Please help a confused noob,

If no wifi is available (or you don't have access to wifi signal); what I am reading is that you can connect to the internet via your cell phone. I have 'paired' my cell phone with n800; but couldn't access the internet with no wifi. Do you need a 'smartphone' with a voice/data account? or just any cell phone with bluetooth? I am getting a new cell phone soon with verizon wireless, but want to make sure that I can access the internet with my n800 with the cell phone.

Any help would be HUGELY appreciated. Thank you in advance . .

You need a Bluetooth mobile phone that supports the DUN (Dial Up Networking) Bluetooth profile (it doesn't have to be a smartphone, or even a recent phone - my Sony Ericsson T610 which is 3+ years old worked great with my 770/N800).

Most mobile phones should be able to establish a data connection over a voice plan, but a data plan may prove more cost effective. It all depends on how your phone is connecting (GSM? CDMA? WCDMA? 3G etc.) but a bog-standard GSM phone should be able to connect at about 56kbps using GPRS, if your network supports it.

If your phone doesn't support the DUN profile you may be able to hack around the problem by creating a Bluetooth Personal Area Netork but personally I'd replace the phone...

Post details of what phone you are getting as you want to avoid any phone that doesn't have the DUN profile, otherwise you'll regret it.

take a look at Howard Forums. The Verizon Wireless - LG section is here
http://www.howardforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=295

search for DUN

I don't think it works "out of the box" for verizon wireless without a data plan.

Thank you - both Milhouse and Tabster - for your input.

I am going with a verizon phone (it is the best plan for where I am moving (Asheville, NC)); mainly deciding on which phone and plan to go with.

I did the online chat thing with verizon, they stated that if I got a voice + data plan, that I could only use a 'smartphone' with that plan. So I am locked into a Treo, Blackberry, Samsung SCH-i730, Verizon Wireless PN-820 Smartphone, or Verizon Wireless XV6700. I have searched these forums, but none of these phones are listed.

Do you think Verizon is stating the truth that you can only buy a 'voice + data' plan if you buy a smart phone?

And which above phone would you go with?

Or should I get an unlocked phone (preferrably a Nokia) and use it with the verizon voice + data plan? (which I have never done - and am afraid of)

Whatever advice you could give would be great - thank you thank you!

most wireless providers have more than one type of data plan. you have to talk "tethering" with you salesperson. the data plans for the smartphones are not the ones you need.

I see what you mean. I searched "tethering" on the Verizon site - and it came up with

http://b2b.vzw.com/productsservices/...Modem%20Phones

But this is with a USB cable - which the n800 doesn't have the typical USB port. Is there a way I can wirelessly tether the n800 to a cell phone via bluetooth to access the internet when WiFi isn't available?

Thank you!

yes there is. I suggest reading the Howard Forums to see what to do with Verizon Wireless.

The data plans are expensive for occasional use though.

see this page, it will shed some light on how the tethering is setup and might make it a little clearer.

http://www.tabletcorner.com/nokia770/guides/razr.html

you could also think of it this way. your cell phone is a broadband modem. by design and function it actually is one. you can use bluetooth to connect to that broadband modem, just as you can use wifi to connect to your laptop to the wireless network at home or work. you need a bluetooth enabled phone and a data plan for a tethered device like a PDA. Throw the name HP iPaq the salesman, to illustrate the use/need.

I must agree that for casual use, teathering may not be worthwhile. I am a daily user. I have sprint. Where, with sprint, their phone as modem (PAM) plan does not entitle you to picturemail and what not. Those must be added on ala-cart. So you would have to have both vision(data plan for phone itself) and PAM plans as well as sms/mms feature addons. I dont know if verizon is the same way.

Not trying to discourage you but it does get expensive.

Awww man, who wrecked the page?

My guess is that Verizon are recommending a smartphone for their voice+data plan because they don't want you using your mobile phone as a modem for a laptop. Many ISPs offer two such data plans - one where you surf only on the phone (with walled gardens and limited services that are not likely to blow your bandwidth limit) and a more expensive option for laptop usage where anything goes.

Can the network provider tell that you are using your phone as a modem to connect your N800 to the internet on the cheap data plan? Possibly, but I suspect you can get away with it if you are a light user and avoid VoIP and excessive amounts of IM and streaming etc.

If the laptop data-plan is significantly more expensive than the smartphone-only data plan I would be tempted to get a DUN-enabled phone and go with the smartphone-only data plan. Just be careful how much bandwidth you use.