iCloud sync without wi-fi?

[harryal]

We have two Macs (MacBook Pro, iMac) and one iPhone 4; OSs up-to-date (Lion, iOS5). Our only routine access to the internet is via the mobile phone 3G network for the iPhone, and via a 3G USB stick/dongle for the Macs, also using the mobile phone network. We do NOT have access to the internet via a local wi-fi link to a router (whether ADSL or cable). This is in Melbourne, Australia, btw.

Question: is there any way at all that we can get syncing of contacts and calendars for all three devices? - preferably automatic, ideally real-time whenever a device could see the internet. With syncing set, there seem to be some random updates (and duplication) between devices, but it seems that normally syncing is enabled only when the device sees the internet via a local wi-fi link to a router, and that's what we don't have. (We can't trundle the iMac to an internet cafe either!)

Understood that a local sync would be possible via iTunes for one of the two computers and the iPhone, provided they could see each other wirelessly - but there's a second computer...

E-mail no problem; we use IMAP.

All suggestions gratefully received!

 

[WesCole]

Contacts and calendars will sync over any Internet connection if you have iCloud set up to sync them. Wifi sync is mainly for apps, music, photos, etc.

 

[harryal]

Thanks: so can you explain?

OK, so we can't blame the cellular (3G) connection for this: in Calendar, a new appointment entered on (either) Mac shows up on the iPhone. But a new appointment entered on the iPhone fails to show up on the Macs.

Thanks.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I don't know why the syncing over 3G isn't working properly for you on the iPhone.

You could share your 3G USB stick/dongle connection, on perhaps the iMac, via wifi. Then, connect the iPhone to the newly created wifi connection. When you're home and the iMac is on, the iPhone would join wifi automatically.

 

[harryal]

Thanks. I have been wondering about that one! Can't test it yet. But I have noticed in that past that the iPhone 'knows' when its wi-fi is coming from a tethered cellular/3G hotspot: the wi-fi icon is different.

If I can set things up right, I'll be interested to discover whether facilities that demand wi-fi will work in the tethered environment.