Please excuse the unwieldy title for this entry but I want to make sure that Google can point other souls in the direction of the helpful advice I am about to dispense.
Admittedly there won’t be too many people with an Orange pay-as-you-go account, a Sony Ericsson T68i and an Apple Bluetooth enabled laptop running OS X but if you are such a person and you’d like to be able to connect your laptop to the internet via GPRS on your mobile, here’s what you need to do.
The very first thing you’ll need to do is pair your devices, i.e. your ‘phone and laptop. This is very straightforward in OS X.
Open up Systems Preferences and select Bluetooth. Click on "Pair New Device". You should then see your ‘phone as a possible device to be paired. Select it.
You’ll have to enter a string of digits as a passcode, any string will do. Then your ‘phone will ask you for the same passcode. Enter the same string.
When the Bluetooth connection wizard asks you what you’ll want to do with your ‘phone. Select "Access the Internet using your phone’s data connection" and then choose "Use data connection" (not "Use dial-up connection").
Press Continue to complete the pairing.
Okay. Now your devices can communicate with one another. Let’s set each of them up.
Make sure that your T68i is configured for GPRS. You can do this by calling 451, option 2.
Better still, use a land-line and call 07973 100451 so that the cost of the call won’t be deducted from your pay-as-you-go balance.
Someone at Orange will sort out the GPRS for you. You’ll be sent an SMS which you delete, then turn the T68i off and on.
Assuming you’re all set up with GPRS, use your ‘phone’s menu and navigate to: "Connect" > "Data comm." > "Data Accounts" > "Orange GPRS Internet" > "Edit" > "APN".
Change the APN to: "payginternet" (all lower case, no quotes).
Note that is for the pay-as-you-go account only. If you have a monthly contract, don’t edit the APN.
Okay. Now your T68i is configured so all you need to do is set up your Mac.
Open Systems Preferences again and this time select Network. From the drop-down list, choose "USB Bluetooth Adaptor".
Under the TCP/IP tab, set it to configure manually and put an IP address of 0.0.0.0 in the box. Leave everything else blank. Under the PPP tab, set the telephone number to *99***1#
(Note: the 1 refers to your CID number on your phone. That’s the default number that your ‘phone is comes with. You can always check this using your T68i’s menu.)
Under the Bluetooth Modem tab, select "Ericsson Infrared".
That should do it. Apply those changes.
When you want to go online, just make sure you have "USB Bluetooth Modem Adaptor" selected in Internet Connect.
I hope this information comes in handy for some budding road warrior out there.
I have to say, I never would have been able to get this thing set up if it wasn’t for the knowledgeable guy at Orange who I talked me through the tricky bits (forget the website; it doesn’t acknowledge the existence of OS X) and also Pete Barr-Watson who has a similar tutorial on setting up a Nokia 7650 over Bluetooth on a monthly contract.
I’ll be testing out my GPRS connection for blogging in the near future. Pete is still the moblogging king of Brighton, though.
Speaking of Brighton mobloggers, Cathy Jones has a site up and running where she posts a new picture from her mobile every day: The Hidden Room.