.

Thanks for your advice...

Seuss <seuss@nospam.com> wrote:

> I'd like to use my macbook pro (with express card slot, not pc card)
> with 3g data. From what I've read so far I'd be better off doing this
> using a 3g phone as a bluetooth modem rather than getting an expresscard
> modem (which wouldn't allow normal phone use anyway)
>
> The webnwalk max package on tmobile looks like it would suit me. Most
> of the 3g nokia phones listed for that package on their site are also
> quite attractive.
>
> So my main question is will they work well as a 3g bluetooth modem with
> a mac? Has anyone actually done this?

Yes - did it last Tuesday with an ancient ex-3 contract phone (Nokia
7600) and my T-Mobile WebnWalk SIM.

Signal strength wasn't great, but I was getting 380kb downstream speeds,
which is more than acceptable for the kind of work you'd do on mobile
data.
--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL
BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

On Feb 25, 10:43 am, s...@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) wrote:
> Seuss <s...@nospam.com> wrote:
> > I'd like to use my macbook pro (with express card slot, not pc card)
> > with 3g data. From what I've read so far I'd be better off doing this
> > using a 3g phone as a bluetooth modem rather than getting an expresscard
> > modem (which wouldn't allow normal phone use anyway)
>
> > The webnwalk max package on tmobile looks like it would suit me. Most
> > of the 3g nokia phones listed for that package on their site are also
> > quite attractive.
>
> > So my main question is will they work well as a 3g bluetooth modem with
> > a mac? Has anyone actually done this?
>
> Yes - did it last Tuesday with an ancient ex-3 contract phone (Nokia
> 7600) and my T-Mobile WebnWalk SIM.
>
> Signal strength wasn't great, but I was getting 380kb downstream speeds,
> which is more than acceptable for the kind of work you'd do on mobile
> data.

If you get something like T Mobile's MDA 2 it has the higher-speed
capabliity HSPDA (or similar letters to that) so you'll get about 1.2
MB/s speeds where you have a good 3G signal. I use this and it is very
impressive indeed. Faster than my rural fixed-line "broadband"
connection embarrassingly enough! Having said all that I have just
signed up for BT Openzone becuase I am often in an area with a poor 3g
signal but wireless is available - such as cafes and coffee shops. The
other reason why you might want to consider the latter rather than web
and walk is that the phone will kick you off the modem connectiion
when someone calls. I'll be hanging onto both contracts because I need
the flexibility to have decent speeds when not near a wireless
hotspot. But I do bill the comms charges back to my clients.

Cheers

D

David <barrettquick@googlemail.com> wrote:

> > > So my main question is will they work well as a 3g bluetooth modem with
> > > a mac? Has anyone actually done this?
> >
> > Yes - did it last Tuesday with an ancient ex-3 contract phone (Nokia
> > 7600) and my T-Mobile WebnWalk SIM.
> >
> > Signal strength wasn't great, but I was getting 380kb downstream speeds,
> > which is more than acceptable for the kind of work you'd do on mobile
> > data.
>
> If you get something like T Mobile's MDA 2 it has the higher-speed
> capabliity HSPDA (or similar letters to that) so you'll get about 1.2
> MB/s speeds where you have a good 3G signal.

Windows Mobile phones are a complete PITA to get working as modems on
OSX. I tried and gave up.

Is there a cheap, bluetooth, PAYG, high-speed 3G phone out there?
--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL
BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

On Feb 25, 1:48 pm, s...@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) wrote:

snip

> Windows Mobile phones are a complete PITA to get working as modems on
> OSX. I tried and gave up.

Can be tricky but get hold of the modem script mentioned here (the
400k one) and it works well.
http://vowe.net/archives/007665.html

> Is there a cheap, bluetooth, PAYG, high-speed 3G phone out there?

Dunno. You can get web 'n' walk as PAYG. But don't know if it's cheap.
Won't be long before most places that sell you a seat and a coffee
will offer wifi for free. Give it a year or two.

D

On 2007-02-25, SteveH <steve@italiancar.co.uk> wrote:
> David <barrettquick@googlemail.com> wrote:
>
>> > > So my main question is will they work well as a 3g bluetooth modem with
>> > > a mac? Has anyone actually done this?
>> >
>> > Yes - did it last Tuesday with an ancient ex-3 contract phone (Nokia
>> > 7600) and my T-Mobile WebnWalk SIM.
>> >
>> > Signal strength wasn't great, but I was getting 380kb downstream speeds,
>> > which is more than acceptable for the kind of work you'd do on mobile
>> > data.
>>
>> If you get something like T Mobile's MDA 2 it has the higher-speed
>> capabliity HSPDA (or similar letters to that) so you'll get about 1.2
>> MB/s speeds where you have a good 3G signal.
>
> Windows Mobile phones are a complete PITA to get working as modems on
> OSX. I tried and gave up.
>
> Is there a cheap, bluetooth, PAYG, high-speed 3G phone out there?

I don't know about cheap, but Motorola phones work fine as modems with
my Mac. I currently have a Maxx V3 (or V3xx, or whatever it is branded
as) which supports 3.6 Mbps HSDPA. I've yet to try it with a bluetooth
connection, but it works exceptionally well attached with the USB cable.

I use the 3G modem scripts from here:

http://www.taniwha.org.uk/

Dennis Ferguson