Tethered modem
 

Can I use the Blackberry Storm as a tethered modem? I need to use my phone with my Tomtom to get traffic updates.

For me the ability to use my phone as an occasional modem for my laptop and for traffic updates for my sat nav is essential - and something that I can do on my ancient K800i (but not the iPhone).

deeply :?

Someone will correct me if this is incorrect, you will need to have tethering added to your account, which at this time is $15USD/month on verizon.

Depends on the data plan on the account. If a user has the $29 BIS plan then tethering is $30. If a user has the $45 BES plan then tethering is $15.

When I had T-Mobile before I got a blackberry, I had a Motorola W490. All I paided was $20US extra a month and I used the phone as a modem all I want.

Disagree on proce
 

I am on the Verizon BIS plan and my tether connection costs me $15/month. This may be due to the unlimited plan I have. 73

The unlimited Email and Voice plan for $129.99 is different because that is a bundled BES plan.

So there's no other way to tether without paying extra for the tether plan like on AT&T?

I currently use a Pearl (on Verizon) tethered to an EEE netbook, but find the speeds to be too slow to be practical (download speeds topping out at around 300). Will the Storm have faster speeds in the tethered mode than the Pearl?

Yes, the Storm is Rev A. The Pearl is Rev 0.

You are either not getting an EVDO signal, or you have something setup wrong.

I use my Pearl on Verizon tethered to my laptop all the time. It is my only Internet access from my laptop during the day at work. I have gotten speeds well over 1 Mbit at times in the past.

That said, the Pearl is EVDO Rev 0 and the Storm is EVDO Rev A. The difference in theoretical speeds is that Rev A is 50% faster on downloads (Rev A rated up to roughly 3 Mbit), and 1000% (yes, 10x) faster on uploads (Rev A rated, I think, around 1.5Mbit).

Thanks. What are typical speeds I should expect?

Sorry. I posted my reply before the last post about the speeds. I am getting an EVDO signal.

With my Pearl, I think I normally get 500 - 600K on downloads. Some times higher, some times lower.

I have a pearl on t-mobile. Any suggestions on how to bump up my speed would be appreciated. Tier-3 is not talking.

M.

there is nothing you can do, your tmobile pearl is not a 3g phone, those numbers from Verizon, are from their 3g network, those look like the same phones, but they work on a diff network,

Sorry, kind of off the subject, but would tethering w/BB plan be just as fast as getting a wireless PC card through verizon? Download and upload speeds?

Thanks!

With the Storm, yes. Since it is Rev A. With a Curve or Pearl it will be slower.

In theory it should be. A wireless PC card will probably be even faster. I guess the advantage of tethering is you don't have to carry around the PC card in addition to your phone. However, I think it is a royal rip off that you have to pay to tether your phone.

Thanks for the fast reply and info guys (y).

I haven't seen this posted so I'm adding it. It took me 2 bunches of geeks, and finally on hold with verizon, to find this website, (call me slow) Once I had it and located my berry and downloaded the software, boom, I had internet on my laptop tethered to berry at speeds approaching my comcast landline cable modem, plus I get EVDO out in the boonies.

VZAccess Manager

Verizon's software site, download verizon access manager to make the berry work as a modem.

Cheers and good luck

Not standing in line tomorrow, but going by to see if I can buy in person, or need to call in.

Rich