Database Users

Vario 2 - GPRS faster than UTMS/HSDPA - WTF?

Not having had a PPC or phone that could handle full internet before, I was not sure how fast the speeds should be but I recently was in an area that did not have HSDPA and the phone automatically connected via GPRS.
To my shock, GPRS loads (or displays) web pages noticeably faster than 3 bars of service with UTMS.
I am on T-mob WnW (unlimited) and am currently disabling UTMS when I just want to browse. Downloading is still much faster (dsl speed test etc) but GPRS is way faster at browsing.
It also takes well over a minute to connect to UTMS (sometimes it just stays on "connecting" until I close that and start the connection again) and only about 30secs to connect to gprs.
1, What the hell is going on?
2, Are there settings out there that will stop this issue?
Help. Please. Someone. Soon. Please.

Can I ask how you're finding T-Mobile with WnW? I'm looking at one of their packages, but I'm still umming and arrring...

trapper said:
Can I ask how you're finding T-Mobile with WnW? I'm looking at one of their packages, but I'm still umming and arrring...
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I am using their flext 35 plus WnW. I'm using it instead of a broadband connection and I love it. I must admit that you cannot use it as a modem (it must be WnW Plus), and for p2p and it works like a charm. In general I'm able to download files at around 100KB/s, browsing is extremely fast and the only thing I can sey is go for it

Does it only come with the pink plastic around the keyboard? Also have you stayed with T-Mobile's ROM? And if so what's it like?
What version of WnW did you go for? I'm looking at Flext 35 with WnW Plus. Can I also ask what applications if any you've added?
Many thanks,
-Dave

I am on WnW Flext 25 thorugh T-mob business sales. I got the phone for £59, the package the Flext 25 for £25 per month and WNW for an extra £7.50.
Because I went direct with T-mob I get £5 off per month for life and for the first three months I get WNW for free, so package costs £20 for the first 3 months then goes to £27.50 per month.
Generally I am pleased with flext apart from:
1, 0870 + 0845 (etc) numbers do not come out of your flext allowance and will be charged on top of your bill. For these national rate numbers that you might call often (bank etc) it's worth finding out their standard number (they all have one - say you need to have it as you might be calling them from abroad)
2, The international calls + SMS are v. expensive. Don't use this abroad or for calling someone overseas unless you have a calling card etc. Data is actually not that bad unless you use it a lot.
3, I have really patchy connection problems but think it is the phone not T-mob. They are actually OK at sorting out problems fairly swiftly but this could be due to the fact I am a business customer.
4, I found the way they bill you really confusing and illogically listed, especially the month I ported my number from another network.
I have stuck with the original T-mob ROM as I am having all sorts of connection problems (data and voice) and knew I had to send it back to them. I do however think there are more reliable ROMs out there.
Go for T-mob, the package is the best on the market, Orange is really expensive for data and Voda's packages are not as well thought out.
By the way mean-machine what P2P's are you using?

Windos live and gprs

When I run Windows live it insists on running up GPRS, even if I have my wifi on and connected. Oddly I dont hit this issue with IE.
Anyone know what is going on here, and if there is anything I can do about it ?
Thanks,
Andy.
NB. I'm running the Faria WM6

atdavie said:
When I run Windows live it insists on running up GPRS, even if I have my wifi on and connected. Oddly I dont hit this issue with IE.
Anyone know what is going on here, and if there is anything I can do about it ?
Thanks,
Andy.
NB. I'm running the Faria WM6
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats not the rom's problem. thats a microsoft coding problem. if you can join the beta test and complain about it. i hate that also. instead of looking for an existing connection it starts gprs. thats very annoying.

hiimcliff said:
thats not the rom's problem. thats a microsoft coding problem. if you can join the beta test and complain about it. i hate that also. instead of looking for an existing connection it starts gprs. thats very annoying.
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Anyone considered the fact that M$ thought of it at a different angle?
If you use Windows Live Messenger it connects via GPRS/EDGE because it tries to sustain your online status. If you connect with Wi-Fi and your attention is elsewhere (Chatting to the Sexy waitress who just brought you your coffee) and the device suspends because the suspend time on the device is set to 2min you loose your connection to Live Messenger Servers....
Where as with GPRS the connection remains on even if the device is suspended...so there is no connection lost...
Cant see the problem anyway? If you are connected via GPRS and connect to a Wi-Fi connection PIE and Opera will use the Wi-Fi connection as priority...
But Yeah, I agree that it is not the biggest thing in the world for a Software developer to add a tab in options called "Preferred Connection list"

Tip-Ex said:
Anyone considered the fact that M$ thought of it at a different angle?
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Click to collapse
There is another angle from the user perspective, not everyone in the world has an unlimted data plan. People like me in the states are pretty fortunate to be able to get data for $30-$40 a month nationwide unlimited. It is not like that everywhere, or for some $30-$40 a month for data might be too expensive.
Personally I would rather have it use GPRS/EDGE than WiFi becuase it conserves something more valueable to me, that is battery life. Since I pay for unlimited data I like to get the most out of it that I can, last month I pulled almost 4 gigs over EDGE.

computer9cowboy said:
There is another angle from the user perspective, not everyone in the world has an unlimted data plan. People like me in the states are pretty fortunate to be able to get data for $30-$40 a month nationwide unlimited. It is not like that everywhere, or for some $30-$40 a month for data might be too expensive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very True....Relative to what I earn in our currency and what my mobile operator charge.... GPRS/Edge data p/Mb is fairly priced in Namibia (They Dropped our GRPS cost by 60% last month)
However MS cannot write applications to accomedate all the specific rates of different operators accross the globe. Thus they are going the "better user experience" route rather trying to save the end-user money...
But as stated in my previous post... how difficult can it be to change the code to accomedate preferred connections?

T-Mob free internet???

Hi! I bought a vario II second hand and I sticked a t-mob brand new payg sim. I register it and topped up with my credit card and only used for internet ever since! now I have been surfing like mad and downloading at least 300mb and my balance still £4.99p how can it be possible? I live in london if some one want take a look to it

I'm guessing you're in for one hell of a bill coming your way eventually. Using data without having a data plan is billed at a ridiculously high amount.

I don't see how they can bill you when you're on PAYG but just don't take the p*** and hope noone notices
Smiffy.

pay as you go does have a data plan, its automatic, basically once you hit £1 thats it you dont get charged anymore that day, meant to be a 40mb limit, but my mates never had issues.
as for your not being charged, dunno about that one!

I'm about 600MB right now... and and my calling credit is now £3.95!!!! hell where my £1.05p went to? shall I phone up and complain? LOL

I've just registered and it's show this does any one understand this? look like I've got 10GB :-O Recent Use
You have no recent activity.
XTR5TEXT Remaining: 5 Events
Pre Pay Picture Messages Remaining: 5 Picture Messages
XTRBROWS Remaining: 9566845 Kb

I use this everyday. I have a T-Mobile PAYG and I connect it to my laptop for a broadband connection. as long as I'm not connected exactly at midnight it's fine. T-Mobile claim you can't do this, but I managed to download SQL Server 2005 SP2 (250MB) in one hit. I stay connected all day when I'm on customer sites and connect again when I get home.
And I can use my VOIP account (again T-Mobile say I can't) through it.

do you guys get HSDPA speeds or just 3g?

I get 3G. 10Mb connection with download speeds ranging from 42k - 120kb ps

your reply is a contradiction in terms

I have a May Monthly contract with T-Mobile, love it, can use web n walk to downloads loads and loads of movies on my laptop while i m on the move, usually download about 1GB a day.
The only problem with it is that they sstarted blocking ports which means you cannot use Intant messagin such as MSN and Yahoo!, have any of you's found a way to trick the port?

radii said:
your reply is a contradiction in terms
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Why? I thought 3G was the slower of the two.

solarromeo said:
I have a May Monthly contract with T-Mobile, love it, can use web n walk to downloads loads and loads of movies on my laptop while i m on the move, usually download about 1GB a day.
The only problem with it is that they sstarted blocking ports which means you cannot use Intant messagin such as MSN and Yahoo!, have any of you's found a way to trick the port?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can use MSN this way. I talk to my girlfriend in Mexico every day via MSN. We can use webcams with MSN on a T-Mobile connection too

I got no problems at all!!! I use MSN, Skype, and a VoIP program called voipstunt with no problems at all... I'm also looking to setup SJPHONE pda edition to my phone so I can make free interantional phone calls from the PDA it self using the 3G network, but i've not yet managed to work yet in this country (with T-mobile).

True
timfoster said:
Why? I thought 3G was the slower of the two.
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Click to collapse
Yes you are correct, 3G is slower than HSPDA, i think he was referring to the 10Mb connection comment.
3G is only around 320Kb, HSPDA is around 1.8Mb

RE: GPS, Data Plan, & Costs

RE: GPS, Data Plan, & Costs
I'm getting ready to buy an HTC X7501. I have a couple of questions regarding GPS. Once I buy a full GPS program like TomTom for instance, is there any cost involved in using the GPS on my X7501? For instance, does it make use of a data plan or do you need some other service to download maps?
The reason I ask is because I'm considering skipping the data plan since 90% of the time I'm in a WiFi area...
Thanks.

no software is all u need ...
unless u want traffic updates
if not than the software is fine

boinger66 said:
no software is all u need ...
unless u want traffic updates
if not than the software is fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So are traffic updates a part of your wireless data service then?
Thanks for the reply!

whoster69 said:
So are traffic updates a part of your wireless data service then?
Thanks for the reply!
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Click to collapse
Yes, GPS isn't but traffic comes over GPRS (or Edge/3G/HSDPA) which is .

Confucious said:
Yes, GPS isn't but traffic comes over GPRS (or Edge/3G/HSDPA) which is .
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Good to know. Now I'll have to decide if I want it for the data plan. Any guess on how many MB it takes up? My guess would be that it would take up enough to make me want to go with an unlimited plan if I used it much...
Thanks again for the help.

The QuickGPS downloads are done over any available internet connection.
It could be GPRS, 3G or WiFi.
So, no, you do not need a data plan.

traffic updates for a month if you use it ONLY for that shouldnt be more than a 100MB

I find the average downloads when using traffic are 100K per hour, this is using a 15 min update interval. (This is based over a few months where I took notes of the daily downloads)
This means that 10 hours driving equates to 1MB, no more than 30MB per month - Mike

I have an unlimited data plan - the Athena cries out for one. You say you are within WiFi range most of the time , I have never used WiFi on my Athena, when I did on my Universal it drained the battery so much I gave up.
Here in the UK 3G coverage is great and HSDPA coverage is pretty good so I have connection wherever I go for less than £10/month. It does depend on cost/coverage but I'd recommend 3G/HSDPA over WiFi hen you just don't need to worry about it

Confucious said:
I have an unlimited data plan - the Athena cries out for one. You say you are within WiFi range most of the time , I have never used WiFi on my Athena, when I did on my Universal it drained the battery so much I gave up.
Here in the UK 3G coverage is great and HSDPA coverage is pretty good so I have connection wherever I go for less than £10/month. It does depend on cost/coverage but I'd recommend 3G/HSDPA over WiFi hen you just don't need to worry about it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly here where I live in California, we really only have one company with the coverage, AT&T. Their data plan is about $50 per month for unlimited, which is a lot. Since I can get WiFi at home and work for free, I will probably go with that and skip any data plan.
Thanks to all who replied. That gives me a much better idea of what to expect.

Flat rate connection for Softbank Japan

Quick and Dirty
Are you in Japan?
Do you have a Softbank SIM?
Do you have the Packet Flat Rate Full? or the older Packet Houdai? (In Japanese パッケト放題 and パッケト定額フル)
Do you want to use ANY unlocked WM-based phone on Softbank's network?
Then this cab is for you! Install and enjoy.
FAQ
Q: Doesn't the Connection Wizard do this automatically?
A: NO! Don't trust him! He is a Chaotic Evil Connection Wizard.
As many have found out to their disappointment, the Connection Wizard built into most ROMs installs the open-but-expensive Softbank connection. The Connection Wizard will try to set up the 64k digital data plan that charges per 30 seconds instead of per packet and the APN for this account is [email protected] or [email protected] So if you see [email protected] in your data settings, DELETE THOSE SETTINGS! This [email protected] AP is not compatible with the flat rate plans and is charged differently (read: heavily). Some have ended up with bills over 50,000 Yen.
Delete whatever connection the Connection Wizard makes for you before installing this cab.
Q: What does this cab do exactly?
A: It installs a connection with the following information:
Name: Softbank
Modem: Cellular (3G)
Access point: open.softbank.ne.jp
User name: opensoftbank
Password: ****************
Q: Why don't you just tell us the password and we can do it manually?
A: Softbank wouldn't like that.
Last April Softbank changed their password because it was published too widely. This created big problems for many people who were using the old password. To avoid this, I and others with the password have been trying to distribute it by non-public means (email, private messages, writing it on bathroom walls, etc).
Recently, some people who don't know any better have been publishing this information publicly, risking Softbank changing the password yet again, screwing us all. But don't get angry and send them flames . They can't help being that way.
Q: Can I use this connection with MMSLite?
A: Apparently you can, but the MMSLite connection information has been released widely and is available on this site. Do a search.
Q: Why is Softbank so secretive? And why did Softbank change the password? And if the MMSLite connection information has been public for so long, why don't they change that too?
A: Hey now, one question at a time.
The following is speculation, but here goes: I doubt Softbank has any automatic controls on the amount or type of data going through its mobile servers. They are probably worried that if this information gets out that people with SIM accepting notebooks / 3G modem cards can just use this information to get (relatively) cheap, limitless mobile broadband.
The first password change was done by a ROM update to the X01HT (Hermes). At the time, there were few enough X01HTs out there that they could afford to send every customer a 256mb microsd card with the ROM update on it. This ROM upgrade also changed the radio ROM to one which made it much more difficult to unlock the Hermes. Before this, lots of X01HTs were being bought subsidized from Softbank, unlocked, then sold on Ebay for a profit (and a subsequent loss for Softbank). Now that Softbank has more WM-based phones, and has stopped subsidizing handsets so drastically, a four-model, system-wide ROM update looks less and less likely. But it could happen.
The Softbank MMS connection is used system-wide by most of Softbank's phones, both smartphones and dumbphones. Any change to this protocol would be a huge headache for Softbank and is extremely unlikely.
Q: So, if I can get the password somehow I can use my Softbank SIM to surf my laptop and only pay the flatrate fee?
A: Probably. If you have a 3G modem that accepts WSIM cards.
Q: Will you PM me the password?
A: Sure. But it would probably be easier to use one of these links from some people who don't know any better
Q: This cab ROCKS! Who made it?
A: RayB
Q: Hey, where's the cab? Did you forget to attach it like some kind of idiot?
A: Yep. See the next post.

Here you are.

Thank you for your nice post.
By the way I just "discover" (edit : forgot to click on larsuck's link in original post) this: http://mb.softbank.jp/mb/en/price_plan/packet_full/index.html
Is the new limit for unlimited packet plan 5985yens? It would be a nice news!
There still are informations on the old unlimited packet plan, so I'm wondering if there is a trap...
Toni

tonidekohlanta said:
Thank you for your nice post.
By the way I just "discover" (edit : forgot to click on larsuck's link in original post) this: http://mb.softbank.jp/mb/en/price_plan/packet_full/index.html
Is the new limit for unlimited packet plan 5985yens? It would be a nice news!
There still are informations on the old unlimited packet plan, so I'm wondering if there is a trap...
Toni
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't speak from experience, but I am 99.9% sure this password will work with the new rate. A guy using a stock X02HT on this thread reported that he was okay after switching. And I doubt he took his X02HT into the shop for them to change the AP.
I would switch and give it a try, but I have actually never used more than a couple thousand yen worth of data a month. I get most of my regular sites' feeds cached in using SPB Insight.

I took the dive myself and setup the new data plan, was jsut a quick visit to the local softbank, and all still works fine technically. Just waiting on the revised bill to see if it actually took effect

RayB said:
I took the dive myself and setup the new data plan, was jsut a quick visit to the local softbank, and all still works fine technically. Just waiting on the revised bill to see if it actually took effect
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please let us know

anybody???

Sorry for the delayed response. My bill was all in order , so you should be safe upgrading to the new data plan from the old 10,000 yen per month plan. But you never know they could change things

I can confirm that the connection.cab works also with Blackstone

I can confirm the connection.cab works with my diamond. I have flashed the x04ht rom found elsewhere on this board.
My billing cycle is as follows:
Usage is charged up to the 24th or so and then bill is released on the 7th of the following month.
I check my usage just now: パケット通信料 ~19,000円
It says that discounts have not yet been applied but after working this out to be something like 250,000 packets, I am a little worried. This is assuming the rate is 0.08 Yen per packet. I figure I have used about the same data as with my actual softbank device (the odd email check [mobile.gmail.com] and the odd browsing [less than 10 minutes of yahoo.co.jp etc]). I really don't use it much at all. I work usually 12 hours a day and I am too beat to mess with my diamond.
My previous months usage (including the same browsing habits and the mobile gmail) only ever peaked at like 60000 packets. Mind you I can only look at past bills in their post-discount-applied state.
I am going to call SB tomorrow and ask them what's up.

I can confirm the connection.cab works with my diamond. I have flashed the x04ht rom found elsewhere on this board.
My billing cycle is as follows:
Usage is charged up to the 24th or so and then bill is released on the 7th of the following month.
I check my usage just now: パケット通信料 ~19,000円
It says that discounts have not yet been applied but after working this out to be something like 250,000 packets, I am a little worried. This is assuming the rate is 0.08 Yen per packet. I figure I have used about the same data as with my actual softbank device (the odd email check [mobile.gmail.com] and the odd browsing [less than 10 minutes of yahoo.co.jp etc]). I really don't use it much at all. I work usually 12 hours a day and I am too beat to mess with my diamond.
My previous months usage (including the same browsing habits and the mobile gmail) only ever peaked at like 60000 packets. Mind you I can only look at past bills in their post-discount-applied state.
I am going to call SB tomorrow and ask them what's up.

Kevbodian said:
My previous months usage (including the same browsing habits and the mobile gmail) only ever peaked at like 60000 packets. Mind you I can only look at past bills in their post-discount-applied state.
I am going to call SB tomorrow and ask them what's up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The packet count shouldn't change depending on discounts. Only the money charged should change.
Make sure you don't have the m2D weather auto-updating or anything automatic like that running.

larsuck said:
The packet count shouldn't change depending on discounts. Only the money charged should change.
Make sure you don't have the m2D weather auto-updating or anything automatic like that running.
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Click to collapse
Yeah I killed that. I am just waiting for my final bill to be ready in a few days. We tried calling SB and they seemed to not know f'all. One lady even said, and I quote:
"softbank sims are not sim free so if you put it into another non-softbank device it will no longer function and you will have to get another one"
I got off the line with her as soon as I could.

Kevbodian said:
"softbank sims are not sim free so if you put it into another non-softbank device it will no longer function and you will have to get another one"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/he sighs. Its hard to know what to say to that kind of stupidity. One can only hope that the girl is just making stuff up. Otherwise, she is just repeating the lies they have distributed to their staff.
Anyway, let us know how it goes. Good luck.

I just got the above 30,000 Yen warning message from SB.
But I was for a week roaming in Europe, might be related to this.

Roaming in Europe would do it alright. My coworker just got his 70,000 yen roaming fee for data usage.
My last few bills have been fine. Packet use in the range of 20,000 yen fully discounted and the new flat rate 5700 yen charge applied. I dont think there will be a problem. I was using the 10,000 yen flat rate package for 2 years prior to this on non softbank phones and it only went above when roaming.

So I got my bill and with the open connection I was charged as follows (approx, because I am too lazy at the moment to get the exact info, but it goes like this):
with the open connection, X-series phones will be charged at a max of 10700en or something like this.
to get the 4400 en one, you have to be within the above "walled garden" (basically a bull**** plan)
to get the 5900en one, you have to be using an iphone.
I am going to try and set my diamond up with the iphone settings.
Also, I find it bull**** that I am being charged as a X04HT user when I don't even have an x04ht.

RayB said:
Roaming in Europe would do it alright. My coworker just got his 70,000 yen roaming fee for data usage.
My last few bills have been fine. Packet use in the range of 20,000 yen fully discounted and the new flat rate 5700 yen charge applied. I dont think there will be a problem. I was using the 10,000 yen flat rate package for 2 years prior to this on non softbank phones and it only went above when roaming.
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Click to collapse
Oh, roaming fees aren't charged by softbank initially. The provider your bud was roaming on has each kB or packet charged to softbank. Softbank then in turn charges your bud.

Kevbodian said:
So I got my bill and with the open connection I was charged as follows (approx, because I am too lazy at the moment to get the exact info, but it goes like this):
with the open connection, X-series phones will be charged at a max of 10700en or something like this.
to get the 4400 en one, you have to be within the above "walled garden" (basically a bull**** plan)
to get the 5900en one, you have to be using an iphone.
I am going to try and set my diamond up with the iphone settings.
Also, I find it bull**** that I am being charged as a X04HT user when I don't even have an x04ht.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iPhone connection? Are the settings available?

Kevbodian said:
So I got my bill and with the open connection I was charged as follows (approx, because I am too lazy at the moment to get the exact info, but it goes like this):
with the open connection, X-series phones will be charged at a max of 10700en or something like this.
to get the 4400 en one, you have to be within the above "walled garden" (basically a bull**** plan)
to get the 5900en one, you have to be using an iphone.
I am going to try and set my diamond up with the iphone settings.
Also, I find it bull**** that I am being charged as a X04HT user when I don't even have an x04ht.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah. X-series users can freely switch to the 5900 plan using this connection.