Wireless networking via GPRS and Nokia 6310i
Aug 20, '02 01:18:27AM
Contributed by: chrispar
The Nokia 6310i is a tri-band mobile phone with GPRS and Bluetooth built in. Making a Bluetooth connection between Mac OS X and the phone is very easy ... establishing a GPRS connection to the Internet is not.
Read the rest of the article for step by step instructions for getting an Apple Macintosh running Mac OS X 10.1.5 online with GPRS via a Nokia 6310i mobile phone and Bluetooth. GPRS is taking off now in Europe - these instructions will be of most use to a UK reader. I'm not sure of the status of GPRS in the States.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Ensure your Nokia 6310i has latest software (enter *#0000# on the phone). Mine came with 4.07 (??-04-02) so I took it to the nearest Nokia centre for a free upgrade to 4.80 (11-07-02).
- Open a GPRS account with your mobile phone service provider. I use O2 (UK). A 1mb/month GPRS account (OK for e-mail) costs around £8/month.
- Switch on Bluetooth on the Nokia.
- On your Nokia 6310i under Settings >> GPRS Modem Settings >> Active Access Point, select Access Point 1. Then Edit the Active Access Point to give it a sensible name (e.g. 'O2 GPRS'). Scroll down once more and enter your mobile phone service provider's Access Point Number (APN) (e.g. 'mobile.o2.co.uk').
- Download Apple's Bluetooth Technology Preview version 2.1 software and install.
- Download Nokia GPRS Modem Scripts from Ross Barkman's website.
- Unpack the modem scripts and drop them into Library:Modem Scripts.
- Plug D-Link DWB-120M Bluetooth USB Adapter into a spare USB socket on your Mac.
- Run the System Preferences application, select Bluetooth. Make sure "Discoverable" is selected. I also selected "Use Encryption" and "Show Bluetooth status in the menu bar".
- Now select the "Paired Devices" tab and click on "New" to pair your computer with your Nokia. Both devices will ask for a passkey. Any number will work but enter the same number in each device. The Nokia should now be paired with your Mac. It took me a couple of attempts to get this to work.
- In System Preferences select "Show All" then select "Network" and create a new location with a suitable name e.g. 'GPRS'.
- Select the Active Network Port to "Bluetooth-modem".
- Under the TCP/IP tab, enter the Domain Name Servers (e.g. for O2 '193.113.200.200' and '193.113.200.201') and Search Domains (e.g. for O2 'o2.co.uk'). Click on "Apply Now".
- Under the PPP tab, enter a name for your service provider (e.g. 'O2'), then in the Telephone Number field enter your APN (e.g. for O2 'mobile.o2.co.uk') - that's right, enter the APN in the telephone number field. It's all taken care of in the modem script.
- Enter an account name and password for your service provider (e.g. O2 username: 'web', password: 'password').
- Select "Save password" then under PPP options make sure the "Send PPP echo packets" and "Use TCP header compression" options are unselected. Click on "Apply Now".
- Under the Modem tab, select one of the Nokia GPRS scripts. I tried "Nokia GPRS CID1" and it worked first time. Click on "Apply Now" and close System Preferences. If the first script you try doesn't work, try the others.
- Open the Internet Connect application and select the 'bluetooth-modem' port. Your APN should appear in the Telephone Number field. Click on "Connect". You won't hear a dialling tone during the connect process.
- The first time your Nokia makes a GPRS connection, it will ask for authorisation. Once the call is established, select Bluetooth >> View Paired Devices >> Options >> Request conn. authorisation >> No to remove the authorisation dialog.
Hope this helps!
[Editor's comment: Clearly untested here, given the distinct lack of GPRS in this corner of the planet!]
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