| What features and functionality should you understand | | | | In any case, the edge/hsdpa connection speeds are |
| in order to fully take advantage of accessing the | | | | still slower than either Bluetooth or USB, so they will not |
| internet via a mobile phone? Although this can appear | | | | bottleneck your speed. So as long as your battery isn't |
| complicated and involved ... a little information goes a | | | | about to run out, you can connect however you |
| long way to "keep it simple". | | | | choose to. |
| For the sake of discussion .... let's say you have a | | | | 3G HSUPA is Third Generation High-Speed Uplink |
| mobile handset with the following specifications: | | | | Packet Access - a 3G mobile telephony protocol, |
| Networks... | | | | which offers increased data transfer speeds and |
| 2G Network-GSM 900/1800/1900 | | | | capacity of up to 3.6 Mbps on the downlink and up to 1 |
| 3G Network-UMTS 2100 | | | | Mbps on the uplink, under ideal conditions. |
| Data... | | | | 3G HSDPA 3.6 is a 3G High-Speed Downlink Packet |
| GPRS- Clause 10(4+1/3+2 slots),32-48 Kbps | | | | Access mobile telephony protocol, which offers |
| 3G-384 Kbps | | | | increased data transfer speeds and capacity of up to |
| You have configured the software application given | | | | 3.6 Mbps on the downlink and up to 348Kbps on the |
| with the phone on your laptop .... and once you connect | | | | uplink, under ideal conditions. |
| the phone to the laptop using the USB connection you | | | | 3G - Third Generation High-Speed Downlink Packet |
| can access Internet. The settings used in the software | | | | Access - offers increased data transfer speeds and |
| application includes "call type=GPRS". The connection | | | | ables customers to access the Internet and email from |
| speed (downlink) is around 375 Kbps when checked | | | | their cellphones.capacity of up to 1.8 Mbps on the |
| through a freely available tool on the Internet .... and the | | | | downlink and up to 348Kbps on the uplink |
| phone's modem speed is shown as 460.8 Kbps all the | | | | EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) or |
| time( on the network connection). Since your speed is | | | | EGPRS provides data transfer rates significantly |
| less than 384 Kbps (3G speed is given as the phone's | | | | faster than GPRS or HSCSD. EDGE increases the |
| spec), you're likely using 3G. Since GPRS is also | | | | speed of each timeslot to 48 kbps and allows the use |
| supported, when the 3G coverage is not available, | | | | of up to 8 timeslots, giving a maximum data transfer |
| you're probably able switch to GSM/GPRS. | | | | rate of 384 kbps. |
| Your service provider says they support | | | | HSCSD (High Speed Circuit Switched Data) enables |
| EDGE,GPRS,3G and HSDPA/HSUPA. | | | | data to be transferred more rapidly than the standard |
| Here's some questions you may ask ..... | | | | GSM (Circuit Switched Data) system by using multiple |
| * What are the theoretical maximum speeds of | | | | channels. The maximum number of timeslots that can |
| EDGE,GPRS, 3G? | | | | be used is four, giving a maximum data transfer rate |
| * What is actually meant by 3G here? | | | | of 57.6 kbps (or 38.4 kbps on a GSM 900 network). |
| * What is the underlaying technology used by my | | | | HSCSD is more expensive to use than GPRS, |
| phone? | | | | because all four slots are used simultaneously - it does |
| * Which method is better to connect the phone to the | | | | not transmit data in packets. Because of this, HSCSD |
| laptop; Bluetooth or USB? | | | | is not as popular as GPRS and is being replaced by |
| * Your phone spec says Bluetooth v1.2 and USB2.0 | | | | EDGE. |
| and you've heard that USB2.0 (480Mbps) is faster | | | | GPRS - General Packet Radio Service is a mobile |
| than Blootooth v1.2 (1 Mbps). Is this correct? Will it | | | | data service available to customers with GSM |
| make any difference, since your connection from | | | | cellphones. With a GPRS connection, the phone is |
| phone to the Internet is 375 Kbps? | | | | "always on" and can transfer data immediately, and at |
| Here's some feedback to help you work through such | | | | higher speeds: typically 32 - 48 kbps. An additional |
| a scenario .... and the associated questions above: | | | | benefit is that data can be transferred at the same |
| For sure, the speed with USB 2.0 should be much | | | | time as making a voice call. |
| better than that through Bluetooth (of any class). | | | | I would recommend using USB as it is faster then |
| 3G is a network technology that should offer some | | | | Bluetooth. You will not have a bottleneck created by |
| extended data services in addition to the regular GSM | | | | the bluetooth link. |
| features. However, I would recommend that you | | | | Regarding the underlying technology ... |
| check with your service providers since they should | | | | When you phone is connected to a 3G network it will |
| have the exact specifications that you asked for. | | | | be using W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple |
| Theoretical speeds for EDGE are up to 10 times those | | | | Access) W-CDMA is the higher speed transmission |
| of GPRS. But again, since these depend on network | | | | protocol as used in the UMTS system, it is a third |
| configuration you need to check with the service | | | | generation follow-on to the 2G GSM networks |
| provider. | | | | deployed worldwide. |
| Since your speed is less than 1 mb/s, frankly, it doesn't | | | | When you phone is on 2G GSM it is using a form of |
| matter if you use bluetooth or USB - the speeds cited | | | | TDMA (time division multiple access). |
| are correct. I would use what is most convenient for | | | | Again .... the main message is this: Wherever possible, |
| you. | | | | simplify and make it convenient for you! |