iPhone as a Bluetooth Modem???

[eddx]

My current phone contract expires in February and I am trying to make the decision between iPhone or a iPod Touch / thin new Nokia.

Has anyone been able to use their iPhone as a bluetooth modem? I realize without 3G this would be a slow (dial up speeds I here) modem but when I am out with the MBP and an iPhone it would be fantastic to be able to update my website from the laptop.

In theory I could do with with my current Nokia N73 but I don't have a data plan and data charges here in the UK are crazy.

Is what I am asking possible? If not does anyone have any ideas of when or how?

 

[Nugget]

This is normally referred to as "tethering" and is currently not supported by the iPhone. There's no technical reason this wouldn't be possible with the hardware, but the bluetooth profile of the iPhone does not permit it. Presumably this was AT&T's decision, but nobody knows that for sure.

There's no reason to expect it will be supported in the future, although millions of us would love to see it possible. It's one feature I really miss from my old phone since switching to the iPhone.

 

[eddx]

Not supported I thought as much.

Anyone got any ideas or ways in which it might be possible to hack the iPhone to use it as a modem, with the iPhone's wifi technology it wouldn't necessarily need to use bluetooth to "tether" to two devices together.

If it was possible to hack the iPhone for other sim cards (not something I am interested in) but if that can be done I don't see why this type of hack is impossible / not be done yet

 

[danvanman]

iTouch plus cell router with tethered phone

I can't use an iPhone to provide internet access for my laptop.

Can I use a cell router connected to a suitable Sprint phone to provide internet access to my laptop and an iTouch?

This might sound like a way to defeat the elegance of the iPhone but I want laptop access in my camper and already have a dash iPod as well.

Seems like I could get faster speeds this way.

 

[unity]

Yes you can tether your iPhone to make it an "Edge" modem.

It requires the phone to be jailbroken. Google and you will find. Last I looked it required a PC or an Intel Mac, will not work on a PPC Mac.

 

[thechidz]

Yes you can tether your iPhone to make it an "Edge" modem.

It requires the phone to be jailbroken. Google and you will find. Last I looked it required a PC or an Intel Mac, will not work on a PPC Mac.

it works on a powerbook G4 12 inch for me. Some sites dont load though. Its not the best way to get access but it works in a pinch. Dont expect much productivity though.

I use it in situations where I'm at say starbucks and Im doing research online and I need to copy and paste an article etc. Or just for simple stuff like posting to macrumors etc

 

[danvanman]

interesting dilemma

So my choices are to jailbreak an iPhone and get a slow EDGE modem

or

Have an iPod Touch (and laptop) running at EVDO speeds but restricted to wifi distance of the camper and whatever poor net user interface is on the Sprint data phone when I'm away from the vehicle or a wifi source.

I'll have to think about it since I spend so many hours in the vehicle.

 

[eddx]

I don't wish to Jailbreak my iPhone if I was to purchase one. I am fine with EDGE network speeds for my data access but am more likely to wait for the rumored 3G iPhone.

The idea of using a iPod Touch + normal cell phone with a data plan interests me a lot, how would one go about this.

In the next 1 - 6 months I am going to need to make a decision, either by the iPhone or buy an iPod Touch + get a new Nokia on contract.

At the moment the iPod Touch route seems simpler, just more devices.