I'm currently using my Kaiser on T-Mobile, and I don't have a data plan as I don't intend to access the internet other than via WiFi. However, sometimes if I try to sync my email or access a webpage without first connecting to WiFi, I get a notification that my phone is connecting to EDGE. This obviously shouldn't be happening, since my plan doesn't cover it. Usually I can cancel it within a few seconds so I don't think it's ever actually connected.
However, I'm afraid that rather than denying me access to the network, it's just going to let me connect and then automatically charge me for a data plan, which is something I would definitely like to avoid. Does anyone know why this is happening, whether I'll actually get connected to EDGE/be charged for it, and how I can get around it? Or should I talk to T-Mobile and find out from them? Also, when my phone connects to the data network to receive MMS, does that count as part of a data plan or is that covered in the regular MMS charge? I have virtually no knowledge of how phone and data networks function, so sorry if this info is painfully simple.
Thanks in advance.
Not having a data plan doesn't prevent you from connecting to the data network, but only changes the way it gets billed. Without a plan you usually get billed for the amount of data you transfer, at a fairly high price per MB. With a plan you'll pay some monthly fee but will then be free to transfer up to a certain amount of data per month, altogether for much cheaper.
If you don't want the EDGE to connect, either simply delete the connection parameters from the connection settings or use a program like this one to deactivate the connection:
http://www.modaco.com/content/pocket-pc-software/246171/new-free-utility/
MMS is a separate connection that can only be used for MMS and doesn't charge.
you can also change the different cell data connections to disabled with KaiserTweak, on this forum, that's worked well for me.
Jeremie
Okay, thanks guys, I'll check it out. I skimmed through some of the connection options and didn't see anything, but I'll look more thoroughly and figure it out. Also need to remember to install KaiserTweak again, keep forgetting to while trying out various ROMs.
Also thanks for the info about the billing, I didn't realize it worked like that - I thought it was like internet access, if you don't have a plan you can't get on.
You can get unlimited access to media net for $15 a month
Related
I have had the 8125 for quite some time now and have found no use whasoever for a data plan with this device. So considering the additional cost per month, is the data plan worth it under the 3G connection? I am in the MD/DC area, and expect I'll get fairly decent coverage but I'd be interested in location specific feedback as well.
If you don't need data, you don't need a plan. I use mine for streaming video using SlingBox to program or watch my home DVR or peek out one of my surveilance cams. I also use it occasionally as a network connection for my Laptop using internet sharing. I'm finding pretty good 3G coverage in So. Calif., just went up at my house now as well. I usually keep 3G turned off however when not needed, to increase battery life.
Note that even without a data plan, you can use data services -- cost is $0.01 per KB, whether it's over GPRS, EDGE, or HSDPA. If you don't use data very often, I'd skip it & pay as you go. If you end up using data more, you can always add a data plan later.
3waygeek said:
Note that even without a data plan, you can use data services -- cost is $0.01 per KB, whether it's over GPRS, EDGE, or HSDPA. If you don't use data very often, I'd skip it & pay as you go. If you end up using data more, you can always add a data plan later.
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Don't you have to enable something on the backend to allow data? Or in other words, if I get this new phone, will I automatically get a data connection and have to start paying ala carte pricing??
The Kaiser has an autoconnect program that configures the data connection; IIRC, it runs during the extROM installation right after a hard reset. Basically, you tell it what country & carrier you use, and it configures the data connection. If you don't want to use data at all, you can tweak the data connection settings (e.g. change the password and/or username) so it won't connect.
My rebates have come in and I'm ready to drop the data plan on my bill.
I'm trying to prep to keep the majority of the functionality that I have been use to through the Tilt's wireless connection. I hope that I can learn from others that have dropped their data plan.
My first concern revolves around dropping the data plan and making sure that I don't pile up per-kb charges. I know that I can call AT&T and request a stop data, but that also stops my text messages. I've read that KaiserTweak works as well and will probably be the route that I use, unless there are other suggestions.
Furthermore, I need to find a way to make the device look to the wireless connection as the primary connection. For instance, how can I change it so that Outlook and even HTC Home Weather uses wireless connection. Is there a menu or registry setting I can use for that?
For those of you that have gone through this process, I would appreciate in suggestions.
Thanks!
Would also like to know, never got a data plan...
tyeo098 said:
Would also like to know, never got a data plan...
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It's so freaking easy. I don't know why nobody uses this method.
Create an empty Network setting and that's it. No APN, no "modem" settings, nothing. Just create a new one, name it something like NoData, set it as the default network for "The Internet" and "Work", and that's it.
It will never get online except what you feed it through WiFi.
It was great traveling through Japan for few weeks and no data billed, no worries if I needed Modaco NoData or KaiserTweak to setup something shady that might heal itself and nail me with charges.
Lol, its called stop being cheap.
People get stuff and don't want to pay to maintain it. IE, get a car, drive it 4 years, and never want to put new tires on it, but as soon as it doesn't pass inspection, you're ready to snap.
What was the purpose of getting a PDA phone without the data plan...?? Shoulda got a regular phone if that was the case, or perhaps a palm pilot.
Why pay your provider $40+ if you are not using it? I myself have an unlimited data plan, but I rarely use it. I have WiFi at work and at home and I am on WiFi network most of the time. It is critical for me to access my email at all times and I need to pay for the data plan. But for most people, it is not that important and they can still get access 80% of the time. Don't judge people because they don't live by your rules.
Hey guys the G1 data plan is getting too expensive for me and I'm planning to cancel soon. After I call in and cancel, how can I get my G1 to stop trying to access the internet unless its Wifi? Or once I cancel I won't have to worry about this?
I also heard a rumor about changing the APN settings so you can still have and use the internet? Is this true?
no real way to stop the phone from accessing the web since even in the background it sends packets of information. that's just how the phone works that's why you need the data plan for this phone.
i want to cancel the plan cause my sis is paying for mine and i dont want her paying 300$+ a year on me. but i dont want to be charged after i cancel the plan cause my g1 is still accessing the internet. Anyways to prevent it from accessing the internet?
tinyaznboi said:
i want to cancel the plan cause my sis is paying for mine and i dont want her paying 300$+ a year on me. but i dont want to be charged after i cancel the plan cause my g1 is still accessing the internet. Anyways to prevent it from accessing the internet?
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i just said no there is no way to to shut off the internet due to the fact that the phone requires you to have a google account to run it even if you flash a adp build and skip the logon proceedure the phone still access the web in the background without you knowledge you will still get billed for data charges at t mobs data rate which i think is 25 to 50 cents per meg used.
disable auto sync
if you disable auto sync you wont be accessing the internet much (assuming you don't have a ton of news widgets or something) then sync when you're connected to wifi (toggle settings works well for this)
bittermormon said:
if you disable auto sync you wont be accessing the internet much (assuming you don't have a ton of news widgets or something) then sync when you're connected to wifi (toggle settings works well for this)
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the problem is even with auto sync off the phone still polls the internet in the background for updates and other things you could remove every internet reliant app off your phone and it still polls the internet it just the way android is designed he want to stop all internet traffic which is impossible without hacking the rom beyond what we do or pulling out the sim. even google maps requires to poll the internet in the background without him even turning it on. it's just impossible to stop it completely.
Install APNdroid.
Easiest, simplest, most reliable way: Go into settings>wireless controls>Mobile Networks>Access Point names, then click on each one and hit menu then delete. You will also need to finangle with tmobile through their customer service number in order to get them to cancel 3g for your G1 (they have some kind of a policy that's supposed to mean that you have to have an unlimited data plan with the G1, but if you're patient with them they'll let you cancel and just have voice.)
Even easier way. Download Toggle Data from market. That's what I've been using since I cancelled my plan. No more data in the background, so my battery life is longer. Sometimes my phone goes like 2-3 days without charge. (Of course without using wifi)
apns not only control how the phone connects to the internet it also handles how it connects to make calls which is also how it connect to edge/3g. so see the conundrum we have here removing all apns also kills making calls.
Before I bricked my G1, (I don't have a data plan) I just went to the T-Mobile store and told the guy what I could do to stop the internet. He just changed some kind of port number and stopped the internet so I don't get charged.
rigamrts said:
apns not only control how the phone connects to the internet it also handles how it connects to make calls which is also how it connect to edge/3g. so see the conundrum we have here removing all apns also kills making calls.
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I use apndroid all the time(to save battery) and I can still send/receive calls with it.
ultra spikey said:
I use apndroid all the time(to save battery) and I can still send/receive calls with it.
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i wasn't talking about apndroid
i was talking about the guy who told him to delete all his apns
if i use apndroid will i still be able to use wifi? also im using a JACHero's rom and i noticed this in the settings...
Data Sync > Google > Background Date Usage [X]
APN Droid only kills the data.
rigamrts said:
apns not only control how the phone connects to the internet it also handles how it connects to make calls which is also how it connect to edge/3g. so see the conundrum we have here removing all apns also kills making calls.
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No, the APN controls cellular data (internet and MMS) only. Voice and SMS are "built in" so to speak - as long as the SIM matches yoru carrier's records, they will work.
Deleting the APNs (or using APNdroid) will block cellular data, leaving voice, SMS and WiFi internet unaffected.
In an effort to cut costs I removed the data plan from my phone. I setup wifi at home since I rarely use the internet while I am away from home and I plan on just stopping using it at all unless I'm home.
Here's my question. I have a lot of apps on my phone and some of them use the net. Without a data plan are those apps going to connect to the internet while I'm away from home and run up my bill?
Is there anything that I need to do on the phone now that I don't have a data plan to ensure that it is all set up to just be a phone when I'm away from home and a fully functional Android device when I'm home and on wifi?
There is an app for your issue. Can't remember the name, but I'm sure someone will come on to tell you.
You have to ask your provider... are they going to let your phone connect to the net and charge you ridiculous fees or they are not going to let you even hook up unless you have a data plan? Because the phone itself will check for stuff every so often. You can disable wireless synk for google stuff but your other apps may still hook up to the net Either way, screwing something up in the apn settings will guarantee you not to be able to get on the net, it may mess up with your mms messages too though.
Good luck
Check my provider? Seriously? T-Mobile just tells me that I HAVE to have a data plan cause they want to make more money
Try APNdroid in the market... it disables the 3g/edge data...
'Toggle Data' is also good. You just tap the icon and it will disable, and tap to enable again. I also don't have a data plan (not all the time anyway) so it's very useful.
WiSyncPlus is your friend from now on.. http://www.cyrket.com/package/mobi.gearsoft.android.wisyncplus
Kafluke said:
Check my provider? Seriously? T-Mobile just tells me that I HAVE to have a data plan cause they want to make more money
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Hey now.. how am I supposed to know you have t-mo... it's not like it's in your details or in your signature lol
So I've been tethering my Tilt at work for over a year; it's been great to bypass the filters my employer has in place, and I only used it when I had to so I wouldn't get "flagged" by AT&T for too much data usage. Honestly, I have no idea how they enforce their tethering policies.
Or do I?
I got married earlier this year, and just last night we went into AT&T and put my wife on our family plan. She picked the Samsung Solstice, and the salesman and I chatted VERY briefly about the Tilt 2 (how expensive it is), and I mentioned that I had a Tilt.
That's IT!
This morning, I plugged my Tilt into my PC at work, and the connection looks good on my phone, but my PC says "acquiring network address" for far too long, and then says "limited or no connectivity." WHAT?!? This has NEVER happened before. This can't be coincidence that the morning after...did they look closely at the account or something? Can they disable tethering somehow?
Thanks.
i don't know for sure about data plans in the US but my provider enables unlimited internet usage (only EDGE/GPRS is available here, no 3G yet) for a per month flat rate of the equivalent of about $6.
to the best of my knowledge, the service provider can NOT tell if the phone is using the internet or a computer tethered to the phone is using the internet.
so if the internet is connecting and working fine when using apps on your phone, then the internet sharing should also work. i have noticed that the internet sharing can be finicky when trying to assign an IP to your computer when tethered...so try soft resetting your device. also, try different sequences of steps...for example, manually connect the data connection on your phone and THEN start internet sharing, or vice versa and so on.
http://www.wmwifirouter.com/
works great. can connect up to five pc's and/or cell phones.
software is 30, free trial
ASCIIker said:
i don't know for sure about data plans in the US but my provider enables unlimited internet usage (only EDGE/GPRS is available here, no 3G yet) for a per month flat rate of the equivalent of about $6.
to the best of my knowledge, the service provider can NOT tell if the phone is using the internet or a computer tethered to the phone is using the internet.
so if the internet is connecting and working fine when using apps on your phone, then the internet sharing should also work. i have noticed that the internet sharing can be finicky when trying to assign an IP to your computer when tethered...so try soft resetting your device. also, try different sequences of steps...for example, manually connect the data connection on your phone and THEN start internet sharing, or vice versa and so on.
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Well, since it was working fine for two years and just happened to break the very next time after I added someone to my plan, I just figured that's what did it. I'd like to say I was right, but I can't prove it.
You were right, it wasn't able to aqcuire an IP address, but data worked fine on the rest of the phone.
In any case, I ended up just rerunning Connection Setup on a whim and I'm happily back on xda-developers via a tether.
Thanks!
[UPDATE] Right in the middle of typing this "it's fixed!" post, my connection flaked out again. This time my whole data connection, not just the tether. "The remote party has ended the connection" or some such. So I rebooted with the same result. So I'm back on my work connection. CRAP. Are we sure they're not onto me?
Hmmm
Later that same day (12/11, 2 days after we added the new phone to the family plan), I received this text message from 7535: Your Smartphone is active! A data plan is required & if omitted, will be added to your account. For more details, see your sales rep or att.com/smartphoneplans.
On the plus side, tethering seems to be working again. Might as well go check out my online account and make sure they didn't switch me to a tethering plan or something!
If you find they've changed you to a more expensive data plan I'd go in there and politely but firmly demand they change it back, as you did NOT authorize changes to YOUR line when adding a line. If necesssary, remind them you have 30 days in which to cancel the new line and take your business elsewhere.
If you previously had a $20 MEdia (w/ text messages included) you might find yourself paying $35 or more now.
I'm pretty sure they have the right to add data without your permission.
khaytsus said:
If you find they've changed you to a more expensive data plan I'd go in there and politely but firmly demand they change it back, as you did NOT authorize changes to YOUR line when adding a line. If necesssary, remind them you have 30 days in which to cancel the new line and take your business elsewhere.
If you previously had a $20 MEdia (w/ text messages included) you might find yourself paying $35 or more now.
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Strange. It looks like I'm still at the $30 data plan I was at before. I wonder if adding a line just "resets" all the other lines and makes them act wonky for a few days. So after a few hiccups tethering still works, and I'm still at the same data plan. Works for me.
In other news, the wife's new Solstice stopped working for several hours yesterday. It had 4 bars, but wouldn't make or receive calls. It could receive texts, but couldn't send them. A few hours later it was back to normal. VERY WEIRD. Hopefully it isn't a regular thing, as she's a nurse and often on-call.
Having switched her from Verizon, it didn't leave a good first taste in her mouth...