[jimario]

If I have the @home plan and walk into Starbucks....

Will my 8320 automatically connect to the Starbucks hotspot?

If I automatically connect to the hotspot, does this mean my 8320's browser can begin to surf the internet or will I still need to buy the Hotspot plan ($19.99) and then log in through my browser?

If I can surf with my 8320 by automatically connecting to the Starbucks hotspot with my @home plan but without needing to have the Hotspot plan, will I then be able to tether my 8320 to my laptop so that my laptop can begin to surf the Internet?

The bottom line question is if I get rid of my regular Hotspot plan, can I still surf on my laptop at Starbucks if it is tethered to the 8320 (as modem) with @home service and nothing else?

[BallHawk3]

Good question, but I would recommend a search. I think there might be something on here regarding using the wifi on your phone as a modem for your laptop.

But, I've noticed two starbucks I went to, they had no password and I was able to connect to the network and use UMA on my 8320.

Oh, and I don't subscribe to the @home service.

[John Clark]

You don't need @Home in order to use UMA at Starbucks. However, I don't think you can tether at Starbucks.

[BallHawk3]

Originally Posted by John Clark

You don't need @Home in order to use UMA at Starbucks. However, I don't think you can tether at Starbucks.

i was starting to seee that.

Why on earth do people pay for hot spots then? It seems you can connect without a password!

[John Clark]

You can't access with your laptop, or if you're on another carrier.

[jimario]

Okay. so I am concluding that the answer is NO. You can not tether your 8320 to a laptop to provide Internet access to the laptop just because the 8320 is automatically accessing the Starbucks hotspot using the @home service. Thanks for the help.

[monkeypaw]

I could have sworn I've tethered off a hotspot before as a test, but I now can't actually recall having a laptop at a Starbucks. I know I've done it at the airport, but I can't swear that it was Hotspot versus Edge.

I'll try it out the next time I get a chance at the airport.

[monkeypaw]

I tried tethering using the Tmobile Hotspot at the San Francisco airport (cell network off) and I did manage to tether for about 7 minutes. Then it stopped connecting. Not sure if it was the cell phone or the computer, but I didn't have time to reboot and see if I had just gotten lucky.

[ltj13]

Starbucks has dropped Tmobile in favor of at&t for WiFi.

[John Clark]

Originally Posted by ltj13

Starbucks has dropped Tmobile in favor of at&t for WiFi.

Where did you hear this? I was just at a Starbucks and it worked just fine.

[monkeypaw]

Originally Posted by John Clark

Where did you hear this? I was just at a Starbucks and it worked just fine.

This thread: http://www.blackberryforums.com/wifi...9-hotspot.html

Note it says there's a 5 year roaming agreement that lets Tmobile users continue to use Hotspot and H@H service.

[John Clark]

Interesting....I missed that thread. Thanks!