How To Tether a Blackberry 8330 via Bluetooth
I recently switched from T-Mobile to Sprint for my cell phone carrier. I tried many times to tether my Blackberry on T-Mobile and never was able to do it (not like it would have been all that great @ Edge speeds anyway). Since the data connection on Sprint is a lot faster than it was on T-Mobile I figured I would try again to tether my device to my laptop so I could access the Internet while riding the train. The setup was amazingly simple and works great. No cords required, just turn on the laptop, keep the phone in my pocket and surf! Here is the step-by-step on how I got it working:
1. Once you have the phone paired with your computer, view it’s properties to make sure you have the dial-up networking service enabled. You can go ahead and disable the 2 Blackberry services if you want. Leaving them enabled may cause you to get annoying prompts about installing drivers for them.
2. Now that we have confirmed the service is available we need to make a new connection to dial out using the phone. You can setup a new connection from the Network and Sharing Center in the Control Panel.
3. Choose dial-up connection as the type.
4. Choose Standard Modem over Bluetooth link.
5. For the dialing properties all you need to enter is the phone number, #777. No username or password is needed when connecting to the Sprint network.
6. After setting up the dialing properties the computer will connect to the Internet and you can start browsing!
The setup works great although it is slower than when tethering with a USB cable, and the battery on my laptop seems to drain a lot faster when using the bluetooth connection. Still, the convienience of not having to use a USB cable is a huge plus.
Hi Ray,
I am reading your blog about tethering the Blackberry 8330 via Bluetooth. I would like to do the setup. Can you provide more info in step 1. I can get my laptop and Blackberry to see each other via bluetooth but I don’t know the numbers to fill in when it asks you to create a dial up connection: phone#, username, password. It also appears that you are using Vista. My laptop uses XP Pro. Will this still work? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Trey Hardy
Trey, see step #5. I don’t know about XP as I don’t have an XP laptop to test this on.
Ray did you see any charges from sprint on the bill for using it as a modem? They say if you tether you need to have the additional $40/month plan for using it like an internet card. I just wondered if they could see you doing it or if they would just think you are surfing the net on the blackberry.
Did they bill you any extra?
Paul, I am not sure since my boss pays the bill.
I will ask him if there is additional cost.
Great guide. Looks like a clear way to do it. You mentioned that it’s better than using USB. How is that different. Any chance you could give a guid on that as well?
Thanks!
Paul, we have tethering as part of our deal with Sprint. That said, I think you can just try it and see if it works. When you connect the phone goes into “modem mode” so I would assume that if this is something Sprint could block if they didn’t want people to use the feature. Sorry I don’t have more info. Good luck!
It’s better than USB in the sense that I don’t need to keep a cord handy or have to plug in in order to connect. I really like the ability to just connect no matter where my phone happens to be. Other than ease of use it’s not really any better. In fact it’s a bit slower because Bluetooth is not a very fast protocol. But for me it’s worth the trade-off.
I haven’t tried this but have been dealing with the whole bluetooth peripheral device issue for the last two days! I’m defintely going to try this out when I go home, if it works… your my savior. I called Sprint and they said, call your manufacturer… :/
Ray: I don’t have bluetooth on my computer, can I tether the blackberry phone via the USB cord for an internet connection for my computer?
Yep you sure can. The only way I have done it though is by using Sprints SmartView software.
worked on the first try…like a charm!
even watched a youtube video over it
many thanks!!!
Damn… dude you rock…… i tether all the time when im on call and its anoying to pull out the cable and start up sprintsmartview. Now i just click connect long as my phones near me and the laptop and im good. Very very happy thank you.
@Paul
I pay for the $99 plan and use my phone alot for internet access while at customers sites. There is no additional charge. If you need help setting it up give me a call our number on our website Seaboard Communication
Could you test it on Windows xp and make us a tutorial. That would be great
is not working for me help
Just wanted to add that Win7 makes this incredibly easy! Just install pair the device to your computer and open up the device via “Devices and Printers” and choose “Use your phone to connect to the internet”.
@Ryan Rinaldi
Also, I don’t see “Use your phone to connect to the internet”.
I paired the BB to my laptop easily in Win7. What I’d like to do is see the BB media card to transfer photos and music. When I connect by USB it just shows up as a storage device, but I don’t see this using bluetooth. Any suggestions?
thanks dude.
you saved me hours of aggrivation
I have the $99 plan and set up following these steps, however, it failed. Says it couldn’t connect to a dial tone. I put in #777 as instructed, but nothing happened. Do I need to use the device/desktop software or should I just go through the windows connection method?
i red through your blog and got it set-up however when I try to connect i get the following error “Error 734: The PPP link control protocol was terminated could you show how your setting are set-up i access mine by going to properties of the connection and will find 4 tabs it is the settings of these tabs i am looking for
This no longer works, Sprint blocks it. You need either teatherberry or pay sprint $50 a month.
Still works for me, but then again I am on a corporate plan so perhaps it’s included for us.
This worked great with XP! My speed was 921.6Kbps, good enough. The speed needs to be maxed out under XP dial-up”BluetoothConnection Properties” otherwise it defaults to 115Kbps.
You MUST enable bluetooth on you BB first and set to pairing (from manual).
Make your BlackBerry device discoverable
1. In the device options, click Bluetooth.
2. Press the Menu key.
3. Click Options.
4. Set the Discoverable field to Yes.
5. Press the Menu key.
6. Click Save.
Phone as a modem over Bluetooth is no longer available through Sprint:
15:19:30 : Jenni T: Do you want to access Internet on your computer. with using your phone as a modem.
15:19:37 : Michael: through bluetooth, yes
15:21:00 : Jenni T: Phone as a modem is no longer being offered.
Sprint told me that I needed to have a 1400 minutes plan and add the tethering capability. Tethering is not included on the $99 all you can eat plan.
A
Is there a way to do the reverse of this? Have the computer provide an internet connection via bluetooth to the blackberry? i have a blackberry curve 8330 with no wifi and no service that i would like to do that on.
I’ve been trying to use by Blackberry Curve 8330 to hook up with my psp or ps3… Any walkthroughs on how to do that?? I can’t seem to get any of them to read eachother… Hope you can help