vB Easy Archive - Is it possible to use BB as a Modem?

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Is it possible to use BB as a Modem?
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Posted by: wilson94t

It seems not to be an option - which is kind of disappointing.

It's got an IP address. It has a USB cable attached to my notebook computer.

Posted by: harryball

Quote:

Originally posted by wilson94t
It seems not to be an option - which is kind of disappointing.

It's got an IP address. It has a USB cable attached to my notebook computer.

Nope, not yet, I've pointed this out to BB serveral times. It seems there is a total lack of interest in doing anything about it.

For this reason alone, as soon as I get where I can jump ship (provided the modem doesn't appear before then) I will.

Posted by: jsclark1

This is by request of the carriers. They give you "unlimited" blackberry data for $45 to $50 but they want to charge $80 for their other unlimited data plans. They don't want to re-engineer their billing systems to be able to tell the difference, so they request that RIM does not allow for using the BBerry as a wireless modem.

It's all about the $$, and in this case, it's the carriers.

-Jon

Posted by: harryball

Quote:

Originally posted by jsclark1
This is by request of the carriers. They give you "unlimited" blackberry data for $45 to $50 but they want to charge $80 for their other unlimited data plans. They don't want to re-engineer their billing systems to be able to tell the difference, so they request that RIM does not allow for using the BBerry as a wireless modem.

It's all about the $$, and in this case, it's the carriers.

-Jon

I'm not even talking about access to the data service, geeze, I'd pay extra for that... I'm talking about just using the device as a dial up modem. I can use my V60c as a dialup modem, but not the BB, very backwards.

Eventually RIM will have to wise up and give us access to use it as a dial up modem. I'd be burning minutes while using it, why wouldn't Vzw be happy about that.

I call the lack of any modem capacity whatsoever, "short sighted".

Posted by: Mark Rejhon

Please see this thread:
http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...BlackberryModem

While it doesn't yet exist (hopefully at BWC 4.0 release or shortly after, fingers crossed), it should be possible to do this as a third party software program, with the sole caveat of needing it to be signed by RIM for it to work.

Petition the third party software developers and also RIM itself.

Posted by: jsclark1

Quote:

Originally posted by harryball
I'm not even talking about access to the data service, geeze, I'd pay extra for that... I'm talking about just using the device as a dial up modem. I can use my V60c as a dialup modem, but not the BB, very backwards.

Eventually RIM will have to wise up and give us access to use it as a dial up modem. I'd be burning minutes while using it, why wouldn't Vzw be happy about that.

I call the lack of any modem capacity whatsoever, "short sighted".

Regardless if you use the carrier's data (ISP) service or not, you are still using their data *network* when you utilize a device as a wireless modem. This actvity takes capacity, and that is essentially what you pay for when you buy a wireless data card and pay $80 a month for "unlimited" data. That price applies even if you simply use the device as a "gateway" to another ISP or into your own dial-up pool of some kind, or what not. The carriers currently have no billing mechanism that allows them to differentiate between "modem" use and "blackberry" use - on 1x data, the RIM modem would bill on a data used basis, not on a per minute basis. They also know that the potential for a subscriber to run dozens or hundreds of megs of data through a BBerry when used as modem is a distinct possibility - when used just as a Blackberry, it's almost impossible.

If you are just talking about CSD over CDMA or GSM, all I can say is why would you want to? How painful is that?

And you can tell me about the MOU feature of 1x data on some Verizon plans - the fact is that they never really intended to allow that, and it's next to impossible to get them to add it to any plans nowadays. They want you to buy a pre-set amount of data usage for the 1x network, or buy an unlimited amount for a set price.

The last reason is support. If they allow the RIM as a dial-up device, they have to support it. Support for tethering two devices together makes for the potential of far more than twice the time used up on support calls - it multiplies it by 3 or 4 times. Yes, I realize they support the aforementioned scenario on several handsets, but they made that decision from the beginning and allocated support accordingly. I think it's safe to say that the Blackberry is a unique enough device to require additional training to support that configuration, and RIM would have to allocate manufacturer support for it as well.

It may come in time, but don't hold your breath...

-Jon