"modem" (Bluetooth, EVDO) Network support?

pfb · Apr 18, 2006

The majority of the time, I use my MacBook Pro on an WiFi network. The emulator (with the latest beta) works great and can access the network.

Occasionaly when I am out of hotspot range, I tether my Verizon Motorola E815 to the Mac using Bluetooth, and use the EVDO capabilities of the phone and the Verizon network to get a high-speed wireless network connection through my phone.
(details at http://www.jasongilstrap.com/2005/11/motorola-e815.html)

Still with me?

We'll, the emulator can't see the network connection. Is it possible (or can it be possible in a future release?) for the VM's to utilize this type of network connection?

P.S. Thanks for a *great* application! I've pre-ordered already.

With my MacBook Pro, Parallels VM, and Virtue Desktop switcher with "cube" effects... You should see the look on peoples face when I rotate out the OSX desktop and rotate in the Windoze XP!

leskeet · Apr 18, 2006

Hey,

Try sharing that connection to either airport or ethernet in OS X. Sharing > Internet Sharing.

Then in Parallels setup your virtual machine to use whatever adapter you shared that tethered connection to.

I use a tethered Sprint phone via Bluetooth. So I share my bluetooth connection to airport and then use airport as my network adapter in Parallels. Works great.

pfb · Apr 19, 2006

Sounds good... I'll give it a try!

rcardona2k · May 13, 2006

I can confirm that Parallels works accessing a bluetooth modem over a Palm Treo 650 on a MBP using Airport and Internet Connection (ICS). At first I tried ICS over host-only networking (en2) but did not work. I could not route off the host.

Airport works great!

Thanks,
p.s. I am on sprint pcs

Sheppy · May 13, 2006

That's good news; I'll have to keep that in mind -- I regularly use my Treo 650 as a Bluetooth modem with my MacBook Pro, so it's good to know it works with sharing in Parallels.

rcardona2k · May 27, 2006

Any hints for not turning my MBP into a hotspot to share the bluetooth modem are welcome. Having both bluetooth and wi-fi drains my battery more than bluetooth-only.

Thanks!
p.s. I have a Palm Treo 700p on order for EV-DO.

paulux · Jun 1, 2006

I have a treo700w with evdo. Using pdanet, I am able to connect with bluetooth on the Mac. On Xp,
I try to set up on mac through sharing on airport but it till does not work for me. I am new at mac. Can someone give more detailed step by step instructions on 1) setting up airport and bluetooth and 2) setting up on parallels setup? Thanks.

smax013 · Jun 21, 2006

Sheppy said:
That's good news; I'll have to keep that in mind -- I regularly use my Treo 650 as a Bluetooth modem with my MacBook Pro, so it's good to know it works with sharing in Parallels.

I have dumb question that is not really related directly to using Parallels. Some of you have mentioned/implied using a Treo 650 as a wireless modem with a MacBook Pro using the Mac OS. I regularly do this with a Windoze PeeCee laptop using PDANet, but I am not aware of a comparable product to PDANet for use with the Mac OS. How do you use the Treo 650 as wireless modem with the Mac OS.

I originally started trying to find out if PDANet would work with Windoze running in a Parallels virtual machine, but when someone pointed me to this forum, it started to appear that it might be possible to get my Treo to work with the Mac OS. My main goal would be able to be able to use my Treo 650 with a MacBoo Pro as a wireless modem in any workable fashion for when I am not at a location where I can use a Broadband connection by ethernet or WiFi. I just would want to be able to check email and browse the web.

I am trying to find this stuff out so that I can determine if I can make my next laptop purchase be a MacBook Pro instead of some Windoze PeeCee. Unfortunately, I have some Windoze apps that I have to use that aren't available for Mac OS.

Thanks,

Scott

Robster · Jun 21, 2006

Are Parallels intending to add 'Bluetooth Modem' as another option when using 'Bridged to Default?

If not can I please add this as a product reuest?

Robin

rcardona2k · Jun 26, 2006

smax013 said:
I have dumb question that is not really related directly to using Parallels. Some of you have mentioned/implied using a Treo 650 as a wireless modem with a MacBook Pro using the Mac OS. I regularly do this with a Windoze PeeCee laptop using PDANet, but I am not aware of a comparable product to PDANet for use with the Mac OS. How do you use the Treo 650 as wireless modem with the Mac OS.

I have an update on previous posts. I now own a Palm 700p on Sprint Power Vision (EV-DO 1xCRTT) and I have both Bluetooth connectivity and USB tethered connectivity working to Parallels (XP).

I'm an ex-PDAnet user and the app I'm using for OS X is http://www.mobile-stream.com/usbmodem.html
This product, v1.42 or later, I can vouch for has full OS X support. I paid for this tool within two uses. In benchmarking USBModem at DSL Reports, I've achieved rates of ~474 - 577kbps. This is on the Mac side. I have not tried benchmarking inside Parallels.

Technicallly for Bluetooth to work with Sprint EV-DO they want you you get a Phone-As-a-Modem (PAM) plan. There is a workaround on TreoCentral for side-stepping this plan. Since I use my phone as a modem rarely, I have no reservations installing the workaround. The benchmark numbers for Bluetooth at DSL Reports are ~270 - 420kps.

Neither BT or USB require any special settings in Parallels. I'm using straight-up DHCP. On the Mac side, after connecting in Internet Connect, I go into Network > Sharing > Internet and I select to share from either Bluetooth or USB (whichever is active at the time) to Airport. This does create an adhoc hotspot, but I'm in a place that is safe from other users. I have yet to try Host-only Internet Connection Sharing per my last attempt during the Beta but when I have time, I may try it.

One thing that is important is I'm usually changing from a Wi-fi connection on cable to my mobile phone connection. I have to release my DHCP address and renew it under the Internet Connection Sharing. The IP changes from 192.168.0.x to a 10.x.x.x. This is how I know the bridging to Airport is working before attempting to surf, etc.

rcardona2k · Jul 2, 2006

Update:
If you keep Parallels in host-only adapter mode (en2), you can enable Internet Sharing from Airport (at home), or either Bluetooth or USBModem (tethered) when you need to use a mobile link with secure networking to your Parallels VM.

Palm 700p, Bluetooth or USBmodem, and Parallels are beautiful things when used together.

DSLreports shows a throughput rate of 475kbps in Parallels so host-only, natted, network is not a bottleneck for good connectivity in Parallels.

Kupe · Jul 30, 2006

rcardona2k said:
I have to release my DHCP address and renew it under the Internet Connection Sharing. The IP changes from 192.168.0.x to a 10.x.x.x. This is how I know the bridging to Airport is working before attempting to surf, etc.

I concur. After switching between Airport and Bluetooth internet connections, I find that I have to force Win XP in Parallels to renew it's IP address. I do this using the Win XP Local Area Connection Status utility, and clicking the Repair button.

Great thread! We had no problem surfing from the Mac side connected via Bluetooth on our Treo 650, but Parallels just couldn't see the connection. This thread fixed the problem for me!

Dave

Kupe · Aug 6, 2006

Robster said:
Are Parallels intending to add 'Bluetooth Modem' as another option when using 'Bridged to Default?

If not can I please add this as a product request?

Man- I'll second that! After several weeks of using Parallels on my MacBook tethered to my Bluetooth Treo 650, it is less than elegant. The area where there could be much improvement is in moving from one type of connection to another i.e. Airport to Bluetooth modem, and vice versa. And I realize this isn't all Parallels fault either. For example, it's a pain that you have to go into System Preferences-> Sharing and disable Airport sharing and then activate Bluetooth sharing, etc. each time you change. It would be nice if the Mac could share whatever the currently used connection is- Airport, Bluetooth, whatever.

What's strange too is that at one point I was able to connect my Parallels VM to the internet over Bluetooth while running in Bridged Ethernet mode. But for no reason I've figured out, that no longer works and I find that now Host-Only Networking is the only reliable way to connect over Bluetooth. And that necessitates the dance working in the Sharing control panel.

Anyhow, I agree that it would be great to add the Bluetooth Modem as a choice among the Bridged options. It would make this whole thing so much more elegant and Mac like!

Dave