If, like me, you found your new Treo 700p to be AWESOME, except for the $39.99 or $49.99 ADDITIONAL monthly charge to actually USE the Bluetooth DUN feature (that wasn’t mentioned ANYWHERE in the marketing that I saw) so that you can hook up your laptop to it and surf the internet using your phone as a connection, (which I only found out about by calling support and asking why using DUN wasn’t working) then you will probably be VERY interested in this handy $24.95 application from Mobile Stream:
USB Modem allows you to use Treo 600, Treo 650 and Treo 700p smartphones as a USB modem for connecting a desktop or notebook computer to Internet. To surf the Internet from your PC you will need only a USB cable and a Treo with GPRS/EDGE service or CDMA 1x/EvDO data plan.
Features
* Support for Treo 600, Treo 650 and Treo 700p smartphones
* Support for Windows XP, Windows 2000, Mac OS X and Linux operating systems
* Support for USB and Bluetooth connectivity
* Support for background mode so it is possible to make outgoing voice calls or perform other activity on the Treo without disabling the modem mode
* Support for Fax modem operation
* Small memory footprint (30 KB)
I couldn’t get the Bluetooth connectivity option to work. The USB connection option seems to do the trick however. I’m now able to use my phone now exactly as I wanted to without paying the extra EVDO connection fees (hopefully).
Also, I found a bug where if you have Menu Meters installed and the Bluetooth indicator in the menubar as well Menu Meters keeps on restarting while you are connected. If you turn off display of the Bluetooth icon then everything is fine.
Hopefully this won’t get shut down, since it basically enables exactly what you want — internet access on your laptop (in my case a Mac OS X G4 Powerbook) using EVDO speeds.
Directions:
- First, download the trial of the USB Modem software to make sure this will all work for you.
- Follow the User Guide instructions to configure your laptop, and install the USB Modem .prc onto your Treo 700p.
- Go to Prefs, click on Networking. Make sure that you are currently disconnected. Otherwise the USB modem won’t work.
- Click on the USB Modem application
- Click the Enable Modem Mode button. Leave the Connectivity method set to USB, and the Background mode set to checked.
- Under OS X, open Internet Connect application, and select the Treo 700 USB Modem option. You should see #777 in the Telphone Number, leave everything else blank.
- Click Connect.
- You should see it saying Contacting PPP Server… then Authenticating, then Connected.
- Use the internet on your laptop to check your email, ssh, surf the web, instant messenger, whatever
- When you’re done using the internet, click Disconnect in Internet Connect, then click the Disable Modem Mode in USB Modem. If you don’t do this, the next time you try to sync using the USB cable you will get an error message stating that the connection is already in use.
- Enjoy super-fast EVDO speeds on your laptop wherever you go…!!!
I did find that occasionally you will need to turn the phone off and then back on again to reset the internal networking features after you’ve used it as a modem.
I purchased the software since it seems like exactly what I need, and I’d encourage you to do the same. Also, I haven’t gotten my first bill with the new phone yet, so I’m not 100% certain that there won’t still be a charge for using the phone as a modem. But you may as well give it a shot.
I’ll update this post if I see anything on my next bill — I don’t expect to be using the phone as a modem all the time since I’m usually in the vicinity of a WiFi connection.
Update 1: I haven’t seen any additional charges on my bill, so this looks like a pretty great solution.
Update 2: Warning: please see comment #23 below for a problem that David had with this where it “fried” his hard drive. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but please use caution when following these instructions. I haven’t had any problems with it at all, but you may want to backup your hard drive before you proceed.
Update 3: – Jan 28, 2008 – Note: it appears that Sprint / Nextel has changed their terms and conditions to specifically exclude using workarounds like this. Here is the exact text of their current T&C as it applies (emphasis added):
Vision/Power Vision: Services are not available with all Sprint phones. Usage is calculated on a per kilobyte basis and is rounded up to the next whole kilobyte. Rounding occurs at the end of each session or each clock hour and, at which time we deduct accumulated usage from your plan, or assess overage or casual usage charges. You are responsible for all data activity from and to your phone, regardless of who initiates the activity. Estimates of data usage will vary from actual use. Your invoice will not separately identify the number of kilobytes attributable to your use of specific sites, sessions or services used. Premium content (games, ringers, etc.) priced separately. Services are not available for use in connection with server devices or host computer applications, other systems that drive continuous heavy traffic or data sessions, or as substitutes for private lines or frame relay connections. Except with phone-as-modem plans, you may not use a phone (including a Bluetooth phone) on a plan with unlimited Vision/Power Vision as a modem in connection with a computer, PDA, or similar device. We reserve the right to deny or terminate service without notice for any misuse. Availability of downloadable or streaming content is subject to change.
You can read my response below, but basically I think they’re shooting themselves in the foot here. I haven’t heard anything from them about this, and probably they’ll only use that T&C to address specific problem usage (for them) where they have a customer using too much of their “unlimited” data plan. I don’t think it’s a real great strategy to tell some of your most fanatical customers and fans that they are basically screwed. Because heres the thing: we have options, some great ones. It’s probably time to look at shopping for a different carrier if you care about regular computer usage without having to pay their extortionate fees for using your computer with this phone as a modem.
206 responses to “How-to: Use your shiny new Treo 700p as a USB Modem for your laptop and get super-fast Sprint EVDO speeds”
Whats about the 755p? is it the same?
Is it the same with the 755p?
NEW CINGULAR BLOCK?
I have the 680 and used Cingular wireless, with the USB modem and tether successfully for a couple of months. I recently had problems with internet access, so call ATT Wireless support, and they helped me get internet and email working. However, since then, I can’t use the USB modem! I called and complained that the USB modem didn’t work, and they explained that it wasn’t supported, and that I would have to upgrade from the $40 a month plan to $59.95 IF I commit to a 2-year contract. He said that they were “fixing the holes” in the software, and were getting lots of complaints as people got cut off.
Anyone have any suggestions?
Alert: Never, Ever upgrade software.
I guess I can synch my Treo, then do a hard reset, then synch it again to go back to the older version of the software? Then don’t contact ATT
Regarding the 755p I got it working fine. But only using usb cable not bluetooth yet, check their site. Not really a problem since usb will be faster data transfer anyway.
I have Mac powerbook G4 and a Treo700w on my verizon plan. I’m thinking of changing to 700p but want to make sure its worth it. Has anyone noticed any charges yet when you use the treo 700p as a modem? Also does anyone know if the missing syn software will allow me to using my 700w as a modem for my mac?
Thank you.
FYI I got my Treo 680 tethered modem to work, but had to do 2 things differently from before:
1. I previously had isp.cingular and ISP@CINGULARGPRS.COM login, but when changing from the $40 data plan to the $20 MEdiamax bundle, it did’t work, so I changed to wap.cingular and WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM
2. It still didn’t work, but when I unchecked the “Background Mode” box in the Treo’s modem software (version 1.58), it then worked.
I am assuming that in order to use the 700p as a mobile web tool itself that you need to pay Verizon’s (or Sprint’s, etc.) freight – Verizon charges $44.95 per month for unlimited web access – best than Comcast for a hardwired connection for your laptop but slower, obviously. I don’t suppose there is any way to get to the Web on your 700p without paying Verizon, is there?
The Mobile Stream product seems to be a great idea and I’m assuming you need to be paying for Web access via Verizon, etc. to use your unlimited data plan – am I wrong?
Do all the research first, but as I understand it any plan that allows your Palm-OS mobile device to access the web through its browser will also allow you to use the mobile-stream.com USB modem software and the cable, because they can’t tell the difference.
I just installed the trial version on a 700p with Verizon. it seemed to work fine but I did a bandwidth test at http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/ . The 700p came in at ~137k. This compares to a Verizon USB 720 broadband modem at ~800k. They were from the same location. How does this compare to other users on Verizon? This seems to be their “lower†bandwidth network (I used to have a Kyocera that had similar speeds to this 700p/usb modem combo). Perhaps there are different access numbers? Any help appreciated. I would love to stop paying the extra data plan for the 720, but if there is this much difference in bandwidth, I will probably keep the dedicated 720 too…
Love it, just installed it last night on a Treo 755p and it worked like a charm, don’t expect to use it with bluetooth. I used a web based speed check and was getting anywhere from 512 to over 600kbps here in San Francisco. I don’t expect to get charged for this, there is no real way for Sprint to know that you are using your Treo as a modem. I would suspect that if you are using BitTorrent or some other network heavy application thats when they would find out. I think I read somewhere in the Sprint Vision plan that if you pay for the Phone as Modem they restrict you using extensive video streaming and PtoP clients. Buy this product, its great!
I have a Treo 700p with Verizon and a MacBook running OS 10.4 . I did everything right but then when I try to connect, it disconnects immediately and I get the “Modem Error… Please Verify Settings” message that others have gotten.
I double checked that my Bluetooth is off, and I tried the advice that Michael gave to Benjamin, but I don’t see the “Modem tab” that he’s talking about.
Can you give me any advice? Are other people having similar problems with this type of set up? I’d really like to get this working because it sounds like it would be really cool!
canahead, no discriminary stmt pl, you are the sucker head at the least.
[canahead’s comment deleted. This is not a place for people to insult each other.]
Hi and thanks a lot gabriel for this information and also for the rest of the people helping out.
I’m really sorry to ask this dumb question,but for the software is a one time fee only and that’s it?
once again sorry for the dumb question.
jj.
@jj – Not a dumb question. It is a one-time charge. And then you get free upgrades when they’re released.
Thanks a lot Gabriel,for how long is the trial?
jj, I forget exactly how long the demo is good for. It’s free to try, though, so I would recommend you just install it and give it a test.
i installed the trial but:
I am having connection problems using my USB Modem Software. I tried connecting via my Treo 700 (connected via cable to laptop), but I keep getting the following error message: ‘Error 680: There is NO Dial Tone’
jj, if you’ve followed the instructions above and are having problems you will need to work with USB Modem’s support folks on that I think. I didn’t make this software, so I can’t offer technical support other than what I’ve written above.
—
Gabriel
WORRRRRRRRRRRRRKSSSSSSSSSSSS GREAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!
Thanks Gabriel,youre the man!
bummer, i LOVE this software but just checked my bill and was charged for kb usage. it wasn’t much over the three days i’ve used it ($1.17) but it seems kind of random in terms of how they decide to bill you. anyone know a way around this? I used an imac and macbook with a treo 700p on sprint service with vision unlimited data plan.
that sucks to hear that, Anne for how long you used the software and how much they charged you in total?
I have a treo 700p too I’m using it with pc, and I’m thinking on purchasing this software.but I wanna make sure I don’t get a large bill 🙁
Hello All,
I use it with no problems on Sprint with a Mac Powerbook and my plan has the full PCS vision package and I do not get billed extra for it at all.
The thing flies too. It saved my bacon a few weeks ago when networks at the office started going haywire and no one could et on. I pulled out my Seido cable and was up in a minute and able to finish crucial work.
I do have a friend who has a new intel MacBook Pro with the Verizon network and has not been able to get it to work.
JJ – Yeah it was a bummer to see that. I haven’t used it as heavily since I found out I was charged and have not incurred any further charges. so, i think if you don’t use it for more than a few minutes and don’t download maybe it can’t be detected.
JJ – Yeah it was a bummer to see that. I haven’t used it as heavily since I found out I was charged and have not incurred any further charges. so, i think if you don’t use it for more than a few minutes and don’t download maybe it can’t be detected.
Richard, are you using a 650? A friend of mine has been using another modem program with her 650 and a pc for years and has never been hit with extra charges.
JJ – Yeah it was a bummer to see that. I haven’t used it as heavily since I found out I was charged and have not incurred any further charges. so, i think if you don’t use it for more than a few minutes and don’t download maybe it can’t be detected.
Richard, are you using a 650? A friend of mine has been using another modem program with her 650 and a pc on sprint even without vision for years and has never been hit with extra charges.
Hey I just tried using this and I couldn’t get it to work. Everytime I tried I got an error msg (I’m on a OS X 10.4.1 MBP with a treo 700p) saying that the device could not be found. Also, when I opened up Internet Connect, a password was already present. I tried erasing it and leaving it but nothing ever happened. Any suggestions? thanks!
Hi, I switched to a Sprint Treo 755p from a 700p. I use to connect to the internet with my macbook pro via a USB cable and using the mobile-stream software. I cant seem to get it working with the 755p and several people on this site said they made it work. Can someone explain the settings both on the MAC and on the Treo. I really rely on using this as a modem and now I am stuck. Thanks in advance..
I switched to a Sprint Treo 755p from a 700p. Iuse to connect to the internet with my macbook pro via a USB cableandusingthe mobil-stream software. I cant seem to get it working with the 755p and several people on this site said they made it work. Can someone explain the settings both on the MAC and the Treo. I really rely on using this as a modem and now I am stuck. Thanks in advance.
Gabriel,
My daughter (screen name becca – see entry 163) and I (see entry 159) have been trying for over a month to get her up and running on her treo with Verizon service and a Macbook running OS 10.4.
We each asked a question and haven’t gotten any answers from anyone (but I did see that you answered jj several times right after becca asked her question.
Can you (or anyone else) help us? We love the idea of your solution, just need a little help to get over the hump.
Thanks a lot – we are excited to try this!
@Searchboy – I’d love to help, but I don’t personally have the expertise to know what the right solution for your particular situation is. I’m on Sprint, and I don’t know what the right settings for Verizon would be.
I would suggest getting in touch with Mobile Stream customer support and see if they are able to help.
http://www.mobile-stream.com/support.html
—
Gabriel
thanks for the reply Gabriel – I thought the same thing and I’ve already got a call into them
searchboy- yeah try to contact mobile stream they are really nice and will help you.
@mark… make sure in your network properties, it is showing the Treo 755p modem for the port, not the 700p modem. Also, make sure you have the correct modem script. I am using the Sprint PCS Vision script. I just got setup today with my MacBook Pro and my 755p and it works great.
Hi,
I have the Treo 700p and have been using the USBMODEM software for quite some time. I began having a problem with this connection a few months ago. The problem is as follows: Whenever i download at high speeds (usually around 70kb and up) for more than a few minutes, the internet stops responding. On the little 2-computer icon on the task bar, the right computer light goes off and i have to reset my palm. This is very annoying! I contacted USBMODEM and they told me to check or un-check certain options in the modem properties – but to no avail. If anybody here may be able to help me with this problem i would greatly appreciate it. Thank You.
Whoa!!! This is good stuff. There isn’t any Linux representation among these comments so I just wanted to contribute:
PC: SUSE Linux/2.6.16 kernel
PHONE: 700p
SERVICE: Verizon broadband package(NO DUN package)
BLUETOOTH:Works
USB: Works
I get ~500kbps down/~100kbps up with bluetooth, and ~1200kbps down/~130kbps up with USB cable according to http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest. The only issue is that there is some noticeable latency, so it might not be suitable to play network intensive games like Half-life. But the bandwidth is more than enough to stream video/audio like from youtube.com or something.
Getting the USB mode to work is easy – you just follow the Linux instructions. The key to getting the bluetooth mode working is that you should perform a bluetooth browse of your treo from your linux box using the sdptool command. There’s no need to suppress the built-in DUN, because you’ll be able to see both DUN channels and plus suppressing just wastes time since it requires a treo reboot. After you invoke the bluetooth mode, the browse should result in a total of 5 channels: an audio in, a voice out, an OBEX and 2 DUN’s. When you perform an rfcomm connect, select the Mobile Stream DUN’s channel, otherwise the default channel chosen is 1. Follow the rest of the instructions from here.
Uh, oh…
I thought they couldn’t tell you were doing this!
Canadian hit with whopping 85,000-dollar cellphone bill
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071214/wl_canada_afp/canadainternettelecomoffbeat
@Jeff C. — This is where reading the terms and conditions is very important. I believe that using the 3rd party USB Modem does actually fall within the allowed rules for unlimited “on-phone” web browsing, since you are actually using an on-phone application to browse the web. Sprint definitely can tell if you use their built-in application to browse the web, but seems to be tolerating the use of applications like USB Modem so far.
Gabriel,
Thanks for the response. I got the impression from the comments they couldn’t tell the difference, but your explanation sounds more plausible. Do you know how they can tell? Is it through the reporting of the OS/Browser type/monitor resolution that is broadcast when surfing or through some other mechanism? When surfing with USB modem, the computer info is sent, not the PDA info.
Thanks again.
I’ll double check my T&Cs with Sprint.
Does anyone know if the new sprint upgrade to v1.10 causes them to get billed for using the USB Modem software??
I tried to install “USBModem” to my treo centro by using “Hotsync”, but I can’t find the “USBModem” program in my centro. Did I miss somewhere to look for the program?
Gabriel, I was wondering what your monthly data usage is? Thanks!
I have a Treo 700p and USB modem works GREAT on my Mac Powerbook G3 with OS 10.3.9.
Thanks
Hello
can I use it with my Treo 700wx??
USB Modem for Windows Mobile (Treo 700wx etc.) can be downloaded here
http://www.mobile-stream.com/usbmodem_wm.html
Many Thanks! So excited to try this with a 650 palm & toshiba tablet laptop – will report back results soon!
Nice – this works on a Centro paired with a MacBook Pro running Leopard. Happy happy, joy joy.
Hate to burst bubbles here, but it looks to me like this USB Modem method clearly violates the Sprint PCS Vision terms which state:
“Except with phone-as-modem plans, you may not use a phone (including a Bluetooth phone) on a plan with unlimited Vision/Power Vision as a modem in connection with a computer, PDA, or similar device. We reserve the right to deny or terminate service without notice for any misuse.”
http://nextelonline.nextel.com/en/legal/legal_terms_privacy_popup.shtml?id16=warranty
Has anyone had any problems from Sprint/Nextel or is anyone concerned?
Ben
Ok I’ve been at this for a few days trying to get it running on my iBook G4. I never see my Centro pop up as a new modem. Even the scripts that I installed looked different than the ones in the folder when i was following the directions. if anyone can help me out please. Ryan ean walton (AT) gmail (dot) com.
no spaces in the name, just dont need anymore spam from bots. 🙂