[porsche928]

Hello, this is my first post. First, thank you Crackberry for saving my BB when it bricked during 4.5 upgrade. Second, I have a question.

I have an 8320 as well as a Nokia 6301b. The 6301b works flawlessly and has a stronger radio than the BB for WiFi, and it sees networks without SSID broadcast, unlike the BB. So .. the only feature that draws me to the BB is Internet Offload, which the Nokia does not offer (apparently).

When I browse the Internet, the BB attempts to route me through the UMA Infrastructure, even with the cell radio turned of (the fact that it works is cool, better than the Nokia). HOWEVER....

Why should it route all Internet traffic over UMA? I understand umatoday.blogspot.com/2008/04/internet-offload-and-uma.html to state that it should go directly over the Internet and bypass UMA altogether. Has anyone successfully done this?

Best wishes,
Heinrich

[porsche928]

I managed to find the setting to turn my browser to HotSpot Browser instead of UMA (t-zones) and YES!! How incredibly liberating now I can use my BB over the wifi network for UMA as well as browse the Internet over WiFi and NOT go through T-Mobile's UMA infrastructure which always wants me to buy an Internet plan.

I'm busy installing Google Maps etc ... so cool.

[Reed McLay]

Welcome to CrackBerry.

We have shared a very similar experience, my first BlackBerry was used exclusively with Wifi.

Unlincence Mobile Access (UMA) is enabled to compensate for poor signal coverage. When it is accompanied by a suitable carrier plan, you will have full voice and data through Wifi.

[porsche928]

Reed, thank you for your warm welcome!! Much appreciated indeed. I have T-Mobile UMA, and I use it very well ... including when I travel overseas. Interestingly I found literally zero T-Mobile cell coverage in France and South Africa, but the UMA made up for that in a serious way. I now have the 8320 browsing the Internet perfectly over 802.11, with the weird exception of Facebook. I am still baffled by the fact that my Nokia on my same SIM can successfully use AIM, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger, but the 8320 can't use them. I especially would love to use Google Talk. Oh well. So now I have a great UMA phone which can browse the Net over Wifi with no data plan, and it is a cellphone as well. SWEET.

All the very best,
Heinrich