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Broadband on the Move

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PCQ Bureau
New Update

We got the idea for this article when we were going from Gurgaon to Chandigarh in a cab for our SMEQuest event. During the 5 hour journey, we needed to check our mail since we were traveling on a working day. We were able to do so by using our WiFi-enabled notebooks, a GPRS-enabled cellphone and a Bluetooth USB dongle. Our connection was completely wireless. (You can also use a Reliance cellphone, but that requires a data cable to connect to the notebook.)

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We also connected both the notebooks to each other over WiFi and shared the Internet connection. We remained connected throughout our journey, whether we were inside the cab or at a dhaba. The connection broke only after one of the notebooks ran out of battery; and, unfortunately, that was the one connected to the Net. What's more, we were connected at 115 kbps (faster than the speed of our cab, which managed a meager 90

kmph!). 

Who could have ever thought that such a thing was even remotely possible a few years ago? But, it's here now-the technology is available, it works, and is just waiting for people to use it. 

Direct

Hit!
Applies

to:
Mobile executives with notebooks
USP:

Access the Net from anywhere using Bluetooth and GPRS
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So, how did we set it up, and what equipment did we use? 

Equipment required 



You'll need a GPRS/CDMA and Bluetooth-enabled cellphone. We used a GPRS phone-SonyEricsson T610-for the job. This cellphone costs less than Rs 10,000. You'll also need a USB Bluetooth dongle, which is easily available for around Rs 1,200. However, if your notebook supports Bluetooth, then this is not required. 

If two people need to connect, then both need notebooks with WiFi cards. Centrino notebooks have a WiFi card built-in; for other notebooks, you'll need to put in a USB or PCMCIA wireless card. 

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Finally, you will need a GSM telecom service provider that supports GPRS. Most service providers, including Hutch, Airtel, Idea and Orange, support it. We had a GPRS-enabled Hutch connection (costs only Rs 499 per month for unlimited usage). 

How to set up



We did our setup on Win XP. You can also do it on Linux (read the article Net Access with Bluetooth and GPRS, page 115, PCQuest, May 2004).

Here's what you need to do. 

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Activate GPRS on cellphone



These steps can vary depending on the telecom service provider you are using. For Hutch, you have to send two SMSs to the number 123. First send an SMS with the text 'GPW' and then send another with the text 'WWW'. After some time you will receive an SMS requesting you to change a few settings on your cellphone. Press OK on your cellphone, and these settings will be installed in the WAP profile of your cellphone. Your cellphone is now ready to work as a GSM modem. 

Anil Chopra and Anindya Roy of CyberMedia Labs browsing the Net over a cup of tea at a dhaba on the Delhi-Chandigarh highway. Note that everything is connected through wireless

Install and configure Bluetooth on notebook



This is pretty simple. If your notebook has Bluetooth, it would be preconfigured. The USB dongle is usually accompanied by drivers on a CD, installing which is straightforward. After installation, an icon called 'My Bluetooth Place' was created on the desktop. On running this it showed a two-pane window, the left side of which had a 'Bluetooth Tasks' menu. Under this was a link saying 'View devices in range'. 

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Before you click on this link, make sure the Bluetooth dongle is inserted in the notebook, and your Bluetooth-enabled cellphone has Bluetooth activated. Now click on this link, and it will show your Bluetooth cellphone in the window. Right click on it and click on the 'Pair device' option, which will ask you to enter any four-digit number. Enter the number and click on the 'Pair' button. 

Now a message asking for the same Pair key will appear on your cellphone. Enter the same four-digit number and click on the 



OK button on you cellphone. This will authenticate the Bluetooth session between your notebook and
cellphone. 

Create connection



Double click on the phone icon you just paired with your notebook to see all the services available on the cellphone via Bluetooth. Next double click on the icon that says 'Dial-up networking' and it will create a dialer for Bluetooth connection. You can find this dialer under the 'Network connection' menu. Now, right click on the dialer and open its 'Property'. Here, fill the 'phone number' field with the number '*99***x#". You can replace the 'x' with any number from 1 to 9. These numbers are standard for any provider. Leave the username and password blank. 

You are done. Just click on the dial button and you will find that you are connected to the Net over GPRS through

Bluetooth.

Anil Chopra and Anindya Roy

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