Provided that your SIM card is enabled for GPRS / 3G Internet access with your provider, then you can use the Nokia E71 as a modem to connect to the Internet from your PC via the USB cable.

The necessary modem drivers for the phone are installed automatically as part of the Nokia PC Suite installation. If you have not installed PC from the CD in the sales package, DO NOT connect the phone via the USB cable util you have first installed the software. (Well, you can do, it's not the end of the world, but Windows may install the device as an 'Unknown Device' and not recognise it correctly until you manually remove the associated entries from the Windows Registry allowing Windows to re-detect it as a new device).

Once the software has been installed, you can then connect the Phone to the PC. The Phone will prompt you whether you want to connect in PC Suite mode or USB Storage mode. Select PC Suite mode.

Provided that the device is installed correctly, when connected it will appear as a modem in the Device Manager:

Before you can connect to the Internet, you will first need to configure the GPRS/3G settings to use. To do this, open the Windows Control Panel and double click on the icon for Phone and Modem Options.

Click on the Modems tab, a list of available modems will be displayed:

Select the Nokia modem from the list and click on the Properties button.

click on the Advanced tab, the following screen will be displayed:

In the Extra Initialisation Commands field, enter the following string (select the appropriate string for your network provider):

Vodafone - at+cgdcont=1,"IP","internet"

Orange - at+cgdcont=1,"IP","orangeinternet"

O2 - at+cgdcont=1,"IP","mobile.o2.co.uk"

T-Mobile - at+cgdcont=1,"IP","general.t-mobile.uk"

Three - at+cgdcont=1,"IP","three.co.uk"

So, for example, setting up a connection to Vodafone would require the following string:

Once the setting has been entered, click OK and then OK again to return to the Control Panel.

Now we need to create the connection to the Internet. In the Control Panel, double click the icon for Network Connections.

Select the option to Create A New Connection, the following window will be displayed:

Click Next. You will be prompted to specify the type of connection you wish to create, select the option to Connect To The Internet:

Click Next. Select the option to Set Up My Connection Manually:

Click Next. Select the option to Connect Using A Dial-Up Modem:

Click Next. Enter a name for the connection, 'Vodafone 3G', for example:

Click Next. You will be prompted to enter a telephone number to dial:

In this field you need to enter *99#

Click Next. You will be prompted to enter a username and password for the connection:

Enter the appropriate details for your network provider:

Vodafone - 'web' for both

Orange - leave blank

O2 - 'web for both'

T-Mobile - leave blank

Three - leave blank

When the correct settings have been entered, click Next and then click Finish. You will then be prompted to initiate the connection:

Click Dial. Provided all of the settings were entered correctly, after a few moments you will be connected to the Internet:

To initiate the connection at any other time, simply double click the icon in the Network Connections folder: