# PC to net via cell phone

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-net-via-cell-phone/179242>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 2, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-net-via-cell-phone/179242 "2003-06-02T22:28:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aehallh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aehallh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aehallh)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-net-via-cell-phone/179242/1 "2003-06-02T22:28:22Z")

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How can a cellphone be used to dial up to the internet? I do not mean the cellphone internet services. I want to use the cell to get a dialup connection for my computer. I have a cellphone, a dialup number to use, the software to connect to it normally, a 56k modem, and a desktop PC. I have not been able to find much information on this with Google, because I really don’t know what I’m even looking for, specifically.

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**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-net-via-cell-phone/179242/2 "2003-06-02T22:51:46Z")

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I don’t know of any way to connect a regular modem to a cellphone. Some cellphones can be connected by Infrared, Bluetooth or cable to a computer to surf using their own internal modems (usually very very slow, like 9k or so) or using the phones GPRS connection (pretty fast).

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-net-via-cell-phone/179242/3 "2003-06-02T22:52:54Z")

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You’ll need a special cable to connect your cell phone to your PC. What make and model is the phone? Some, but certainly not all, phones have this capability.

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-net-via-cell-phone/179242/4 "2003-06-02T22:53:54Z")

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A regular cell phone will not allow you to connect to the internet. You need special models. You can ask at any store and they should be able to give you the details.

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**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-net-via-cell-phone/179242/5 "2003-06-02T23:40:43Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by sailor \*  
> \*\*A regular cell phone will not allow you to connect to the internet. You need special models. You can ask at any store and they should be able to give you the details. \*\*

As far as I know, you can make data and fax calls with most CDMA phones - that’s Verizon Wireless and Sprint PCS, among others. Any phone with a web browser should be able to do it. You do need a special model for high-speed access, though, as well as special service.

My phone is a Kyocera 3035, and with a $40 data cable, I’m able to edit my contact book and ringers, and connect to the internet at 14.4 kbps.