Example > [email address]
For everyone who wants to be able to use their email to text someone with a standard phone, here are the email extensions for most of the North American carriers….the phone address will be the 10 digit number followed by their carrier extension….

Verizon– @vtext.com

Cingular– @mobile.mycingular.com

T-Mobile– @tmomail.net

Nextel– @messaging.nextel.com

Sprint– @messaging.sprintpcs.com (not positive on this one)

ATT– @mobile.att.net

Alltel– @message.alltel.com

U.S. Cellular– @email.uscc.net

Bell Mobility– @txt.bellmobility.com

Telus– @msg.telus.com

Rogers– @pcs.rogers.com

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* No SMS Plan Needed: SMS is purely optional with a BlackBerry. You can send SMS by email instead of using SMS. Or you can just stick to email if you only need to communicate using email.

* Unlimited Outgoing SMS: By sending SMS as email on BlackBerry as described above in this thread, there is no charge sending outgoing SMS messages this way if you have an unlimited GPRS plan. You do not even need an SMS plan if you plan to send outgoing SMS messages only as email messages.

* BlackBerry Still Benefits from SMS Plan: If you decide to have a SMS plan, BlackBerry can also allow you to compose SMS directly instead of using email addresses. Go to Messages screen, Click thumbwheel, select “Compose SMS”. An advantage of doing it this way is that BlackBerry has a special feature that allows you to type SMS messages up to about 1000 characters. BlackBerry automatically splits these long messages into multiple SMS messages.

* SMS Without A Voice Plan: You can have SMS without a voice plan, if needed. Some people like to use a BlackBerry without a voice plan (especially among people who are hard of hearing).

* What Is The Phone Number Of My BlackBerry?: If you are on a data-only plan and forget the phone number of your BlackBerry — you can find out what the phone number of your BlackBerry by going to Options -> SIM Card. Your BlackBerry phone number is always listed there!

Thank you to martin_j001 and Mark Rejhon for composing this FAQ

1. Introduction
Did you know that BlackBerry can now be used just like an external modem for a laptop computer, so that a laptop can have full Internet access? This is useful when you need to do certain things that a BlackBerry cannot yet do. Increasing numbers of success reports have caused me to post this message. (Note: Mark Rejhon has not himself yet successfully used a BlackBerry as a modem; I am aggregating information). Sometimes, it is still tricky to set up a BlackBerry as a modem for a laptop, but this feature is becoming more and more common in cellphones, and BlackBerry models are following suit.
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2. Credits
Credit goes to Scoobydoo, bfrye, bollar, VitaminB, jmounts, webtoker, dozment and countless others for their contributions.
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3. Supported BlackBerry Models
Model 710X: Success (Rogers, T-Mobile)
Model 7290: Success (Rogers, AT&T, Cingular, T-Mobile)
Model 7250: Success (Verizon)
Model 8100: Success (T-Mobile)
Model 8700: Success (Rogers, Cingular)
Model 7130e: Success (Verizon, Bell Mobility)
Model 7510/7520/7230/7280/7730/7780/7100i: Use www.mobishark.com
All Older Models: Use www.mobishark.com
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IMPORTANT:
Other Models Than Listed Above: There is no modem built in. However, you can use third-party modem software called Shark Modem at MobiShark Online Blackberry Store: Home of Shark Modem
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4. Supported Carriers
Carrier AT&T: Success!
Carrier Rogers: Success!
Carrier Vodafone: Success!
Carrier T-Mobile: Success!
Carrier Verizon: Sometimes Successful
Carrier Cingular: Sometimes Successful
Carrier Nextel/Telus: May need to use www.mobishark.com
Carrier Sprint: May need to use www.mobishark.com
Carrier Bell Mobility: 7130e Confirmed, Must use www.mobishark.com otherwise
Currently, Rogers, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Vodafone UK are reported to work. Sometimes and Cingular works, but is much harder to setup. No confirmations for other carriers yet.
Important: If you are using a BES 4.0 server, your BES 4.0 server, you should not use the “Disable IPmodem” setting. BES hosting providers such as eOutlook/Mailstreet/BES4U/MyBlueberry must avoid setting the “Disable IPmodem” setting.
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5. Connect Your BlackBerry
Make sure your BlackBerry is connected by USB cable, and your BlackBerry Handheld Manager is running (just launch BlackBerry Desktop to run it.) This is necessary for using the BlackBerry as an external modem. You cannot use BlackBerry as a modem unless you have BlackBerry Handheld Manager running in the background!
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6. Modem Driver Install
If you installed a recent version of BlackBerry Desktop that came with a 7100t, 7290, 7250, or 7520, it should include modem drivers and already be automatically installed. In the event you need to manually install them, the modem drivers should be located in this directory:
C:\program files\Common Files\Research In Motion\Modem Drivers
However, if you are having problems with these drivers, uninstall, delete all leftover RIM files, and then reinstall the latest version of BlackBerry Desktop.
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7. Verify The Modem Driver Exists
Go to Control Panel -> Phone & Modem Options. In the Modems tab, you should see a new “Standard Modem” on a new port (such as COM6 or COM11). If you do, jump to the next step.
However, if your modem is missing:
If this modem entry is missing and cannot be found using Plug n Play, you may have to manually add it. Verify you have “RIM Virtual Serial Port” drivers installed. Find out which COM ports the RIM Virtual Serial Ports are, go to Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device Manager -> Ports (COM & LPT) … This will tell you which COM ports your BlackBerry Modem is on. Next, go to Control Panel -> Phone and Modem and Remove the modem. Re-add the modem by clicking on Add. You MUST select the “Standard 33600 bps Modem” (correct) INSTEAD OF “Standard 56000 bps Modem” (wrong). Click Next. You will be asked for the ports to add this modem to. Add this modem to all COM ports that the RIM Virtual Serial Port is on. You must choose the “Standard 33600 bps Modem” because of incompatible AT commands that result in an Error 628. Don’t worry, the speed won’t be slower.
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8. Verify The Modem Driver Is Functioning
Go to Control Panel -> Phone & Modem Options. In the Modems tab, you should see a new Standard Modem on a new port (such as COM6 or COM11). Click Properties -> Diagnostics -> Query Modem. You should see the following:
Quote:
ATQ0V1E0 – OK
AT+GMM – BlackBerry IPmodem
AT+FCLASS=? – OK
AT#CLS=? – OK
AT+GCI? – OK
AT+GCI=? – OK
ATI1 – Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
ATI2 – Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
ATI3 – Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
ATI4 – Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
ATI5 – Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
ATI6 – Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
ATI7 – Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
Note: This may look different on Nextel 7520, or Sprint/Verizon/Bell Mobility 7250. This is normal. Just make sure there is a response at all, rather than no response.
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9. IMPORTANT SPECIAL CONFIGURATION STEP
Click Properties -> Advanced and add only ONE of the following Extra initialization commands with the appropriate carrier-specific APN Setting:

TMOBILE USA Users (Success!)
+cgdcont=1,”IP”,”wap.voicestream.com”

Rogers Users (Success!)
+cgdcont=1,”IP”,”internet.com”

Cingular Blue/AT&T Users (Success!)
+cgdcont=1,”IP”,”proxy”

Cingular Orange Users (Success!)
+cgdcont=1,”IP”,”ISP.CINGULAR”

UK Vodafone Users (Success!)
+cgdcont=1,”IP”,”internet”

Verizon Users (Success!) – Keep blank
Nextel/Telus iDEN Users (untested) – Keep blank
Sprint/Bell Mobility CDMA Users (untested) – Keep blank
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10. Add A New Internet Connection
Close the Phone and Modem Options and the Control Panel. Create a new connection with Start -> Connect To -> Show all connections -> Create a new connection.
Quote:
1. Click Next

2. Select “Connect To The Internet” then Next

3. Select “Set up my connection manually” then Next

4. Select “Connect using a dial-up modem” then Next.

5. Check only the Standard Modem (if prompted).

6. Give the connection a name such as “BlackBerry Modem”, then Next.

7. On the next screen, pick one of the following phone numbers, depending on your carrier:
….If you use GSM/Cingular/AT&T/TMobile: Enter phone number *99#
….If you use iDEN/Nextel/Telus: Enter phone number S=2
….If you use CDMA/Verizon/Sprint/Bell Canada: Enter phone number #777

8. Click Next.

9. On the next screen, pick one of the following, depending on your carrier:

….If you use Cingular Blue, AT&T or Nextel:
………Username: (blank)
………Password: (blank)

….If you use Rogers Canada:
………Username: wapuser1
………Password: wap

….If you use Cingular Orange:
………Username: [email address]
………Password: CINGULAR1

….If you use T-Mobile:
………Username: (Your existing TMobile.com Username)
………Password: (Your existing TMobile.com Password)

….If you use Verizon, replace 8005551212 with your phone number:
………Username: [email address]
………Password: 8005551212

….If you use Sprint:
………Username: (Your existing Sprint PCS Username)
………Password: (Your existing Sprint PCS Password)

….If you use Bell Mobility, replace 8005551212 with your phone number:
………Username: [email address]
………Password: (Your Bell Mobility Voicemail PIN)

10. Clear all checkboxes (“Use…when anyone…” and “Make this the default…”)

11. Click Finish
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11. Disable IP Header Compression
Make sure TCP/IP Properties (Advanced) “Use IP Header Compression” checkbox is NOT checked. To verify this, do these steps:
Quote:
1. Start Menu->Network Connections->”BlackBerry Modem”
2. Click Properties Button
3. Click Networking Tab
4. Select “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)”
5. Click Properties Button
6. Click Advanced… Button
7. Disable “Use IP header compression” checkbox
8. Click all OK buttons to close all dialogs
Also make sure you clear all these checkboxes, if you see any of these checked:
Turn off “Enable Hardware Flow Control”
Turn off “Enable Modem Error Control”
Turn off “Enable Modem Compression”
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12. BES Configuration
Skip this step if you are not on BES. You only need to follow this step if your company gave the BlackBerry to you. If you are at a company and you are on a BES 4.0, your Administrator must enable the “BlackBerry IPModem” setting on the BES. This is a new setting in the Version 4.0 of BES.
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13. Surf On The Laptop!
Connect to the Internet on the laptop by clicking the “BlackBerry Modem” icon via Start Menu->Network Connections. No username or password is needed.

Quote:
This is a “Mark Rejhon BlackBerry FAQ” article.
Copyright (C) 2005 by Mark Rejhon, All Rights Reserved. Some portions may be Copyright (C) by respective forum members.
Mark Rejhon grants permission to use this article only for private use. For all other uses, please ask Mark Rejhon at Mark Rejhon – aka Marky – Home Page of Mark D. Rejhon to ask for permission to use this article. If any content of this article also contains content by other forum members, please ask them for permission too as well. This includes commercial use, public use, reposting in full/part anywhere on the Internet, publication in magazine/book or any other media, or any other use than private use. This copyright notice may not be edited or removed in any manner. Mark Rejhon reserves exclusive right to edit, remove, or restore this article, and this article may not be edited, removed, or restored by any other individual or organizations.

Thanks,
Mark Rejhon