[r-white2601]

Hi, some very basic wi-fi 8120 questions here.

I have a 8100 (which I like) but am thinking of getting a 8120 with the aim of reducing my data charges by connecting to routers I have at work and home as data charging is exorbitant here in New Zealand (so I will have about 80-90% of my week covered by the routers). Also, as way of background here in NZ there is no wifi calling.

So my question is can I set up an 8120 so that it automatically detects whichever router is near (work or home) and then all data traffic (email and web) goes through those routers? And when I move away fom the routers will data switch back to GPRS again? And will calls still use the normal GPRS connection all the time?

I basically want a no hassle, no intervention (by me) solution - so I am checking a 8120 will do it (the Bold is an option, but I don't like the size). And are web speeds improved via wifi or about the same? (I tend to use Opera Mini as it is faster than the BB browser).

Thanks in advance.

[Chris_R#CB]

I'm having problems connecting my 8820 to my Linksys WRT100 router. The phone just starts a "loop" or "reboot" I thought I had tried all the troubleshooting steps, but I havent had any luck.Anyone have an answer specifically for this problem with this phone and wireless router?

[crackleberryhound]

This is a great and incredibly detailed post. Appreciate your time in posting this. I wanted to add that I was having a problem connecting to WiFi. It showed my network on the home screen but never connected. I tried all sorts of setting adjustments and re-boots on the device as well as the router, nothing worked. I finally changed the security on my network from WPA-PSK(TKIP) to WPA2-PSK(AES) and it worked perfectly. Hope this can help someone else who may be having the same problem.

I am running v4.5 and use a Netgear RangeMax wireless router.

[Zarita]

Thank you for your great post. Regarding your FAQ:
[*]Q: Are you able to use BlackBerry Messenger on WiFi only?

A: No. You are unable to use BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) when using WiFi only! You need a minimum data plan of email only for this to work.[/LIST]


If you have a data plan, could you use BBM on Wifi only?

Thank You

[tracydbuchanan]

I have an 8820 and am set up for hotspot at home. I have the TMobile Linksys router. Intermitently, when I am on calls, the little antenna at the top right goes from having 3 "parantheses" around it to one. Then I can not hear the person that I am talking to an they can hear me. When I went into the wifi diagnostics, the blackberry infrastructure has a red X beside it. What is the blackberry infrastructure and why is this happening to me?

[harrisoni]

Do you have to have the service books in order to get the WiFi to work on Bold? In other words, if my service provider doesn't have Blackberry support, can I still use the Wifi wherever I find a hotspot?

[JaguarXJ7]

Very helpful thread mate! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

Just got my new Bold and followed your tips to successfully marry my router and Bold. Sweet!

[xvanz04]

Elebe1,

have you solved this problem? I have the same one and have really no clue...

[xploitasian]

Sorry if this was already addressed, but is it absolutely 100% still true that you can't use wifi on AT&T without a data plan?

I read this interesting website that seems to state otherwise:
ehow(.)com/how_4537240_using-wifi-data-plan-t.html

"After reading through various Forum posts about using Wi-fi without Data plan on Blackberry phone, I wanted to make sure that I will not be charged for Data by AT & T. I confirmed this by calling AT & T customer service twice and I was told that I will not be charged for Data downloading if I am using Wi-Fi."

[mowhawkman290]

i have t-mobile and it says i need a web2go(sm) plan. do i need that?

[bmcclure937]

Sorry if this was already addressed, but is it absolutely 100% still true that you can't use wifi on AT&T without a data plan?

I read this interesting website that seems to state otherwise:
ehow(.)com/how_4537240_using-wifi-data-plan-t.html

"After reading through various Forum posts about using Wi-fi without Data plan on Blackberry phone, I wanted to make sure that I will not be charged for Data by AT & T. I confirmed this by calling AT & T customer service twice and I was told that I will not be charged for Data downloading if I am using Wi-Fi."

Good find... and that seems as if it would work. I am unable to test this because I am not an ATT customer.

I have based my information for ATT users on testing done by friends and other CB members. I am unsure if the method detailed in the eHow article would work in all circumstances. Honestly, I am not sure if the ATT devices need certain service books for WiFi use. If so, these service books may only get sent to the device when a data plan is active.

This means that the eHow method may only work if you previously had a data plan and then cancelled it. If you start with a device and do not have a data plan at any time, you may not be able to get the necessary service books for WiFi.

As I said... I cannot test this

But, I will make a notation in my FAQs and link to the article you mentioned (since it does seem helpful and like a viable option!).

Thanks for your input!

[C3r3z2]

Ok, I'm using a Tmobile 8320 Curve and I don't have the internet plan. My curve says that I'm connected to wifi and uma "not UMA." But I am still able to use the web browser. So I have two questions. First, if I'm using "lowercase uma", if I make calls will it decrease my minutes? Second, why I'm I able to use the internet and web browser, I thought you could only do that in UMA?

[bmcclure937]

Ok, I'm using a Tmobile 8320 Curve and I don't have the internet plan. My curve says that I'm connected to wifi and uma "not UMA." But I am still able to use the web browser. So I have two questions. First, if I'm using "lowercase uma", if I make calls will it decrease my minutes? Second, why I'm I able to use the internet and web browser, I thought you could only do that in UMA?

First of all, welcome to CrackBerry!!

To answer your question, the difference between the UMA and uma is data connection. With lowercase you do not have a connection to the BlackBerry infrastructure (BIS).

This means that if you have a data plan... you will not be able to receive push emails, BBMs, etc when you are in 'uma'. You can only receive push emails and BBMs and use your data plan when in UMA (or any other capital network connection, such as EDGE).

Also, when you connect to a WiFi network you establish a connection to Unlicenced Mobile Access (either UMA or uma). When you are connected to either of those you will be able to make calls over UMA. These calls will be counted towards your unlimited Hotspot@Home minutes. You are also able to browse the web and connect to the internet (and applications that can use WiFi only) when you have a connection to a WiFi network.

You do not even need to have a UMA established connection to browse the web! As long as you are connected to a WiFi network, you can browse the web on your device.

I hope that helps

[C3r3z2]

Thanks bmcclure937, that clear things out, I was very confused. I'm really excited I finally hook my bb to the internet. I purchased my bb like two weeks ago, and got the wifi internet working today. I must say that the reason I did so was due to these forums. I saw some threats that talked about the difference between wifi and the phone plan internet, and decided to give it a try.

[lebeautemps]

Hello everyone,
Newbie here in London on Orange. No data plan or contract, just a pay as you go sim. Anyone on Orange UK here?

My BB can connect to my home wifi but then says "Unable to connect to the internet, please try again later..." when I try to use the Browser. I've been through the guides so I think I got all the settings right.

The home wifi can see the BB no problems and says it is connected. I tried the same in Starbucks yesterday with the same result. So I am beginning to think that Orange has completely blocked wifi without a data package from them. Grrr.

So, if Orange have locked the device, can unlocking it help me get online? I have tried turning off their mobile comms as well but it makes no difference. Would taking the sim out change anything?

Many thanks!

[ralarosa]

First of all, welcome to CrackBerry!!

To answer your question, the difference between the UMA and uma is data connection. With lowercase you do not have a connection to the BlackBerry infrastructure (BIS).

This means that if you have a data plan... you will not be able to receive push emails, BBMs, etc when you are in 'uma'. You can only receive push emails and BBMs and use your data plan when in UMA (or any other capital network connection, such as EDGE).

Also, when you connect to a WiFi network you establish a connection to Unlicenced Mobile Access (either UMA or uma). When you are connected to either of those you will be able to make calls over UMA. These calls will be counted towards your unlimited Hotspot@Home minutes. You are also able to browse the web and connect to the internet (and applications that can use WiFi only) when you have a connection to a WiFi network.

You do not even need to have a UMA established connection to browse the web! As long as you are connected to a WiFi network, you can browse the web on your device.

I hope that helps

Your posts here have been helpful.

I bought my wife an 8220 for Christmas and had TMO add the enabler (no data plan), UMA works fine for phone calls, but we cannot use the browser (either T-Zones or Hotspot).

I did change the TCP to wap.voicestream.com
Any thoughts?

[bmcclure937]

Your posts here have been helpful.

I bought my wife an 8220 for Christmas and had TMO add the enabler (no data plan), UMA works fine for phone calls, but we cannot use the browser (either T-Zones or Hotspot).

I did change the TCP to wap.voicestream.com
Any thoughts?

Did you change the browser settings as described in this tutorial??

It should be set to hotspot browser (or WiFi browser). If that does not fix it, then please follow through the rest of this guide.

[Bullfrog110MB]

When I go to the URL/IP address of my T-Mo HS@H,
The IP takes me to my Actiontec router. How the **** can I get to my HS?

[mzukos]

Correct me if I am wrong but OS 4.5 does not allow me to edite any of these options as described in your Guide.



"Next, we will fine tune some other connection properties. Navigate to Home Screen > Manage Connections > Mobile Network Options. Under 'Connection Preference' make sure you have 'WiFi preferred' selected.

This dictates what connection your device will choose, depending on availability. For example, if the WiFi is turned on and you enter one of your WiFi hotspots (which you added in Step 1) then your device will automatically connect and use that connection as the default connection (making UMA calls).
(Please note, this does not automatically switch your browser configuration to connect between EDGE/WiFi. The WiFi preferred only affects the mobile network connection of your device. You will need to manually change from 'WiFi browser' to 'Internet' browser... and vise versa)

You can change this setting to whatever you may desire... and the options are self-explanatory:
Mobile Network Only -- Will not use the WiFi connection to make any calls (browsing still available)
Mobile Network Preferred -- will only use WiFi when the Mobile Network is unavailable (in poor service areas)
WiFi Only -- Will only make UMA calls over WiFi, even if mobile network is available
WiFi Preferred -- will make UMA calls when a WiFi network is available, mobile network if not available"



Also, has there been any further confirmations about WIFI connection possibility without Data Plans for AT&T customers???

[Sail6382]

Thank you for the link under Q&A #6 The instructions worked for TMobile and removed the carrier restrictions that would force you to select a data plan. I am now connected to WiFi internet in my home on my 8220. The trick was removing all information in the APN. I took out "epc.tmobile.com" Leaving it blank allows you to connect!

[pronto]

Great FAQ and information in the discussion.

One thing I didn't see mentioned was the problem I'm having with Wi-Fi and UMA with Tmobile. UMA will not work with my 8820 when my bluetooth headset is turned on. Calls were going to the EDGE network rather than wi-fi. Then I turned off the headset, as well as Bluetooth and Mobile network in Manage Connections. Suddenly UMA remained as the network in use during calls.

Now I keep the Bluetooth Network and Mobile Network off (under Manage Connections) while at home so I don't eat up my anytime bucket of minutes. Otherwise, when I enable the Mobile Network phone calls will jump from UMA/wi-fi to EDGE network in mid-call. Yes, I have wi-fi as the preferred network.

Any way to fix the Bluetooth/UMA problem?

Any way to keep the calls from jumping off the UMA wi-fi network to the Mobile network without keeping Mobile disabled?

Edit: I just upgraded the OS to 4.5.0.110 and my problem has disappeared.

[nickjeep99]

Any way to keep the calls from jumping off the UMA wi-fi network to the Mobile network without keeping Mobile disabled?

Edit: I just upgraded the OS to 4.5.xxx and my problem has disappeared.

Can anybody confirm this is true? I've read the great write up!!

My 8120 jumps off the wifi network after a couple minutes of use (it says uma then changes to edge) and back to it's yellow circle state in the manage connections app. The only time it doesn't is when I turn the mobile network off completely. I do not have a data plan, just want to use wifi when i'm near it. Switching my mobile network on and off can be a hassle especially if I leave the wifi area and forget to turn the network back on.

Current OS 4.3.0.115

Crackberry is my new favorite addiction, whiskey can wait. Thanks all.

[pronto]

Set-up documentation for Wi-Fi from T-Mobile is non-existent. I'm very disappointed. I've spent far too long talking to client services tech support, but after scouring the many forums and doing a lot of experimentation I've found what appear to be some key set-up requirements.

First, make sure you upgrade your device to 4.5.0.xxx or better.

Config settings on the BB device:
In the Wi-Fi profile, check the box for ‘Allow Inter-access handover’

On the router, be sure to choose a wireless channel that is fairly unique to your environment. Choose 1, 6, or 11 of at all possible because even though there are 14 channels to choose from their signal bands overlap.

The BB 8820 is nice in that it allows you to see the networks in your environment. This is such a cool feature. Too bad it isn’t documented. I had to discover it myself.

Manage connections > Wi-Fi options > (highlight your profile) > menu key > Wi-Fi diagnostics

Be sure to press the menu key and choose the advanced display mode.

This shows you basic information. From there,

Menu key > site survey > menu key > start

After a few seconds the details of all the networks in your environment appear.
An example:

Access Points
SSID: lightningOld
Mac Address: 00:06:11:BC:44:61
Encryption: WEP
Channel: 1
Signal Strength:-47 dbm
Band: 802.11b/g
Signal Level: 71%

SSID: eckcwireless
Mac Address: 00:09:22:C4:B8:84
Encryption: WEP
Channel: 6
Signal Strength:-68 dbm
Band: 802.11b/g
Signal Level: 36%

SSID: Super Duper Network
Mac Address: 00D:66:F9:AA:31
Encryption: WEP
Channel: 6
Signal Strength:-82 dbm
Band: 802.11b/g
Signal Level: 13%

SSID: 2WIRE048
Mac Address: 00:44:5A:AB:23:91
Encryption: WEP
Channel: 1
Signal Strength:-89 dbm
Band: 802.11b/g
Signal Level: 1%

SSID: Bharat
Mac Address: 00:16:6C:8F:8F:4A
Encryption: WEP
Channel: 6
Signal Strength:-90 dbm
Band: 802.11b/g
Signal Level: 0%


To have your device act as a signal strength meter, highlight any your current or another network, press the menu key > active Wi-Fi connection

Now the signal strength on the screen will update as you move away from your router.

Example:
Wi-Fi
Current Profile: lightningOld
SSID: lightningOld
AP MAC Address: 00:06:52:BC:74:61
Security Type: WEP
Association: Successful
Authentication: Successful
Local IP Address: 192.168.1.201
Signal Level: -87 dBm
Connection Data Rate: 48 Mbps
Status: Network acquired
Authentication Failure Reason:
Network Type: 802.11b/g
Network Channel: 1
Pairwise Cipher: Not Applicable
Group Cipher: Not Applicable
Gateway Address: 192.168.1.1
DHCP: Successful
Primary DNS: 192.168.0.1
Secondary DNS: 0.0.0.0
DNS suffix: xxxxxx.net
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Server Domain Suffix:
Certificate:
Software Token:
L3 Auth:

VPN
Current Profile:
Concentrator Address:
Contact: N/A
Authentication: N/A
Secure Device IP:
Status: Error: Link down.
Resolving Concentrator: N/A
Concentrator IP:
Primary DNS:
Secondary DNS:
DNS Suffix:
Secure Subnet Mask:
Retry at:
Session Lifetime:
Re-login at:
Failed Login Attempts:
Certificate:
Software Token:

UMA
Connection Pref.: Wi-Fi Preferred
UMA Wi-Fi Available: Successful
Connection: Successful
Error Code:
Status: UMA Connection successful.
Reg. UNC Address:
Registration: Successful
Authentication: Successful
Serving UNC Address: n37.w646.t-mobileuncs.com:14001 Security Gateway Address: n37.w121.t-mobilesgws.com Cell Info.: MCC:310 MNC:26f Cell ID:65504 ARFCN:810 Cell. handover to UMA failures: 0 Cell. rove-in failures: 0

BlackBerry Infrastructure
Address Used: //216.9.242.33:443
IP Used: 216.9.321.33:443;56148
Connecting: Successful
Authenticating router: Successful
Authenticating server: Successful
Last Contact At: Jan 6, 2009 8:15 PM

Press menu > ‘start tone’ to have your device increase or decrease ringing as the signal strength changes. This is an exceptional Wi-Fi network tool for determining if your router is too far away from your device to use the UMA network.


Another tip: Make sure your router supports the prioritization of voice traffic, known as QOS (Quality of Service) settings. My Linksys WRT54G is very old. It was running firmware v 2.02.7. The Linksys web site allowed me to download newer firmware that included QOS settings. Without setting the router up correctly my device could not connect to or hold on to the UMA signal and would continue to revert to the EDGE network.

I had to manually open up 2 ports: UDP port 500 (for IKE) and UDP port 4500 (for IPSEC) to these to packets pass-thru and not be blocked by the router firewall. Sorry, but for brevity’s sake a detailed explanation of these changes is not part of this message.

Other Key router config settings are:
• DTIM: 2
• Fragment Threshold: 2304
• Beacon Interval: 50

Hopefully I've saved you some time for getting up and running.

[StacyRoseann]

I do not pay for a data plan, but my UMA is a capital UMA instead of uma. What does that mean? It became capital after a battery pull and has stayed like that since. I checked my tmobile account and the only additional service I have is the $9.99 hotpot unlimited calling.

I have been able to use my browser over wifi when it is lowercase uma. Am I getting free data service or am I confused? Well...I know I am confused, I'm just not sure why.

[pronto]

Good question. UMA vs. uma. I believe with uma you just get a subset of access available with UMA.