Anyone have any success using the 8703 as a wireless modem on a mac yet?

Yes I would like to know this as well.

I've been trying but without any success -- downloaded the new 4.0 Pocket Mac that supports the 8703e. In Network configuration there is a new "Blackberry" network port that it discovers now when plugging the Blackberry in via USB. I tried to create a dial-up profile to call #777 with the usual Verizon specifics but it's a no go. I suspect I still need a Blackberry modem definition.

So close... :(

There are in-depth discussions of Mac tethering here. I just got an 8703e and though my 8700g worked as a modem in Boot Camp and Parallels, Parallels doesn't like the 8703e as much.

alexking.org: Blog > BlackBerry 8703e as a Modem Issues

boot camp works fine for tethering with 8703e.

I kept having problems w/ the USB driver. For anyone who got it to work, any step by step instructions?

My current problem is that Parallels complains that the USB device is being used by another process and I don't know how to undo that process in OSX.

One guy has figured it out via a contest....they claim that he is working on the "quirks" and little fixes now.....

Mac OS X tethered modem solution for BlackBerry - BBHub

Hopefully it comes soon....

Hi, I'm the guy the came up with the solution. The fixes are done.

"Pulse" is a commercial product that you can check out at the Brain Murmurs website. It allows Mac (or Windows) users to use their Blackberry as a Bluetooth Modem. We're going to add USB support for Mac users in the next month or so.

It costs $50 and requires the use of a proxy server. You can either setup the proxy server on your own network or subscribe to a commercial service through Austin Web Development for $40 a year.

What would still be great would be to have a non-proxy reliant solution that would allow tethering via the USB cable natively in OSX. With PocketMac 4 the Blackberry shows up as a modem in OSX and a Network Port but there doesn't seen to be a modem script in existence that works and allows the BlackBerry to dial. This same concept works flawlessly in Windows.

I'm going to just settle this problem by getting a mac book after mac world in Jan (Going to make sure they don't pull any quick changes) and just use boot camp to boot into windoze and then use my BB for a modem. Really though they need to get together and give us a real solution!

for now does anyone want to give me a down and dirty on how to create a proxy on my own network?

We'll be releasing mac and linux proxies by the end of the month. We are shooting for something extremely easy to setup and provision: typical mac installer with graphical user interface for setting up accounts.

-Daniel

Hey There,
Just purchased new Macbook with Windows using Boot Camp, have BB8703e
with Sprint, followed Sprint and BB page instructions for tethering, worked great (in Windows) , pretty fast almost equaled to my DSL at home. But it does work. Just wanted to pass along some success

Running under Windows in boot camp isn't the problem. It's getting it to run under osx that people want to see.

I want to know if it's cheaper than the $75/month Cingular charges me for tethered dialup. Has anybody figured this out?

Sprint charges $39.00 per month unlimited internet on BB and includes tethered mode, so I was told havent seen bill yet

just got my 8703e through verizon. They tell me mac tethering is still not supported. i don't run windows on my mac, am using the blackberry for personal use and am not it savvy. is there any solution out or on the horizon tether my bb to my mac as a usb modem?

i can validate this statement to be true . i too have a BB 8703e and only pay 39.99 for umlimited net / mail / tethering through sprint . pretty nice of sprint to only charge 39.99 for it compared to my old cingular tethering service with my old BB 8700c at almost twice the price and 3/4 the speed . sprint

yeah sprint includes tethering in their bb plan for $40. i just got a macbook and i cannot believe this tethered issue via usb hasn't been remedied already. no offense to the guy who's offering a $50 program and a $40 annual service to get it to work, but give me a break. i can't honestly see someone paying for a feature that is completely free with windows. tethered via usb with windows works flawlessly and like one guy said is comparable to dsl speeds. to learn i can't have that same wireless connection via my 8703 like i had with my windows laptop is pretty damn discouraging.

i'm hoping this is an old thread and it's been fixed already, but i tried bb's pocketmac 4.0 and it was a joke. i'll continue my efforts before i ever think about paying $50 for a program.

my thoughts exactly. first of all he steals the bounty, and then charges for a half solution. he shouldn't have received the bounty at all in my opinion. his solution requires the use of a proxy server, which is LESS EFFICIENT than booting into boot camp or parallels and accessing the internet for free. does it make sense to have to set up a proxy server to access the net when you can connect directly to the internet over your blackberry under windows?

daniel pasco is greedy, and it's sad.

Hey all,

I posted some of this in another thread, but I just wanted to fill in more info and let people know that there is a new version (Release Candidate 2, build 3150) of Parallels with full USB 2.0 support. I was able to set up tethering on my sprint 8703 using the Sprint Connection Manager, and have had good results.

I have not tried to pump that connection back to OSX, though I know it's supposed to be possible.

It's not a complete solution, and it doesn't compare to a native OSX solution, but heck, I'm willing to bet that a decent number of people have an unused copy of XP at their disposal. If so, the $79 for Parallels i cheaper than the $50+$40 for the proxy solution (which I highly doubt will ever let me on my work VPN). Worst case scenario, you can probably get an OEM version of XP home for ~$80.

If anyone has any info on how to share the XP connection back with OS X in parallels, please let us know. If I figure it out, I'll do the same.

Paul

It works great on Verizon also. A few quirks, but overall a great leap forward.

Al

Let me understand this correctly...

You're tethering your Verizon 8703e via Paralells Widows?

Or

You're tethering your Verizon 8703e via Pocket Mac OS X?

What are the "quirks"?



This is a major deal breaker that I need to work out if I'm going to make the switch to Macs. WWAN internet is more important than price points or a stable OS (for my needs).

Just read that Verizon started expanding its EVDO network today which is great for its customers because it speeds up EVDO. Now all they need is a BB with international capabilities. Sorry...Off topic.

using parallels at this point. I know they are working on pocketmac to at some point be able to do this from the osx side. but not yet ready

Al

Hopefully a solution is found soon. I'm trying to tether a BB 8703e with my Mac Powerbook G4 and no luck - event tried pocketmac, pulse.., Is it gonna take Apple to release the iPhone inorder to solve the problem that all of us Mac users are having in tethering to the web?

Please send updates asap if anyone finds a solution.

I'm not sure which tree has to be shaken to get a solution that doesn't require a proxy and an extra $100 to get it to work.