Laptop + mobile phone = internet?

[smartbrabus]

Got some rare work-related travel to Finland coming up, and would like to have some way of getting on-line whilst sitting around at airports etc.

Equipment available:-

1 x Apple Powerbook with bluetooth running OS X 10.3.9
1 x Nokia phone with bluetooth (most models available - using 6230i a.t.m.)
1 x Vodafone Business SIM (2G, GPRS enabled etc)

So whats the easiest way of setting it up? Do I need to sort out a dial-up ISP account?

TIA...

 

[imadoofus]

Can't you just get into one of the lounges at the airport, and use the wireless facility there?

PJ

 

[smartbrabus]

I will be travelling cattle class, sadly. Those nice lounges are for business/first only, no? Guess I could sit outside the door and try to sniff out a connection

I'd like to set this up for domestic use also, when no wireless signal is available.

 

[Thmsshaun]

Think you connection speed will be 9600

 

[nickmann]

I've done pure dialup with phone and laptop on holiday once when I needed to find a doctor in a hurry. It's very slow and very expensive. You may fare better with GPRS, but I'd seek out an internet cafe terminal or a wireless hotspot first.

 

[Shude]

9600 or 14400 (apparently possible but rare!) is more than fast enough for instant messaging or e-mail but is way too slow to use anything other than text-based websites. Handy for checking train times or whatever.

 

[fuzzer]

Depending on the size of your powerboook it might have a pcmcia card slot?

Ive got an orange option globetrotter pcmcia gprs card.

Plonk it into the machine
Install the small software pack
right click on the icon in the systray and when it turns green

In the pcmcia card its got a small sim card and it works a treat


Failing that , the mobile company that you use will have roaming agreements with certain people abroad , you can look up the GPRS details and connect via gprs on the prefered networks.

Be prepared for a stonking bill , from memory your looking at £25 quid a MB rather than about £4 in the UK.

 

[imadoofus]

I will be travelling cattle class, sadly. Those nice lounges are for business/first only, no? Guess I could sit outside the door and try to sniff out a connection

Smile sweetly at check-in, and ask if they can get you into the lounge. Or, check out your debit card (if you have one), they often have airport lounge access as one of the 'perks'.

I've never tried either of these (I travel business class ), but you'd be surprised what a smile can get you at check-in. Start off asking whether an upgrade is possible on the flight (IIRC there is business class on KLM to Schipol, but none from there to Helsinki). If you get that, you'll be in the lounge anyway. If not, then ask if they can squeeze you into the lounge while you're waiting. Them smile again.

Oh, and wrap up warm. When I was last in Helsinki in February it was -26 during the day

PJ

 

[smartbrabus]

Some interesting ideas... keep em coming ;-)

Don't really care about cost since work kindly takes care of the mobile phone bill. Not too bothered about (lack of) speed, it would just be for email and the like.

 

[996jimbo]

I quite often use my phone's GPRS connection for emails from my laptop and some browsing if I need something quickly. The set up is simple - using Nokia PC suite configure the bluetooth connection from your laptop to your phone. Assuming your phone is GPRS enabled then using the Nokia PCs suite "connect to the internet" you can connect via your phone to the internet.

Connection I find is typically 2 to 3 times faster than the good old dial up connection. Cost is about £3 for 5mb and you pay by the mb (or part thereof) so it depends on what you're doing as to how much it costs.

Obviously you need an email account - my work one I can access from my laptop (anywhere) and my home one I can access as an internet based email.

 

[Sp!ke]

I wouldnt bother using GPRS or 3G through a laptop whilst roaming at this point in time as you are looking at around £6 per Mb of data... more perhaps depending on your tarrif. Most road warriors now carry Blackberry's to circumnavigate this issue .

You're best off signing up for TMobile wifi hotspots which you will find in most airports across Europe as well as cafes etc. Also, most hotels now have cheap or even free broadband access. My choice of hotel is now dictated by connectivity.

In Helsinki, I would recommend the Hotel Kamp.

 

[Rory]

Like 996jimbo I use GPRS though through my 6310i using an infrared connection. I tried both the NokiaPC software, and the software that Vodafone had on their site but had probs with both (I'm on W2K though).

Eventually found the setup on the web somewhere (kept a copy if you need it) and it was really fiddly to set up GPRS on the 6310i - all the settings had to be keyed in manually, but on later phones I think you can download the settings from Vodafone website.

The laptop just sees it as a modem, but connected directly to the Intenet via Vodafone, so once connected it works fine, and is surprisingly quick - 56K, I think, and web pages load fine.

However, as Sp!ke mentioned, it will be pretty expensive using it abroad and I also would buy a wifi subscription.

 

[smartbrabus]

Thanks for all the advice chaps...

Unfortunately Nokia PC Suite isn't available for Mac (must have words with a few people about that )

Luckily I found some GPRS modem scripts for the mac, so I'm all set now.

Connected without any probs, not sure what speed but it feels at least as quick as 56k dialup, so I'm happy. Its only for occasional use in the absence of WiFi.

p.s. imadoofus, Sp!ke - I'm going to Oulu, about 500km north of Helsinki. Will probably be 30 below zero knowing my luck...

 

[sym]

I'll lend you my ipaq 6365 which I haven't quite sold yet - problem solved Mobile browsing via GPRS perfectly adequate for email etc.

**EDIT** oops - didn't read your last post - you're sorted ! Its going on ebay then ! (or can lend u the communicator, now repaired, unless you have one in your drawer already !)

S.

 

[Seamster15]

BT Openzone????
You will need a wireless card