I have been wanting to use my blackberry as a modem for a long time, but never really had the motivation to do all the research needed to do so. But, I made up my mind today and researched around about it, and finally able to tether my Blackberry 9000 (Bold) to my laptop. Here’s how you do it.
- Make sure you installed your Blackberry Desktop Manager properly, open it, and connect your Blackberry Bold using USB cable. Your Blackberry Desktop Manager should recognize your device by showing “Device Connected(PIN): xxxxxxxx” Once your device is connected to your laptop, check in the Control Panel -> Phone and Modem Options -> Modem tab -> select your blackberry modem (it is listed just as “Standard Modem” in my computer”, and click “Properties” -> Diagnostics tab and click “Query Modem”, it should give you result in command and response field.
- Choose “Advanced” tab on the same window and enter this in the “Extra initialization commands” field: +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”wap.cingular” Ok, if everything went as it should, you are now able to use your Blackberry Bold as a modem. You just have make a dial-up connection to actually connect to the Internet.
- To create a new dial-up connection, go to your “Network Connection” and under “Network Task” choose “Create a new connection” A connection wizard will come up and ask you several questions. The main thing is to choose this: Connect to Internet -> Next -> “Set up my connection manually” -> Next -> “Connect using a Dial-up Modem” -> Next -> check your Blackberry Bold modem -> Next -> make up your own ISP name (it doesn’t matter what you put there) -> Next -> *99# as your phone number -> Next ->leave the username and password blank -> Next and Finish.
- Your newly created dial-up connection will show up in your Network Connection window under dial-up connections. Double-click it and hit dial.
There you go. That’s how you connect to the Internet using your Blackberry Bold. I think this will work also for other Blackberry devices. Let me know if you have any questions, ok! I’m not promising that I can solve your problem, but we can give it a try, right?
[Updated on 10/24/2009] – Instruction for Windows Vista
[Updated on 11/03/2009] – Tether using Blackberry Desktop Manager
[Updated on 02/01/2010] – Warning for additional fees
[Updated on 04/19/2010] – Instruction for Mac OS
[Updated on 04/16/2011] – Error 692: Hardware Failure in the Modem
– Instruction for Windows Vista (Thanks to Jerry Gunawan)
These tether instructions are for Windows Vista users:
1. Install and Run the Blackberry Desktop Manager.
2. Connect your blackberry using USB cable. It should show your Blackberry PIN number at the bottom left corner of the Blackberry Desktop Manager.
3. Go to Control Panel -> Phone and Modem Options -> Modem tab -> select Standard Modem -> click Properties -> Diagnostic Tab -> click Query Modem. It should show result in command and response field. Don’t click Ok button because we are not done yet.
4. Then on the same window go to General tab -> click Change Setting -> Advanced tab.
In the extra initialization commands, please enter: AT+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”wap.cingular”. Then click Ok.
5. Create a dial-up connection. Go to Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center -> Click Set Up Connection or network -> Click set up a dial-up connection -> Standard Modem ->
Enter Dial up phone number : *99#
User name : [email protected]
Password : CINGULAR1
You can create your own connection name, then click Ok.
– Tether using Blackberry Desktop Manager
I just found a faster way to tether your Blackberry (any) to your laptop. This technique is available thanks to the new version of BB Manager, Blackberry Desktop Manager 5.0.1. Here’s the way you do it:
- Open BB Desktop Manager, choose IP Modem in your BB Desktop Manager’s main menu. If the icon is gone, close BB Desktop Manager, and go to c:/Documents and Settings\all users\application data\research in motion\blackberry to find a file, “ip_modem_configuration.xml”
- Edit it, find your carrier, and set the “enabled” from “false” to “true.”
- Open BB Desktop Manager again, click IP Modem, and select your carrier. I’m using a new AT&T connection with user: wap.cingulargprs.com ; password: CINGULAR1 ; access Point: wap.cingular.
- Once a profile has been created and selected, you will be asked if you want to use BB as a modem. Click “continue” and hit “Connect.”
You now have different ways to connect to the Internet using Blackberry phone device. I hope they all be useful to you. Let me know if you have any problems.
– Warning for additional fees
First of all I want to thank you for all the good responses I received. I am glad I can help a lot of people through this post. However, just a reminder (thanks to Brian) that when you tether your blackberry to your laptop, standard internet usage charge will still apply. So if you don’t have unlimited data plan for your phone, I strongly recommend you to not tether your phone to your laptop as this will significantly increase your monthly bill.
– Instruction for Mac OS
This would be a reply to Martha. Thanks to Rod Father for the reply. I was searching for ways to tether using USB for MAC, but I can’t find one. It seems that the only option so far is by using Bluetooth connection.
I found this page very helpful as I am trying to set up a Dial Up connection for my friends ATT.
I myself have a mac and a curve, the only way i could get the tethering working on my macbook pro running snow leopard is by bluetooth connection, and i want to add my experience (by the way, I am on a different CDMA carrier)
I will assume you have already paired your BB to your mac.
Go to network preferences and add a new connection/interface, select BLUETOOTH DUN.
On telephone number add the connection number (in my carrier is #777, att I believe is *99#
Enter your username and password as instructed in this article.
Now click on Advanced, in the MODEM tab i have the following:
Vendor: Generic
Model: Dialup Device
I have “Enable error correction and compression in modem” checked, I have heard of people leaving it uncheck and still working.
Dial Mode: Wait for dial tone before dialing
Dialing: Tone
Sound: OnDNS and WINS tab is empty, in Proxies tab I had to setup proxies for my carrier which are wap.metropcs.net and the port number as well. I dont know about att.
Maybe someone can use this as a start and complete with ATT info, the official BB connect for mac will also recognize the phone as a modem, however with MetroPCS Bluetooth is the only way i have been able to get it working.
I myself have a mac and a curve, the only way i could get the tethering working on my macbook pro running snow leopard is by bluetooth connection, and i want to add my experience (by the way, I am on a different CDMA carrier)
I will assume you have already paired your BB to your mac.
Go to network preferences and add a new connection/interface, select BLUETOOTH DUN.
On telephone number add the connection number (in my carrier is #777, att I believe is *99#
Enter your username and password as instructed in this article.
Now click on Advanced, in the MODEM tab i have the following:
Vendor: Generic
Model: Dialup Device
I have “Enable error correction and compression in modem” checked, I have heard of people leaving it uncheck and still working.
Dial Mode: Wait for dial tone before dialing
Dialing: Tone
Sound: OnDNS and WINS tab is empty, in Proxies tab I had to setup proxies for my carrier which are wap.metropcs.net and the port number as well. I dont know about att.
Maybe someone can use this as a start and complete with ATT info, the official BB connect for mac will also recognize the phone as a modem, however with MetroPCS Bluetooth is the only way i have been able to get it working.
– Error 692: Hardware Failure in the Modem
Thanks to Tyler! He mentioned in the comment section below that he was having problem tethering his BB as a modem to his Win XP and the error was “Error 692: Hardware Failure in the Modem.” After further research, he found out what the problem was.
I finally came across a solution to 692 Hardware Failure (comment provided on another site).
I had the following error: Error 692: Hardware Failure in the ModemIt turns out that when I copied and pasted the initialization script, the quotation marks were not recognized by the modem (perhaps this is specific to my version of XP?).
Correction: Instead of using the following…
AT+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”wap.cingular”
use the following
AT+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”wap.cingular”Hope this helps.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
No…tethering will not incur more fees as long as you have unlimited data plan. Think of it as using Internet on your phone, but instead of opening it on your phone, you open it through your laptop.
How to teather using a Blackberry bold with Windows 7???? Totally struggling!
Which method are you trying to do? Are you using Blackberry Desktop Manager to tether or a manually created dial-up connection?
also struggling with Windows7 and the bold to tether… I’m trying the BB DM…. installend, broke and uninstalled DM 6, then installed DM 5, but can’t find the ip_modem_configuration.xml file anywhere!
I have AT&T BB Bold 9000 w software version 5.0.0.822 and desktop software 6.0.0.43 on Win Vista. The instructions work – although it wasn’t necessary for me to enter any initialization strings.rnrnI suggest you look in your BB handheld config to find the username your BB is currently using. The password doesn’t seem to make a difference.rnrnYou MAY be charged for the tether data if you don’t have a tether data plan, irrespective of whether you have unlimited data on the BB. It doesn’t seem fair, but that’s the contract w AT&T.
I have been using tethering for a long time, but I didn’t get extra charge. However, I am still using AT&T’s old unlimited data plan. I’m not sure how AT&T deals with their data plan now.
I just got a new laptop, running XP,. I have setup the tethering in the same manner as my previous laptop, but I keep getting error 692: Hardware Failure. I have uninstalled Blackberry software and reinstalled, and the error persists. Tethering still works with old laptop, so Phone must be okay.nnI have deleted BB drivers and reinstalled all from scratch.nI wonder if the laptop might have some setting to block using the BB as a modem.nnAny thoughts?
I have BB Bold 9000 (AT&T), w/ XP, Desktop Manger 5.0.nI have tethered for years with my previous laptop (XP). tethering will not work with my new Laptop (also running XP). I have tried Desktop Manger 6.0. I have deleted RIM com ports and registry entries, uninstalled Desktop Mgr software and then re-installed Desktop Mgr. The BB Modem Query works, and suggests that the BB is setup to be a modem. nThe error that I am seeing is 692 hardware failure. I have used the same initialization string as before (as well as trying another), with no success. [Have spent 8 hours on this.]nIs it possible that my computer has some block on using the USB device as a modem, and therefore it appears as a hardware failure?nAny thoughts?
I finally came across a solution to 692 Hardware Failure (comment provided on another site).nI had the following error: Error 692: Hardware Failure in the ModemnnIt turns out that when I copied and pasted the initialization script, the quotation marks were not recognized by the modem (perhaps this is specific to my version of XP?).nnCorrection: Instead of using the following…nAT+CGDCONT=1,u201dIPu201d,u201dwap.cingularu201dnuse the followingnAT+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”wap.cingular”nnnHope this helps.n
Thank you, Tyler for sharing this. I will update my post to include your finding. If you don’t mind me asking, what version of Windows XP are you using? Were you able to tether your BB Bold now after you resolved the Hardware Failure error?
u00a0Thank you for putting this together. I set this up earlier today and now I’m sitting in an airport typing this comment on my laptop, connected to the Internet through my tethered Blackberry.
Hi Curt, I’m so happy to hear that. Doesn’t it feel great to be able to connect to the Internet ANYWHERE hahahhaa Enjoy! 🙂