Using Your BlackBerry As a Modem On Linux

ruphus13 writes "Now, the suits and the geeks can unite — Barry allows BlackBerrys to serve as modems for Linux machines. From the news post, 'Barry, created by open source software vendor Net Direct, lets you not only sync your contacts and calendar but also use your smartphone as a computer modem. Sure, it's not as fast as T1 or cable, but you can't beat it if you're stuck somewhere with no Internet access. Currently, there are packages available for Ubuntu, Debian, Mandriva, and Fedora (although syncing is not supported on Fedora 9). Most older BlackBerrys work just fine with Barry, but the newest generation of devices — the Storm and Bold — are not yet fully supported.'"

Is this really news.

[jellomizer]

I have done this with Mac OS X and a little Samsung Sync. Years ago, for phones that allow you to put software on it. There really isn't much stopping you from doing this.

Mac OS X? I've been doing this in Linux for years

[betterunixthanunix]

My first experience was using a normal, run of the mill cell phone that had an IR port as a modem -- back in high school. That was beyond annoying, because the alignment had to be withing about 5 degrees, but it worked, and back then 9.6kbps was not unbearable even for the web. These days I do it with Bluetooth when I am traveling, and I can really only check my email via POP3.

Re:Modem use forbidden by corporate policy?

[Anonymous Coward]

What corporations are getting Blackberries w/out unlimited data plans?

Anyways, I've been tethering my BB with Linux for a while now just using Bluetooth (no special drivers needed). It's slow, but faster than dialup.

Welcome to the 21st century

[Albanach]

9 years late, we can welcome RIM to the new millenium.

Seriously, most geeks will have used cell phones as modems for years. I certainly did it back in the last millennium. In the old days, IR was the way to connect. Then when you got fed up trying to keep the phone pointed at the computer you got a cable.

Bluetooth replaced all that nonsense. And, today, we have software that turns your phone into a Wireless access point, allowing you to share your connection with the entire room.

Here's hoping I never have a job that forces me to give all that up for a Blackberry!

Re:Mac OS X? I've been doing this in Linux for yea

[Thalagyrt]

I used to do that with my old T-Mobile phone, but now I just have a Sprint PCI-E mini card built in. It's a hell of a lot more convenient than using a tethered phone.

I wrote up a script that uses traceroute to determine whether or not I have Internet connectivity via 802.11 or my wired Ethernet jack, and if not, it automatically connects the Sprint card. When I have 802.11 connectivity it traceroutes to the nearest Google box every 30 seconds or so and if it notices that I'm not going out through Sprint (yay interface priority) it disconnects the Sprint card. My laptop's WiFi switch turns the entire shebang off, so it's kind of like a "I can has interwebs?" switch. :)

Re:Is this really news.

[Lord Jester]

You did it on Linux five years ago?