chris_r | # 11 | 2011-02-20, 19:23 | Report

That's always been my impression - that MNOs identify your handset from a database of IMEIs provided by the manufacturer - and these databases almost always are limited (at least in the US) to handsets distributed by the MNO (branded phones). AT&T was able to identify the N75 and E62 I'd used, but not the e65, e61, N95-2, or N97. And T-Mobile the 5300, but not the N900.


So the consensus seems to be that the hearsay I'd read about PR 1.3 'telling on you' seems to be wrong..

tushyd | # 12 | 2011-02-20, 19:29 | Report

I've got my N900 running on AT&T and they definitely don't know that I have a smartphone, so I've still got the old-school 15 dollar unlimited edge connection. Slow, yes, but I'm a cheapskate.

I did get a Nexus One for my sister and AT&T automatically (and forcefully) updated her to a newer smartphone data plan.

I always assumed they had a database of IMEIs, and reading what chris_r says it totally makes sense. AT&T probably doesn't have N900 IMEIs.

(EDIT: grammar)

chris_r | # 13 | 2011-02-20, 19:31 | Report

That's really weird -- tmo doesn't seem to brand the S7, and the radio lacks UMTS band IV. I wonder if that's on bestbuy (for T-Mobile having its IMEI in its 'non-dumbphone' database).

Damn bestbuy.

olighak | # 14 | 2011-02-20, 19:40 | Report

My N900 (and wife´s) is running Web2Go and have been since December 2009.

No problems there.

However while tethering, and using the default T-Mobile USA, settings in Nokia´s PC Suite T-Mobile recently started popping up a window telling me to upgrade my plan to allow mobile tethering.

I just changed the website that PC Suite uses to tether, to match the settings on my N900 and behold. Everything was back running as normal.

It´s not unusual that when I´m in the middle of nowhere USA, the laptop tethered to the N900 is the fastest internet connection I have available.

iproute | # 15 | 2011-02-20, 19:41 | Report

I have T-mobile and recently bought n900. Initially when I inserted the sim and opened the browser I was redirected to the upgrade page. I was able to change the gprs settings back to the original ones and it worked. Haven't been prompted to upgrade since... That same scenario happened when I did a reset of my E71 - was redirected to an upgrade page. After a call to tech support I put in the old settings and it worked.

arcticrobot | # 16 | 2011-02-21, 21:13 | Report

I still have my Even More Plus 500 and Unlimited Web for Phones active. For all this plenty I pay around $40 a month instead of paying $80 when I was back at ATT. I've been using it for 10 months already so my $400 N900 is paid off with plan difference) And no 2 year contract slavery. Thank you T-Mob!

chris_r | # 17 | 2011-02-22, 08:04 | Report

That's exactly what I have - it rocks to have unlimited 3G for $10.

Also (everyone), the upgrade to PR 1.3 made no difference -- I think the poster at that other blog had his APN settings knocked out.

youngcalihottie | # 18 | 2011-02-22, 08:27 | Report

your connection isnt edge because of your plan. the n900 doesnt support att 3g. you will only ever get edge on att with the n900. if the n900 did support att 3g, you would get it. att's policy is to not restrict data speed based on plan. you get the fastest connection available for where you are and the equipment you have. we'll see if that changes with 4g.

exactly. they only have a db of branded phones. but they could guess youre using a smartphone based on usage. although they cant prove it by imei.

Graham Cobb | # 19 | 2011-02-22, 22:11 | Report

It seems the US operators can't be bothered to configure information about phones they don't sell into whatever rules they have in place.

But IMEI's aren't exactly secret -- I would be surprised if the network ops people don't have a database that tells them that your phone is an N900 (maybe down to the week it was built). But they don't care (unless they suddenly start seeing that various faults or non-zero clearing codes start correlating with particular model IDs).

Uxi | # 20 | 2011-02-22, 22:24 | Report

I enjoyed the $5 loyalty plan for awhile but got cut off. went to the $30 "4G" plan... called and complained and am on $20 now. I usually prefer my N97, which only gets EDGE on Tmo, though, so thinking of complaining again. Would hate to lose my grandfathered voice plan but will, if necessary. Just don't value the HSPA enough to pay that much for it.