$1.10 Dial-up Internet Connection With Verizon Prepaid and Netzero

I successfully figured out how to access the Internet with NetZero's Free Dial-up Internet Service and my Verizon Pre-Paid cellphone to "Pay As You Go" to get online. So, on days that I can't get WiFi, I can easily dial up with my laptop and cell phone for cheap. I have a Motorola Razr cell phone that I use with the Prepaid Verizon Cellular service.

Here's how I got it to work...

Apparently, the Motorola Razr phone that Verizon sold me, has a feature which is known as a dataport. And any Prepaid Verizon phone with a data port can be used to dial up to the Internet through a USB cable connected to a computer (either desktop, notebook, laptop). I got my USB cable from Radio Shack and it was around $20. I showed the store clerk what cell phone I have and they picked out the correct USB cable for my phone. I later read that Fry's Electronics has economical USB cables for less money which is available through their website at FrysElectronics.com.

My next discovery was DataPilot software by a Company called Susteen. The DataPilot software was necessary for my cell phone to communicate with the lap top through the connected USB cable. With Data Pilot, my laptop thinks that my cell phone is like a "land line" or a common household phone. A Dial-up Internet connection requires a modem (which is pre-installed on most desktop and laptop computers), a telephone connection and an ISP or known as an Internet Service Provider. Data Pilot makes my cellphone a modem and the usb cable tethers the phone and my laptop together.

Next thing I had to do was go to Motorola.com and get some free software which is known as a "driver" for the Motorola model phone I have. I read the easy instructions at Motorola.com, downloaded the driver file and installed the software on my laptop. Then I was able to run the DataPilot software successfully.

Finally, I found out that NetZero has FREE ten hours per month dial-up Internet access. I use Net Zero as my dial up ISP, Internet Service Provider. Click on the following link to learn how to open your free account - Get Free NetZero Internet Access for 10 hours per month

Tying it all together - I turn off my cell phone and hook it up to my computer with the USB cable. I run the Susteen, DataPilot software and then turn on my cell phone. DataPilot then recognizes my cell phone. The next step is to start the NetZero software application that I downloaded from NetZero.com when I signed up for my free Internet access account. The NetZero software dials the local phone number that I selected from the Net Zero telephone number list. I get a notice that I am connected. I then open up my web browser and surf the net, check email, etc.

I was able to get up to 230.4 kbps after I added an Initialization String of AT&F. That is in the modem/telephone setup options within the Control Panel of the Microsoft Windows Operating System.

It appears to me that my Verizon Prepaid cost for dialing up to the Internet is only the $1 daily charge that is part of the Pre-Paid cellphone plan that I have. Plus maybe an additional ten cents for the phone call. This is the most frugal way I've ever been able to dial up to the Internet so far when I'm on the road and can't find free WiFi. I told a Verizon Representative that I was using my cell phone in this manner and asked him if he knew that it was possible to hook up to the Internet with a cell phone and laptop. He said he heard it was possible but that Verizon does not support that function. He added that with all of the Wireless Internet capable phones on the market now, there probably wasn't any need for dialup access.

I checked with Virgin Mobile to see if their phones have dataports. The Rep told me that none of their phones have data-ports. That means they won't work with the Data Pilot software. Susteen.com has information on their website regarding which cellular telephone models work with their Datapilot software.