Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it verizon?!
 

Hi,
I am planning on purchasing an N800 (yey price drops!).
I would like to tether it with a new cell phone/plan as a mobile IM machine (for skype IM), google doc reader, and web surfing device.
I currently have an older Motorola v710 phone and Verizon. I have like a $6/mo plan to surf the web on my phone (it is pretty lame).
I want to upgrade my phone (a simple one with bluetooth) and data plan that works with tethering. I am open to switching carriers since I am out of contract. What company should I go to? Which has the best price for an authorized tether, and which hack is the best otherwise? Will Verizon work well with my current v710 with bluetooth?
Thanks so much, and I can't wait to join the ranks of the tablet users here!

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

Its doubtful that Verizon would ever be cheapest.

First of all, it depends on the speed you want. Verizon and Sprint are fastest with EVDO, ATT has EDGE which is the next fastest, and then there's T-mobile which is the slowest (also EDGE, but I heard its slower than ATT's.)

Sprint has much cheaper prices for data than Verizon. Technically, you need a specific tethering plan for Sprint to use the phone as a modem, but with certain phones there are ways around it. I'd say sign up for a Sprint Employee referral plan (there are email addresses for it all over the internet, just search), get a Centro for $99, apply the tethering hack, or if you can't get that to work, try PDAnet. (See the Treocentral forums for these.) The SERO plan gives you 500 anytime minutes, nights and weekends at 7pm, and unlimited data and texting, all for just $30 a month.

This is a slightly gray area, but as long as you're not doing Bittorrent downloads or downloading gigabytes a month, then you should be fine.

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

I have verizon in NY, and their ulimited data cost me 45 a month on top of a 45 plan. ThIs does not include authorized tethering, this officially costs 60 a month I think. Those numbers are 2 years old however. Few Verizon phones officialy support tethering, fewer still unoficially. I have discounts on both my phone and data or I would't touch it. You can't beat evdo speed and coverage in ny though.

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

Dear Jhoff,
Thanks for you detailed response, including the Sprint hack!
The $30/month for 500min + data is an amazing deal, but I need about 1400 on a 2 person family plan. Hmm, should I carry 3 devices (sprint phone/modem + verizon phone + n800)? :)
Can I use any bluetooth phone for this plan? Will a simple LX160 do (it has bluetooth and web/e-mail-- Palm looks cool, but I want my phone as simple as possible). Some of the phones have GPS-- could they talk to the 800 and provide maps?!
Hmm, maybe I should buy an I-phone instead-- it has such an amazing data package: $20/unlimited.
Nokia-- GET WITH THE PROGRAM. you have a great device, but you should make a deal so that people can tether it to a phone/company for $20/month (I-pod competition).
Any other ideas? Or will it cost like $600/year to tether this without the hack?!
Thanks everyone.

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

Dear Travelfeet,
Thanks for the information on the data quality in NYC.
How can you get a discount? I only want a basic phone that I can tether the n800 with.

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

technically speaking, you can tether with your V710. It would be slow though. The V710 uses 1xRTT, which is about the same speed as the iPhone running on AT&Ts EDGE network (though i give a slight edge to EDGE). I wouldn't bother with it though. not worth the effort.

Sprint really is the cheapest with their SERO plan. $30 for 500 min, $50 for 1250 min and $100 for 2500 minutes. Unlimited data on all. But their voice service is widely regarded as weaker than Verizon's. As for phones... Palm Centro is cheapest @ $99 and the hack to tether for free is available, should you choose that route. I would suggest the Mogul though. More expensive @ $299 but it has Bluetooth 2.0 which helps tethering speeds and the device will be upgradeable to EvDO Rev. A in early 2008 if not sooner.

If you don't use a hack, everyone will charge $60 to tether. It's not cheap.

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

I wrote the second comment here... http://voipguides.blogspot.com/2007/...l-succeed.html
Didn't know the price and service-like(not wimax yet) was already available.
Where can I find the hack for the palm centro? How many hours would the battery run with connection to the internet...the same as talking time? (just wondering cause there's a service http://www.mobivoip.net/ where you can use sip straight from your phone).... What about if I run it with my n800?(less time because of bluetooth?) and my nokia??

Thanks...

Armando

WOohoo 35 dollars for unlimited calls through sprint, killer

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

Can I buy the cell separated from the plan(at ebay let say???

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

I've got a Treo 755p with Sprint EVDO... First of all, MobiVOIP is a crappy program. The best Palm VOIP client is Articulation. Secondly, once you try VOIP over the Palm, you'll probably want to stick to Wifi for it, even with the speeds of EVDO, it still doesn't sound that great. You'll most likely get around 200-500kbps downstream, and if you're lucky 100kbps or so upstream, so not that good really. If you want faster speeds (especially upstream) you'll want something that supports EVDO Rev. A instead. The battery for the Centro is smaller than the 755p, but I get 8 hours worth out of the 755p battery, while having the data connection constantly on for push email. I've never had a Bluetooth connection active for long enough at the same time to know how long it'll last.

The hack for tethering is here: http://discussion.treocentral.com/sh...d.php?t=115986

I'm not entirely sure its been tested on the Centro though, since I don't have one. If you read the instructions there too, you'd have to copy the file to the card and then use a specific program (Resco explorer) to copy it to ram.

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

60 dollars fo tethtering plan? Should it be cheap ....


In finland the best way to get online is to get Nokia 6150 + simcard + 3g connection. 2 year contracht the price would be:

4.9 euros for the simcard (no calls included)
5 euros / month for the phone
9.8 euros for the data connection.

That makes the grand total of 19.90 euros wich is 28 dollars. No locked phones, no tricks no hacks involved.

Also if you don't own a n800 yet. Go for the bosss packadge. Saunalahti offers n800 + Nokia 6120 + unlimited 2mb data access for 78 dollars. 2 Years payment. On tricks or locks :) Sweet.

p.s: Nothing to do with new york connection. Just wondering thas all.

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

By far, it is Sprint. Unlimited EVDO (otherwise called Power Vision) data on your phone is only $15/month, but *officially* if you want to tether either via USB or bluetooth you would have to get a Phone-as-Modem plan or PAM, which is $39.99, and is inclusive of the $15 plan ($15+$25). Most folks get by with the $15 plan but don't abuse it when tethering. :p

I have a Treo 700Wx on Sprint and boy i tell you what, i'm online anywhere i go with my N800, on an MTA bus, LIRR, Metro North, between classes and so on. The other day i was on an hour long bus ride home listening to BBC London 94.9 and I.M'ing to my hearts content. I've been with Sprint for 8 years now, and i'm not going anywhere. :cool:

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

k, the main issue I get to see with this is the EVDO speed. I understand EVDO A will be better when it starts working but here? the question.By end of 2008 most of the WI-max coverage should be up and running and then, my n800 will become my cellphone(thanks to the wimax chip) using voip, so that means It? kinda stupid to go with the mogul when for 99 bucks i can use the centro and the tetherin works charm.
Now I understand why with a 200kbps download speed voip is not convenient but I happen to live in an area where sprint coverage is uperb(WEST PALM BEACH) therefore my speed is 750 + fpr EVDO. SO what Im thinking is this

Get the Palm Centro, 30 dollars plan, and bring my n800 for the ride , and 1 EXTRA BATERRY FOR EACH DEVICE(N800) AND CENTRO.

So I?l be using the in-minute from Sprint every now and then and I?l give eople my Sip nuber, so when I dont answer the voicemail get sent to my email. As soon as I receive the email and know who call I can use my SIP or skype(there? a bunch of programs that support this with palm os 5) so i?l be paying 8 dollars for 3 month for skype unlimited calls to US and canada. I?l use my n800 and palm to call , go online and the whol nine yards.

What do you think?


Armando

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

once again I?l like to try the baterry life on both the palm and n800 when tethering or just making calls from Articulation(Voip for palm)

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

You really need to be checking out howard forums for this kind of information. There are a few ways to get cheap data through Verizon.

1) There is the venerable qnc and 1x networks that can usually be accessed and consume minutes ( free nights and weekends ).

2) There is a trick to getting EVDO speeds by using InPulse ( it's not as crazy as it sounds ). You end up paying $15/month for unlimited EVDO/data assuming that's all you use it for until they finally close the loophole.

And there are similar tricks with other providers.

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

Merovingian,

can you share your experience with th evdo speeds and where did you get the instuctions to use the internet with youir n800?

I'm extremely excited about the 30 dollar plan

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

EVDO speeds are extremely good, and even moreso here in NYC. For example, sometimes when i'm not at my iMac and need to make a Skype call, i've done so from my Treo 700Wx for up to an hour with my sis in the U.K (there's some latency, but it's very very usable).

Now concerning the N800, I just paired it up with my phone, selected "data call", dial-up number is #777, user name and password - leave blank, and that's it. The instructions are generic, so if you've been tethering with other devices, it's basically the same steps.
I use it mostly for streaming internet radio and web browsing.

If you need screeshots and so forth, let me know.

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

I live ini Manhattan and I have a Nokia N75 which has UMTS speed and then the $20 a month ATT media max plan. Technically you are not supposed to tether but I have been tethering for over two years and never had an issue. I don't stream too much music but I definately have used IM etc. Skype I have used on it before and its passable but the latency is bad. The benefit is you also get a Symbian smartphone phone which for all intents and purposes can cover any shortcomings the N800 has as per PIM software or whatever else. I find the combination to be great. I have heard of others using T-mobile and getting a $6 a month unlimited Edge plan which you can tether with.

There are other good alternatives such as the Sync musicphone which I believe has HSDPA high speed internet and is free on contract and if you really want to splurge but counter the cost by going off contract you can purchase the $650 Nokia N95-3 (US version) which has HSDPA and then just get the media max plan from ATT ($20) .

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

I use Tracfone for cell phone as I make limited use of a cell phone (mostly while traveling). I am however interested in getting something that I could pair up with the N800. As I live in the boonies (of the US), high-speed cellular broadband is probably not going to be available anytime soon. The Sprint SERO does look appealing however, and I am curious what type of connectivity I might get outside cities? Interestingly when I enter my zip code at SERO, the Centro doesn't even show up as an option. Any issues with entering another zip to order the Centro, or are there other phones that would work as well for pairing with the N800? Thanks for any advice.

Re: Cheapest Cell Phone Bluetooth Unlimited Tethering Plan for New York-- is it veriz
 

I work for the State University of NY. Employees get 18% discount for verizon service. Some private companies go even higher. Ask at the phone store as they keep a list of" partners"