Data connection questions...

[Guest satandole666]

I bought my MPx200 a couple months ago and I am starting to get addicted to it. I'm thinking about getting the unlimited data plan from ATT, but I have a couple questions first.

Since I've never used the internet on my phone, at what speed does the phone "connect" to the internet. This is an important factor for me, since I am stuck behind a very limiting firewall at school. I read somewhere (can't remember where) that the data transfer rates are faster than dialup, somewhat comparable to ISDN (I think it mentioned 110k/sec). Is this true? If so, I'd like to use my phone to get around the firewall. Would I be able to download files from the internet (large files, say 500MB) onto a SD card and then transfer it to my computer? I'm not sure how pocket explorer works, so I don't know if I'll only be able to open web pages, or will I be able to download files on them?

Also, instead of using the phone as a standalone device, if I use it as a modem does it connect to the same internet service or do I have to supply it with a phone number and all the other ISP information?

Sorry for the newb questions. Thanks in advance for your help.

P.S. Sorry if I posted this in the wrong section...I don't think this qualifies as a problem worthy of putting in the help and advice section.

[Guest Monolithix [MVP]]

It connects at about the same speed as 56k dialup (51k to be exact, assuming ideal signal quiality). To download 500MB would not only take a week or so, you'd find it would probably soon break the t's and c's of your contract with AT&T.

[Guest dodding nonkey]

Not to mention the fact that, if the IT security is any good, trying to bypass the firewall in the manner you described will have been prevented in any case!

[Guest nycsteve]

on t-mobile i'm able to get 115/sec using the phone as a modem

[Guest chucky.egg]

That sounds like the figure that Windows reports for the connection, but normally turns out to be the connection speed to the device (the phone in this case) and not the speed of the connection to the network.

I could be wrong, but...

[Guest satandole666]

Not to mention the fact that, if the IT security is any good, trying to bypass the firewall in the manner you described will have been prevented in any case!

I will be bypassing the firewall by using a different method to connect to the internet. Sorry for the confusion.

So 115kb/sec? Can you guys download large files without angering the phone companies?

Thanks again for all of your replies.

[Guest Monolithix [MVP]]

dodding nonkey: if users hook up a completely independant internet conection to a firewalled pc theres not a lot you can do to protect it!

nycsteve: that's just the serial connection speed between your pc and the handset. All Windows Smartphones are class 8 GPRS afaik (bar the C500, which is class 10 post update), this equates to 51k down, 14k up, again depending on signal strength and quality.

[Guest nycsteve]

That sounds like the figure that Windows reports for the connection, but normally turns out to be the connection speed to the device (the phone in this case) and not the speed of the connection to the network.

I could be wrong, but...

ahhh i didn't think about that but your right - windows shows connection to device - like when you use a wireless router it shows 10m/sec which i'm definetly not getting w/ my cable modem. so the 115k is my bluetooth connection. i'll have to run a test because it definetly seems much faster than 56k/sec.