Apple has quietly added a great new feature to Mac OS X. If your Bluetooth phone implements the PAN Network Access Point service, you can now use it for Internet access without the archaic mix of serial port emulation, modem scripts, phone numbers and PPP. You just click “Join Network” and your Mac gets a public IP number on a real network interface:
When Apple recently introduced first-rate support for some dedicated WWAN cards in Mac OS X, I seriously considered getting one. Now normal Bluetooth phones get similar always-on functionality. Yay.
wow!
I had a windows mobile phone which supports BT PAN and was hitting my head to the wall to get it share the internet connection with mac...
This is great news for me... I can't wait to get home and try it again, now that my MBP is updated to 10.4.9
thanks,
pal :)
Marko,
Long time lurker on your blog, but this finally has me confounded enough to ask a question.... I couldn't get this working with either my M600i (predictable, as UIQ 3 support on the mac is non existent), or my K800i - am I barking up the wrong tree? I couldn't see this menu item anywhere. Any help would be appreciated.
Keith
Keith, if you go to the Bluetooth preference pane and look at the services your device offers, does "PAN Network Access Point" appear as one of them? If not, then the phone's to blame. I don't know which devices in addition to the W880i offer this service.
The T-Mobile dash uses the pan protocol to share it's internet connection with a laptop/computer
I've taken the liberty of linking to this from a HOWTO on my site - hope you don't mind.
By the way, what is that briefcase-like icon on your menu bar? I ask because I'm doing a little application with a similar icon myself, and my curiosity was piqued.
I am impressed. Just updated my XDA Trion with Windows Mobile 6, internet connection works now without modem script. I'm impressed.
The Cingular 8525 with the latest firmware (and WM5) now does PAN. Works great with Windows XP. I'm glad to hear Apple has given MacOS this capability, as it is highly likely I'll be getting a MBP for my "second" laptop at work. Of course, it will become my primary immediately.
I had an HTC phone which BT PAN but i can't conect my mac with my BT interface, I tried many time to conect my portable, can they ehelp-me?
hi guys
can some one please help. i have an xda trion smart phone and i want to use it as a modem to get an internet connection with my mac power book through usb or bluetooth. i have tried everything and is driving me nuts
does anyone have an idea how i can do this