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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Consumer Hardware & Components > sharing internet connection for phone to use via bluetooth

sharing internet connection for phone to use via bluetooth
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e_x_blofeld
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Mar 30, 2007, 07:08 AM
 
hi there,
i am looking for a way to share my macbooks internet connection, so that my k800 can access the internet via bluetooth.

I found some tutorials on the web how to di this with windoze or linux but none for the mac so far.

thanks!
     
C.A.T.S. CEO
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Mar 30, 2007, 08:46 AM
 
I don't think you can, but I could be wrong...
Signature depreciated.
     
ghporter
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Mar 30, 2007, 09:00 AM
 
Bluetooth is slower than molasses in January for anything but printing and audio. Try a tethered solution. The browser in a phone will be much faster with a cable to your Mac than with a BT connection.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
e_x_blofeld  (op)
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Mar 30, 2007, 04:32 PM
 
thanks for the qualified responses.
jeez, what happened to these forums...
     
ghporter
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Mar 30, 2007, 05:04 PM
 
Sorry, but that's just my opinion. Bluetooth was never meant to be a "wireless Internet connection"; it was designed to be a wireless replacement for a peripheral (think printer) cable. Because of that, and the (lack of) speed that my BT file transfers work at, I have to think that any Internet activity would be painfully slow if they depend on a Bluetooth link. On the other hand, I have (unintentionally) done some very fast transfers to and from my phone (a RAZR) using USB.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
e_x_blofeld  (op)
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Mar 31, 2007, 07:50 AM
 
well this is the problem. i am looking for a techical solution for a problem not your opinion on what i need to do.

i have to develop some appliactions for mobile phones that require an internet connection.
if i would connect with the mobile the phone costs would be astronomically high.
so frankly i dont care it the connection is painfully slow.
     
ghporter
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Mar 31, 2007, 09:38 AM
 
What would you be connecting to via Bluetooth if not a computer? And why is USB not an option? My opinion was that BT was too slow for practical web use, not that it wasn't doable. But I don't yet know why it has to be through Bluetooth, so I can't provide any more detailed technical information. I KNOW that this phone supports a USB connection which MAY allow you to connect to the Internet through a connected computer (as my RAZR does). Reviewing Sony-Ericsson's data on the phone does not make it clear whether the Bluetooth capability includes an interface for the phone's browser or mail client. So again, what are you trying to do, and why is USB not an option. Even if it HAS to be Bluetooth, testing whether the phone will connect to the Internet via USB would be a good step to seeing if Bluetooth is a viable option because it will tell you whether or not the phone's browser supports connections other than via the cell system.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
mfbernstein
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Mar 31, 2007, 10:23 AM
 
I must say, I haven't seen phones that let you use your computer as a modem (a reverse-tether if you will).

I don't see Bluetooth as being a particularly handicap. Using my phone as a modem, I can get 40KB/s+ which should be sufficient for any mobile phone internet app.

e_x_blofeld: I don't know what device you're working with, but most unlimited data services for phone alone (i.e. no tethering) are between $20 and $40 a month for unlimited access with an existing voice plan. Not cheap, I admit, but hardly a disaster.
     
IceEnclosure
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Apr 1, 2007, 01:49 AM
 
reverse tethering I have not heard of as well.

e_x_blofeld: this place has more info than ever. Just because the answer to your question isn't immediately available(or available at all) doesn't mean you have to whine about it.

good luck with your application development bud.
ice
     
e_x_blofeld  (op)
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Apr 1, 2007, 07:43 AM
 
omg...
ok, so i guess nobody here knows facts, everybody posts for the posts sake.
well it's like in real life i guess.
meanwhile i found a way to make it happen using windoze on parallels.

c ya
     
f1000
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Apr 1, 2007, 11:26 PM
 
What blofeld is asking is whether one could tether a cell phone to an Internet connected MacBook, not the other way around. Since BT 2.0 can transfer data at around 2 Mbps, it's certainly more than sufficient to allow for rapid browsing on a cell phone's tiny screen. Heck, it's more than usable the other way around; I can browse websites on my laptop's relatively ginormous screen via a BT 1.2 connection through my cell phone.

I see no reason why blofeld's solution is not technically possible in OS X; in fact, I recall Palm devices being able to connect to Macs in just this manner.

http://www.bioneural.net/2003/10/12/...via-bluetooth/
http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=11683
     
f1000
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Apr 1, 2007, 11:34 PM
 
Originally Posted by e_x_blofeld View Post
hi there,
i am looking for a way to share my macbooks internet connection, so that my k800 can access the internet via bluetooth.

I found some tutorials on the web how to di this with windoze or linux but none for the mac so far.

thanks!
As long as you can get the cell phone to use BT as a network interface, which may require hacking, setting things up on the Mac side should be easy. There's no reason for you to have to resort to Parallels.
     
e_x_blofeld  (op)
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Apr 2, 2007, 08:27 AM
 
hello, is there anybody in there ?

why is everyone posting things like "may, possibly, could, might be"???
i mean its like asking for directions to the airport and people react like:
"ah, forget the airport, take a train" or "i heard there might be an airport, but i don't know where it is"

this here is the best:
There's no reason for you to have to resort to Parallels.
hell yeah, there is! because: i found a tutorial how to solve my problem using windows!
from the macside i only heard stuff like:
I don't think you can, but I could be wrong...
yes you can, but i don't know how
or see the other random meaningless blah blah
     
ghporter
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Apr 2, 2007, 08:38 AM
 
Originally Posted by e_x_blofeld View Post
hello, is there anybody in there ?

why is everyone posting things like "may, possibly, could, might be"???
i mean its like asking for directions to the airport and people react like:
"ah, forget the airport, take a train" or "i heard there might be an airport, but i don't know where it is"

this here is the best:

hell yeah, there is! because: i found a tutorial how to solve my problem using windows!
from the macside i only heard stuff like:


or see the other random meaningless blah blah
If you were paying for service here, then you would have a good reason to complain. As it is, this is a free forum where people come for help and others might have the help they seek. Most of the reason you got ambiguous answers was that you were trying to do something with a phone that the phone's manufacturer didn't support and there is not a huge body of experience on THIS FORUM about overcoming that lack of support.

So if you want people to voluntarily provide you with information and help, I'd suggest you change from "what's wrong with you people" to "I've tried this and that, but I'm stuck-please help if you can."

And you still never posted WHY this HAS to be via Bluetooth...

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
f1000
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Apr 2, 2007, 09:53 AM
 
ghporter, save your breath. He wants someone to guide him step-by-step, but I've lost my patience with him. Let him figure things out alone...the hard way.
     
e_x_blofeld  (op)
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Apr 2, 2007, 12:38 PM
 
lol
     
IceEnclosure
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Apr 3, 2007, 10:36 AM
 
how about a black and bluetooth? tardo.
( Last edited by IceEnclosure; Apr 3, 2007 at 10:44 AM. )
ice
     
zetoeu
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May 1, 2007, 05:40 PM
 
blofeld,

I am also interested in finding an easy solution to do this. Have you found one already ?

I was even looking for a more.. general solution: How to share an internet connection via bluetooth, to any client (other macbook, cell phone, whatever)

Cheers!
     
   
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