[jorGeorge]

Hello all, I was hoping someone could answer a few questions for me concerning using WiFi abroad so I can avoid massive charges when I get back. I am going to Greece for three weeks and want to take full advantage of the WiFi on my shiny new 9650.

To start, here is what I currently understand about using WiFi abroad:

The number one thing I need to worry about is making sure my mobile network is disconnected at all times. This will prevent roaming charges. PERIOD.

I will have fully functioning BIS (push email is all I care about) with WiFi, but only if BIS is supported in my location.

When abroad, I should leave "Data Services" to ON, but put "While Roaming" to OFF. If I put both to OFF, nothing will work.

At the bare minimum I can have only my browser working with WiFi, but with no BIS. Are there any options I need to change within the browser?

So are my above statements correct? Any tweaks needed? Thanks!

[keithparrell]

Great questions - I'm wondering the exact same thing.
Subscribed and awaiting some friendly feedback.

[jorGeorge]

If someone could please this it would be extremely helpful. Thank you.

[Liz00518]

I will be traveling to europe in the fall so, I am interested in these answers as well

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[damo140]

me as well, curious to find out!

[iceage]

you can leave the mobile network on, but set data off while roaming.
once you are in the hotspot, you will get emails (bis,bes) pushed to your device, you can also browse.
some airports free wif require you to open your browser first, click yes, then you are all good to go.

[FF22]

you can leave the mobile network on, but set data off while roaming.
once you are in the hotspot, you will get emails (bis,bes) pushed to your device, you can also browse.
some airports free wif require you to open your browser first, click yes, then you are all good to go.

I think there may be quite a few of us who are lost since Verizon and BB never had wifi or only recently introduced it. Actually, it took me a while to get on my home router - I use mac address filtering and the mac address on the Bold box was, I gather, not the one - found the correct mac address in Status.

BIS, here - If "data" is off while roaming, how does it get it get emails - aren't they routed through or require RIM access/service/something?

What can I set here in the US to test this, if anything? I set data OFF and then nothing worked. Admittedly a wifi newbie.

[jorGeorge]

you can leave the mobile network on, but set data off while roaming.
once you are in the hotspot, you will get emails (bis,bes) pushed to your device, you can also browse.
some airports free wif require you to open your browser first, click yes, then you are all good to go.

I cannot leave the mobile nework on, I do not want to receive calls or texts and get charged out the ***...

[jorGeorge]

No one else can comment? There are obviously people in this forum who are able to answer, and there plenty of people looking for those answers. This is also a time sensitive issue as I'm leaving the country this Friday.

All help appreciated!

[FF22]

If you can't get a satisfactory answer, you might want to consider the option of Verizon's Global Plan - while it will be more costly than a WORKING WIFI, at least, you will know your costs are fixed. It will cost you approx $35/monthly extra (over your BIS plan) for UNlimited data. They will prorate the costs so two weeks would be less.

My feeling - the wifi on Verizon BB's is new and many of us are feeling our way.

In another thread, I asked why my Bold did not detect a wifi signal at a coffee shop while my friend's something-or-other tmobile device (using AT&T sim) did. I picked up some private wifi (nearby, i guess) but did not find the wifi associated with the coffee shop at all. I scanned about 8 times over all and I found/lost two private coded links but never the public one. It will definitely take more playing/tweaking till I can figure wifi out.

[jorGeorge]

Thanks for the info F2. I was never planning using a data plan from Verizon but since I recently got the 9650 I figured I might as well use the WiFi. I will have my laptop with me, so my BlackBerry is only going to be a backup.

Can you give me a link on the $35/month unlimited international data? I only see $65 on Verizon's website. Thanks.

EDIT: Oh wait a second, I missed "over your BIS". So basically the normal $30 data will have $35 added to it?

EDIT 2: According to Verizon's map, the country I'm traveling to (Greece) has mostly GSM Voice+Data coverage, with some 3G. Will I have to change anything to get the data to work in those areas?

[jcastilloalonso]

I returned yesterday from a trip, and I didn't want to use international data (voice was fine, as it's included in my voice plan)

I had setup Data Services in On and "While roaming" on Off.

I had WiFi turned on, I added a long time ago a "linksys" network, so even while walking on the street sometimes I would grad a WiFi and it would work.

I have a username/password for some paid WiFi in Mexico (free for broadband clients) and I setup it once and it would login automatically as well.

I had ZERO charges for roaming data, as soon as it lost the WiFi, all data services turned off. I know this, because I did use data internationally for "emergency" (I have a 5USD fee for 1MB, and answering a mail that will leave me way more data was "worth it") and the only data charge that appears is the date/time I turned data roaming on for that mail, which was 0.1MB in total.

So don't worry on international WiFi usage, it will work as soon as you login, and you will NOT get charged (unless you use a WiFi that charges you to connect)

As soon as my plane landed in the US and I switched my Blackberry on the Data services were connected as usual.

All this was with a 9700 from AT&T, while roaming in Mexico using Telcel & Movistar.

Hope this helps! And let me know if you have more questions.

Regards,

Jose

[kennyliftit]

Thanks for the info! My gf's traveling to Peru for 3 months and I'm struggling on how to keep in contact with her....

Kenny

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[FF22]

Thanks for the info F2. I was never planning using a data plan from Verizon but since I recently got the 9650 I figured I might as well use the WiFi. I will have my laptop with me, so my BlackBerry is only going to be a backup.

Can you give me a link on the $35/month unlimited international data? I only see $65 on Verizon's website. Thanks.

EDIT: Oh wait a second, I missed "over your BIS". So basically the normal $30 data will have $35 added to it?

EDIT 2: According to Verizon's map, the country I'm traveling to (Greece) has mostly GSM Voice+Data coverage, with some 3G. Will I have to change anything to get the data to work in those areas?

Yes, the Global actually replaces your Bis plan while active, so you stop paying the $30 and start paying the $65. So a net of $35 extra. Nitty gritty - as pro rated, if two weeks, you would pay for 2 weeks of Bis (appx $15) and 2 weeks of Global (appx $32). I was in Europe for 3 weeks last summer, so do the math!

For an EXTRA $5/monthly it also reduced phone calls from about $1.99/minute to $0.99, so about half. Did not use the phone much but my friend did call his wife about about 10 minutes on my phone and we made some reservations. Greece might be different cost differential - it varies by country.

And, yes, you just go to manage connections and change to Global from 1evx (or whatever that sequence is). It was pretty transparent.

I figure I saved about $300 in data costs - 3 of us used the 8830 for email and web-browsing, etc. My friend thought it was slicker than another friend's netbook he used earlier that winter which relied on wifi (they were remote skiing). Data on the phone was much more available although we were also remote in the Dolomites.

Again, wifi will be nice once we all figure it out.

I did connect today on a public wifi at work and was browsing and could also use the phone to make a call (testing, of course, I really don't need it often).

Enjoy the trip - I was in Greece many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it - it was significantly different than Western European culture and foods.

[jorGeorge]

Yes, the Global actually replaces your Bis plan while active, so you stop paying the $30 and start paying the $65. So a net of $35 extra. Nitty gritty - as pro rated, if two weeks, you would pay for 2 weeks of Bis (appx $15) and 2 weeks of Global (appx $32). I was in Europe for 3 weeks last summer, so do the math!

For an EXTRA $5/monthly it also reduced phone calls from about $1.99/minute to $0.99, so about half. Did not use the phone much but my friend did call his wife about about 10 minutes on my phone and we made some reservations. Greece might be different cost differential - it varies by country.

And, yes, you just go to manage connections and change to Global from 1evx (or whatever that sequence is). It was pretty transparent.

I figure I saved about $300 in data costs - 3 of us used the 8830 for email and web-browsing, etc. My friend thought it was slicker than another friend's netbook he used earlier that winter which relied on wifi (they were remote skiing). Data on the phone was much more available although we were also remote in the Dolomites.

Again, wifi will be nice once we all figure it out.

I did connect today on a public wifi at work and was browsing and could also use the phone to make a call (testing, of course, I really don't need it often).

Enjoy the trip - I was in Greece many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it - it was significantly different than Western European culture and foods.

Thanks for the info F2, much appreciated. I will be gone for three weeks as well, and this is my fifth time to Greece actually (ton of family over there).

I'm only looking for data, and I was curious if there was a way to block voice for both calls and texts, as I don't want massive charges for them. I'm going to call up Verizon and get my plan hooked up now, hopefully they can provide me with some information.

Thanks again.

[jorGeorge]

Just got off the phone with CS, here's what they told me:

$65 unlimited data
$65 unlimited voice
$70 unlimited voice and data

After asking the rep repeatedly how in the world unlimited voice and data is only $70 when each of them individual is a combined $130, he told me he knew it sounded to good to be true, but it is in fact true. I'm going to call global support now and confirm everything. If it is true, that's an amazing deal.

EDIT: Turns out I talked to someone who didn't know what in the world they were talking about. There is no international unlimited voice plan, period. The $65 unlimited data is the only type of unlimited international plan offered.

[FF22]

$65 for UNlimited VOICE would be quite astounding and would quickly bankrupt them!

[jorGeorge]

Haha, yeah the rep who corrected me sounded like she was talking to a crazy person.

[Culex316]

As long as you have an active BIS account, Wi-Fi should work perfectly with your Bold anywhere.