Utilize the iPhone As A Modem

Martin Brinkmann
Sep 12, 2008
Updated • Jul 23, 2014
Software
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4

Mac only. The iPhone can be used to browse the Internet, write emails and do pretty much everything that one can do on the Internet. It is great for those quick activities that require little user input but writing articles for websites takes some time due to the way characters are input on the touch keyboard.

Many users prefer a keyboard anytime over the way the iPhone handles text input because that is what they are used to. The software iPhoneModem utilizes the iPhone as a modem for a computer so that the computer can go online.

There are several scenarios besides having to type more than a few paragraphs like running a software that is not available on the iPhone itself. iPhoneModem works with all jail broken iPhones 2G and 3G over EDGE and UMTS and Mac OS X 10.5.0 or higher with Mac OS X 10.5.4 recommended. Update: According to the developer page, it works fine with all iPhone and iOS devices since version 2.0.

Installing iPhone Modem on a Mac:

  • Download iPhoneModem and copy it to your application folder
  • Make sure that the network environment automatic exists
  • Start iPhoneModem.app and iPhoneModem Setup.

Setup the iPhone for iPhoneModem:

  • Install with Cydia OpenSSH
  • Install Insomnia with Cydia
  • Install BossPrefs for starting and stopping the SSH server
  • Change pass word for the SSH server

Using iPhoneModem:

1. Click on Start Connection

2. Activate the iPhone's WLan as soon as the message Connect with iPhone WLan..
appears.

3. Start the SSH Server on the iPhone if it is not running already.

4. A message should appear telling you that your iPhone is now connected. Start Insomnia on the Iphone. Happy surfing!

Please note that this are screenshots from the German version but it seems that en English language version is available as well. It the application turns out to be popular it could very well be ported to Windows. No Windows version as of now.

Note: A Windows version is now also available. The program itself is not free anymore though, it is available for $9.99.

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Comments

  1. Matt Brandenburg said on October 27, 2008 at 8:55 am
    Reply

    I’ve created a tutorial with a complete solution for connecting your iphone to your mac as a wireless modem currently getting 1200KBPS downstream and 150KBPS upstream, check it out :)

    http://www.mattbrandenburg.com/2008/10/27/how-to-make-your-iphone-3g-a-modem-your-macbook-free-in-15-minutes/

  2. website design said on September 20, 2008 at 10:32 am
    Reply

    After the removed the NetShare app from App Store, this tutorial is a blessing.

  3. USBman said on September 12, 2008 at 7:53 pm
    Reply

    While I do not have an iPhone, and have therefore not actually tried it, I might recommend the following for Windows users:

    1) an older (but still useful) iPhone 1.x version – http://lifehacker.com/software/feature/use-your-iphones-internet-connection-on-your-laptop-327066.php
    2) a newer, iPhone 2.0 version –
    http://lifehacker.com/398961/get-your-computer-online-using-your-iphones-data-connection

  4. DjFlush said on September 12, 2008 at 10:24 am
    Reply

    Martin this seriously has to be one of the best tutorials you have ever shared.

    After they removed the NetShare app, I was helpless.

    I will test this out on my Macbook Pro and will post the results here :)

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