Database Users

3G + Universal + Australia

Hi,
Could those Universal owners in Australia response to this thread with...
a) What provider they are with
b) What plan they are on
c) The procedure for configuring their unit with their provider (to this point of surfing the net on mobile broadband.
Rather than trial and error I thought I'd try and cheat and just ask someone who's gone through all the pain already.
I would also be interested to hear comparisons between plans and providers.
Regards
Michael

I'm interested too! I've been looking on the net at Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Three but I can't see anything really great - all very exy!!
Most are linked with phones on plans - not good for us we've already got the unit.
I want a sim only plan that gives me reasonable rates for data download.

I'm using Three - gave the bundled phone to a friend who wanted to upgrade an old NEC. $99 Cap Plan includes $15 towards data usage, but i've never managed to get past the $99 cap yet.
The data speed is fast - to get 3G you need to create a new connection, set the AccessPoint, which is "3netaccess", and leave all others blank. Roams to Telstra GPRS when out of coverage in Oz.
Don't bother with Three if you go overseas - there's no data coverage outside Australia for Australian customers.
There is also no comprehensible FAQ on their site for the MMS setup - just lots of pages with "your phone comes preconfigured - don't change it" comments. Ringing support is no good, if you try to, they soon figure out you are not using "their" phone, and can't help you.
If anyone else here has MMS working please give the settings.

Telstra Universal on 3G
I purchased my JasJar in the UK on a business trip, and with my UK Vodafone SIM had 3G working fine.
For Telstra 3G you need a new USIM for 3G - they should supply for free if you're a post-paid customer.
It actually roams onto the joing 3/Telstra network and drops back to Telstra GPRS.
The Telstra settings are simple - telstra.internet for the APN
Also, the 3G data plans are more generous - I changed from $55/month 5MB plan to a 3G $15/month 6MB plan.
All seems to be working fine.
www.andrewgrill.com

I have the JJ and use Telstra. The process was simple, Tell my secretary to give it to me, TElstra call me back and say that I have it, use the Imate auto configure to install it and of I go.
Expensive yes, but in the overall scheme of my business costs, its not worth looking at. Telstra I believe have a special for the video call bit that they charge the same for a video call as they do for a mobile phone call, to get you to join and try it. I dont have anybody interested in video calls.
I didnt need a telstra sim to do this, and havent actually tested it for videos.
I only really use it a little bit for internet connectivity, and given that I have wireless networks at home and office, I dont use the GPRS to 3G connectivity much.
Heads up though and it is posted in these forums elsewhere that phone companies (and I suspect telstra) would limit it your speeds to the minimum required for video conferencing which is 128kb ps, whereas 3G networks are capable of 384kbps, and only switch it on when you ask for it.
I really dont have that much need, and it doesnt even come close to the capabilities and speeds, ease, costs and overall benefits of the ADSL wireless network.

Hi, I sold my Universal (O2 Xda Exec unlocked) to somebody on eBay who lives in Melbourne, Australia.
Today I received this e-mail from him after he received it:
"My sim card doesn't work."invalid or missing sim card" appears.Can you help me to figure out."
Any ideas anyone?
PS: I should add that mine was one of the 1st Execs shipped in December and was definately unlocked as I had it working with O2 and Orange. All I have changed is to install the new Extended ROM update from their web site, which I presume doesn't have SIM locking does it?
PPS: Update from user: "Thanks for your response.Australia has got a couple network. I currently use $49 cap plan Optus network. but I don't have any idea about frequency."

my friend had a problem with optusnet, told it was the phone!!
I put my telstra sim in, worked perfectly the first time.
went to optus, requested a new sim, got it tested it didn't work, logged a support call, waited for call back, tried agin with support, nothing returned, got a telstra sim the next day and never looked back...
moral, optusnet support sucks when they don't sell you a phone, the knoledge is limited and competency sucks.
BUT I do use them for adsl, and home phone, even then acknowledge that they suck.
Tell your customer to test it on a friends telstra card and run the telstra cab, its something in optusnet.
by the way, my friends phone wa the imate jam / xda mini so the problems hadn't even started with the 3g network of the exec.
my jasjar works perfectly on telstra.
pm me, or get your customer onto the forum if I can provide localised help.

Thanks. Can you please clarify what you mean by "run the telstra cab, its something in optusnet"? What is a 'cab'?
Are they the same network and would he be able to retain his account, or does he have to switch networks?

Networks in Australia
Although Optus and Vodafone in Australia actually share a 3G network (3G air interface) everything beyond that is separate so for billing etc your friend would need a new SIM card. It's likely thet Optus people did not sell him a 3G SIM card - they will have to tell them what it is for so they give him the right SIM.
In OZ, Telstra share with 3 so you 'roam' onto the 3 network for 3G even though you have a Telstra SIM

the cab file is located on the extended rom, or on the 02 website, or the imate website, I have also posted the file elsewhere on this forum if you look for telstra.
if you cant find it, i can locate it and post it, just dont have it handy now.
a cab file installs programs or settings to a device. this particular one sets up all the mms, phone and 3 g settings. if he did a hard reset, the phone itself would ask him his communications provider and do this automatically. but telstra can only be used on telstra, and optus on optus networks, and they are effectively strings of commands to access gprs, 3g, and wap sites.
he may not have run the setup correctly on this. if he installs total commander, and types into the address field \extended_rom\ he would be able to locate the file on the device already and just run it to establish his correct settings.
however, i feel it is likely that the sim card is dud.

Hi all, thanks for your previous help. The customer now has a new SIM from Optus, Australia, which works great for calls.
However, he cannot set up GPRS. He states:
"I tried everything to set up gprs setting.I couldn't.I check the my friend's xda ii series gprs setting.It has got auto config option.So it does itself.But my xda exec ask me phone number ,domain name,username password,dns setting etc.
I rang to Optus technical support.They told me they don't support this one.They gave me dns number but didn't work. But I think . if xda ii works, exec should work.I just need set up for Australia. Please help me."
Does anyone have a link to an Optus Australia auto-config util that will send him the config in a magic SMS?
Failing that, can you type all the details here or provide a link to the Optus cab?

I'm with Vodafone on a $79 cap. The cap value includes data ($1/5min), but the billing by time rather than downloads might not suit most people.
As for configuring the phone - I just downloaded the operator settings CAB file from clubimate.com. Sets up everything perfectly!
AFIK, Vodafone and Optus are the only ones that will offer Sim-only 3G plans. Of course, you can go with Three, and just discard the phone (you can get a free phone on a $29 cap!)

JJ on Three network
JJ on Three network.
I'm going to check this post and report in the near future:
http://aussie3g.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=16121&highlight=jasjar+3netaccess

telstra also offer 3g plans, but I use their phone network and sim card as part of our corporate plan.
I have sent the customer the std cab file on my imate rom, which he reports was not beneficial for him.
I am not on optus so don't actually have the configuration settings.

spludge said:
Don't bother with Three if you go overseas - there's no data coverage outside Australia for Australian customers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i never tried data, but videocalls worked fine...the only limitation being it only works on the overseas 3 network (3 - Hong Kong in my case, this was 2 years ago when i still lived in brisbane)

It's okay guys, Optus were giving him wrong details. He found the right ones -- they're all over Google

O2, Exec upgrades and 3G

I've just got an Exec as a free upgrade to my beloved XDA II so I phoned O2 to ask about their 3G service.
In short, if you get an Exec from O2 you should also be given a new 3G SIM for free. If you haven't, call them to say you haven't and they'll send one. No reconfiguring of the Exec is necessary (they say). I'm guessing this doesn't apply if you're a pre-pay client, but who knows?
G
(I suppose I'll have to change my name to 3Goldry soon...)

I don't think a new SIM is required for 3G access... I had a Vodafone Pay&Go SIM well before I got my V1640, and it works on UMTS.

Yes you do require a sim that is compatable, although it is possible your existing one will support the UTMS, if not simply call in to the O2 shop and they will give you the SIM for free, activate it and away you go....
Huge bills - stupidly expensive access charges, but a super quick connection - oh - and did I mention the battery life, UTMS kicks the cr*p out of your battery, I have seen mine decrease even when connected to the car charger - Mike

some theory
3g requires a thicker sim card. You eill not be able to use 3g band with a standard gsm sim. hence no video calling, etc.
its a fact, ie - its a standart.

igs said:
some theory
3g requires a thicker sim card. You eill not be able to use 3g band with a standard gsm sim. hence no video calling, etc.
its a fact, ie - its a standart.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3G is a thicker SIM? I've not noticed any difference with my T-Mobile SIMs..?

O2 have different SIMS for 3G and GSM. The 3G SIM has some extra information on it which means that a GSM SIM in a 3G phone will not allow 3G data.
I went into an O2 shop and they charged me £10 for a new 3G SIM which they then registered to my account and threw away the old one.
rgds

£10 for a new SIM? That's a joke! I might just go back to Vodafone then in that case...

I just had this with Orange.
I bought a SIM from a market stall for £5 thinking that it would be cheaper than going to Orange for it.
I put it in my Uni, got it all registered and everything was fine until I asked 450 why I wasn't getting a 3G icon.
I had to go to the Orange shop, pay another £5 for a SIM (USIM, 3G SIM) and then ... The fun started.
I put £20 on the USIM when I bought it, it was pre-activated. I took it home, phoned 450, got them to change the number from my old SIM to the new one. I asked if the £20 would be credited accross and he said "yes, within 24 hours".
I waited and it didn't appear. I phoned 450 and the nice gentleman in India told me there was sweet FA he could do to help, go see the Orange shop.
I went to the shop and they told me that ev erything had been done wrong, that they shouldn't even sell USIMs without a new 3G phone to go with it.
I got my £20 back though and am now fully 3G (when in coverage).
The USIM isn't any thicker than the 2G SIM, but it is a different color.

So you're saying that the orange SIM card was meant to be free? Or were you not meant to get it at all?

I think the virgin 'normal' free sims can be enabled to be 3g simply by sending a message to 80310 with the word “Video” but o2 use special seperate 3g sims. From what I understand there is extra capacity on the newer 3g sims but for current 3g services we don't need them hence why virgin's can be enabled.
I have o2 sim and am planning to be off on my travels so am in the process of setting up my universal (xda exec) to use a virgin sim in this as you can roam in Japan only on a 3g sim.

Let us bare in mind that these most extreme cases are pay as you go deals where its "not subsidised"....
If anyone puts some marketing sense into it it will be clearer to understand what all the comotion is about.
Eventually all charges for sims etc on paygo will be waved.... for the moment its a matter of choice.
BR

There's no such thing as a 3G SIM.
Yes there are different SIMs available (with more on-board memory) but at the end of the day they all have to fit into the same SIM shaped hole in your phone.
The handset and features on your account determine whether or not you can access 3G.

actually there is a specific SIM for 3G. It is same shape and size but does not work in older 2G phones..... However, 2G SIMs all work in most 3G Phones

moghisi101 said:
actually there is a specific SIM for 3G. It is same shape and size but does not work in older 2G phones..... However, 2G SIMs all work in most 3G Phones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not entirelly right m8...give it a try if you have one and you will see I have my o2 rg sim and works fine on other 2g phones...that also goes for another PAYGO 3g vodafone card that i got hanging around...obviously when it comes to three uk its a diferent story since they do not offer a gsm service and rely on 02 lines where there is no coverage from them and this costs them money.
BR

Do I need a 3g usim card for 3g on a m3100?

Hi All
I have just ordered a orange spv m3100 to be used unlocked on t-mobile. I just phoned up t-mobile to ask if i need a new sim to use in a 3g phone, but the woman i spoke to seemed to think that there is no such thing as a 3g sim, is this correct?
Will my old sim from my wizzard work in the m3100 and will i get 3g?
Thanks

you can use a 2g sim in the m3100 but you wouldnt be able to get any 3g services out of it.
best thing to do is just pop your sim into it and it will tell you if you have a 3g signal.
hope this helps

thats what i thought, thanks. i will have to phone up t-mobile again and explain i want a 3g sim.

have you asked to receive the m3100 unlocked or are you having it unlocked after you get it?
as far as i'm aware the m3100 comes locked to orange as standard so you won't be able to use a t-mobile sim...

I've spoke to T-mobile previously about 3g services and they've told me that the chip that I got off them (Bought a MDA vario) would be able to use 3g.
I popped it into my Nokia N70 and it worked a treat.
So, you might not need a different type of Sim card

nice tread i was literally going to ask this exact sme question. i just posted in another thread, asking almost the same thing, only i'm getting a new contract on t-mob and extending my misses contracting then gonna pay for them to both be unlocked and then swap the sims,
hope they send me a 3G sim

Strangely enough, I've ordered a Orange SPV 3100 today and depending on if I like it I'm going to get it unlocked and use my t-mobile chip with it.
Don't fancy paying £20 to get it unlocked to test though, So if anyone can get me a free unlocking solution by tomorrow, that would be appreciated

Even T-Mobile pay as you go sim cards seem to be fine for 3g data - just not enabled for video calling.

My vodafone sim card is a standard one, I haven't changed it in 3 or 4 years and 3g works fine.

thanks for the replys guys, this is all sounding good

I have a mate who had a MDA Vario. He bought an unbranded TyTN and asked me what he had to do to get the internet working.
I said call T and ask for 1) 3g sim 2) connection settings.
He called T and they said he didn't need a 3g sim... I have to say I though they were talking bollocks. So he popped his old sim in and we had a video call - no problems at all.
So you may be ok...

It depends on when you got your device/SIM. If bought over the last year it should be OK, if the SP supports 3G anyway. Older SIMs may need to be replaced.

So...the networks have been shipping USims instead of Sims....interesting. I didn't know that.
Quite useful to know.

thats very interesting, although I have had my sim for some time so not sure if it is a usim. Mine came with my Magician just over a year and a half ago. When I got my wizzard, I just swpped the sim over.
My M3100 should be here today, so I will test it and see what happens.
I dont think there will be a free unlocking tool for a few weeks at least, so Im just going to pay the £20 and get the code.

TheBrit said:
So...the networks have been shipping USims instead of Sims....interesting. I didn't know that.
My voda sim is a sim (not a usim) and is about 3 years old and has worked in every voda 3g phone I've tried it in (v980, 6680, sharp 902, sharp 903, v3x and xda exec).
Gives 1.2mb on hsdpa.
I just had to ask for it to be enabled when voda launched 3g.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Running a 2g phone with 3 network sim

Sorry that I'm in the wrong area but it's been suggested to me that as you guys are running 3g phones you may know a bit about UK 3 network.
My son is in an 18month contract with 3 but has bagged my recently discarded XDA Mini S, as I've upgraded to an Orbit.
I've tried every which way to get the 3 sim to talk to the wizard - without joy but I am aware that 3 network backs up to normal 2g orange to obtain full coverage.
The 3 sim works perfectly in another 3g Samsung so I guess it's not locked purely to 3 but if I put it in the wizard or orbit then the phone says no sim or invalid sim.
Are there any work arounds, is it the O2 software, or am I stuffed (and do I have to tell a wide eyed 15 year old that he cannot have a XDA after all) - I've never seen him so keen about a phone.
Regards

3 Network uk

Has anyone managed to get there artemis working with a 3g sim card? ie.e the 3 network in the uk? www.three.co.uk? sometimes known as hutchinson 3g?
i spoke to a mobile phone shop in southall (middlesex) and they said its possble but £50!!!!

patterns said:
Has anyone managed to get there artemis working with a 3g sim card? ie.e the 3 network in the uk? www.three.co.uk? sometimes known as hutchinson 3g?
i spoke to a mobile phone shop in southall (middlesex) and they said its possble but £50!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not tried it, but UK O2 Orbits are not network locked, you can put any SIM in - although with it not being a 3G device, there seems little point in putting a Three SIM in as it will just drop back to whichever GSM network Three piggybacks on (O2 I think). I'v just bought a three sim for £1.25 on ebay, so I'll load it up and see what the coverage is like near me - I only get intermittent t-mobile in my place...

it used to be possible but then 3 started to locking their sims so they only worked in 3g phones

aha!
im not so fussed about the 3g coverage its more being able to use that sim card in the phone, whethe rit roams off of o2 or etc. i got my phoen unlocked (originally t-mobile compact 3) and its the only simcard that doessnt work - thats why im suspicios of this shop[ who says they can doo it for £50
please keep me updated as to how your simcard goes, and if anyone knows a way of doing this im all ears!