Trouble using my Blackberry Storm as a modem

[cschrade]

Ok, so I've paid the "go global" fee and then an additional $15 to be able to tether the phone and use it as a modem while I am here in Italy.  The folks who sold me these services failed to mention that I would need to download an application to my laptop but fortunately I was able to pull that off in the Atlanta airport moments before getting on the plane.  I was able to connect to the internet in Atlanta using my tethered modem.  Unfortunately I have not had Any success using it as a modem here in Italy.  The message I get is that the remote computer is not recognized. 

My husband, still in the US, called Verizon and the operator confirmed that all of the aforementioned services are current.  SHe gave him a 908 number I should call but when connected I get a very irate Italian woman who speaks no English.  I understand Italian and got that I am not the first to call her number erroneously expecting help. 

Does Anyone have any ideas about how to get this service working?  I sure would appreciate the help or a relevant contact number where I can get some help.

Thanks,

C

[EarthUnderSky]

Hey there cschrade,

I guess the number you have would be this number: +19085594899

The way I found that number was because if you open the Contacts Icon then push your Menu(Blackberry)button, select SIM Phone Book from the menu list. That number seems to be a default number that is programmed into the SIM Card.

Seems odd that you would be able to tether in the states, now your outside on global network and having issues. The remote computer is the computer that the modem would be dialing into which in this case would be that network.

Are you seeing 1X, 1xev or 1XEV?

Regards, Michael 

[cschrade]

Hi Michael and thanks for taking the time to respond. 

My procedure has been to connect the phone to the computer, open VZAccess Manager and click on the Connect tab.  On the bottom of the VZAcess screen it does indicate that the device is not found and I am not connected.  So it's no great surprise that the  message that pops up next simply says "Remote computer not found." The network that is affiiliated with Verizon here is Vodaphone and the default is Vodaphone II which is showing three nice bars of connectivity.

Any ideas you have would help I'm sure!

Connie

[EarthUnderSky]

Hey Connie,

Okay, Should be able to get through this... First of all when connect your BB to your PC, does your PC see BB. To verify you would open your My Computer Icon on you PC desktop. Under the heading "Devices With Removable Storage", you should see 2 drive systems. One will be your Media Card that's in your Blackberry, the other will be the Blackberry's internal memory storage. You may try to use a different USB port on your PC. So...If your not see any extra systems here, let's check the BB accessibility settings.  From  your Storms touch screen select Options. Then select Memory. From here your settings should be listed as such:

Media Card Support: On

Encryption Mode: None

Media Transfer Protocol (MTP): On

Mass Storage Mode Support: On

Auto Enable Mass Storage Mode When Connected: Yes

If there have been any changes be sure that you save your settings.

Now if your PC is seeing the BB, let's look in the VZ Access settings. Open VZAM. Under the tools tab let's be sure under Preferences that the box is check to show wireless device battery instead of PC battery. Then let's run the VZAM Wizard. Under the Options tab for VZAM, the bottom selection should be the wizard. Should walk you through the set up to initialize you BB to the VZAM.

Hope this helps..Good Luck..

Regards, Michael 

[cschrade]

M-

Again, my thanks for your time in helping to guide me in this endeavor! 

I did the step-by-step you so thoughtfully provided.  The only thing that was not as you'd expected was that Auto Enable Mass Storage was in the Off position so I "on"ed it, saved the changes and moved to the VZAM business.  I was so happy to see that it found the device and I was connected!  My tethered connection showed as an option but I was sitting in a spot that got good WiFi connection and, having selected the option to allow the computer to choose WiFi or modem I wasn't surprised that it chose the WiFI.  When I moved away from the hot spot and tried to use the modem I was back to square one.  Device not detected. 

I did get a new message which reads as follows:

Another wireless LAN utility is communicating with the Intel CR PROSet/WIreless LAN adapter.  TO avoid conflicts Intel's profile management features have been temporarily disabled.  To switch back to the Intel Wireless appliciatoin and your existing profiels, disable the other WIreless LAN utility. 

That was new. 

I wonder if the key is going to be to disable the WiFI adapter?  I'm scared to do that and end up with Nothing (including no way to ask you for more help!) but maybe? 

Everything else you siggested checks out. 

Hmm...

Again, you are a saint to spend time on this.  Abandon when it becomes too tedious!

C

[EarthUnderSky]

Hey Connie,

Well your further along than you were....Lol

So I'm at my house were I tether my PC to my BB...Unfortunately, the Laptop that I'm on does not have WiFi capabilities. My laptop at the office does. Seems like you should be able to turn the WiFi option off on you Laptop then run the connection wizard on the VZAM again. When ever you told the Laptop to choose which piece of hardware that it would like to use...the laptop will choose the built in devices over outside devices everytime. I think this is where the conflict is. So now when you leave your WiFi area the device doesn't want to search for an alternative source. Just remember how you turned the WiFi off then enable the VZAM through the Wizard. You should be good to go after that.

Regards, Michael 

[ITAddict]

Hi Connie, 

Did you ever get your Storm to work as a modem in Italy?  One of our employees has the Storm now, but when he had the 8830, he was told that the Modem only worked in the US.  Is Global modem new for the Storm?

Anthony