Bluetooth dial-up networking (DUN) for the Treo 650
When I first heard about the Bluetooth Dial-up Networking feature I thought is sounded like one of the coolest potential uses for the 650 that I had heard of. I mean, imagine having internet access through your laptop, just like you have at home, anywhere that you can get cell phone reception.
Around the same time I first heard about DUN for the Treo 650, I was having difficulties finding a place where I could eat and work at the same time that had an internet connection. So this sounded great! DUN would mean I could work and eat at that biker dive up the street where they hadn’t even upgraded the grill since 1965 much less considered adding internet access. However, since that time, when DUN was still just a hack for Cingular customers, I think I have run into every possible problem in getting it set up. Well, I just (finally) got everything to work with my Cingular Treo 650 so I thought I would write a quick, down and dirty article on some solutions for problems that hung me up and that you may be running into as well.
This is NOT meant to be a step-by-step how to. Because of all the different versions of BT adapters and services out there, that would be almost impossible. However, you can probably piece together a how-to specific to your devices and cellular service based on these resources and approaches. Also, I’m not going to go into the problems I ran into while trying to use the hack. Both Sprint and Cingular have enabled DUN legitimately now so if you’re not seeing the DUN option under the Bluetooth preferences on your device, your first step is to upgrade to the new firmware. Ok, on to keeping this brief…
The first problem that I ran into was getting my BT adapter to work; I kept getting the error message “Bluetooth device could not be found.” I do a lot of removing this and installing that so I though I had screwed up my COM ports bad enough that I couldn’t get the D-Link 120 adapter I have to install right. It turns out, and I’m sure you’ll be surprised to hear this, it was a Microsoft issue! Today I just happened to come across this link (thanks Tekara!) and the rest was downhill from there. Turns out there’s some issues with the Service Pack 2 BT stack and (insert technical mumbo jumbo here)… Long story short, if you’re having trouble getting your BT device to install or work properly and you haven’t done this yet, give it a shot.
Next, from the earlier research I did when DUN for Cingular was just a hack, I knew I needed to find some sort of connection information. I tried the Cingular info. listed in Shadowmite’s how-to and it seemed to connect, but it hung on the “Verifying Password” screen and eventually logged out, giving me an error 721 which is something to the effect of “Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.” After a few Googles I finally came across a thread on “The Site Who Must Not Be Named” regarding the Cingular setup for Macs. I use a PC, but I figured the connection information should be the same. About halfway down on the first page was some interesting information that suggested the Cingular setup on Shadowmite’s site was wrong; that instead of **99***1# it should be *99***1#. Actually, the post says that it should be the other way around, but me being the rebel I am - and not having any success with the first version - I decided to try the second (which ultimately worked). But I also noticed a reference to some directions on the Palm site so I went to hunt those down as well.
That would turn out to be the final piece of the puzzle and once I found the information in this online manual I was pretty much good to go. I combined those directions with the setup information from Shadowmite’s site (except for the incorrect number listing in Shadowmite’s info.) and the APN information available under Prefs->Network on my Treo device, and was connected in no time. In fact, I will be submitting this article via my BT DUN connection just to see how it works with my Outlook setup. If you’re reading it, you know it worked.
These three or four problems held me up for several months and seem like they could be problems for other users as well. However, they don’t get addressed much in setup or troubleshooting guides, and I’ve never seen them addressed all together in one place. As a result, you may get one resolved, but run into another one and have no idea where to go. This may be because, interestingly, some people seem to have success with some information and setups and some with others. Now doubt this is a result of the huge number of different devices and services available out there.
If you’re having difficulty getting Bluetooth DUN to work on your device, hopefully one of the solutions listed above will help or at least give you some other options to try. If you run across any other common problems and solutions, feel free to post them in the discussion or comments area. The more info. in one place the better!
Oh and keep in mind, if you do get your DUN working, depending on your cellular plan you may or may not get charged for using it. Generally, if you have an unlimited data plan you’re ok, but if you have any doubts you should check with your provider. If not, it could get really expensive.
Related Links
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Filed under: How-to guides
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Something to note, I could not get a VPN connection on Cingular using the init string:
AT+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”WAP.CINGULAR”
username/password of WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM / CINGULAR1
In order to get a VPN connection, I had to set the init string to:
AT+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”ISP.CINGULAR”
and then use the ISP@CINGULARGPRS.com / CINGULAR1 username/password combo to log in.
Once I was connected, my VPN client worked like a champ.
Great article man. You saved me a lot of time and stress by writing such a terrific article. Kudos for you man!
When using DUN does that just count towards regular airtime (so free nights and weekends), or is it still data?
I’m thinking using the treo and connecting to a dial-up ISP like netzero.
If you’re using Sprint, the data is just part of your unlimited data plan - so it doesn’t count as minutes.
Also, you don’t need an ISP because you’re using your cell carrier’s internet network - which is good because it’s probably far faster than an analog dial-up with your cell phone.
Party on.
Thanks for the comments and notes James and Derek. Good to know about the VPN changes.
Rocky, check with your carrier to be 100 percent sure, but DUN uses the data line and as long as you have an unlimited data plan it should be included your normal charges. If you don’t ahve an unlimited data plan you’ll be paying by the MB or something of that sort so it can get expensive. As far as using something like NetZero, that seems like it would come off of your airtime, but I’m not 100 percent sure. Nor do I know how to set that up unless it is just an issue of changing the login information. Maybe some of the links in the article would help.
http://www.zonetusa.com/faq1.asp?CID=29
Was required to get my BT working with the widcomm drivers. All of the above was VERY helpful however.
Robert
I am trying to get a Dell latitude X1 to DUN with my Sprint Treo 650, with no success. Interestingly, it does work from a powerbook.
Anyone have success with a Windows machine connecting to Sprint’s network via DUN?
Tony
i keep getting an error 734 PPP link control protocal was terminated?? i do have an unlimited data plan and am using cingular with the ROW updater
was having success…then I linked up a bluetooth headset and it died. Now when I dial, i get a Error 633.
Deleted the headsets, then re-set everything up.
Still getting it.
Wondering if it is because the “bluetooth modem” is configured for COM7 while the bluetooth communications port is COM5.
Please advise.
Thanks!!
Alex
Has anyone tried to reverse the bluetooth networking? I’d like to use my treo on my existing wifi network by using a bluetooth dongle to connect the treo to the pc to the internet.
Anyone had any luck with the Dell 350 Bluetooth on the X1 laptop and a Sprint branded Treo 650? I’m able to get the two to pair (with some difficulty), and I’ve set the dialup number to #777, but when I actually go to connect, the connection fails, as though there is some issue with issuing the dial command to the Treo. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled the Toshiba stack, recreated the connections several times, toggled BT and DUN on/off on the Treo, clearly seems something isn’t right on the X1 side. I’ve successfully had BT DUN working with this Treo 650 on several other devices, just not a Toshiba BT based Dell.
When connecting, it seems like there is some kind of handshake going on with the Treo, it will light up, but in the “Dial-up Connection” status area on the laptop I see:
Dialing attempt 1.
Dialing…
Could not detect modem. It may be in use, turned off, or not installed properly.
As far as I can tell, everything is installed correctly on the laptop, the devices are paired, in the Bluetooth settings “Details of Michael’s Treo” it appears that the BT stack is happy with the configuration:
Device Name: Michael’s Treo
Device Address: 00:07:E0:6C:2E:6A
Device Class: Telephone (Smart phone)
Service Class: Dial-up Networking
Service Name: Dial-up Networking
Provider Name: None
Port Name: COM40
Auto Connect: On
Connection Name: Michael’s Treo
I’ve tried it both with and without providing a username and password, same results.
Thank you for any suggestions!
Michael
To Michael Eskin and anyone else with a Dell Latitude X1 and Treo 650 on Sprint,
I’m in the same situation. Got the MS stack removed and Dell/Toshiba’s installed. Hotsync works fine and can connect to the Treo but it won’t dial. Same errors.
Has anyone gotten this combination to do DUN? What did you do to fix it?
i bought a dell inspiron 6400 with the internal bluetooth card and the 650 could not be used as a modem because the card doesn’t support dial up networking. So much for having a nice, clean, internal solution. I bought a BT dongle and 5 minutes later had the BT DUN working. It is very easy, just not possible with the internal dell card.
Now I have the 700p and cannot get it to work as a modem. It gets a dialing error.
Damn! I just bought a new laptop for my wife so she could visit her dad in Florida but still have full connectivity. Unfortunately the integrated Bluetooth it has uses the Toshiba stack. I guess that’s what I get for poor research beforehand.
For Dell computers with a 350 wireless bluetooth adaptor:
I had to remove the Bluetooth stack by Toshiba in the ad remove programs. This will revert to the windows bluetooth stack (mine actually didn’t…it locked up during the process).
To install a Bluetooth mobile phone and use it as a modem
Some mobile phones can be used as a modem for your computer. To find out if your phone has this dial-up networking capability, read the documentation that came with the phone.
Attach or turn on the Bluetooth radio adapter for your Windows XP computer.
Following the manufacturer’s documentation, set up your mobile phone so that Windows XP can find it. Setting up your phone includes:
Turning it on
Making it discoverable
Giving it a name (optional)
Open Bluetooth Devices in Control Panel.
Click Add, and then follow the instructions in the Add Bluetooth Device Wizard.
To set up an Internet connection, see Create a Bluetooth connection to the Internet using a Bluetooth mobile phone.
Notes
To open Bluetooth Devices, click Start, click Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Bluetooth Devices.
Passkeys can be up to 16 characters long. We recommend using a long passkey.
The passkey and encryption features help to secure your data. However, these and other security measures can be compromised or fail, and, if that happens, your data could be visible to or accessible by other devices or computers within range. Therefore, Bluetooth wireless technology should not be considered completely secure.
To install your Bluetooth device, refer to the instructions that came with the device.
Related Topics
Then:
To create a Bluetooth connection to the Internet using a Bluetooth mobile phone
Open Network Connections in Control Panel.
Under Network Tasks, click Create a new connection.
In the New Connection Wizard, follow the steps for connecting to the Internet using a dial-up connection.
On the Phone Number to Dial page, type the carrier code or phone number (often this number is *99#). Contact your mobile service provider for the required ID (or user name), password, and carrier code or phone number.
Notes
To open Network Connections, click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet Connections, and then click Network Connections.
To use dial-up networking with your mobile phone, you must first install the phone and then exchange passkeys between your computer and the phone.
Related Topics
The Palm Treo650 works fine with my Dell M20, which has the Toshiba Bluetooth stack installed. I am using sync and DUN with it. Ensure that you have enabled DUN in the Treo Bluetooth settings when you intend to use it. Now more to the setup on the PC side:
Ensure that you have entered the correct GPRS string of your provider in the “Advanced Modem Settings” which you can enter during the setup via the “Express Mode” of “Bluetooth Settings”. In my case
the string was:
+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”web.vodafone.de”
username and password was “d2″.
Important to know is that the GPRS phone number *99# will not work. You have to use *99***1# in order to get it working.