Verizon Users: Free Internet

[thecurious1]

For those who don't know. Every customer of Verizon Wireless has access to their 3g network. While the speeds aren't blazing fast, the connection tends to be atleast 5x faster than dialup.....and you can use it on the go! The service is completely free but DOES use your minutes. However, if you have free nights and weekends you can use the service all night and all weekend without using minutes.

Since several people have asked about it I figured I'd post it as a thread. ( Hope you see this del ;) )

What you need:

- Verizon cell phone / Monthly plan

- USB data cable for your phone model
(Usually cheap on ebay.com)

- Driver for the data cable / cell phone
(http://www.futuredial.com/support/download/USB_Drivers.htm)


Setup:

Plug the data cable into the cellphone, then plug the other end into a usb port on your computer. If you are running XP it should detect a new device.

When it asks for a driver, point it to the proper driver you downloaded prior.
(http://www.futuredial.com/support/download/USB_Drivers.htm)
After the driver is installed your computer should now see your cell phone as a modem.

Create a new dialup connection with the following settings:

- Select your cell phone modem as the DEVICE.

- Connection name: Verizon or whatever you wish.

- Phone Number to Dial: #777

- User Name: [email protected] (replace 5555555555 with your cell phone number. Ex. [email protected])

- Password: vzw

You are now ready to use the connection whenever your phone is connected to your computer!

Enjoy :thumbsup:

[killacamfarillafam]

Nice I'll try it out when I get a USB for this POS LG.

[God v2.0]

Does t-mobile have a service like this as well or is it just fuckin verizon?

[xblackdogx]

thats awesome to know,
thanks man!

[benagain]

fuck yea. Nice post! I have a data cable but I've only used it for pics and ringtones and shit. I'll have to give this a go on the laptop later and test it out.

[Skink]

Please post your experiences... I have a friend that lives in a broadband black hole and has tried for 2 years to get out of dialup hell... I am sure she will kiss me if I get this to work for her...

She and I both have Verizon wireless,I thought we had to pay extra for internet???

[KEGS]

that's good to know I just set my I.M
account an it is verizon.Just have to get
usb cable

[benagain]

HOLY SHIT. It actually works! I'm connecting through a LG VX7000 and I'm getting connected at 115 Kbps. The only downer is that I get disconnected after a few mins. I'm wondering if this is a connection used to updates and shit or something cause on the phone is says LG 3G 1X on the screen where it ususally has the phone number dialed. I can get to any website i can think of, but like I said a few mins and I have to connect again. I'm not sure if this is due to a weak signal, but I'll be trying this around town when I get a chance. anyone else with a data cable give it a go and let us know what you get.

[Skink]

HOLY SHIT. It actually works! I'm connecting through a LG VX7000 and I'm getting connected at 115 Kbps. The only downer is that I get disconnected after a few mins. I'm wondering if this is a connection used to updates and shit or something cause on the phone is says LG 3G 1X on the screen where it ususally has the phone number dialed. I can get to any website i can think of, but like I said a few mins and I have to connect again. I'm not sure if this is due to a weak signal, but I'll be trying this around town when I get a chance. anyone else with a data cable give it a go and let us know what you get.
Disconnects is bothersome to me,,,as of late the call connection on my friends Verizon has been great... Just 6 months ago we would disconnect about 2 times within a 1/2 hours time,lately there is no disconnects and clearity is amazing... I hope this trend is related to internet too...

Makes no sense getting better than dialup only to be frustrated by disconnects... Keep us posted Benagain ,Thanx...

[benagain]

well I'm not sure about how this 3G network works, but if it's like dialup, then my wek signal may not be strong enough to maintain a connection. I'm gonna try and find a spot with a good signal and check it there. This will be really handy when I'm travelling and need to get email....or browse the forums.

[Skink]

Do you show signal bars while connected to the internet???

[benagain]

Yup. Zero to 1 bars so very weak signal. and I was wrong. It says 3G 1X Data on the screen (not that it really matters). Right now I'm only connecting for less than a min. I'm also wondering if I'm having some conflicting apps trying to use the broadband and dialup both. Not sure. Too tired to mess with it more now, but i'll resume in the morning. Off to bed for now. :stoned:

[Skink]

Thanx

[thecurious1]

- Using Verizon's 3G network is completely free...just uses your minutes.

- As long as you have 1bar in [1x] mode (normal mode), it will connect just fine

- It shouldn't disconnect you every minute (unless your connection is bad). But the phone WILL disconnect if there isn't any activity after a couple...but it reconnects right away for me.

I average 1-2 bars and usually get speeds 5x faster than dialup. (downloads at around 15kbps, while I generally download at 3kbps on dialup)

Have fun Y'ALL! ;) ::thumbsup

[God v2.0]

what if you have full bars can i get 3 gigs a second? heh that would make my downloading go a little faster.

[Big Calhoun]

Just keep a couple of things in mind... If you don't have a data plan and you're connecting, you'll be charged. VZW TOS as it relates to 'thethering' is a little sketchy...this is to say that if you're surfing web pages or checking e-mail, you'll be OK. You start downloading MP3s or streaming music, they will come and find you.

I've been using this access for a couple of years and it's great. Freaks people out when you're on a train or bus and you're all of a sudden on the internet. Depending on which phone you have, you may also be able to connect wirelessly using bluetooth which is cool as hell. Some of the more advanced phones (Samsung i730, Treo 700, UTStarcom xv6700) will let you connect and use the net directly from your device. If you need tips and tricks for cellphones, checkout Howardforums.com. Stop by the Lounge and say 'Hey!'

[Skink]

Just keep a couple of things in mind... If you don't have a data plan and you're connecting, you'll be charged. VZW TOS as it relates to 'thethering' is a little sketchy...this is to say that if you're surfing web pages or checking e-mail, you'll be OK. You start downloading MP3s or streaming music, they will come and find you.

I've been using this access for a couple of years and it's great. Freaks people out when you're on a train or bus and you're all of a sudden on the internet. Depending on which phone you have, you may also be able to connect wirelessly using bluetooth which is cool as hell. Some of the more advanced phones (Samsung i730, Treo 700, UTStarcom xv6700) will let you connect and use the net directly from your device. If you need tips and tricks for cellphones, checkout Howardforums.com. Stop by the Lounge and say 'Hey!'

Did a little search and came up with this...


The service is $6.95 for Verizon customers and usage time will be deducted from the member's monthly minutes. Verizon Wireless is currently offering the service for free for a three-month trial.


So if I get this strait,,, it is bare minimum $6.95 using nights&weekends,,, "for" a Data plan, "which" sits along side my regular phone plan,,,Right ??? I am limited to surfing and email and the such even though I pay extra for the Data Plan ???


I've seen that site U spammed in search and was there 2 years ago,I was looking for info on a phone and I recall the place being a good source of info,,,perhaps I will take a walk over there now...

[Big Calhoun]

Nah, no spamming. Since a cell-phone question came up, I thought I'd share a resource.

Anywho, the $6.95 is more than likely for basic connectivity. So you can connect to the service but you pay by the data downloaded. VZW also has 10-meg, 20-meg, and unlimited usage plans.

It really comes down to needs. I mean, if you're a heavy mobile internet user, than VZW BroadBand Access might be the way to go. It's fairly fast and there is a good deal of coverage. On the otherhand, if you're more of the occasional web surfer, then I believe T-Mobile has the best value data plan of any company going right now.

But I had chimed in b/c I see 50000000 messages at HoFo at VZW and Internet and people get it wrong. Then they come back the following month and there's 250000 messages about how VZW screwed them and they were over charged, yadda yadda yadda.

[Skink]

I will be going T-Mobile in a couple days as my verizon contract is up...

My friend is a creature of habit and will keep her verizon as long as she or verizon lives... She surfs and does email,I am inquiring for her...

Your post is a clear as mud Cal... What exactly does she require to do a little surfing and email ???

[benagain]

I think I'll also give verizon a call in the next few days. I' have some questions about my bill anyway so I might as well ask. I haven't tried it since that night, but once I figure out what it's gonna cost, i'll let everyone know.

[Big Calhoun]

It varies by phone, by I'll try to give you the concise version:

1. She'll need a phone that is 1xRTT or EV-DO compatiable. Most VZW phones are 1xRTT at this point. The newer ones also support EV-DO. The difference is that 1xRTT offers speeds up to 115kbs and EV-DO goes up to about 300kbs (in theory).

2. Once she settles on a phone, she'll want to add a data plan on to her service. The cost of the data plan is over and above the calling plan. She'll need to pick one according to her expected usage; per megabyte (cheapest/charged per usage), 10-meg, 20-meg, or unlimited. If she doesn't know what her usage will be, a good starter is the 10-meg plan.

3. After that, she'll most likely need to get a data cable. Verizon sells some but they can also be found all over the internet. This will connect the phone to the computer. If she's lucky, the phone she chooses will come with one.

4. Finally, VZW will provide her with a piece of software that will facilitate the connection to the Internet through the cellphone. Once connected, she can use the Internet just like she was at home, albeit a little slower.

Now, I mentioned the Howard Forums site b/c it's a free and large forum that deals with cell phones and hacking. Some cellphones can be hacked so that instead of using a data cable, you can connect wirelessly using BlueTooth. That would require the phone and computer both having BlueTooth and the phone being capable of being hacked to use it. But steps 1-4 are the most basic and will get her going.

If she's technically inclined, you might want to steer her towards a PDA phone like the Treo 700 or UTStarcom XV6700. Both allow the net to be used on the phone itself (you can surf right from the phone) AND have the ability to be connected to a laptop.

[thecurious1]

Again.....using Verizons 3G network is COMPLETELY FREE.

What you all are talking about is their NEW EV-DO network. This cost money!

However....once again.... the 3G network is completely free.

lol....got it? ;)

(Myself and many others have been using this service for a long time...with no added cost to our bills. It has also been verified with Verizon Tech Support)

[Skink]

Again.....using Verizons 3G network is COMPLETELY FREE.

What you all are talking about is their NEW EV-DO network. This cost money!

However....once again.... the 3G network is completely free.

lol....got it? ;)

(Myself and many others have been using this service for a long time...with no added cost to our bills. It has also been verified with Verizon Tech Support)
Thank You for clearing this up...

[Skink]

I think I'll also give verizon a call in the next few days. I' have some questions about my bill anyway so I might as well ask. I haven't tried it since that night, but once I figure out what it's gonna cost, i'll let everyone know.
With the new post I am interested in when you get a better signal... If this works even 2 times better than dialup without disconnects I will purchase a usb cable for her...

[Big Calhoun]

LOL...EV-DO is 3G. And trust, it is not free. What you probably have happening is that you have a vCast enabled phone. If you're signed up for vCast, there are similar provisioning codes for that and BroadBandAccess. That is how some people get 'free' access. However, I'm telling you straight up...if you continue to use that adhoc method, eventually you will be caught and backbilled.

Check out HowardForums, the Verizon Wireless forums...it happens everyday. You will also find the same explanation as to how this 'free' net access is done. Right now, the only 'free' net access that VZW offers is thier Quick2Net service. It's not very quick though...14.4k.

...just don't say I didn't warn you.

[benagain]

Well I don't have a vcast phone (yet, the new one will be I'm sure). I just connected right up. I allways ALLWAYS have problems with verizons billing system. I think they have it running through an old apple II-e or something. They complete dumbasses so its prolly gonna take an hour to sort out my billing questions and another 45 mins to get a strait answer about the internet connect. I've been putting it off for days, but I'm gonna have to break down tomorrow and call.

[Skink]

looks like EV-DO is a form of 3G,but is there such a thing as older 3G technology that is being tapped???

Just about everything I look up is a plan of some sort for mucho dinero...

[thecurious1]

No, the old 3G is NOT the same as the new (3g)EV-DO. The old 3G uses 1xrtt, EV-DO uses newer, faster technology that isn't available everywhere yet but will promise some serious speeds when it's completely rolled out.

My phone doesn't even support EV-DO and I access the internet via my verizon cellphone all the time. My bill never goes up, nor my friends whom use it as well.

http://www.poremsky.com/p/verizonwireless.htm

[Skink]

Well at 14.4Kbs it is useless for what i want,it's good I did not tell her anything to get her hopes up...

[thecurious1]

Even with the OLD 3G network (which is 100% free)....it's 5x faster than dialup!

Verizon's QNC network is the one with 14.4k speeds....not the 3G networks.

[Skink]

Even with the OLD 3G network (which is 100% free)....it's 5x faster than dialup!

Verizon's QNC network is the one with 14.4k speeds....not the 3G networks.
Well your a wealth of good info,,,Thank you for sharing...