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-- Cell Phone and ISP? (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=16079)

A few questions:

1) If I had a cell phone that had modem capability would I have to pay extra for using the phone as a modem? I read some plans charge for using data over the line.. does this apply to dialing up to an ISP and using the IR port with a Visor?

2) Do all cell phones with an IR modem require more expensive cellular plans? I always see you can get a regular cell phone plan for $20/mo but if I look at the plans for use with cell phones with IR the plans are usually $40/mo+

3) Are ALL cell phones able to connect a PDA to the internet using a special cable? If not how can you tell which ones do or don't?

Basically I think it would be nice to use the internet on my Visor and I don't have a cell phone (but I do have a dial-up ISP).. but I don't want to pay 40+ dollars a month for a plan because I don't plan to use it a lot (voice or data). Is it possible to get data connectivity with a cell phone for $20/mo?

Thanks for any info.

1. Depends on the carrier, some charge extra, some don't.

2. No, cell phones with an IR port don't require more expensive plans. Once you pick a carrier, the plan is not dependent on what phone you get.

3. No, not all cell phones are able to connect to your visor. Tbe ones you should avoid are those that run on a TDMA network (AT&T and some of Cingular). To see which phones have cables offered for them, go to www.cables4pdas.com and the www.thesupplynet.com

Yet Another

Another place to check for the cable is www.gomadic.com. They support the Visor / Startac combination and they also sell kits that enable you to make your own if you want to save a few bucks. Good luck!

D.I.Y. available at Cables4pdas

BTW, do it yourself kits are also available at Cables4pdas.com as well. We have kits for the Visor as well as the new Edge.

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Mike

Well, Ive got a Visor Deluxe and a Nokia 8290 digital phone. My ISPs are AT&T or Earthlink. The setup was seamless. My digital phone service provider is VoiceStream. I have the 600 minute plan, and they dont charge anything extra for using the phone to connect to the internet.