Airtime Minutes Accruing when PDA uses Vision via cable?

[DocsNotary]

I got my ViewSonic Pocket PC to connect to my Samsung N400, and I'm happily sending and receiving email via POP3 in the Pocket Outlook application, or whatever it's called.

When I log into www.sprintpcs.com and check my plan usage, it appears that the indicator of my usage of plan minutes is incrementing when I use the phone as a modem. Specifically, I am seeing the minutes used increase in my offpeak minutes, this being a weekend. I have not yet checked this during a weekday.

I have never heard that airtime minutes accrue when using Connection Manager on a laptop PC, but I have yet to verify that.

I was under the impression that:

1) Modem use of the phone (taboo, I know) uses the Vision service (unlimited in my plan) and

2) #777 dialing to the modem is the equivalent of using Connection Manager software

Am I wrong? Do minutes always accrue if you're using internet access beyond the phone's built-in browser? Do minutes accrue only if you're dialing #777 instead of using Connection Manager?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[madmac]

I have no idea about the answer to your question.

But I for one would love for them to allow us to use our minutes to access the web via a laptop and not get in trouble for it. I have a ton of minutes, and if they started to allow us to use them for laptop access I would be all for it. Of course there would still be unlimited Vision on the handset, too.

[DaveBey]

DocsNotary -- How did you connect your handset to the PocketPC? Did you have to purchase a special cable? I have USB cable for my Sanyo SCP-5300 that can connect to my Dell laptop but I thought PocketPCs did not have USB ports? :confused:

Cheers! :)
Dave

[DocsNotary]

Originally posted by DaveBey
DocsNotary -- How did you connect your handset to the PocketPC? Did you have to purchase a special cable? I have USB cable for my Sanyo SCP-5300 that can connect to my Dell laptop but I thought PocketPCs did not have USB ports? :confused:

Cheers! :)
Dave

[Wirelessly posted]

Yes, it does require a special, EXPENSIVE cable- -$80! I think the vendor is www.Supplynet.com .

[DaveBey]

Originally posted by DocsNotary
Yes, it does require a special, EXPENSIVE cable- -$80!
Gads!! :eek: Do you think the price is worth it? I am considering purchasing a PocketPC (which one, I do not know) and was curious about using a handset to access the Internet. :)

Sorry for 'hijacking' your post... Using #777 should not count against your airtime. The only time using a handset as a modem should count against your airtime is if you dial a regular ISP (not #777). I am not familiar with the PocketPCs dialer interface so I cannot be much help if the problem resides there.

Cheers! :)
Dave

[DocsNotary]

Originally posted by DaveBey
Gads!! :eek: Do you think the price is worth it? I am considering purchasing a PocketPC (which one, I do not know) and was curious about using a handset to access the Internet. :)

Sorry for 'hijacking' your post... Using #777 should not count against your airtime. The only time using a handset as a modem should count against your airtime is if you dial a regular ISP (not #777). I am not familiar with the PocketPCs dialer interface so I cannot be much help if the problem resides there.

Cheers! :)
Dave

It really came down to price for me. I had tried a PDA phone from Toshiba that gave me all the Internet capabilities I needed, but it was completely unacceptable as a phone (speakerphone or headset only, no handset-to-the-ear use--also no one-handed operation, too long to wake up and ring before voicemail was practially ready to answer...) .

I'm sure the more modern PDA phones are much better and I was eyeing the Treo 600. But a $200 64meg Pocket PC at Fry's does everything I need when it's got that cable. A new PDA phone would be a lot more without a new customer or 18 month anniversary rebate.

[EEK]

I am, too, using the Samsung N400 and a data cable. However i only knew of its capabilities as a 56k modem in the past. for some reason i get a hardware error when dialing #777. anyone who has experience with this phone or knows whats going on, please let me know. ill love yu forever if i can ditch m dial-up provider and just use my unlimited vision service on the road!! :)

N400, Dell Laptop, Data Cable, Unlimited Vision...

[alfafulltimer]

Hopefully, EEK, you've gotten connected by now with your N400. I am experiencing the same problems ... bought the cable and the futuredial software but I get error messages, i.e., remote computer is out of order, no dial tone, etc. I've tried installing/removing software several times but to no avail. Would appreciate any help ... am using Windows XP on a HP Pavilion ZD7010US notebook. Thanks ... this is my first post, just joined. We are getting ready to hit the road fulltiming and need to work out the bugs first.

[EEK]

Well it works!
i completely skipped the futuredial thing and just downloaded the sprint software from the sprintpcs website, turns out that the built-in drivers for WinXP dont work right. so after installing the sprint software i had to reinstall the drivers for my N400. now i can get on using either the connection manager software OR DUN by just dialing #777. I Like it!

~LaTeZ~
-E

[alfafulltimer]

Well, finally got mine to work after trying for a couple of days. Not nearly as slow as I expected!! Stayed w/FutureDial ... sent them a note with my difficulties and they provided the correct drivers, etc. After their fix, it worked the first time I tried connecting!! Wow, I'm impressed. Now, I'm wondering how long the phone battery will last while being connected to the laptop but we do have an extended battery. And of course, was only experimenting with this phone as we are about to change our plan and get new phones, so I'll probably encounter problems again. We're thinking about switching to ready link and I'm considering either the Sanyo RL4920 or the Sanyo RL2000. Any likes or dislikes on either phone?

[dumwaldo]

I'm sure the more modern PDA phones are much better and I was eyeing the Treo 600. But a $200 64meg Pocket PC at Fry's does everything I need when it's got that cable. A new PDA phone would be a lot more without a new customer or 18 month anniversary rebate.

i hate to sound like a commercial but you should look at dell. they make pretty nice PPC's at a really affordable price. well worth at least a look.

peace,
dumwaldo

[goodiemob]

i hate to sound like a commercial but you should look at dell. they make pretty nice PPC's at a really affordable price. well worth at least a look.

peace,
dumwaldo
isnt it against TOS to use phone as a modem? :funny:

[DocsNotary]

isnt it against TOS to use phone as a modem? :funny:

Yes, it's against Sprint's TOS. And they will supply you with the connection software as a download, free, to make it easy to connect your computer through your phone. ;)

Sound a little schizophrenic? Try to get the Sprint reps to explain this and you'll really think they're schizophrenic.

It appears as though they want to minimize use of the phones for high-bandwidth data, and they want to leave their discretion as flexible as possible to call any arbitrary amount of usage "abuse." Some Sprint reps have implied that they flag accounts for suspension at data communication rates that one might achieve sharing music, but checking email and some web browsing would be below any threshold that would get their attention, unless they decide to change the threshold.

[Dave04]

New to these forums, I have had Sprint for years and have the Wireless web option $5.00 month and were able to use an older phone with Data Cable for no charge.
Of course it was slow and not used alot or for long periods I use it only when traveling and for less than an 1/2 hr or so a week.

Just bought a new RL4920 and still have the Wireless web option with the USB cable.

What is different between Wireless Web and Vision?
Sprint even sold me the Connection software a few years ago to hook that older phone to the laptop for web access

So this mean I can still use the wireless web option (slower) and not step up to Vision.
And if not does Vision offer a "phone Modem" plan? The reps do not seem to know the difference??? and will not give me a clear answer.

Now I read in here the modem rules changed.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Dave