It is fairly easy to turn your T-Mobile Blackberry 8320 into a modem for your laptop on Windows XP. Follow the simple instructions below and you will be surfing the Internet from anywhere you have cell coverage in no time.
- Install Desktop Manager: First make sure you install the Desktop Manager software provided with your Blackberry cell phone. You should receive a CD with your Blackberry 8320 that includes the software so follow the step by step instructions for installing the Desktop Manager which allows you to sync your contacts, appointments, etc. with your computer.
- Upgrade Desktop Manager: Once you have installed the Desktop Manager upgrade it to the latest and greatest by visiting tmobile.com and logging in. Once logged in look for the Upgrade System link and click it to see if there are upgrades available for your phone and/or Desktop Manager.
- Open Network Places: Now you will want to configure a connection on your laptop that will really be used to connect out through your cell phone. Click Start and then locate “My Network Places” which you will want to right click on. When the menu pops up scroll down to properties and left click.
- Start Network Connection Wizard: Click on the “Create a new connection” link located in the top left corner below “Network Tasks”.
- Choose Network Type: When the wizard pops up click Next. You will now choose the type of network connection you are going to create and in this case you will want to choose “Connect to the network at my workplace” and then click Next.
- Create Dial-up Connection: On the next screen you will choose Dial-up Connection instead of Virtual Private Network connection.
- Choose Modem Type: Now choose the modem type which will be something similar to Modem – Standard Modem(COM12) and then click Next. Make sure the only modem type selected is the Standard Modem.
- Name the Connection: Now choose a name for the connection like the below example and then click Next.
- Enter Phone Number: In the phone number field you should enter the following: “*99#” without the quotes so it will be only this entered into the phone number field starting with star and ending with pound: *99#
- Smart Card Option: If you have a smart card this is the step where you can choose to use it or not. Typically since the laptop should already be locked down you do not need to enable the Smart Card option.
- Complete Wizard: Now either choose to add a desktop shortcut or not and then click Finish to complete the Network Connection Wizard.
- Final Configuration: Once the Network Connection Wizard is completed then it will pop up the Dial-up window as shown below. Check “Save this username and password for the following users” and choose “Anyone who uses this computer” below. Leave the username and password blank.
- Dial Connection: Now click Dial and you should see the Blackberry Dial-up dialogue below.
- Verify Connection: After the Dial-up dialogue you should see the connection pop up in the bottom right of your screen as shown below.
- Test Connection: Attempt to surf the Internet and verify everything works as expected. If there are any issues then go back through these steps to make sure no mistakes were made.
That it. You are now able to tether through your cell phone for an on the go Internet connection with your T-Mobile Blackberry 8320. For more information on your 8320 Curve check out the book below.
Does anyone know where I can find more information about this?
What information specifically are you looking for?
I have probably been looking around online for like the last 20 minutes for a site like yours. So i just want to give you a big thank you and tell you too keep up the hard work. Have a great weeken! =) Thank you!
Hello.
No problem! Glad the article helped.
I have posted about your website on twitter , great stuff , hopefully the posts i make on twitter will get you some more readers
Thanks! Much appreciated. It is always nice to hear when people find the articles useful.
What about for Vista?
Hello Fred,
It should be similar or look into how to set up dial up connections on Vista. Unfortunately I do not use the 8320 anymore. I made the switch to an iPhone.
Thanks.
Alex
I went through all the steps as described and in the end when the modem is dialing I got an error message. Its “Error 734:ppp link control protocol was terminated”.
please help to overcome this issue
Hello Chops,
I don’t have the 8320 anymore to test but you may want to try this article from Microsoft about the error code you received: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318718 .
Hope that helps.
Thanks.
Alex