Tethering phone to laptop

bill12 · Guru

Tethering phone to laptop

bill12 · Guru

It works! I bought a cheap($69)LG smart phone, and using instructions from the web, I used it as a modem! It seems quicker than the Telstra wireless dongle,and is simpler to get online.I bought a $5 Kogan chip to try, and after some small problems , put it in the LG phone amd am now using it.Do I loose my email address at bigpond if I go to Kogan? I ts certainly a lot cheaper at $29.95 for unlimited calls and 6 gig of data. I am paying twice that from Telstra.Only time will tell. Bill

Rip and Rosie · Guru

The big issue is : for travellers the Telestra network versus the Kogan netwotk.

You might keep your email address but loose signal.

bill12 · Guru

I have talked to people who have tried Kogan and have only good reports. Getting tech help is a pain, but so is Telstra.I am going to try it.Bill

Cruising Cruze · Guru

Hi Bill which phone did you get what android does it use
and where did you get it
I hope you can help me with that one Thanks mate

John

bill12 · Guru

its an LG-E400f , and I bought it from the local news agency for $69. You can get similar from aust post for about the same Its an android , touch screen type which is a first for me, and is fun trying to get used to.Seem to work well.Bill

GaryKelly · Guru

Don't understand the chip business, Bill. By chip do you mean a sim card? I also notice your phone is not plugged in to your computer via a USB port. How is the connection made?

GaryKelly · Guru

I watched a couple of Youtube vids about tethering a smart phone to a PC, but I'm wondering what the advantage is in my case. My dongle was supplied by my ISP (Spintel). It's not prepaid. I have an ongoing deal of 5GB @ $29.95 a month with Spintel who use Optus. They host my web sites as well. My current phone is a basic Samsung I hardly use. I only bought it for emergencies.

bill12 · Guru

Kogan have this deal -6gig per month with unlimited calls and sms.I learnt that there is a 400m download limit a day because some one was making 20 hour calls! It seems to work here on Magnetic island. as its a telstra carrier.Optus is not good here.I will go for that deal when my new sim arrives.An english doctor I took fishing has one, and said it worked right up the coast from Sydney. Its half the price I am paying. One can only try........Bill

Cruising Cruze · Guru

Thanks Bill
most be an Telstra prepaid, is it ??
Going to have a look asap to get one

Cheers John

-- Edited by Cruising Cruze on Saturday 30th of March 2013 02:00:39 AM

neilnruth · Guru

Bill12 that's the way we get internet when away. An LG phone with android or 'hotspot' which I 'tether to network'. I hit a few bits on the phone, it has a sim card in it which allows me to use 1gb of data a month on the phone plan. Mine is wifi so the phone can sit on one side of the van staying 'charged' because it is plugged into power and the laptop is on the table receiving the signal and I'm happy using the internet.
One thing I did find though with my 'cheap LG' (as the Dick Smith person called it!) was that I have to occasionally turn it off and turn it on again when it becomes slow to respond to my touch on the screen. It does a software update when I turn it off/on and everything speeds up again. I've found it great as it also tells me on the front screen how much data I have used and how many more days I have left.

Cruising Cruze · Guru

would not make much difference for you Gary to be honest
as you told us you don't make many phone calls

also it would be $5 more a month for one gig data

John

-- Edited by Cruising Cruze on Saturday 30th of March 2013 01:04:36 PM

bill12 · Guru

It came with a $10 telstra chip, but I am using the Kogan one.Kogan give you a choice whether to port your number to them when you register the chip with them.And at half price for more megs and phone calls, it seems loke a good deal.Bill

Cruising Cruze · Guru

Oops sorry Bill the message was for Gary ,I did put the wrong name in

" would not make much difference for you Gary to be honest
as you told us you don't make many phone calls

also it would be $5 more a month for one gig data

John

-- Edited by Cruising Cruze on Saturday 30th of March 2013 01:06:45 PM

Cruising Cruze · Guru

and indeed it works like a dream now

Cheers John

and indeed it works like a dream now

-- Edited by Cruising Cruze on Saturday 30th of March 2013 04:28:24 PM

bill12 · Guru

What is the picture suposed to mean? If you are having a dig at me, then do it. I find the photo offensive and am going to contact The moderatre. Bill

-- Edited by bill12 on Saturday 30th of March 2013 03:59:04 PM

Cruising Cruze · Guru

Thanks for letting us know Bill
My last mobile phone I had was 8years ago, gone without since and survived lol
always had my better half look after things like that

we got the phone you've got this morning
so the boss is doing things with it, don't ask me what
seems to work on the Aldi card pretty good ,internet wise
she is working to get it to work with her Asus tablet ,work in progress on the moment
Big sign here at the door " DO NOT DISTURB "
so I will stay well clear

once again Thanks Bill

Cheers John

bill12 · Guru

I pay $60 a month to telecoma for 4gig and $30 worth of calls, so getting unlimited calls and texts, plus 6gig of data, is a good deal , in my opinion.I dont make much calls on my present plan as it costs too much, and I tend to use skype for longer calls. Any way, I am going to try Kogan when the new chip arrives. Bill

Cruising Cruze · Guru

Oops sorry Bill the message was for Gary ,I did put the wrong n

" would not make much difference for you Gary to be honest
as you told us you don't make many phone calls

also it would be $5 more a month for one gig data

John

Cruising Cruze · Guru

I took the photo away
sorry for the misunderstanding

John

AL H · Veteran Member

The difference it would make for Gary is the difference in reception with the Telstra network over Optus.

The only difference with the Telstra 'Wholesale' network over your generic Telstra network is the stated 2.3% difference in coverage. Would be hardly noticeable.

I carry two phones, one for work, one with the 'wholesale' network across Nth East Victoria and haven't seen any difference as yet.

Yeah your phone can be connected by 'Wifi' meaning no connection by lead. If you do use the USB lead it does mean it keeps the phone charged at the same time.

At home we cancelled our land line and Westnet internet a year ago and run our mobile phones only for calls and internet for a substantial saving.

Al.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

Hi Bill,

I went to dick smith and asked for the LG Optimus L3 for $69 and they would not sell it unlocked only locked to Telstra, so how can you use Kogan?

I want to use Amaysim, would this still work if I just took out the sim and put in the amaysim sim?

Patto44 · Senior Member

_wombat_ wrote:
Hi Bill,
I went to dick smith and asked for the LG Optimus L3 for $69 and they would not sell it unlocked only locked to Telstra, so how can you use Kogan?
I want to use Amaysim, would this still work if I just took out the sim and put in the amaysim sim?

No Wombat, as Amaysim uses Optus network. You need an unlocked phone.

I am using woolworths mobile which workd out at $4/week with 5gb internet and $500 of calls. They also use the Optus towers.

Patto

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

Patto44 wrote:
_wombat_ wrote:
Hi Bill,
I went to dick smith and asked for the LG Optimus L3 for $69 and they would not sell it unlocked only locked to Telstra, so how can you use Kogan?
I want to use Amaysim, would this still work if I just took out the sim and put in the amaysim sim?

No Wombat, as Amaysim uses Optus network. You need an unlocked phone.
I am using woolworths mobile which workd out at $4/week with 5gb internet and $500 of calls. They also use the Optus towers.
Patto

thanks Patto, now back to doing more research, I already have a phone with Amaysim just wanted a change.