Wifi Problems - Att will not allow wifi access without Blackberry Plan

I am unable to use wifi because in default browser setting is only choice in pull down menu is blackberry browser. No dropdown menu for any other setting. Without this setup, my phone finds the wifi hotspots, connects to it (with yellow circle), but when I tried to open the browser, it looks for network connections, and will not go thru wifi connection.
ATT says that only way to get the default wifi browser setting is to subscribe to Blackberry Plan. Once you subscribe, you cannot unsubsribe it. This seems like a "scam". Once you subscribe to the plan and paying to ATT, then why would you need WIFI. Att blames it on Blackberry. According to them, Blackberry requires that all Blackberry must subscribe to their plan.
Did any body experience this.
Anyone has any suggestion as to how to get wifi access w/o subscription. How to add Default Wifi Bowser option into Browser configuration.
Most of the threads assumes that you have either "wifi Browser" or "hotspot" option available under advance options/browser. Mine gives no option. Only Blacjberry Browser.
Any help will be truly appreciated.My phone Model No. is ATT Blackberry 8820 v.4.2
Good Day.

RIM's services are highly server-dependent. E-mail push and BBM have to go through RIM's servers. The BlackBerry browser is a proxied browser. This means that your web pages are rendered on RIM's servers and then sent to your BB.
As I understand it, when you connect a BB to wifi, it registers that wifi connection with RIM's servers. The wifi icon is grayed out until it confirms a connection to RIM's servers. In order to do that, you have to have a subscribed BB data plan.

I'm sure someone else can fill in anything I've missed or gotten wrong.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Thanks
If thats the case, then why bother with wifi ?
No sense in buying wifi enabled BB

I think I got wifi internet to work when I had 4.2 but not sure. I know it works great with 4.5 and using Bolt beta 2.02. Even works with BB browser by selecting Hotspot browser in config. O and I dont have blackberry plan and I called AT&T and told them to restrict inet to my phone just to be sure. I cant post links yet but Google "How to browse internet on Blackberry phone using Wi-Fi without data plan with AT & T". You`ll find all the settings to do it.

Originally Posted by hmj930

Thanks
If thats the case, then why bother with wifi ?
No sense in buying wifi enabled BB

Maybe because WiFi is faster than EDGE? And it works when you don't have network coverage but in a WiFi hotspot?

My browser config does not show option to select"hotspot" or WiFI . Only thing I can select is "Blackberry Browser'. I have v. 4.2 installed.

GET A DATA PLAN. That is all

ok you won`t have the hotspot option with 4.2. You really should upgrade to the latest version which is 4.5 for the 8820. I can even use wifi with the blackberry browser with 4.5. AND I HAVE NO DATA PLAN! I have browsed internet at 3 different McDonalds, Village Inn, Culver`s, Public Library, Cox hospital, and several other free hotspots.

I had wiped AT&T browser settings when I still had OS 4.2X and I followed a how-to wiki to make the BB run on only Wifi and it worked. Even without a sim card BUT if you have a AT&T branded BB, you are required to buy a data plan. So now I have a data plan. *Sigh*