Specs: MacBook Pro OS 10.4.1, Palm Centro, Sprint with phone as modem service option
Getting through the set up via Sprint's sales and support is the biggest hurdle. When I bought this phone back in December, I knew I could use it as a modem - I looked specifically for that feature. I knew I could add on broadband and use it through my computer, but they told me I could only connect at super slow 28.8k... not true! I hear t-mobile has free broadband with their plans, but since I am locked into a contract with Sprint until 2009, I am stuck.
Thinking I might be jaunting off soon to an undisclosed location for a mini-vacation, I thought I should go ahead and set this up. So I called sales and ended up getting triaged to "advanced tech support" because - "You can't use your phone as a modem and a phone. The plan won't allow it." ummm what???
I finally got someone who understood what I was saying and they hooked me up with the "Phone as modem" add on. I had the Power Vision pack - which is the broadband plan, now I just needed to get that option.
So then I had to set it up - via bluetooth. Centro doesn't work tethered via usb as a modem to a mac, so I turned on bluetooth, went to "set up device" selected mobile phone, and wow it found it. Had to then enter in the credentials and set the modem script as "au CDMA bluetooth". btw - this is using PPP not PPPoE... Everything was checking out fine, then I got errors. Couldn't connect. There is this little setting that if you aren't looking for it you won't find it... it's in the Bluetooth Preferences, under "sharing" there is a dropdown that when you have the bluetooth device selected: type: rs-232 This should say modem instead. Select that, save, hit connect and you're good to go anywhere you get a signal.
I was paying 60 extra a month for the aircard plan at first (they had lured me in with 1 month free - big mistake because now I have to have pay for 3 lines instead of just 2) but now I am paying only 25 more and I get this:
Sure, it's only 256k and not as fast as real broadband, but its better than 28.8k or nada.
