Laptop connection GPRS

[Guest Me222]

OK, I have just very easily set up my laptop to use my C500 as a standard modem (using the USB cable) and that works fine.

How do I set the laptop/phone up so that the laptop uses the phones GPRS connection? Obviously, the greater speed would be helpful.

[Guest Confucious]

Instead of dialling a normal phone number dial *99#

You mght need to have a modem init string of +cgdcont=1,"IP","orangeinternet","",0,0

I haven't tried this on my C500 but have used *99# on other phones and it ios what initiates a GPRS connection.

Good Luck

[Guest Zahid]

I've set this up on my C500, but as expected, its s painfully slow connection speed!

[Guest Confucious]

It depends on what you were expecting! It's faster than using a mobile as a normal dial up modem (now that IS slow).

What sort of speeds were you getting Zahid?

[Guest jet5354]

so you don't need a username and password then?

i've tried dialing *99# with and without the initialization string and i'm just timing out after it checks the id/pw for about 20secs or so.

any ideas?

[Guest Confucious]

depends what you are trying to do. http://www.filesaveas.com/smartphone.html#connect

[Guest Me222]

Thank guys. That works well, however it doesnt seem any quicker than just using the phone as a standard modem :lol:

Next question....

Will this set up work while I am away at the weekend in Amsterdam?

[Guest Confucious]

I doubt it. You will be connecting to the GPRS system of whatever operator you are roaming on but tring to use Orange's APN.

[Guest Me222]

Mmmm...Orange say that GPRS will work in Amsterdam. Do you mean that I may need to put a different dial up number on the laptop?

[Guest Confucious]

*99# was a number dreamt up by an ericsson engineer when they were testing Vodafone's GPRS many years ago in Newbury but it somehow seems to have become a worldwide standard!

If Orange say it will work who am I to contradict them?

Simple answer is, I don't know. try it and see.

[Guest Me222]

Thanks. They have said GPRS will work (expensive though - £9 per MB or something like that!), but they havent confirmed the *99# will work. Like you say, I'll just have to test it. If not, I guess I can fall back on standard dial up which will be a lot cheaper in any case.

Cheers!