Lukas Beeler’s IT Blog

I’ve got a Swisscom branded HTC MTeoR called the Mobile Assistant XPA 1405 since about half a year. It features UMTS connectivity, a really nice display, and all the usual functionality.

I nevered bothered to deal with the software provided by Swisscom, and setup connections manually. There are a few things that are more complicated than they were with my previous mobile - a Nokia 6310.

For communication with the mobile, i’ve always used Bluetooth. It’s the easiest way to setup, and doesn’t require extra software. While the Windows Mobile Device Center is quite an improvement, i don’t like extra software in general, and Bluetooth handles this nicely.

Setting up Bluetooth is rather easy, just enable your Bluetooth chipset (either a physical switch on your Laptop, or FN-F5 on ThinkPads), then create a partnership with your mobile device. An appropiate standard modem should be created automatically.

And here are the important parts: You will need to modify the modem definition in order to use your cellular connection successfully. I do not really know why this stuff doesn’t work out of the box.

Add the following init string to the modem definition:
+cgdcont=1,"IP","gprs.swisscom.ch"

The last value is the name of the GPRS access point. If you’re not using Swisscom, you can find this value in the Settings Dialog, under Connections, GPRS. Make sure to choose the right configuration, because MMS uses a GPRS connection too. But they’re usually marked quite clearly.

The next thing you will need to do is to create an appropriate Dial-Up configuration in Windows. Just choose the correct Modem, and enter *99# as the number. Also, Vista won’t accept empty usernames for dialup connections. Use gprs as both user and password, or ask your phone carrier what you should use.

Last but not least, you will need to launch the “Wireless Modem” Application on your handset, in order to enable your PC to connect. Note that this wasn’t always that reliable for me. I never had to reboot my mobile phone or something like that, but from time to time i had to cycle the wireless modem emulation on and off in order to be able to connect correctly.