Help with connectivity to T-Mobile web'n'walk/V600i

[kumachan]

I've had my N800 a couple of weeks now and I am pretty disappointed with it from a connectivity POV.

I have subscribed to The Cloud on their free offer - despite working in central London (Canary Wharf) and living in central Reading, two fairly urban areas (!) I have never seen a spot where it is over 1 bar, and it rarely succeeds in making the connection. It only seems to connect if I am on platform 1 or 2 at Paddington station (50:50 chance) and only long enough to download the RSS feeds and maybe connect to one webpage - great, a £300 device that lets you read headlines!?! Somehow I do not think I will be continuing to use "The Cloud".

I have switched over from Vodafone to T-Mobile to take advantage of their Web'n'Walk offer. I'm not too sure if it was a sensible idea but I have kept my Sony-Ericsson V600i (with its crappy built-in Vodafone branding) that does have Bluetooth 2.0 and which I could make connections to WAP webpages but nothing else.

However, I have not yet been able to make a connection with the phone to be able to use it to get a web connection from the N800. Prior to getting the T-Mobile SIM I had was able to make a connection to the phone but get no further than that. I assumed it was some kind of Vodafone thing so didn't bother further (though I could browse WAP webpages).

After receiving the T-Mobile SIM and trying for a few days I discovered on Friday that Web'n'Walk was not automatically enabled (as it states on their website) so I had that done but I still had problems. I did some investigation on their website and despite being told I did not need to put any settings in found I did but they could be downloaded to my phone automatically so I did... Now I can make a connection from the phone to the web via T-Mobile, but not from the N800 to the web; if I try it flashes the bluetooth connected icon for a fraction of a second then fails "(internet connection failed, try again?)".

I can go into Control Panel>Phone>V600i>edit>connect on the N800, the V600i then comes up with a message "Nokia N800 Start remote control?" and if I choose yes I get the bluetooth connected on the N800. The V600i gives me three options next: Presenter, Media Player or Desktop. I can select either (or leave it with neither selected), but each time I try to make an internet connection it fails.

Phone config details on N800 are as follows:

Trusted device
Device type:phone
Supported profiles:DUN FTP HID OPP SPP
Cellular type: GSM/UMTS

Connection setup (these are the pre-configured settings in the N800 - there were two for T-Mobile and I have tried them both):
Packet data
access point name:general.t-mobile.uk
dialup number: *99***1#
user name:user (changed to t-mobile after looking at below)
password:***
prompt password not ticked
use proxy not selected
auto retrieve IP and DNS
allow plain text login ticked
use PPP compressing ticked (have tried with it off too)

Phone settings:

Bluetooth - services enabled - object push
Data accounts - downloaded settings - T-Mobile Intern.:
APN - general.t-mobile.uk
username: t-mobile (turns out different to N800 preset)
password: ** - as downloaded (so may be wrong)
login request: off
allow calls: automatic
Ip address: ...
DNS address: ...
Authentication: PAP
Data compression: off
Header compr: off

Internet settings:
Internet profiles: T-Mobile Inter.

So my question is: why can I not browse? Is it down to the phone being only WAP capable? Is it some configuration issue on either the phone or the N800? Is it some legacy Vodafone settings (having just paid them £20 to give me an unlock code for a phone I have paid them a lot of money for, the cheeky ****s)? Preset password is wrong?

If it is the phone or phone company that is the problem I would be interested in some recommendations based upon what others have successfully been able to work with. I'm not tied to any network as my Vodafone contract is at an end and the T-Mobile is a SIM only deal which I am not tied to.

[proterra]

Watching with interest as this was going to be intended route for net access.
Where do you get info re cloud offer from?

[gowen]

I am also interested in this as I was planning to switch to T-mobile when my vodafone contract finishes.

One issue that may be the cause of your problem. When I was looking at the tariffs on the T-mobile website I saw that there is one for web-and-walk for the phone only and a higher one for phone and laptop access. Are you subscribed to the second one?

[kumachan]

The cloud offer is in the box - just go to www.thecloud.net/nokia and you can sign up there. Since Canary Wharf is what is described as a "Hot Zone" its remarkably cold, though it may be more successful if you go and sit outside some of the stores where the WiFi routers appear to have been located (you might meet some likeminded individuals!)

I asked T-Mobile which package I needed without elaborating too much on what I was connecting with and they told me the difference between the packages was the the 7.50 one is unlimited browsing but if you go over 3GB regularly you will be asked to go to the more expensive package, whilst the next packages up are 10.00/5GB and 12.50/7GB. I have no problems with taking the expensive package if I have to - Vodafone offered me a SIM only deal on a 12 month contract for £20 a month, 200 minutes a month, (as did Orange with slightly less minutes) - when I reiterated to them that I only use about 30-60 minutes a month, no text messages and want to use a fair bit of data so would like a deal which takes that into account they very excitedly offered me 200 text messages a month on top as a bonus. Both companies also failed to grasp the concept of someone not wanting to change a phone that was only 18 months old and working fine. T-Mobile offered me a 50 minute a month SIM for £7.50 a month, 30 days notice, with Web'n'Walk for £7.50 extra - still less than the Vodafone SIM which would also charge me quite a lot extra for the data (I think it was about 80p each MB) - a no brainer, which is also how I would describe Vodafone's irritating helpdesk/sales staff who it is nice to leave behind. T-Mobile's helpdesk staff were exceptionally friendly and though perhaps lacking in the more technical knowledge understood at least what I was asking for. In fact thinking about it you speak to nice polite Scottish ladies at T-Mobile whilst Vodafone has this endless looped message of some irritating Essex ladette shouting something like "Ere mate, fanks for calling the helpline, I'm gonna tell ya what battans ta press to get anuvver recorded message" - somebody ought to tell them there customer service is a bit wanting!

Anyhow, going through the manual I've noticed that the phone profile is not showing in the profiles SAP (SIM Access Profile) which seems to be a Nokia standard to allow headseats to connect to the phone. If phones need to be Nokia to work I think it is an important point they need to make! There is also a disclaimer in the manual that the pre-configured profiles may be out of date so I am going to clarify the settings with T-Mobile in the morning.

[kumachan]

The latest is - T-Mobile will not give me the settings over the phone but will send them to me as a configuration package... but they do not support the N800 and fail to grasp that it is not a phone.

Nokia said no problem, just look at http://europe.nokia.com/A4222200, the settings are all there. Which they are not. Bunch of muppets.

I'm beginning to feel a little ripped off and angry.

[chris_moore]

Hi,

I have exactly the same problem as described above.

I have posted on expansys (http://www.expansys.com/ft.aspx?i=144770&thread=12&page=1) and mameo (https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1428) but not gotten any further.

I did call Expansys simply because they sell them and so might be able to help but they have no idea.

Currently have the phone to my ear waiting for Nokia to answer (just ringing and ringing for ages) and have sent them an email of the posts I have left.

The only additional thing I can add to the above is I took my Vodafone SIM our of my K800i and put it in a Nokia 8800 and all worked perfectly. So maybe it is Nokia only!

Tomorrow when back in my office I will check with other phones.

Its such a great device that this is a real shame.

If you search Mameo.org you can see a compatability list for the 770 but not the 800 yet.

Fingers crossed for an answer or list of phone that work... Nokia still not answering this call!

Chris.

[chris_moore]

I don't think it is only Nokia phones that work, but maybe a Sony Ericsson problem?

see http://www.internettablettalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6222 as they have a Razr v4 working which is Moto.

[kumachan]

Well I've spent best part of the afternoon with the cream of Nokia's Sesame Street office trying to get it to work. What was particularly disappointing was that I seemed to know more than they did! After going through the vast array of settings, deleting and reconfiguring they had no idea. They recommended taking it back to the store and having them help me as they did not know what further they could do.

They did say that their office N800 was working with the same internet settings I had (obviously using a Nokia phone) but stopped short of making any claims that the Sony phone was the cause of the problems. When I asked them did they not have any kind of list or guidelines on what phones will work and which won't they said no and said according to what I had told them it should work but recommended I try a different phone. It doesn't bother me, I just want a straight answer!

[kumachan]

Looking at information from the links, http://maemo.org/community/wiki/BluetoothDUN indicates the V600i is okay; however it states that the M600i (which the V600i essentially is with some Vodafone branding added) has "...major problems in connecting to N770. once connected works" which is worrying.

However, I think I may have found a/the answer looking at Maemo Bugzilla - bug 635 has an issue in that when the phones are paired the first level of folders is visible but contents are not (which is what I see). The issue was resolved by restoring the settings for OS2005 after upgrading to OS2006 which I haven't got a clue how to do yet and I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

[chris_moore]

Well I spoke to Nokia in the end yesterday and went through the settings with the tech team. He tried the same thing with his N80 and of course it all worked.

Long story short - he simply agreed that it is likely to be the SE phone. I asked if he could test the N800 with personal phones from his office but he said that whilst they may have other phones personally he couldn't do that because as Nokia he couldn't make a statement about anything other than Nokia stuff.

Like you I just want to know - I have this N800 on spec and need to know whether or not I should buy it or give it back.

The thing that is now turning me against Nokia (and I was a loyal customer of theirs for a decade) is their attitude with this device. Its ok to take that stance with a phone but an internet device is different. Surely an internet device should be tested with other manufacturers equipment as that is its purpose. Maybe they onlu support Nokia headsets too.

Don't feel I need to elaborate on that too much more even though the anger remains as the list of analogies is long...

I will test this thing with a few other phones today.

Based on the link to maemo I guess the 770 worked and then they improved the 800!

[chris_moore]

I think its just Nokia and Bluetooth as a whole.

Just tried using a Nokia E63 with my car BMW 5 series 05 plate and whilst it paired it would not connect.

Its about time Nokia woke up to the world around them.

[gowen]

I'm not sure how relevant this is as it concerns vodafone rather than t-mobile, but here goes.

I have just upgraded from a 770 to a N800. When I first got the 770 I had trouble getting an internet connection through my SE W900i and in the end solved it by using the access settings from my laptop.

I have just run through the automatic configuration of the N800 and selected Vodafone internet GPRS as the service provider and although it would connect to the phone it would not connect to the internet. Sound familiar?

So I compared the packet data settings (Tools->Control Panel->Connectivity->Connections->Vodafone Mobile->Edit->Next) between the two and found a big difference.

770 - working internet access:
Access point name:
Dialup number:*99#
Username:
Password:

N800 - not working
Access point name: Internet
Dialup number:*99***1#
Username:web
Password:***

After changing the N800 to match the 700 settings it connected first time.

So it may be worth checking the settings T-mobile recommends for connecting a laptop to web-n-walk, and even seeing if you can get one to connect through the phone.

[chris_moore]

Hi,

thanks for the reply... giving hope. I have set the setting as you have above and am please to say it does connect now. The inevitable but... the browser can't get to any web sites.

based on the settings above I presume its the phone settings rather than the N800.

How do you have your phone configured?

[chris_moore]

Ok... complete success!!!!!!

the SE settings on the phone aren't correct so you setup a new data account under the phones data communications settings.

This account is for vodafone and has an access point of "internet" and a username and password of web/web.

View info on this account and it will have a unique id - 5 in my case because its the fifth account.

Then configure the N800 with no access point, no username and no password just the dial string of *99***5#.

The 5 in the dial string represents data account 5.

Now if only I could get that e63 working with my car....

[gowen]

Glad to hear of you success.

Based on your experience I had another look at my settings.

I can connect to:
Vodafone GPRS (ID=5) using *99**5# or
Contract WAP (ID=2) using *99**2#
Note that in both cases there are only two asterisks between the 99 and the ID.

I assume that using *99# uses the phones default which is defined as Contact WAP in Internet Settings.

[chris_moore]

ah ok.

many thanks for adding your post earlier... saved the day for me for sure.

Chris.

[kumachan]

That worked for me as well - just count which number in the list the account you want to connect through and change the 1 to that number and it works fine! I'm much happier now. Shame Nokia don't know anything about their product!