How To: Sharing Mac internet with Palm TT/Zire72 via bluetooth

[Stephen Jonke]

This is a common request. I can vouch that this technique works both 
with a Palm Tungsten T and a PalmOne Zire72. Note: I did not write the 
scripts and in fact the scripts were created for a Nokia cell phone, 
but I found that they work fine with Palm's too.

Well, the first thing to note is that it can be a bit flakey, so expect
to have to do some fiddling. Having said that... here's how to do it.

1. Note that the following scripts will only work for admin users. If
you can install applications in the /Applications folder, then you have
admin privileges and the scripts will work. If you can't then these
scripts won't work. Presuming you have an admin account (by default the
first user created on a Mac is an admin), download the scripts at the
following address:

    <http://homepage.mac.com/cks3/Share2Blue2thv3.1.sit>

  From that download, just grab the scripts in the folder called
"Share2Blue2th Stand-alone Script Apps". Put them in your /Applications
folder or wherever you prefer.

2. Pair your Mac with your Palm if you haven't done so already. I
recommend doing this from your Mac. Open System Preferences ->
Bluetooth. Click the "Devices" tab. Click the "Set Up New Device"
button and follow the instructions. Make sure that your Zire's
bluetooth is enabled, and discoverable is set on it. For the "Device
Type" select "Other Device". Note that bluetooth passwords are numbers
only, no letters!

3. On your Palm go to Preferences -> Connection. Make a New connection
(click the New... button). Enter a name such as MyMac or whatever is
recognizable. Set it to be as follows:

     Connect to: PC
            Via: Bluetooth
         Device: <click the box and select your Mac>

Next, click the "Details..." button and set the speed to "115,200 bps".
Flow ctl should be "Automatic".

To select the "Device" your Mac may have to be discoverable. Or it may
list it anyway since you paired already. I can't remember.  If your Mac
isn't listed, then set your Mac to be discoverable (in System
Preferences -> Bluetooth) and try again. Once you have it selected as
the Device on the Palm you can turn "Discoverable" back off on your Mac
if you wish.

4.  On your Palm go to Preferences -> Network. Make a New network
(click "New" button). Give the service a name such as "Net via MyMac"
or whatever is recognizable for you. Leave the username and password
as-is. From the "Connection" pop-up menu select the "Connection" you
created in step 3.

Now it is set up. To use it do the following:

0. First make sure bluetooth is on on your Palm and your Mac.

1. On your Mac run the appropriate script (either "Share Airport to
Bluetooth" or "Share Ethernet to Bluetooth". Use the one that
corresponds to how your Mac accesses the internet. It will prompt you
for your password. The first time you run the script it's also going to
ask you to enter the "MAC Address" of your Palm. It explains how to
look that up. Make sure you enter the "MAC address" with colons instead
of dashes (it is shown as dashes on your Palm) and triple check that
you have it entered correctly. It will only ask you this the first
time.

Wait for the script to complete its run and it will quit automatically.
Wait for it to quit automatically before proceeding to step 2!

2. On your Palm go to Preferences -> Network. Select the network you
created in step 4 above if it is not already selected. Click the
"Connect" button. That's it! Now you can use Web Pro or Versa Mail or
whatever.

3. When you are done with the connection, you should, on the Palm, go
to Preferences -> Network and click the "Disconnect" button. That's the
graceful way to break the connection. If you want to connect again, go
back to step 1.

There is also a script called "Kill Net over Bluetooth". Normally you
don't need to run this, but you may have to if the connection is broken
ungracefully, such as the Palm turning itself off after being idle for
a period of time. Most of the time you try to run the kill script it
will just say there are no matching processes. That's OK. If you try to
run one of the Share scripts and it complains that the port is already
in use, or something to that effect, then you need to run the Kill
script first.

Once you get the setup done it isn't too bad although sometimes it can
be flakey. I've had the connection to the Mac drop for no apparent
reason. When in doubt, disconnect on the Palm, run the Kill script on
your Mac and then run the Share script again on your Mac. Then connect
from the Palm.

Let me know if this walk through works for you!

Steve