Using your Nokia smartphone as a modem.

One of our readers Gemma sent us an email asking for a short how-to on using your Nokia smartphone as a 3G modem. Given that it’s something I felt like a great deal of our readers would benefit from (if they didn’t already know :-P) I decided to take up the torch and do a quick post showing this.

As we all know, when buying a Nokia device, Nokia provides their software suite installation CD in addition to other accessories. Although the CD itself is not mandatory for installing the software suite (It’s just as easy to find on the internet) the majority of users will gain access to Nokia’s Ovi Suite or PC Suite via this method.

1st step:

Install the darn thing! As much as you may be inclined to do without it there are quite a few features included with this that’ll amongst other things, allow you to use your mobile phone as a modem!

2nd step: connecting your phone to the PC.

This can be accomplished in two main ways, Bluetooth or via the USB cable provided with your phone. Either method works, though for faster download  speeds it’d be best to go the USB route (saves battery life as well!)

3rd step launch Ovi Suite or PC Suite on your PC.

You’ll be greeted by a screen much like this one. (For the sake of privacy my photos, contacts and text messages have been removed LOL 🙂 )

Provided that your mobile has been connected via USB, it’s really a very simple matter.

Click there and voila, you’re phone is a USB modem. This is a free feature on every sim-free/unlocked Nokia that I’ve ever owned, EVER. I’ve never incurred any extra cost for doing this and for those conscious of your data consumption, Ovi suite will provide information on the amount of data transferred and the time elapsed since the connection was opened :-).

[Jay: Alternatively you can share your 3G connection over WiFi with apps like JoikuSpot. This is free, and the paid premium version will let you secure your connection. I like the USB function too as it also charges your device (if that’s a feature)

Do be careful as some networks prohibit the use of your connection as a modem/data tethering. Also note that it becomes so much easier to consume data when browsing over PC.]

As a bonus feature to this little How-to:

How would you like to be able to send and receive text messages on your phone and reply to them without ever picking the phone up? Click on the messaging section and you’ll be brought to an area where you can back-up all the messages on your cell either manually or every time your phone is connected to your PC, send text messages to any contact you desire, read conversations in threaded, IM-style fashion and receive unobtrusive pop-up notifications on your desktop every time you receive a message.

This feature is VERY useful for texting while in class! 🙂

NB. Don’t know what the scenario is for you mac users out there, but I’d imagine it being a somewhat similar procedure provided a PC-suite-esque program exists.

Send your tips and article suggestions to tips@mynokiablog.com!

Tags: N8, N8 Features, Nokia, Ovi Suite, Tethering

Category: 3rd edition, 5th Edition, Accessories, Cseries, Eseries, Freeware, How to:, Nokia, Nseries, OVI, S60, Symbian, Xseries