Even though free Wi-Fi is widespread, it's not available everywhere. When you're on the road and you want to hop on the internet from your laptop quickly, don't worry about searching for a hotspot, or paying for internet access at a cafe or at your hotel. You can use your BlackBerry as a modem with Tether.
Tether lets you take advantage of today's 3G and 4G cellular networks without buying additional hardware or subscribing to another data plan for your laptop.
Here is how Tether works:
- Download and install the Tether application on your laptop. It is currently available for both Windows and Mac OS X.
- Install the Tether application on your BlackBerry.
- Disable all Wi-Fi connections on your laptop.
- Connect your laptop to your BlackBerry via a USB cable or Bluetooth.
- Run the application on both your laptop and the BlackBerry, and then follow the onscreen instructions.
Getting online with Tether is literally that simple. Tether uses your BlackBerry's data connection, so you will not incur any additional charges when you use it to connect to the internet. If you have a data plan with a cap, keep in mind that your laptop will consume data at a much higher rate than your BlackBerry will, so you may incur overage charges if you use it a lot.
The Tether application on the BlackBerry and both the Mac OS X and Windows applications are very minimalistic. They do not consume a lot of system resources, and the applications work as intended. The only limitations are the data coverage provided by your carrier, and the speed of your carrier’s data network.
A Tether license will cost you a one-time fee of $49.95, and there is a free 7 day trial, so you can try it before you buy it.