Hi,
If you've just received your new e-series phone, you'll probably want to try out all those cool connected application such as the nokia web browser, email client, worldmate, widsets, google maps or Internet radio. But unless you're lucky enough to have an unlimited data plan or a wifi access, using those applications is going to cost you a fortune in GPRS or 3G charges. Luckily, Nokia provides an application that allows you to use your PC internet connection from your phone connected via USB. It's easy enough to set up but since it took a little while for me to realize that that was possible, i suppose that others are not aware of that either. So here is a small tutorial.
I've tried it with my work PC connected to the Internet via my company's ethernet network. It should work just as well with an ethernet or USB broadband modem but i haven't been able to try it since my home PC, which is connected via a USB modem, died just minutes before i was about to try it 😞 (seems like Toshiba laptops don't like just the thought of being used as a mere IP passthrough).
UPDATE: my laptop being back and working again, i've tried to set up IP passthrough on it to try and connect my E61 to the Internet via the USB broadband modem connected to my laptop. I couldn't get it work. The phone won't connect.
1) make sure that you've got Nokia PC suite installed. I actually don't think that you need it for IP passthrough but i haven't tried on a PC that didn't have it installed. You can download the latest version here: http://europe.nokia.com/A4144903
UPDATE: Nokia PC Suite is actually required for IP Passthrough to work. Make sure that you restart your PC at the end of the installation procedure if prompted to.
2) Download and install the Nokia Network Bridge application: http://www.forum.nokia.com/info/sw.nokia.com/id/99ffe0f8-34d3-46c2-a069-ba83b9dfdce3/Nokia_Network_Bridge.html
(there's a pdf file there too that explains how to set it up with a nokia communicator. It's pretty much the same procedure with the Exx)
3) Now you'll need to create the IP Passthrough access point on your phone. On the phone, go to menu -> Tools -> Settings -> Connections -> Access Points. Choose Options -> New Access Point -> Use default settings. In Connection Name, enter a name for this access point. For example, "PC Passthrough". In Data Bearer, choose IP passthrough.
4) Then go to Options -> Avanced Settings. Whenever the phone will be connected in IP passthrough mode, it's going to behave just as if it was connected directly to the newtork so it needs to have an IP address and know the address of the DNS and gateway servers. 3 cases here:
- Case 1: your PC (hence your phone) is connected to the network via DHCP. This is the case for most company networks. In this case, just leave the default settings. Only indicate the address and port of the Proxy server if there is one on your network.
- Case 2: your PC uses a fixed manually assigned IP address. In this case, you'll need to give your phone an IP address too. Go to IPV4 Settings and enter an address in Phone IP Address. Be careful not to choose an address already in use by another computer on the network (and of course, do not use your own PC address). If you don't know what address is still free on your network, ask your network administrator, he should be able to give you one. For the rest of the settings (subnet mask, gateway, DNS), they must be identical to those used by your PC. If you don't know them by heart, under Windows XP go to Start menu -> Control Panel -> Network Connections and double click your network connection (probably called Local Area Connection). Then click Properties, scroll down and select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties. All the settings will be displayed. Enter them on your phone.
- Case 3: you have no idea of what i'm talking about. In this case, you're probably connected via DHCP so don't touch anything and leave the default settings.
5) Click Back and Exit until you're back to the Active Standby screen.
6) Connect your phone to your PC via the USB cable. The phone will ask you what kind of connection you want to make. Choose IP passthrough. It sometimes asks it several times, so choose IP passthrough every time.
7) On the PC, go to Start menu -> Control Panels -> Nokia Network Bridge. You should see your phone listed there. If not, wait a little while for the phone to be recognized by your PC and it should show up. Place a check mark in front of your phone then click OK to close the window.
8) That's it. Nokia PC Suite will tell you that the phone is connected in non-compatible mode but that's normal. On the phone, launch an application that requires an internet connection such as the web browser and when it asks for the access point to use, choose the one you've just created. The phone will then connect through your PC Internet connection.
9) When you're done browsing, simply disconnect the cable. The next time you'll want to use your PC internet connection, just plug the phone and choose "IP Passthrough", nothing else to do.
