BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won't work?

[shmoo]

BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won\'t work?

We've had BT Mobile cell phones for a couple of years - have a good deal and don't want to change. This year the shmoos thought they would like to be in touch on the summer cruise so I thought I would plug the boat's laptop into the phone and away we go but no.

The phone itself runs GPRS, at least as far as wap, just fine. (It is GPRS - no phone number or dialing, just always-on little web pages)

The connection between the laptop and the phone is fine too. Can do bluetooth, USB or IR for filetransfer.

HOWERVER, when I try to use the phone as a gateway it gets past "Connecting" to "Authenticating" and the bombs out with a very generic error.

I've tried the two APN/IP address/username combinations that pop up all over the net for BT Mobile but nothing - dosn;t even connect if I use those (looks like DHCP is the default, and that does connect at least)

BT Mobile help persons very nice: answer the phone promptly but, charmingly I think, frankly admit to knowing nothing at all about it.

It may be that I only have wap through a proxy and other protocols are doomed?

This should be very straightfoward - I've done it on other networks. Anyone done this with BT Mobile?

 

[Neil_M]

Re: BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won\'t work?

Have you tried the handset manufacturer's help pages - sounds like it may be the phone settings rather than the network, which is Vodafone's in the case of BT Mobile in UK

 

[bn2dave]

Re: BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won\'t work?

What dial string are you using for the GPRS connection? I had a similar issue recently that required a change of dial string from *99***1# to *99***7# because mobiles can have multiple GPRS profiles and you have to dial out on the appropriate one.
Go in to the properties of the com port associated with your phone's dial up networking connection and you should find a 'query modem' button. press this and you should find the appropriate profile buried away in the log that it returns.

Hope that helps. If not post back and I'll have another go!

 

[photodog]

Re: BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won\'t work?

We use Orange exactly as you want to... and have odviously had our problems as well.

few things;

Have you added the appropriate software-drivers that accompany the phone to the laptop? All of our phones usually come with a cd, which contain the drivers, and these are essential.

Have you enabled 3g on the bt phones? Orange GPRS has been replaced by the newer and in theory faster 3g service.

With Orange the username and password is needed, and it is a generic one, however on some accounts it appears not to be needed, when we first set up the 3g facility, we had a big talk through with their specialist, and they at first said their was no user/pass required. When it didnt work they gave us a user/pass, and that worked......

Have you talked to their specialist Data department?

It does sound to me like you may not have the right drivers on the computer for the phone... effectivley you are using the phone as a modem, and if the computer doesnt get it quite right you can have some problems...

I may of course be talking from my a****, and you have looked at all of that.

How are you connecting the phone to the computer. We have had some very frustrating connection issues, in particular around any cables, often they appear to connect, and then just drop off for no reason. I find the Bluetooth to be far more reliable.

What is the generic error code, is it a code indicating a failure to connect to the server, or is it a error code on your own machine?

Hope this helps, these can be very frustrating problems. It is really important at BT that you talk to their specialist 3g/data guys, sometimes getting the right guy on the phone can be a struggle, With orange it is easy NOT to get the right guy!

 

[shmoo]

Re: BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won\'t work?

Thanks to all.

morzen, I realised the BT use vodaphone when Sony's software identified it as the network for me! I have tried the generic vodaphone settings kicking around on the internet - no joy there either.

bndave - Useful stuff about the dial string. After your note I now know how the profile is selected. There are several (since the phone is a hand-me-down from one of the kids) and I wondered which one I was using. I will try to line up the profile which seems to work for browsing from the phone and use that, now I know how to select it - thanks

photoDoug
[ QUOTE ]

Have you talked to their specialist Data department?


[/ QUOTE ]
Doh? The customer support folks are quite frank about not having a clue. They say they think it works and I am welcome to use it if does, but they can't help. I am pretty certain its GPRS rather than 3G from what little I did gain from CS dept. I have all the drivers installed, and anyway its not a problem between lappy and phone.

I will report progress!

 

[bluedragon]

Re: BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won\'t work?

Last year I used my Orange PAYG phone is this way with their GPRS "bundles". It worked after a fashion, BUT if Orange sense you have a laptop connected to the phone (which they do) then the download speed is massively reduced to put you off. If you want a laptop GPRS service, then this requires a PC card and susbscription I believe. I've switched to T-Mobile this year, and their shop told me the same. Quite frankly it was such a pain last year that now I do all my browsing on the phone (which with the latest 3G models meets nearly all my needs...just lack of a keyboard). So, even if you do get your BT phone to connect, the speed of the service may be so bad you'll give up anyway!!

If anyone knows of a way around all this, I'd like to know as well.

 

[bn2dave]

Re: BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won\'t work?

You're welcome Shmoo. You might also want to check - http://www.taniwha.org.uk/gprs.html
to make sure you are using the correct APN name, username and password (although I've never quite worked out when user and pass are needed). It's possible that you won;t be affected by the problems described by bluedragon if you are on a monthly contract rather than PAYG. They often use seperate APNs.
Have you noted what the coverage is like at sea? How far off do you tend to retain a usable signal? I'm interested becuase I have just paired my Bluetooth laptop and mobile phone to do the same thing. My only concern is the extortionate tariff.....good for emergencies though!

 

[shmoo]

Re: BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won\'t work?

Thanks again for help...

Just browsing won't do it. Need ftp upload and real smtp mail (not web-page mail). I was only going to use it while we were on the wall, not at sea. Our holiday usually consists of a week dashing from East Coast to W Britianny (or this year, round the corner a bit) then a week tied up and a couple of weeks getting back. So would keep up a bit while not sailing.

I am going to leave it. Stick an "out of office" message on the e-mail like in previous years.

I think the phone was trying to tell me something, but thanks again to all.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Re: BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won\'t work?

While since I've done this but from memory you need to install the phone as a modem, drivers for which should be on the CD for the phone. Once you've done that go into Networks or Network Places (right click on Icon on desktop and select Properties) and set up DUN (dial-up networking) using the modem you've just installed. Create a connection with the dialling string for your ISP and that should be it.

Someone who knows what they're talking about should be along soon to correct me....

 

[BrendanS]

Re: BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won\'t work?

Not really enough info to diagnose fault

Not sure if what you are saying is you don't know phone or ISP specific items, or not sure how to translate that into laptop connection.

Phone, ISP/phone provider connection, computer you are using, connection, as well as OS, etc, and we'll probably be able to help

 

[davidwf]

Re: BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won\'t work?

If you install the BT Openzone Access manager it has a GPRS connection option which will set everything up for you. The GPRS option is there as a backup should openzone not be available, however you can just use it and ignore the openzone stuff. Download from Connection Manager .

Hope this helps.

 

[shmoo]

Re: BT Mobile mobile phone as GPRS Gateway - won\'t work?

Davidwf - was just about to give up. Downloading now, but have to go out. Will try and report back but looks promising. Thanks

 

[andy_wilson]

???

"download speed is massively reduced to put you off"

What justification would they have to do this? WAP browsers in phones use tiddly bits of data and load quickly(ish). Your laptop browser loads pages that can run into Mega bytes, and therefore take ages.

GPRS only works in one way. If timeslots are available and you are connected, you can use them to shift packets of data. If someone comes along to use a circuit switched connection (like a voice call) they take capacity from you to run their call.

Your WAP browser will appear adequate even if you are sharing a single timeslot. Your laptop browser will look slow even if you are hogging 5 timeslots (about 50kbps, or the speed you used to enjoy with a dial up modem).

Have you tried a dial up modem recently? "the speed of the service may be so bad you'll give up anyway!! "

 

[andy_wilson]

Horse before the cart.

1. Ensure your account has full IP access. Sounds like you have only got WAP data which is common for a standard connection.

2. Ensure there are no 'parental controls'. These will prevent you accessing uncommon servers, and especially ftp servers. However they won't stop you connecting in the first place.

3. Check the handset will work as a 'tethered modem'. Many don't.

4. Install the suitable handset as a modem using cable or bluetooth. Preferably use the phone manufacturers connectivity drivers or console, or alternatively intall as a standard modem pointing to the device during the set up. If the latter method is adopted you will probably need an AT set-up string to make it dial up and connect.

Sorry this is only general advice. As BrendanS says, if you gave some more specific info., you might get a better answer.

 

[bluedragon]

Re: ???

Not my supposition, it's what the Orange website said! Otherwise it'd be a way of users by-passing their more expensive datacard I guess. A T-Online guy told me much the same (and not only PAYG, but contract as well it seems).