Can a bb 8700c be used with a computer via usb as a thethered modem with cingular wireless? The bb website says no but ive heard from other ppl u can.

Yes, you can, but Cingular doesn't consider modem use as the "unlimited data" that's part of your BlackBerry plan. I believe they charge $30 add'l for that, but it can be done (on a PC - not yet on a Mac AFAIK). That (the price) is part of the reason I unlocked by 8700c and went to T-Mobile. No extra fees there for modem tethering, and it works just fine.

Mark

I use my BB8700c as a laptop-modem. It's quite fast. No extra-charges, it comes out of the BB-data-plan. I had Martin Trautschold from Blackberry made simple help me to set it up. Works fine and I saved a lot of money, don't need a wireless laptop modem now for 80 bucks a month.

Here is Martins contact-information, call or email him and say Horst sent you to configure the BB as modem:
BlackBerryMadeSimple.com : The Best BlackBerry Learning Tools - Video Tutorials, Custom Videos, Books and Training.

Simply the Best BlackBerry Learning Tools!

Video Tutorials, Custom Videos, Books & Training.

--------------------

Martin Trautschold

Video Producer, Author & Trainer

Office: 386-506-8224

Cell: 386-334-6434

Did you put Martin's Ad together on-the-fly, or has he provided you with a ready-made ad? The truth is: If the original poster is inclined to work within the TOS of the carrier, he/she will be paying $30/month extra to do that with Cingular. Using an alternative method to tether the 8700c without paying for it leaves the subscriber in a precarious position.

GeekBoy2000
Forum Poster, Offspring Producer, & Owner and COO of a 2006 Ford Focus

We were in South Padre for a week, and used the 8700c tethered when the condo internet jack was defectively wired. I assumed it was included in teh unlimited plan... After reading this, I checked my bill. Wow -- $317!!! Holy Crap! This is not cool!

Piers

Alright, my first information from Cingular was, everything is included in the Blackberry-plan. After reading your posts I have digged further into it and spoke with BB Tech support at Cingular and found out, using the modem requires the BB-plan for $ 74,99. Without this plan they charge 1 cent per byte. Can I trust this information? I have doubts. The representative also said that it would be impossible to use the BB as modem without having it set up with Cingular. As a matter of fact, that's not true, I am using it, and he did not believe me. (Why do they have charges of 1 cent per unit, if it does not work without the plan???).

To avoid hundreds of Dollars in charges, I signed up for the $ 74.99-plan for now. But I have to investigate more, to be sure not to waste money here.

You need to sign up for the BB data plan that includes tethering if you don't want surprise charges on your Cingular bill. That's it.

If you're not getting billed and you don't have the tethering plan, great! You're taking advantage of a loophole and it may or may not be closed at some point in the future or you may or may not get billed for data usage down the road.

Avoiding surprise charges is always key. I'm still walking funny... Actually, Cingular were kind enough to split the difference with me 50% after I explained that I had in fact been told I could use the BB "with my computer", which I naturally took to mean teathering.

Piers