[ILUG] Linux Compatible GSM Hardware

[Michael Watterson]

Patrick O'Connor wrote:
> On 13/08/07, Gareth Eason <bigbro at skynet.ie> wrote:
>   
>> Patrick O'Connor wrote:
>>     
>>> A friend and myself are toying with the idea of using our call a friend
>>>       
>> for
>>     
>>> free mobile allowance to connect (albeit at a low speed) to a home
>>>       
>> server.
>> [snip]
>>
>>         Hi,
>>
>>         I'm curious - what itch are you trying to scratch? Depending on
>> what you
>> actually want to do, there may be a number of other ways to do what you
>> want.
>>     
>
>
> The idea came from my friend who has just moved here and has to jump through
> the usual hoops to get broadband for his work (freelance programming). This
> is going to take ages so he had the thought of using his phone a friend free
> minutes with metoer to dial up directly to my server at home via gsm dialup.
> That way he could get "free" internet access. I know the speed would be
> horribly slow on a GSM dialup but it could potentially at least allow him to
> pick up mail and would be kinda fun to get up and running.
> I have a pay as you go sim lying around and reckoned this would be a pretty
> simple project and was considering what hardware I'd need to hook it up
> considering the infrastructure I outlined in the last mail.
>
> Thinking about it again though, I've just realised that I may have over
> thought the solution by looking for specific gsm hardware. I also have a
> Nokia 3510i phone which may have a gsm modem built in. If that's the case I
> should be able to achieve a result connecting it up via dku cable to one of
> the free usb ports (on the soekris or NSLU2).
>
> Thanks for your thoughts, if anyone has anything to add I'd be glad to hear
> it!
>   

I've done this years ago, inc SMS access to email and SQL. The older 
phones the USB cable is really a Serial to USB convertor, so getting the 
older serial cable for the phone will be simpler. Then it really is just 
a modem. (SMS is a bit more complicated, but not much).

Beware that data access even at the basic GSM 14.4k (I had a phone that 
could eat two calls and get 28.8k, but double the call charge) may not 
be covered by the call a friend thing depending on how smart the network 
is. You may also need to disconnect every 59 minutes etc...

I had free 49k dialup weekends and evenings by using the 061 geographic 
pop number instead of 189x number for Internet on landline. My proxy was 
programmed to reconnect every 59 mins. Mostly transparent to the Proxy 
clients.  I used Tele2 now TalkTalk on the eircom line as CPS.

The GSM phone may get very hot, an external aerial may reduce TX power 
and thus heat..  I still have the  Nokia  GSM  phone and serial  cable  
somewhere  if I havn't taken it apart  to  examine  the RF chips.

 

-- 
Mike.