[hazwheel]

Ok, I have a Blackberry curve 8900 on the Orange network in the UK. I have gone through the wifi/UMA setup guides that I could find here, and my problems still persist.

When I am in range of a stored network, my BB connects to it, it states Orange-Home, Orange-Work etc. However, the wifi logo may or may not be lit up, UMA may or may not appear and I may or may not be able to browse the internet in ANY of these states! The phone fails to browse particularly when I have UMA lit! If I turn wifi off, I generally have no problems browsing the internet or downloading apps albeit slowly through GPRS. Orange cannot help because it seems to work if the "use mobile network only" option is set and they don't support wifi networks! This is my second BB8900, the first having the same issues but was changed for another fault. Is it my settings? Is the BB just not much good at wifi? Is it just an Orange issue? my father has the same phone on the O2 UK network and has none of these problems, I do still have these issues when connected to his wireless network and the many other wireless networks I have tried! I have also reset my router many many times. can anyone enlighten me? thanks.

[fatboy97]

Not sure where to start... you say you have read and followed all the recommendations in both the Wifi and UMA guides... I have both linked to in my signature and mine works great... sometimes it can be the equipment... and I'm not sure how you can get into your Works wireless router settings unless you are the IT person in charge of it... but I'll leave that alone... it can sometimes be the equipment... have you tried to just do a power off cycle - unplug your equipment for about 30 seconds???

You say your father has the same phone and does not have any issues... have you tried going to his location and see if your phone works over there???

[hazwheel]

I have the same problems connecting through his router, problems he does not have! If my phone says orange-home at the top of the home page and my device IS connected according to my BB and shows in the connected devices on my routers web page, how can the wifi not be lit or working? I have no problems connecting my O2 orbit phone to the router wirelessly. I have tried connecting to various friends networks and still have the same problems.

If I perform a bayttery pull, the problem is solved for anywhere between 5-30 minutes, but that is a real hassle.
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[fatboy97]

If your Wifi symbol is greyed out you are NOT connected to your wireless router... open your Manage Connections... does your Wi-Fi Home or Work have a Green Check to the Right or a White dash... my guess a White dash... again meaning you are not connected.

Again, did you try unplugging your wireless router and power it down for 30 seconds... or as long as I'm talking about your router... what type is it??? And have your attempted to do any firmware updates since you bought it???

[hazwheel]

Its a white dash, but my router does show the BB connected. My router is a netgear dg384g v4 router, however, it is supplied by and customized by my isp. I have tried unplugging it for 30 seconds and longer a number of times today, but to no avail.

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[fatboy97]

Its a white dash, but my router does show the BB connected. My router is a netgear dg384g v4 router, however, it is supplied by and customized by my isp. I have tried unplugging it for 30 seconds and longer a number of times today, but to no avail.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Then it sounds like you should be talking to your ISP, and maybe give them links to some of our UMA and Wifi guides.

[hazwheel]

Hmmm, I'll do that. I mean, when it works, its great, but its a real chore to do a battery pull for at best, 30 mins use.

Surely, if I have no wifi connection, The BB should still browse via gprs?

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[zwood]

If your Wifi symbol is greyed out you are NOT connected to your wireless router... open your Manage Connections... does your Wi-Fi Home or Work have a Green Check to the Right or a White dash... my guess a White dash... again meaning you are not connected.

Again, did you try unplugging your wireless router and power it down for 30 seconds... or as long as I'm talking about your router... what type is it??? And have your attempted to do any firmware updates since you bought it???

The grayed out WIFI indicator means you are connected to a WIFI network but doesn't have access to the BB services over that WIFI connection. Same for the white dash.

[fatboy97]

The grayed out WIFI indicator means you are connected to a WIFI network but doesn't have access to the BB services over that WIFI connection. Same for the white dash.

Sorry, but NO... I can walk out of my building or home and not be connected to my wifi... guess what, my wifi symbol is greyed out... and I get the white dash... it's NOT connected to my wifi.

[zwood]

Sorry, but NO... I can walk out of my building or home and not be connected to my wifi... guess what, my wifi symbol is greyed out... and I get the white dash... it's NOT connected to my wifi.

You are correct there, i just pulled the plug on my router and it was as you indicated. But it shows the same way when you are connected to a wifi network and don't have connectivity to the BB services. I know this for a fact as its stated in RIM's literature and my wife has a BB without the data plan and that is the way her indicators are when she is on the internet with wifi.
Guess the indicators are not as useful as you would think.

[toppoff]

Hi.

Let me see if I can shed some light on this. I've got an off the shelf (unbranded/unlocked) 8900 on the Orange network.
One of the reasons I got this over the 9000 was UMA support.

Prior to a recent trip to the US, made numerous phone calls to Orange tech support to investigate why UMA wasn't working (and whether it would work in the USA).

They informed me that UMA had been disabled on Orange branded 8900's (or the UMA network was blocking 8900's) despite my wife's 8320 working fine. They also told me that non-branded 8900's would NEVER work on UMA as they need the Networks settings hardcoded into them.

Also, the real blow was (for my wife's phone) that UMA doesn't work outside the UK. So no cheap phone calls from abroad!!

I hope this saves you some time and effort.

Adrian.

[3CISSBB]

OK, here's the deal. You can be connected to your home or work router but that does not necessarily mean you have UMA. Your router needs to be configured a certain way to allow UMA or VoIP protocols to work. The UMA guide I created shows you how to do this. It's in my sig. Take a look and see if it helps. If your phone and router are configured properly you will have prefect UMA all the time as I do.

[toppoff]

Hazwheel,

I stand by my previous post - Orange don't support/enable/allow UMA on 8900.

It will never work - sorry.

Most of the people in these forums offering advice on 8900/UMA issues are in the USA on T-Mobile - a network that DOES allow UMA on a 8900.

Thanks,

Toppoff

[hazwheel]

if orange dont allow uma in the uk, then why would it work for up to 30 minutes after a battery pull? to be honest, i dont actually care about uma, but i do care about wifi. are we saying that the fact you are connected to the router which in turn is connected to the internet is not enough? that all wifi traffic has to go through blackberry? if so, that is just plain stupid. nothing else that i own which is wifi enabled has a problem with internet access through wifi!


3CISSBB, i dont see what you are refering to in your sig, just a website about security/viruses etc.

EDIT: sorry 3CISSBB , I'm being a complete div, I see where you mean now...

[zwood]

If you cant get on UMA and will settle for browsing on WIFI, set connection preference to mobile network only and your browser to hotspot browser.

[3CISSBB]

if orange dont allow uma in the uk, then why would it work for up to 30 minutes after a battery pull? to be honest, i dont actually care about uma, but i do care about wifi. are we saying that the fact you are connected to the router which in turn is connected to the internet is not enough? that all wifi traffic has to go through blackberry? if so, that is just plain stupid. nothing else that i own which is wifi enabled has a problem with internet access through wifi!


3CISSBB, i dont see what you are refering to in your sig, just a website about security/viruses etc.

EDIT: sorry 3CISSBB , I'm being a complete div, I see where you mean now...

The security website is my company. I was referring to the UMA link in my sig. Sorry, I should have been more specific.

BTW: What's a div?

[hazwheel]

my fault not yours 3CISSBB. A div is an english term for an *****, probably short for something. My router does not seem to have all the settings that yours has. I've adjusted the port to 4101, as you say (it had automatically set to 441) but have no QoS that can see. router-netgear DG834G V4.

zwood: I have set to mobile network only, and hotspot browser, but wifi is still greyed out, and the device is now only using GPRS and is slow!

Is it me? this just seems very complicated when my O2 UK orbit phone (HTC) just connects and uses my wireless network without having to adjust phone settings or router settings, same with friends iphones that connect to my router. I'm starting to feel that I should just give up and go slow with GPRS but at least I can browse or download then! seems a waste though.

CANT SAY I.D.I.O.T on here? heh

[3CISSBB]

my fault not yours 3CISSBB. A div is an english term for an *****, probably short for something. My router does not seem to have all the settings that yours has. I've adjusted the port to 4101, as you say (it had automatically set to 441) but have no QoS that can see. router-netgear DG834G V4.

zwood: I have set to mobile network only, and hotspot browser, but wifi is still greyed out, and the device is now only using GPRS and is slow!

Is it me? this just seems very complicated when my O2 UK orbit phone (HTC) just connects and uses my wireless network without having to adjust phone settings or router settings, same with friends iphones that connect to my router. I'm starting to feel that I should just give up and go slow with GPRS but at least I can browse or download then! seems a waste though.

CANT SAY I.D.I.O.T on here? heh

I just noticed one of your problems and I think it's the cause. The Netgear router. Netgears have known issues with Blackberries and have even more issues with UMA. I would suggest a Linksys router.

[hazwheel]

I see, not sure i can convince "she who must be obeyed" that a new router would be a good idea, maybe a xmas present Idea. Think i will need to do more research first though, she would not be happy if I got a linksys and it made no diference, as, apparently, I spend far too much time playing with my BB as it is. "Its just a phone!!" as she says, and "You have a laptop, use that to go online at home!" hard to argue with, heh. Thank you for your help though dude.

[3CISSBB]

I see, not sure i can convince "she who must be obeyed" that a new router would be a good idea, maybe a xmas present Idea. Think i will need to do more research first though, she would not be happy if I got a linksys and it made no diference, as, apparently, I spend far too much time playing with my BB as it is. "Its just a phone!!" as she says, and "You have a laptop, use that to go online at home!" hard to argue with, heh. Thank you for your help though dude.

Think of it this way. If you go buy a new router (Linksys) and it doesn't help, you can always take it back for a refund! She'd be happy with that.

[hazwheel]

not in the UK, when you make a purchase, you have no right to return the goods unless they were mis-sold or faulty. most stores will refund if the product is un-opened, but they are not obliged to and will not if you have opened the goods. tough break eh? I know this because I am a manager for the largest electrical retailer in the uk. But , I may buy one anyway, She wont even notice!! ha ha

[zwood]

zwood: I have set to mobile network only, and hotspot browser, but wifi is still greyed out, and the device is now only using GPRS and is slow!

Are you saying that when the browser is opened to a web site with the settings above it is browsing over the mobile network and not wifi?
With the browser configured as hotspot browser and no wifi connection you wouldn't be able to connect!

[3CISSBB]

not in the UK, when you make a purchase, you have no right to return the goods unless they were mis-sold or faulty. most stores will refund if the product is un-opened, but they are not obliged to and will not if you have opened the goods. tough break eh? I know this because I am a manager for the largest electrical retailer in the uk. But , I may buy one anyway, She wont even notice!! ha ha

Wow, I had no idea. I've never been to the UK but not having a return policy would make me move to another country. Sorry to hear that. Well, if you do get one and need help just ask or re-check my UMA link.

[hazwheel]

Are you saying that when the browser is opened to a web site with the settings above it is browsing over the mobile network and not wifi?
With the browser configured as hotspot browser and no wifi connection you wouldn't be able to connect!

I'm sorry, what you just said is exactly what happens, the "requesting" bar appears at the bottom and gets nowhere, the only way i can get consistant browsing is with mobile network only and internet browser settings. but of course, its then very slow.

[zwood]

I'm sorry, what you just said is exactly what happens, the "requesting" bar appears at the bottom and gets nowhere, the only way i can get consistant browsing is with mobile network only and internet browser settings. but of course, its then very slow.

are you using the BB browser or the WAP browser?
Connect to the net and open options and see what is listed for general properties default browser, and browser configuration > browser