Using Mobile Telephone To Connect To Isp

[Gumballl]

I will be traveling soon to Thailand, and while I am there I must have internet access. I will be bringing my Dell laptop running Ubuntu 7.04 and my Nokia 6610i mobile phone, with a SIM card from 1-2-Call, and pay-as-I-go service.

As for my destination in Thailand, it is the "middle of nowhere" in Korat, where I am quite far from anything resembling an internet cafe. Thus once in Thailand, I need to pretty much need to have all the configuration files for PPP (or whatever) in place because I won't be able to conduct "google research" while I am there to sort issues out.

Before I leave the US, I hope to procure the USB connector cable to connect my phone to the laptop, and test to see if I can use GPRS with my pay-as-I-go T-Mobile provider. If this is not possible, then perhaps I would like to try using an ISP like NetZero, which provides dial-up internet service.

So my questions are:

1. Should I rely on a Thai ISP for service, and if so, how do I setup my laptop to use the mobile phone?

or

2. Can I use GPRS with the pay-as-I-go 1-2-Call service?

Please suggest which is best (speed/reliability/cost are all notable factors), and if possible, any helpful advice on how to set this stuff up to work. I have installed "kppp" on my system, but it has been nearly 10 years since I have relied on dial-up, and so once again as in the early days, I am unfamiliar on how to set things up.

TIA.

[pattayadave]

Can I use GPRS with the pay-as-I-go 1-2-Call service?

yes

call service centre for gprs setings

make sure you have nokia pc suite

connect using the phone as a modem

only problem i ever have is ip address for outgoing server sometimes is not recognised but once again call to service centre normally sorts it out

[Gumballl]

I've seen references concerning the Nokia PC Suite. My first impression is that this s/w will not run on a Linux system. Is my assumption correct?

[dave_boo]

I will be traveling soon to Thailand, and while I am there I must have internet access. I will be bringing my Dell laptop running Ubuntu 7.04 and my Nokia 6610i mobile phone, with a SIM card from 1-2-Call, and pay-as-I-go service.

I hope that you don't have a "locked" phone. If you do, there's a good chance you can get it unlocked, but I don't know what that will do to your T-Mobile settings. Furthermore it appears that the 6610i uses Series 40 OS. Those don't play that nice with Linux when connected via USB. However, you can pick up a pretty cheap EDGE based phone in Thailand and it should have the connector cable right in the box.

As for my destination in Thailand, it is the "middle of nowhere" in Korat, where I am quite far from anything resembling an internet cafe. Thus once in Thailand, I need to pretty much need to have all the configuration files for PPP (or whatever) in place because I won't be able to conduct "google research" while I am there to sort issues out.

Ask and you shall recieve:

Operator: - AIS

GPRS APN: - internet

Username: - {blank}

Password: - {blank}

DNS: - 202.183.255.20, 202.183.255.21

Before I leave the US, I hope to procure the USB connector cable to connect my phone to the laptop, and test to see if I can use GPRS with my pay-as-I-go T-Mobile provider. If this is not possible, then perhaps I would like to try using an ISP like NetZero, which provides dial-up internet service.

IIRC, it's extremely difficult to set up a dial-up over a cell phone. I've looked into it before, and to my recollection, since the phone is digital, and the ISP is expecting an analouge connection, it doesn't work too well.

So my questions are:

1. Should I rely on a Thai ISP for service, and if so, how do I setup my laptop to use the mobile phone?

or

2. Can I use GPRS with the pay-as-I-go 1-2-Call service?

If you have access to xDSL and can get a modem that is a real modem and not a Windows based POS, that's the way to go. If on the other hand you wish to always have access, even when traveling from "Swampy" airport, the GPRS/EDGE is the better solution.

Please suggest which is best (speed/reliability/cost are all notable factors), and if possible, any helpful advice on how to set this stuff up to work. I have installed "kppp" on my system, but it has been nearly 10 years since I have relied on dial-up, and so once again as in the early days, I am unfamiliar on how to set things up.

I'd recommend getting a cheap Series 60 phone once you got to Thailand. They're easily recognised by Linux and set up. Another option, if you're set on using your phone, and it works in Thailand, is to follow this link which describes how to set up a modem connection via IRDA.

TIA.

[Gumballl]

Well, I did some further research... I pull the back cover off of my phone, and it turns out that I have the Nokia 6610, not the 6610i. I doubt it makes much difference.

I bought a USB cable for the phone, but even though it is "seen" by Linux, I can't see my phone whatsoever. I think it is because my phone is not happy with the cable. The phone indicates the "device is not recognized" when I plug the cable into the phone. This message occurs even before connecting the cable to the laptop.

I think I erred and bought a "stupid" cable that requires Windows-drivers to function.

So I grabbed my other laptop which hosts Fedora 8, and under VMware, I installed a virus, which is more commonly known as Windows XP Home. From there I was able to install the s/w that came with the USB cable, however for whatever reason I cannot install the Nokia PC Suite s/w application. It states that the OS is not supported!

So, for now, I am screwed. I wish I had bought a genuine Nokia USB cable instead of the after-market POS I have from a company called MYBAT.

I really could use a new phone, however I am not quite in the market for one at this time. Can someone suggest a good Nokia that has bells/whistles and works with Ubuntu, that I can window-shop for to get the best price?

[dave_boo]

Well, I did some further research... I pull the back cover off of my phone, and it turns out that I have the Nokia 6610, not the 6610i. I doubt it makes much difference.

I bought a USB cable for the phone, but even though it is "seen" by Linux, I can't see my phone whatsoever. I think it is because my phone is not happy with the cable. The phone indicates the "device is not recognized" when I plug the cable into the phone. This message occurs even before connecting the cable to the laptop.

I think I erred and bought a "stupid" cable that requires Windows-drivers to function.

So I grabbed my other laptop which hosts Fedora 8, and under VMware, I installed a virus, which is more commonly known as Windows XP Home. From there I was able to install the s/w that came with the USB cable, however for whatever reason I cannot install the Nokia PC Suite s/w application. It states that the OS is not supported!

So, for now, I am screwed. I wish I had bought a genuine Nokia USB cable instead of the after-market POS I have from a company called MYBAT.

I really could use a new phone, however I am not quite in the market for one at this time. Can someone suggest a good Nokia that has bells/whistles and works with Ubuntu, that I can window-shop for to get the best price?

Sorry to hear about your frustrations with your phone. I seem to remember some one else in the forum asking about that model, with the general consensus of the replies being that it was one of the worst that Nokia released (not that Nokia generally releases bad phones!).

I'd recommend the N70 music edition. It's not an overly large phone, it supports a ton of stuff (including EDGE), and has excellent connection capabilities with Linux. Some have criticized it for being slow under usage, but I've played with my wife's and it doesn't seem to be any slower than any other phone that I've used; in fact it's much faster than my I-mate JasJar. I suppose getting a N70-5 would be a good bet to since it loses the WCDMA 2100 feature; I'd assume that would help reduce the price as well.

You also might want to look at this link; the Series 60 phones are simple to get going on Linux. Just choose which one closest matches what you want.

[Gary A]

Well, I did some further research... I pull the back cover off of my phone, and it turns out that I have the Nokia 6610, not the 6610i. I doubt it makes much difference.

I bought a USB cable for the phone, but even though it is "seen" by Linux, I can't see my phone whatsoever. I think it is because my phone is not happy with the cable. The phone indicates the "device is not recognized" when I plug the cable into the phone. This message occurs even before connecting the cable to the laptop.

I think I erred and bought a "stupid" cable that requires Windows-drivers to function.

So I grabbed my other laptop which hosts Fedora 8, and under VMware, I installed a virus, which is more commonly known as Windows XP Home. From there I was able to install the s/w that came with the USB cable, however for whatever reason I cannot install the Nokia PC Suite s/w application. It states that the OS is not supported!

So, for now, I am screwed. I wish I had bought a genuine Nokia USB cable instead of the after-market POS I have from a company called MYBAT.

I really could use a new phone, however I am not quite in the market for one at this time. Can someone suggest a good Nokia that has bells/whistles and works with Ubuntu, that I can window-shop for to get the best price?

I dumped my Crapstar satellite dish Internet and now use nothing except AIS and Dtac GPRS Edge. I was using a Nokia N80 but started having some problems with the phone. It was about 3 years old and it was dropped. I did a LOT of research and ended up with another Nokia. The new E51 has about everything and I am well pleased with it. (About 11,000 baht) I use Bluetooth with my laptop and find it much handier than using the Nokia cable that came with the phone. I can see no difference in speed. I use the cable with my desktop. I have Windows XP Pro on the laptop and desktop. I have been trying to connect the phone using Ubuntu, both the version 7.1 and the new 8.04. Despite a lot of help from our resident Linux experts, I have not been able to connect. I am able to connect with Mandriva via the Bluetooth dongle with my desktop but still no luck with Ubuntu. I removed Mandriva and put Ubuntu on the entire hard drive. I am determined to use Ubuntu 8.04.

I doubt the Nokia cable will make any difference. I have cables from my Garmin GPS and my Sony camera. They work just the same as the Nokia cable. The N80 had a different cable connector.

[dave_boo]

GaryA, did you get my PM? And if so, what's the status?

[Gary A]

GaryA, did you get my PM? And if so, what's the status?

Dave, Yes, thanks for the PM. I have re-installed several times and each time I get the same results. Nothing has worked even though Ubuntu now recognizes both the phone and the dongle. I am now back on Mandriva.

[Gumballl]

There is no Nokia PC-suite for Linux.

Yes, I know this. I was attempting to install the PC-suite under WinXP, which I was running under Vmware. For whatever reason, PC-suite would not install... the error was that the OS is not supported. I cannot imagine what OS PC-suite detected... it should have been WinXP. Earlier I had installed Adobe's PDF Reader (for Windows) and there was not a problem.

[dave_boo]

oilinki, nice find.

[Niloc]

I tried to install PCSuite under XP and it said it did not recognise the OS. I looked further and it says that for XP you must have SP2 so I am borrowing a CD to fix this....

[mgjackson69]

I will be traveling soon to Thailand, and while I am there I must have internet access. I will be bringing my Dell laptop running Ubuntu 7.04 and my Nokia 6610i mobile phone, with a SIM card from 1-2-Call, and pay-as-I-go service.

I hope that you don't have a "locked" phone. If you do, there's a good chance you can get it unlocked, but I don't know what that will do to your T-Mobile settings. Furthermore it appears that the 6610i uses Series 40 OS. Those don't play that nice with Linux when connected via USB. However, you can pick up a pretty cheap EDGE based phone in Thailand and it should have the connector cable right in the box.

As for my destination in Thailand, it is the "middle of nowhere" in Korat, where I am quite far from anything resembling an internet cafe. Thus once in Thailand, I need to pretty much need to have all the configuration files for PPP (or whatever) in place because I won't be able to conduct "google research" while I am there to sort issues out.

Ask and you shall recieve:

Operator: - AIS

GPRS APN: - internet

Username: - {blank}

Password: - {blank}

DNS: - 202.183.255.20, 202.183.255.21

Before I leave the US, I hope to procure the USB connector cable to connect my phone to the laptop, and test to see if I can use GPRS with my pay-as-I-go T-Mobile provider. If this is not possible, then perhaps I would like to try using an ISP like NetZero, which provides dial-up internet service.

IIRC, it's extremely difficult to set up a dial-up over a cell phone. I've looked into it before, and to my recollection, since the phone is digital, and the ISP is expecting an analouge connection, it doesn't work too well.

So my questions are:

1. Should I rely on a Thai ISP for service, and if so, how do I setup my laptop to use the mobile phone?

or

2. Can I use GPRS with the pay-as-I-go 1-2-Call service?

If you have access to xDSL and can get a modem that is a real modem and not a Windows based POS, that's the way to go. If on the other hand you wish to always have access, even when traveling from "Swampy" airport, the GPRS/EDGE is the better solution.

Please suggest which is best (speed/reliability/cost are all notable factors), and if possible, any helpful advice on how to set this stuff up to work. I have installed "kppp" on my system, but it has been nearly 10 years since I have relied on dial-up, and so once again as in the early days, I am unfamiliar on how to set things up.

I'd recommend getting a cheap Series 60 phone once you got to Thailand. They're easily recognised by Linux and set up. Another option, if you're set on using your phone, and it works in Thailand, is to follow this link which describes how to set up a modem connection via IRDA.

TIA.

When "dialing" to AIS then, using your mobile as the modem, what is the dialing string that you use on the PC side?

[lucky2103]

There is no Nokia PC-suite for Linux.

Yes, I know this. I was attempting to install the PC-suite under WinXP, which I was running under Vmware. For whatever reason, PC-suite would not install... the error was that the OS is not supported. I cannot imagine what OS PC-suite detected... it should have been WinXP. Earlier I had installed Adobe's PDF Reader (for Windows) and there was not a problem.

Mate, the solution is the ppp package (kde 4) from the repos. It sound strange, but U need to use a KDE aplet to get ON with GNOME UBUNTU. The Gnome ppp package wont work. The number to dial is "*99#", no matter whether U use AIS or DTAC. Leave user name and password blank.

If U travel upcountry, U may resort to the AIS network, as its faster than DTAC.

[lucky2103]

I will be traveling soon to Thailand, and while I am there I must have internet access. I will be bringing my Dell laptop running Ubuntu 7.04 and my Nokia 6610i mobile phone, with a SIM card from 1-2-Call, and pay-as-I-go service.

I hope that you don't have a "locked" phone. If you do, there's a good chance you can get it unlocked, but I don't know what that will do to your T-Mobile settings. Furthermore it appears that the 6610i uses Series 40 OS. Those don't play that nice with Linux when connected via USB. However, you can pick up a pretty cheap EDGE based phone in Thailand and it should have the connector cable right in the box.

As for my destination in Thailand, it is the "middle of nowhere" in Korat, where I am quite far from anything resembling an internet cafe. Thus once in Thailand, I need to pretty much need to have all the configuration files for PPP (or whatever) in place because I won't be able to conduct "google research" while I am there to sort issues out.

Ask and you shall recieve:

Operator: - AIS

GPRS APN: - internet

Username: - {blank}

Password: - {blank}

DNS: - 202.183.255.20, 202.183.255.21

Before I leave the US, I hope to procure the USB connector cable to connect my phone to the laptop, and test to see if I can use GPRS with my pay-as-I-go T-Mobile provider. If this is not possible, then perhaps I would like to try using an ISP like NetZero, which provides dial-up internet service.

IIRC, it's extremely difficult to set up a dial-up over a cell phone. I've looked into it before, and to my recollection, since the phone is digital, and the ISP is expecting an analouge connection, it doesn't work too well.

So my questions are:

1. Should I rely on a Thai ISP for service, and if so, how do I setup my laptop to use the mobile phone?

or

2. Can I use GPRS with the pay-as-I-go 1-2-Call service?

If you have access to xDSL and can get a modem that is a real modem and not a Windows based POS, that's the way to go. If on the other hand you wish to always have access, even when traveling from "Swampy" airport, the GPRS/EDGE is the better solution.

Please suggest which is best (speed/reliability/cost are all notable factors), and if possible, any helpful advice on how to set this stuff up to work. I have installed "kppp" on my system, but it has been nearly 10 years since I have relied on dial-up, and so once again as in the early days, I am unfamiliar on how to set things up.

I'd recommend getting a cheap Series 60 phone once you got to Thailand. They're easily recognised by Linux and set up. Another option, if you're set on using your phone, and it works in Thailand, is to follow this link which describes how to set up a modem connection via IRDA.

TIA.

When "dialing" to AIS then, using your mobile as the modem, what is the dialing string that you use on the PC side?

The dialing string can be left blank. The only important value to be typed is the gateway phone number *99# (Works wityh AIS and DTAC). Speed is abt 80-200 kbps. I tried numerous phones, both SE and Nokia and didnt note any difference.

However, its important to choose the kppp package from the repos, as the native GNOME ppp doesnt work (for reasons I dont know).

However, SuSE 10.3 and 11.0 will get U get a connection out-of-the-box.

[Gary A]

I am on line right now using Mandriva. I have deleted Ubuntu because Mandriva is the ONLY distro that can use my bluetooth phones. Connecting with Mandriva is pretty easy. Why the other distros are so difficult is beyond me.

[dave_boo]

I am on line right now using Mandriva. I have deleted Ubuntu because Mandriva is the ONLY distro that can use my bluetooth phones. Connecting with Mandriva is pretty easy. Why the other distros are so difficult is beyond me.

After Googling around, it seems that KPPP is much better than GnomePPP (the 'dialer'). For some reason KPPP lets you make GPRS/EDGE connections that the other chokes on.