Just a couple of updates to my original Blackberry Modem Mash:
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After a few experiments on a few different machines, it does appear that you need both the Blackberry Device Manager and the Blackberry Desktop, and they both have to be running.
In a field test (I was in a hotel), it took both. It doesn’t seem logical, but reality and logic are not always in sync.
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The T-Mobile invoices have come and gone, and there was no sign of any extra charges. Hence, it appears my “all you can eat” service is truly that. A word of warning: I am sure that this only applies in the US, and that there are per MB charges for “data roaming.”
Since T-Mobile services are as confused as their customer service reps, here’s a snapshot of what’s on my bill, for your information:
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Finally, for the brave of heart, I thought I’d share this little technological loop-de-loop.
As I mentioned, I “field tested” this from a hotel. Here’s the story:
I was recently in San Francisco for a few days of meetings. As bad luck would have it, the &^%$ hotel wanted $12 a day for internet access. I usually check before I check in – and tend to eschew hotels that don’t offer it for free. And, my god, this was San Francisco! But, I forgot this time.
Admittedly, $12 is not going to break the bank, but it just rubs me the wrong way – especially considering what the room itself was costing. So I decided to field test using my Blackberry 8700g as a modem. My initial experiments had been favorable (see my original post: Blackberry Modem Mash). But, there ain’t nothing like the real world to throw cold water on a hot idea.
I am here to say that it worked like a charm. Not only did it work, I managed to do the following using the connection:
- Exchange email using an Hamachi peer-to-peer VPN connection to my Exchange server. (See my original post: Networking with Sushi Hamachi)
- Login to Skype and call home.
- Browse various web sites at an altogether acceptable speed.
I particularly liked the Skype connection. I found a certain ironic pleasure in using an almost-3G cell phone to connect to the Internet so that I could make a VoIP call.
Hello. I am just trying to figure out if an incoming call will interrupt the data stream while using the BB as a modem. Does it depend on the device type or service?
Thank you!
Hi Tina,
You’re correct — whether or not the phone will work while using the BB as an IP modem is a function of:
1. the capabilities of the device
2. the type of data connection
In a nutshell, you need to have an EDGE or other similar 3G or near-3G connection. If your device does not support that, or if you’re in an area without that type of connect, the phone will be busy when you use the data service.
This, by the way, is true even when sending/receiving mail. But, given the way that BB’s work, this rarely occurs. For example, I believe, if you are browsing the web with your BB, your phone will appear as busy — Unless you have an EDGE/EVDO connection.
Of note: I was pleased to discover that, on EDGE, email continues to arrive even when using the BB as an IP modem. I was in a hotel, on Skype, chatting away, and all the while my BB continued to bubble and buzz as email was received.
I even tried Skype video (and it worked — from Brussels no less).. it was choppy, and pixilated, but it worked. Saved a bundle on international calls and never paid the E10 a day for the hotel’s crappy wireless connection.
Regards
Gavin
Hi All,
does anyone of you have any idea if it is possible to find a downloadable hamachi application for blackberry? (curve)
I would like to join a VPN I created with Hamachi also with my mobile.
Thanks in advance for your help !
Paolo