How to Use Your Blackberry Bold as a Modem

It has always seemed silly to me to pay for both my Blackberry’s internet and my home internet. It just doesn’t make sense to pay for 2 separate signals. Apparently I was not the only one thinking this, as it is quite common these days for people to use their Blackberry Bold’s as modems. Until a short while ago I had no idea that this was possible, but I learned quickly that it was actually pretty easy to do. Here’s how I did it:

1. Connect your Blackberry Bold.
   The first step is to connect your Blackberry to your computer through a USB port. You also need to make sure that Blackberry Handheld Manager is open and active. The following steps will NOT work unless Blackberry Desktop is running.
2. Install modem drivers.
   This step isn’t necessary for all Blackberry models – mainly just for the older ones (and older versions of Blackberry Desktop). Basically all you need to do here is locate the drivers (found at C:\program files\Common Files\Research In Motion\Modem Drivers), and manually install them. If you have troubles, simply uninstall them and go install the latest available version of Blackberry Desktop.
3. Verify that the drivers are working.
   Now you need to check whether or not the drivers are functioning. To do this, go to Control Panel, and from there to Phone and Modem options. Then, in the Modems tab, there will be a Standard Modem on a new port. If you see this, click Properties, then Diagnostics, then Query Modem. This basically just tests the functionality and ensures everything is in order. From there you should see something like the following (note that it may vary slightly for different carriers, especially Nextel and Sprint):
   ATQ0V1E0 - OK
   AT+GMM - BlackBerry IPmodem
   AT+FCLASS=? COMMAND NOT SUPPORTEDIt will be followed by more “Command not supported” notes, and some other commands. Nothing to worry about, the real test here was to see if there was any response.
4. Configure Options
   (NON-VISTA USERS ONLY)
   Go to Properties and then Advanced. From there, enter the appropriate code for your carrier (found below)
   (VISTA USERS ONLY)
   If you run Vista, go to Control Panel, Phone and Modem, and then Properties. Then, on the General tab, click on “Change Settings”, and then the Advanced Tab. From there, enter the appropriate information, found below.

   Here are the codes (both Vista and non-Vista):
   TMOBILE USA Users:
   +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”wap.voicestream.com”
   This is a newer string from TMO that works: +cgdcont=1,,”wap.voicestream.com”
   Another alternate string (required for BlackBerry 8100 Pearl & BlackBerry 8800): +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”wap.voicestream.com”

   Rogers Users:
   +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”internet.com”

   Cingular Blue/AT&T Users:
   +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”proxy”

   Cingular Orange Users:
   +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”ISP.CINGULAR”

   at&t Users:
   AT+cgdcont=1,”IP”,”WAP.CINGULAR”

   UK Vodafone Users:
   +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”internet”

   SwissCom Users:
   +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”gprs.swisscom.ch”

   Verizon Users: Keep as-is

   Nextel/Telus iDEN Users: Keep as-is

   Sprint/Bell Mobility CDMA Users: Keep as-is

5. Add an Internet connection.
   Now you should close anything you have open (Control Panel, Options, etc). Then, simply create a new connection by going to Start -> Connect To -> Show all connections -> Create a new connection. From there, click Next, “Connect to the Internet”, “Setup Connection Manually”, and finally, “Connect using a Dial-Up Modem”. Next just enter the required information. It’s pretty straight forward from here on out.
6. Disable IP header compression.
   Now, make sure the “Use IP Header Compression” checkbox in the Advanced Properties tab is unchecked.

   Also, if you see any of the following prompts, make sure that they are left unchecked:

   Turn off “Enable Hardware Flow Control”
   Turn off “Enable Modem Error Control”
   Turn off “Enable Modem Compression”

That’s it! You’re done! You can now connect to the internet through your laptop by clicking on the Blackberry Modem icon in your Network Connections menu.