Blackberry 8800 Vodafone Australia prepaid simm web access

[winkinatcha]

Keywords: Vodofone Australia prepaid, enabling data service, Blackberry 8800, access web, non corporate holder, unlocked blackberry, personal use

Mkay,

First time poster long time reader blah blah blah.



Just a quick share on what I have discoverd.

History...

Geek
Small time hardware hacker,
Mobile internet freak
Owner of many "obsolete" blackberries
Recent conversion of 4 dead 8800 models into one working 8800 model

Result...
Fully functional 8800, basic apps and phone function.

Desire...
Cheapest initial cost access to the net (email, browsing blogging...)

Path to goal

Carrier chosen... Vodafone

-Requirements -- Vodafone Simm, Vodafone service.

-Buy Vodafone simm kit from Coles ($AUD2) get cheapest prepaid data service for simm from coles... $30 Recharge

-Insert Simm in wiped blackberry

-Do vodafone Phone only identification and activation.

Result...

...Phone only functions.

My goal is to get Web Access.

and hence this

To get data service activated
for a wiped Blackberry 8800 on a Vodafone (Australia) Pre-paid account.

I found out the following thanks to help from Vodafone Australia support in Tassie (Hi Vicky)

Requires:

changes to TCP
action in Host Routing Table function

Changes to TCP:
open applications (blackberry button)
Go to Options
Go to Advanced Options
Select and click on TCP

In the APN field, type
live.vodafone.com

Close and save

Back to Advanced Options

Actions in Host Routing Table finction:
select and click on Host Routing Table
Press Blackberry button
select Register Now
Click okay to acknowledgement message

Final Step

Perform a hardware reset
(remove battery, remove simm, install simm, install battery turn on phone).



Result
In my case, after this , I had data services... two web-data based apps (mobile IRESS and google maps worked.)

W000t!

Browser functionality yet to be sorted

I am still to get a browser to work, and have been informed by vodofone support that getting the blackberry Browser to work is often a roblem.
I have the option to switch to a shortened contract plan (as I already own the handset) which has data available... but means more cost

I beleive I can find another browser that works...

Still nutting out that one...

But all the same I reckon 'tis worthwhile to get this info out there, prolly so I can refresh my memory if I need to do this again...

))

[winkinatcha]

Managed to load opera mini 5 beta...

without a browser, I first had to find the appropriate PC download which a quick google search will find.

Pushed the application onto the 8800 via the Blackberry Desktop manager and browser functions now available, though cannot download blackberry applications from websites, still getting the same message as for blackberry browser when I try to do so, IE that service not available due to
"Your device does not currently have any Browser Configuratio Service Book Entries"

Still more investigation required there, but full Mobile surfing and net based mail functionality available and that was really all I wanted straight away...

AAlso tested the device as a IP Modem and worked fine, though obviously the speeds are a bit slow.

Sooo, in my stuffing about I have:

loaded a few google maps (used the application around 5 times and zoomed in and out each time).
logged on to webIRESS and looked at a few stock codes about 10 times
logged on to gmail and checked a couple of mails, none sent
Done a bit of surfing (maybe 5 web pages) via opera
worked the IP Modem and surfed the net to around 1.5 Mb usage.

Total data cost:

1/15th of $30
=$2.00 Australian

The next few days as I test usage and get more familiar with the device will be telling.

At this rate with very limited Use I would expect about $5 a day would be a fair estimate of apparent cost.

In the big scheme of things this is fairly expensive, as it would mean around $120 a month.

however, I am quite happy with finding out I could take a raw Blackberry 8800 and bring it up to a mobile internet device with maybe an hours worth of stuffing about getting the phone number/simm activated and then putting the appropriate applications on the phone.

Not including cost of phone the sum total cost of this exercise was $31 AUD and results in what I would estimate to be around 10 or so solid hours of available internet usage. Not a bad thing if a spare 8800 or equiv pops up.