Use iPhone as Modem for laptop?

[smknSRT8]

A guy at work said he called AT&T and they told him that the iPhone 3G can support his. Is it true that it will be able to be used as a modem via bluetooth, WiFi, or cable?
Thanks,

[jarofclay73]

Evidently, that person from AT&T doesn't know what he/she is talking about.

The iPhone CANNOT do laptop tethering. Yes. Even the 3G.

EDIT: Evidently, after reading the succeeding posts it CAN but it's not a feature of the phone that Apple intended. :)

[patrick_83]

A guy at work said he called AT&T and they told him that the iPhone 3G can support his. Is it true that it will be able to be used as a modem via bluetooth, WiFi, or cable?
Thanks,


You can tether with the current iPhone via edge. I think it is against the rules with AT&T atm though, but i think it would be hard for them to tell if it was iPhone or laptop aslong as you arent downloading massive amounts of stuff on it.

[smknSRT8]

You can tether with the current iPhone via edge. I think it is against the rules with AT&T atm though, but i think it would be hard for them to tell if it was iPhone or laptop aslong as you arent downloading massive amounts of stuff on it.

Does this require jailbreaking the phone? What are the steps to tether the phone via edge now?

[patrick_83]

Does this require jailbreaking the phone? What are the steps to tether the phone via edge now?

It requires you to JB the iPhone. I cannot remember the steps of tethering atm because i havnt done it for a while. There are probably instructions somewhere here.

[smknSRT8]

Well, the guy at my work says that he is going to AT&T and meeting with "his guy at AT&T" so I am eagerly waiting to hear what he has to say.

Thanks for you insight.

Does anyone know the particular reason why Apple/AT&T DOESN'T have this "feature" yet. Treo's and Blackberry's do?

[jarofclay73]

Does anyone know the particular reason why Apple/AT&T DOESN'T have this "feature" yet. Treo's and Blackberry's do?

AT&T would rather sell iPhone users (because we're so rich :tounge:) a LaptopConnect card (http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/basics/choosing-phone/laptop-connect-cards.jsp?rel=nofollow&wtSlotClick=1-001426-1-1) instead.

I think Steve Jobs is hoping that you'd shed your laptop and use your iPhone instead. :tounge: (... unless it's a MacBook.)

[kevlar08]

yea i know its possible but this is by no means a feaure anybody at apple or att is aware of, just jailbreak your iphone and look through the apps i know its on there

[joe]

I'm really hoping this is "allowed" on the App Store. I'd definitely pay for it.

[mattolson]

Tethering your iPhone is the best way to get out of the contract. If you have an unlimited data plan, which you should, you just tether up your iPhone and then constantly use it. AT&T contacts you and tells you you've exceed your data and your phone has to be cancel. My friend did this to get out of his contract and sell his phone on eBay.

[smknSRT8]

Tethering your iPhone is the best way to get out of the contract. If you have an unlimited data plan, which you should, you just tether up your iPhone and then constantly use it. AT&T contacts you and tells you you've exceed your data and your phone has to be cancel. My friend did this to get out of his contract and sell his phone on eBay.

But what if you are just an "avid" user of your iPhone and use it ALL day? Was your friend downloading music, files, etc.?

[eye-Fone]

Tethering your iPhone is the best way to get out of the contract. If you have an unlimited data plan, which you should, you just tether up your iPhone and then constantly use it. AT&T contacts you and tells you you've exceed your data and your phone has to be cancel. My friend did this to get out of his contract and sell his phone on eBay.
This is not a good idea and I don't recommend that anyone do something stupid like this.

Seriously, I know some people that did this and AT&T simply charged them for the data (by each Mb). The cost was ginormous. You either paid it or you didn't. If you didn't, your credit history will go south (and your service will be canceled).

[CSRobe02]

So is unlimited data not really unlimited data? That doesn't really seem to make much sense to me. If they tried to charge me for data usage by each Mb, I would send them a dictionary and tell them to look up the word unlimited. Is there fine print to the amount of data we can use?

[Too Many Secrets]

For that that want to tether a JB'd iphone, search for "tinyproxy", there is a 2 page (or so) thread with details. This is the app in the installer you need. Also the BossPrefs is nice to switch tinyproxy on and off as needed.

I've tethered for hours at a time without problems, but it also can be buggy. Sometimes need to reset, or reboot. But it works a trick.

PS The long tethering thread is good for archives, but is dated.