WiFi BlackBerries

Forums › Legacy mobile platforms (Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Web OS, Symbian, Meego, Blackberry) › WiFi BlackBerries

pikelet

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#25527 24-Aug-2008 16:29

I'm looking into getting one of the newer BlackBerries (Bold or Javelin, probably Javelin because as you'll find, 3g is not my priority here) when they come out, probably via a relative in the US. The thing is, I currently can't afford an On Account plan with BIS. Even with just the base You Choose plan and a BestMate addon plus BIS it's still $60-70/month. For comparison, I now only spend about $20 a month on prepay (I make the bulk of my calls to my BestMate nominated number, text a few other people and occasionally check e-mail). I'm not really interested in the push e-mail or applications right now - I just really like the hardware, it's the only QWERTY bar-shaped phone that isn't Moto (Windows Mobile, ugh) or Nokia (not a huge fan of Nokia), and while Sony Ericsson does have a few smartphone types, the last phone I got from them was terrible and I'm not really interested in going back to them. Touch phones are out, so no LG phones/iPhone :p (or iPod touch, which would just be another gadget and I'd still need a phone).

Basically, I'm almost always within coverage of a WiFi network. What I'm thinking of doing is getting one of these WiFi enabled BlackBerries and using it on prepay (or a cheap On Account plan without BIS at this stage), so I'd only have internet coverage in a WiFi area. I know the push e-mail client won't work, or the e-mail client in general, or weather or Vodafone Compass etc but the browser is fine for me. Basically I get annoyed pulling out my netbook to check my uni classes or Gmail, both of which can be accessed by web interface. This will be even more annoying once I get a proper laptop as well. Mostly, I just love the keypads on the BlackBerries, the fact that they'll sync calendars with a Mac and I like the idea of having the option to get BIS at a later date.

What I'm curious about however is - without a GPRS connection via BIS, will PXT/MMS work? If not..I think I remember something about sending images to PXT phones via e-mail (number@vodafone.net.nz)?

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#159354 24-Aug-2008 17:15

Not a good idea putting a prepay sim into a blackberry as the credit will slowly be removed as the blackberry is a always online device.

pikelet

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#159360 24-Aug-2008 17:29

I thought you were just supposed to turn off the data connection and it would still stay connected for calls and texts but not sending any Internet data? In fact, I actually thought that it wouldn't be using any data at all without the BIS plan, as from what I understood the BlackBerry gets no data service at all without one. This is based on American carrier info though, so I may be mistaken about Voda's service. I know someone with an imported Pearl, and I'm 90% sure they're on prepay.

mwg

20 posts

Geek

#159556 25-Aug-2008 13:52

I'm currently running the setup you are looking at - minus the wifi. I purchased a BB 8700G in Australia for a steal (Once I used that QWERTY keyboard, all other phones were just not the same for me :)).

I got it back here to find that yes, to get it running on account, you would need to be spending about $60 - $70 per month. I had an old prepay sim that I put in it, it works fine as a phone, and is a dream to SMS on. You can turn the data services off, however in my experience I have found that this will disturb the browser... I installed Opera Mini 4.1. Once I turned data services on and set the APN to www.vodafone.net.nz, I have full internet access.

For me, I use the browser to login to facebook (m.facebook.com) and gmail (m.gmail.com) and it works fine. Obviosuly, it's not push e-mail, but for me it's handy to be able to check mail when not in front of a computer. The gmail interface and the screen size make it totally adequate for light use.

As a side note, and johnr, you maybe able to tell me what's up with this - I found on saturday morning that I had uppercase GPRS - which as far as I know means I have access to the RIM relay?! on prepay?! So I went ahead and registered my email account, low and behold push email started working?! It's still like that today... not sure what's going on there... and I haven't checked my balance to see how much it's used..

With the new data rates on prepay I think it's a pretty decent solution for my usage. If I end up using it more, sure, I'll probably get an account, once I start spending more than say $60 a month.. but at this stage it's still only running me about $20 or so...

HTH

M

pikelet

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#159662 25-Aug-2008 18:37

I talked to a friend today who has a BlackBerry Pearl on prepay and has had it for a month. At first she had no internet access, which she didn't care about, wasn't what she bought the phone for - last week she got a 'Welcome to BlackBerry' text from Vodafone and has full internet access on the device now, including push e-mail. So, it seems something has just changed, quite bizarrely, that prepaid sims in BlackBerries get access to the service and it appears to just be charged at regular internet use rates.

mwg

20 posts

Geek

#159689 25-Aug-2008 20:08

Guess I should make the most of it while it lasts then ;)

nisch

39 posts

Geek

#160191 27-Aug-2008 15:52

I have a curve and had similar plans to use internet access at affordable costs, I shifted to on-account with Vodafone because of earlier limitations with pre-pay account and do not get the GPRS message even with making change to APN settings. I have not taken the expensive BIS plan which costs a bomb with additional call account.

mwg, can you please provide more details on how you setup your phone to use internet ? I too have installed mini opera browser, but it gives me "Failed to connect to the internet" message when I try to reach an internet website.

TIA,
Nisch

mwg

20 posts

Geek

#160204 27-Aug-2008 16:21

Well, looks like someone @ voda read my post, turns out it's stopped working now :(

I can't send or receive push e-mail like I could on the weekend, however I do have the uppercase GPRS still, which dosen't really mean a lot. I wonder who is in trouble at Vodafone for letting this one slip through! ;)

Regarding the internet settings, make sure that you have data services turned on in options -> mobile network

Then go into options -> Advanced -> TCP and ensure you've put www.vodafone.net.nz into the APN field. Leave the username & password fields blank. This is what I did and opera mini started working straight away.

HTH

M

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Shash

157 posts

Master Geek

#166772 24-Sep-2008 15:55

mwg: Well, looks like someone @ voda read my post, turns out it's stopped working now :(

I can't send or receive push e-mail like I could on the weekend, however I do have the uppercase GPRS still, which dosen't really mean a lot. I wonder who is in trouble at Vodafone for letting this one slip through! ;)

Regarding the internet settings, make sure that you have data services turned on in options -> mobile network

Then go into options -> Advanced -> TCP and ensure you've put www.vodafone.net.nz into the APN field. Leave the username & password fields blank. This is what I did and opera mini started working straight away.

HTH

M

This is my understanding……

You can use any Vodafone SIM with Blackberry devices up to 24 Hrs, and then RIM will block your connection. If you want to continue call Vodafone to activate Blackberry services on your SIM. This doses not apply to Prepaid SIM.