Edward Thomson

Since I'm travelling more often, Internet service can be unreliable. Sometimes I need to get network access while I'm on the road, or maybe I just need to lookup a phone number or an address but don't want to pay the sometimes exorbitant access fees at a hotel.

Fortunately, I've got a Bluetooth enabled cell phone from Cingular. Its GPRS capabilities mean that I can use it as a Bluetooth modem on my new MacBook^[1]. It makes for an interesting trade-off between an (admittedly, painfully) slow connection and the convenience of not trying to find a coffee shop with open wireless.

The setup required a lot of trial and error, and I'd forgotten most of it since I made this work on my old PowerBook. Once you get it down, though, it's really easy, so I thought I'd share it in case it's useful to someone else^[2]:

If you have a GPRS-capable phone:

1. Get on a data plan from your cell phone provider. My initial plan with Cingular had no data service, and I couldn't make any data connection (even on pay-per-byte.) Check the plan carefully - a few years ago, it was cheaper to go on the Cingular's pay-per-byte plan than even their "best deal" of a plan. I suspect this has been changed by now.
2. Download the Motorola GPRS modem scripts from Ross Barkman's page. Make sure you get the GPRS scripts, as GSM and GPRS aren't compatible. (But see below if you only have GSM.)
3. Drop the scripts into /Library/Modem Scripts
4. If you haven't already, Bond with your Bluetooth modem: make your phone discoverable, go to the Bluetooth Setup Assistant and enter the various magic to bond your phone with your computer.
5. Open up your Network Preferences, select your Bluetooth modem, and click Configure.
6. Here's the trial and error part. You'll need to enter these settings for PPP:
     Account Name:   ISPDA@CINGULARGPRS.COM
     Password:   CINGULAR1
     Telephone Number:   WAP.CINGULAR
7. Now, pop over to the Bluetooth Modem tab and set Modem to "Motorola GPRS CID1".

--- www.l.google.com ping statistics ---
27 packets transmitted, 25 packets received, 7% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 601.630/916.474/1683.816/261.931 ms

Hey, I warned you that it was painful.

If you're lucky enough to have GPRS service - this used to be called "Internet Express Data Connect" - then change the username to "ISP.CINGULAR", and you'll get upgraded to nearly a whopping 128kb/s.

If you have problems with this, it's possible your plan (or your phone) is GSM-only. Expect still slower speeds - a whopping 14.4kb/s that will make you think you're living in 1991 all over again. And you'll need to change a few things around:

1. Download the GSM scripts from Ross Barkman's page instead. Install them in /Library/Modem Scripts.
2. In PPP settings, change your phone number to "*99#".
3. In your Bluetooth Modem tab, set your Modem to "Motorola GSM V.110 14.4k" ^[3].

So, there it is. Enjoy your ridiculously stone-age slow internet access from the side of the road!

1. Whee - a new MacBook Pro! I was excited about ditching my aging PowerBook, but I was worried about it being powerful enough to replace my PowerMac. No sweat - this thing is fast.
2. And, admittedly, because my memory's bad and I don't want to have to hunt down the modem scripts and go through the trial and error yet again.
3. Yes, 14.4k. It's like 1991 all over again.