Hey all,

I have a laptop, which I connect to my O2 Samsung D500 mob via bluetooth, to the internet. Costs 10p per minute atm, is there a cheaper way of doing it? Only need this method of connection for short periods of time, like when im away, but any information, including contracts. Also use my phone for calls and texts...mostly texts.

any ideas?

Kev

You can get a wireless/GSM card from vodafone. They were dishing them out for free on PAYG a little while ago.

Here is the leaflet.

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/store_doc/GE/leaflet.htm

It doesn't have to be PC world for the laptop and you can be a little imaginative with the info.

I had the same problem working away all week and wasn't prepared to pay

I use my D500 as a GPRS modem from my PDA, takes a while to configure and you pay for the data downloaded not time connected. Connection is at 56kbps. Depending on tarrif it could work out cheaper.

So if I add Web'n'Walk my existing Flext contract and connect my phone (SE W810i) to my laptop via Bluetooth does it count data downloaded to the PC as Web'n'Walk?

Oh, and roughly how fast is it?

You need to setup the laptop correctly, do it wrong and you end up with a 9600kbps dialup connection. You need to follow your phone companies instructions to configure a gprs data connection on your laptop. And yes it should work as if your phone is surfing the net, but from your laptop.

So if I add Web'n'Walk my existing Flext contract and connect my phone (SE W810i) to my laptop via Bluetooth does it count data downloaded to the PC as Web'n'Walk?

Oh' date=' and roughly how fast is it?[/quote']

Thats exactly what I do (same phone etc).

Technically the small print says you shouldn't use it as a modem for a computer, but i've been doing it for 3 or 4 months with no ill effect (just don't go hoging the bandwidth and they can't really tell)

As far as speed goes it seems on a par with dial up, if not a little quicker at times but i only use it for e-mail & the odd bit of surfing.

Just to clear things up, if you're using a 9.6kbps voice modem connection then I would ask, why? Yes you will be charged per minute and it's not cost effective.

If you are using GPRS data and connecting to your network's internet APN, then you will be charged according to the amount of data you use e.g £2 per Mb. I suggest you change to this method for a quicker network speed and reduce your costs.

orange PAYG can do unlimited GPRS at £1 a day on request (i.e. you ring up and buy a day at a time), i believe. might be worth getting a PAYG sim for this purpose...