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I was thinking, one of the "issues" people may have with the 101 is that is doesn't have mobile web access only wifi. I can buy for £25-50 a usb 3G dongle, I wonder if it could be used (pending the drivers to use it of course!).

Yes, pending on drivers. If it's not available from start (to be tested), then Archos could do the work needed to add it in a firmware update. Consider though that this was rumored with the last 3 year's models too and hasn't been added to the any of the previous firmwares so far.

Also consider the "extra" data subscription that requires (if you have a phone with data subscription already).

An alternative, if you have an android phone with Froyo, is to use your phone as a bluetooth tether or set the phone up as a WiFi hotspot, and use the phone's data connection when away from a Wifi.

Keep in mind, not all Android Phones with Froyo can broadcast the proper wi-fi signal for the wi-fi hotspot feature. Android, while it can send out an ad-goc signal, it cannot receive one. You will need to hack the tablet to remedy this before you try to use an android phone that can only broadcast an ad-hoc signal.

I was also thinking that, but it assumes that my mobile is allowed to tether by the provider (I believe it does and that I can setup a hotspot now - cool :)). But also the dongle I was thinking of is pay as you go so wouldn't need another contract nor would I need to mess around with my mobile to get it working.

Hey everyone I am very new here but I had a question. I don't have an Andriod devices I have a Samsung Eternity ATT phone. Based on what I have read the 101 should be able to tether using either a USB connection or bluetooth using DUN. Is that correct?

Tim

Just a note thou for people wondering these 3G contract options.
At least here in Finland you can get two sim cards witch are tied to the same data contract (one for phone and one for laptop / 3G dongle).

Unfortunately the 2 year contracts are also very common here (example Samsung Galaxy S or Iphone).

OK, just to piss off everybody: in Romania we get free USB dongels with unlimited internet with our cable internet subscription (from RDS) :-)

Sorry, couldn't help it.

I hate you... LOL Only kidding more jealous!

I would really like this feature (for the Archos 43 in particular). I already have an Option Icon 452 HSPA modem for my notebook. From my not very thorough search I only know that the SmartQ devices support this feature. I haven't heard anything official from Archos about it. They just say the USB host only supports USB drives (Mass Storage Class) and transferring files from a camera (Picture Transfer Protocol).

I guess there aren't very many 3G USB modem users out there for Archos to put effort into supporting USB modems.

So is the wifi hotspot capability in Froyo ad-hoc? I don't recall seeing that little qualifier, but then I haven't played with it yet. Everything I've read pointed to it working out of the box.

I was trying to tether my Blackberry to my A5 IT and was just about to write an app to make it work with the Archos when I got a Samsung Vibrant. I had rooted it and managed to follow the instructions for ad-hoc tether and gotten it to work. Unfortunately it also seems that Archos rewrites these config files. I was going to write an Archos specific Android app for that. It doesn't appear to be too difficult and it shouldn't need root on the A5 IT. I hope it will be the same if I need to do it on the gen 8 70.

Given that T-Mobile doesn't seem to tether with BlackBerry or Android devices and bluetooth is not as fast I can say with certainty You will be able to tether gen 8 to any froyo phone if I have to write an application for it myself.

One of my best friends lives in Romania and we work on free software together. He always had faster and better mobile connections years ahead of me. He told me it was the benefit of building infrastructure late in a backwards country.

Who's pissed now? ;-)

Hey, I couldn't help it either. I hear it is beautiful there where he lives near Vlad's castle and I hope to go next year.

OK, I should clarify what i said. Sorry for the confusion.

Froyo allows for tethering VIA Wi-fi, bluetooth and/or USB. Particular Android phones lack certain elements to properly use the built-in wi-fi tethering feature (wi-fi firmware missing features, etc). To make up for this, there is an app that lets you use wi-fi tether, but only through an ad-hoc signal. The catch to this, is that Android cannot connect to an ad-hoc signal, only an infrastructure signal. Also, the phone needs to be rooted in order to use the app.

The ad-hoc part is NOT a requirement of Froyo for wi-fi hotspot functionality. In fact, it's just a workaround if your phone cannot use the hotspot features. and it usually does work out of the box, provided your carrier hasn't blocked it and/or required additional fees for it's use (I have read that a rooted phone with a custom ROM can circumvent that, but I have never tried this so I don't know if it works).

There is an app called wifi tether(works with rooted android phone) it sends out an ad-hoc signal but it also allows you to bluetooth tether. I use it all the time, it works great on android devices using bluetooth. The great part about it is, I dont have to pay extra carrier fees to use it. Because my phone is rooted and that feature is not blocked by the carrier.

Newer phones "Superphones" (as they are usually called), have the ability to broadcast in "infrastructure mode", which the Archos devices (and most anything) can see. The best app to use for this is Android Wireless Tether, which can be found on Google's repository.
http://code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/downloads/list

This does allow for Bluetooth tether, Ad-Hoc, and Infrastructure. If your phone supports infrastructure, it will broadcast in that automatically (you actually don't have the option to change it) instead of in Ad-Hoc mode.

Yes that is exactly the one, I am talking about. I have a Droid and a Droid2 and this app works terrific on both.

Do you have a list of phones that support infrastructure? Is there a way to tell if WT uses Ad-Hoc or infrastructure?

I wasn't aware that T-Mobile blocked Blackberry and Android devices from tethering. I have a Nokia E73 with T-Mobile and use it to tether with my netbook all the time. I'm hoping that it will work with the Archos 70 as well.

Most newer phones (Droid 2, Evo 4G, Droid X) can broadcast an infrastructure. Droid 1 cannot (something about the firmware not being compatible). Also, Nexus One can broadcast infrastructure.

H, so reading on above, i assume that no one knows if you can use a 3G USB doggel on the 101?