Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

I've been trying to get my N900 to tether to my Mac (Snow Leopard).

My mobile carrier is Three UK.

I've followed these instructions:

http://thenokiablog.com/2010/01/01/h...via-bluetooth/

I'm using three.co.uk as the APN

It's all fine until I try and connect, then it gets to "authenticating" and then fails. I get this error message:

"A connection could not be established to the PPP server"

Can anyone help? I'm sure I had this wprking before... maybe it was before I upgraded to Snow Leopard. I've trued doing it via USB but the same thing happens.

Any help gratefully received as I've just moved house and don't have a proper broadband connection yet!

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

...anyone?

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

May be you could try using Bluetooth PAN instead of DUN?

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Thanks, but the installation process looks a bit complicated for me...

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Any reason why you are tethering instead of hotspot?

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

I tried installing "mobile hotspot" but it doesn't work. Apparently it needs the power kernel installed and I can't get that to install.

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Well I ask because, tethering will cost you, well unless you have a package with your provider. I have used the mobile hotspot app from extras and it doesn't cost me anything, and it works really well!

I don't know much about the tethering aspect, but I will try and help, but if I was you (and didn't have a data tethering package), I would get the hotspot working instead, because it will save you money and headaches :)

The install of the power kernel (any of them) is easy and so is the install of the app, what way do you want to go: fix getting the kernel/app working or stick with tethering? I'll try and help with either.

I have recently moved, and the hotspot saved me until the sky guys installed my broadband so I feel your pain :D

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Thanks for your response.

Maybe I've misunderstood how the hotspot thing works... I'd assumed that it would still use my mobile data connection, just like with tethering, so I would still be paying for the data I used?

If the hotspot somehow allows me free access then that's the option I'd like to go with!

I have had the power kernel installed in the past, but a while ago I had to reflash my phone because of all sorts of problems I was having with conflicts between it and Fcam. I've actually asked on this thread about where to get the currently most stable version of power kernel.

It seems that the one I want is v46 but I can't see it in the repositories and all the other versions that are there are for some reason uninstallable (conflicting packages) for me.

Looks like I have to go back and read several pages of that thread to work out what I have to do but if you can give me a quick answer here that would be massively appreciated!

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Well it still uses the 3/3.5G to connect so it is still using your data connection to the provider, but for me, it doesn't show up on my bill. Now I have T-mobile web 'n' walk 35, which gives me unlimited internet access. However the 'tethering' is a seperate package which I can buy as a bolt on. I haven't tried tethering but from the fact that I had to buy another bolt on I guess it will charge if I use it. Maybe it doesn't I'm not sure, as I said I don't know much about the tethering aspect side of things. But I know for sure, for me, that the hotspot has never charged me.

I think I read somewhere that the provider can tell if it is tethered, maybe they can't with the hotspot, I don't know for sure, I guess someone else could answer that, for us both.

What provider package etc do you have, I don't want to suggest something, and then you end up paying for it! lol :)


I had the same issues, but I now no longer use Fcam, I think I just re-flashed and made sure the power-kernel was the first thing I installed. I then went back and re-installed all my apps from the backup list.

Actually the last time I did it, I had to install it from the command line because of some conflict with PR1.3. Things like this, I would search around a bit, and see if there are any other issues like that, maybe do a fresh install of PR1.3, then update the kernel from the command line, then install the hotspot, then fcam stuff.

Sorry to be a bit vague, I know its a pain but seem to remember having issues after PR1.3 and having to do this myself. Hope that helps.

EDIT: oh yeah and the tethering package was WAY more expensive then the "unlimited internet" bundle, so if you are paying for data connection the hotspot may cost you less than the tethering, but as I said that only me, and my provider.

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Ah OK, I have an 2gb data allowance, I've tethered before and they don't seem to notice, other than sending me a text if I get near my allowance but that happens if I use a lot of data on the phone itself anyway. So I don't think tethering/hotspot would be any different for me cost-wise.

Reflashing the phone is a bit of a pain just to get one application working. Maybe I will have to do that, although I'll see if I can gain anything from the other thread.

I think I'm losing the faith with the N900/maemo now... everything is so much hassle. It was OK at the beginning because it could do stuff other phones couldn't, but now, I just feel like going for Android where all these things are just easy.

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Tethering costs me nothing on O2. It just comes out of my "unlimited" allowance like everything else (although I'm technically breaking TOS and Terms and condtions).

I would USB my self, it works pretty much flawlessly, and its faster.

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Ah ok, maybe there is no distinction between tethering and hotspot from a cost point view, it just seemed to me that the tethering was quite a lot more expensive on my provider.

Maybe it won't come to that, out of interest did you upgrade from 1.2 to 1.3 with the stock kernel installed or the power-kernel? From skim reading some of the other threads that seems to cause issue. Or you could just try un-installing fcam stuff, install hotspot, check it works then install fcam stuff back again, not sure if that would help, but its a quite easy thing to test. Or even just re-install the kernel from command line that may help as well?

Believe me, maemo/meego is the way forward, haven't got much experience with android but vs S^3 maemo kicks a**! But it depends what you want (and how much hassle you are willing it put up with), for the time being, N900 has the best HW/OS combo out there (for me), HW is a little bit dated but the OS makes up for that. I would watch and see what happens with the first Meego device and go from there....

Anyway sorry I couldn't help with your initial problem, but I hope I helped a little bit :)

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Just thought is that the correct APN for three??

mine is general.t-mobile.uk

three.co.uk seems a little bit simple...

EDIT: sorry yep thats the right APN

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Take a look here. Guys having the same issue as you, think the answer is on the fifth post....

Link: http://forums.crackberry.com/f62/how...1/index10.html

Populate the DUN part (apparently):

Username: wapuser1
password: wap
Telephone number: internet.com

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Am I understanding correctly that those are to populate the settings on my Mac (rather than somewhere on the n900)?

I've gone to Preferences>Network>click on "Bluetooth DUN N900" in the left hand pane, then in the settings on the right hand side I've put in what you say above (although it says "Account Name" rather than "Username".

Still doesn't work I'm afraid.

I think those might be settings for some other network ("Rogers" whatever that is?), from reading the link you gave.

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Yeah I think the guys on there are saying that you have to type in something in the username/password/telephone number section on your mac, rather than leaving them blank (which i guess is the default - from the site you were using at first)

But if you just search using the error code you got there are a few sites you can look at. I'll take another look in a bit and see if I can come up with anything :)

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Well...in the end the solution has been to bring my very well-worn N95 out of retirement, install the free version of Joikuspot on it and use that as a hotspot.

Progress eh?

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

You can get this from the bleeding-edge wl1251 package with good installation help, so you don't have to go to 47. Download the thing from lxps blog, install from the package and either use or don't use the b-e-drivers as well, as you prefer.

cheers...

Re: Tethering problems - N900 / Mac OSX 10.6.6 / Three UK
 

Anyone any other ideas how to solve this? I have the exact same problem. I've tried 3internet and three.co.uk as APN, I've tried guest/guest for username/pass, but it makes no difference :( .