Use your iPhone to connect your laptop to the Internet

[Delfin]

A few months ago, I discovered that I could use my unlimited dataplan on my iPhone to connect my laptop to the Internet via the phone.* This has proven very handy, as I can connect at anchor, in the car, etc.* This basically does the same thing as an air card, except you don't need the aircard, or the cost of that plan.* All you need is the iPhone, and a dataplan.

I won't go into all the details of this fairly simple process, but you have to start at www.blackra1n.com.* This application 'jailbreaks' your phone, meaning you can install the other application you need to to have your iPhone look like a computer with Internet access to your laptop, or choose another wireless carrier if you like.* www.cydia.com has the other needed application, and the utility you end up installing gives your phone a new function called 'Internet Tethering.' Here is a link to information on that application:* http://www.funkyspacemonkey.com/howto-enable-internet-tethering-iphone-os-3x-carrier-att-included. This function is available outside the U.S., just not here.* Here is official Apple information on the topic:* http://www.apple.com/iphone/iphone-3gs/tethering.html.* When you connect your iPhone to your laptop via USB (and have iTunes installed on the laptop), you automatically go into Tethering and you can get to the web just as you would normally.* Speeds at 3G levels is very good - about the same as DSL.*

Those with iPhones might look into this if free high speed Internet has any value to you.* Download blackrain to your iPhone to jailbreak it, then check out the sites above to learn the balance of what you need to know.

-- Edited by Delfin on Thursday 4th of February 2010 10:01:23 PM

 

[Phil Fill]

Its call tethering and it cost about 15 bucks per month and slow compared to an air card.* We had both but use the air card 100% of the time as the air card broad band is like 2 to 3 time fast for 49 bucks a month.* I been looking*at the mini note books that the cell carrier are selling that *has broad band built in for like 100 to 200 bucks that you can also use as E reader.* We been reading books on line with our portable PC for over a year so*I dont see what the *E reader fuss is about *

 

[albin43]

couldnt get it to work with at&t...

 

[Phil Fill]

Our Verizon air card is through a company account.* it&t can advertize all they want, but*verizon has the best over all coverage.* We have sales employees around the US and Canada calling on Pulp, Paper and sawmills and have*found Verizon is the best.* The only thing Verizon does ot have is the I Phone which they will offer later this year but the Balckberry Storm, now on sale for*buy one get one free,*is*comparable.* The Balckberry has tethering and internation calling which some of our saled employees need.
****

 

[albin43]

You can jailbreak a iPhone and use it on verizon

 

[Forkliftt]

I used a Verizon card for 2 years, then got an iPhone which satisfies about 95% of my normal business and personal Web surfing and email needs. It is very intuitive. ActiveCaptain will not work with it yet, but I think that may change. Tethering would be the best of all worlds.

 

[Delfin]

Sailor, tethering isn't banned in the U.S. that I am aware of, but they don't like it.* It is allowed outside the U.S., and setting up your iPhone to allow it here requires that you unlock the phone.* Once unlocked, your unlimited dataplan can be taken advantage of, and if you want through tethering, and you can change your carrier to other than AT&T if you care to.* AT&T has made some rumblings about selling you an unlimited plan, then charging you more if you download more than whatever amount of data they think represents 'unlimited.'* If you don't like paying for aircard service in addition to a dataplan, this is a pretty easy option, and works whereever you cell phone works.

 

[albin43]

Delfin, do u have AT&T? Im having a hard time doing this

 

[Delfin]

Albin, yes I have AT&T.* I am no propeller head, but I can give you the characteristics of my system and what I did to make it all happen:

1.* My laptop is set up to connect to my home network.* When the wizard is run, the box 'connects to the Internet through another computer' was checked, so my laptop is already looking for another computer in the network to connect through.
2.* Install iTunes on the laptop.* I am using 9.0.2.* It is possible that later versions of iTunes will prevent you from being able to jailbreak your phone.* Apple would prefer you not, because in additional to tethering, you can also sign up for Tmobile, or Verizon if the phone is jailbroken, and they don't get a cut of that action.
3.* Install Blackra1n on the iPhone, run it, ('Make it Rain' is the choice).*
4.* Once Blackra1n is run, you will be able to choose additional application vendors than the Apple store.* One is Cydia, select this.
5.* Once that installs and loads, search for 'tethering' and install the Bigboss application for this feature.* This will add a new function to Settings -> General -> Network, called Tethering.* Turn this on, enable 3G, and plug the phone into the computer.
6.* Launch iTunes, and have it open.
7.* Go to the Control Panel on the laptop and select Network Connections.* A local area connection identified as an Apple Mobile Device Ethernet should pop up and you should then see at the top of the iPhone the words 'Internet Tethering'.

At that point, I was good to go and have had zero problems or issues in the 3 months or so I have used this.* To tether, I just plug the phone into the laptop, and a minute later, I am tethered and connected to the Internet.* I am frankly amazed that it works as well as it does.* If you want to avoid having to do it all over again, my advice is to NEVER install updates to your phone, which will be almost guaranteed to undo the tethering.* For that matter, I wouldn't update iTunes either.* I am probably outside the mainstream on this, but I have had updates from Apple or Microsoft bugger up my systems so many times I never auto update anything.* The final straw was service pack 3 for XP which reduced my laptop to a paperweight, requiring uninstalling the SP3.

Normally, I am not much interested in working outside the box, but this solves so many problems for me (for free) that it is pretty hard not to see it as positive.* AT&T was supposed to offer this as a feature to their service some months ago, but haven't.* My guess is that they will want to monetize this capability at some point by tweaking what an 'unlimited data plan' actually means.

Hope that helps...

 

[Phil Fill]

With Verizon not all phones have tethering and it costs an extra 15.00 per month.* They have the Blackberry Storm on sale buy one and get one free. ***

 

[albin43]

I've got it all to the point of
going general, network and then teathering doesn't show up. but the teathering app icon from big boss is on my screen and I followed the instructions about 30 times. For some reason I just
can't get anything past that.

 

[Delfin]

Albin, I am not sure what the problem is, sorry.* Are you using 3.1.2 iPhone software?

-- Edited by Delfin on Monday 8th of February 2010 09:29:37 PM

-- Edited by Delfin on Monday 8th of February 2010 09:32:13 PM

 

[albin43]

Delfin, I got it to work.
Thanks alot for the help!

 

[Delfin]

Albin, glad to hear it. Let us all know if it works for you as well as it did for me.

 

[Daddyo]

I used to use a Verizon aircard but now I use their MIFI card. The MIFI is your own little wifi hotspot. The MIFI has better reception then the aircards. The MIFI network is password protected and up to 5 computers with wifi cards can use the network. The network actually runs faster with the more computers you have on at a time. One of the many great things about the MIFI is you can put it where you get the best reception (flybridge, etc). The MIFI has an internal battery and a wall charger included. I pay $59 per month and get unlimited internet, it doesn't get any better or easier.

-- Edited by Daddyo on Tuesday 9th of February 2010 07:47:42 PM

 

[albin43]

i used it all night! its great and the best part is FREE

 

[Baker]

I will say that I do have my phone set to "tether". It would be absolutely great if I were a liveaboard but don't find I need it all that much for what I do. Everywhere I travel usually has wifi....I am in Buenos Aires right now on wifi.

Anyway, Android phones are the wave of the future and another way Google is taking over the world. I have an Android phone on Sprint. Android is an operating system that is not native to any particular handset or any particular carrier. And it is an open platform which means you can access any part of the root system you wish to. Which also means I can go to the Android market thru my phone and download the software that I need straight to my phone. The software is pda.net and is also what Blackberry uses(and probably many other phone systems). I think it costs a one time fee of 10 bucks....worth every penny. I have even considered cancelling my internet at home and using this as the alternative. Rumor has it that Sprint is working on a way to stop this....dunno how but that is the word on the street.

Again, if I spent more time underway on my boat, this would be a very valuable tool. I like to anchor out versus marinas and it is quite a luxury to have internet access at anchor.