"Wireless Internet" defunct?

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tmoran@acm.org - 13 Jul 2005 18:59 GMT

It used to be that "Wireless Internet" allowed 9600 baud CSD service as a
tethered modem and was charged to minutes. It appears that has gone away
and one now has to use GPRS etc and subscribe to a data plan. The
Cingular tech support guy said their cheapest is $24.99/month but even the
$19.99/month thing I've seen mentioned here is uneconomic. I originally
bought my Nokia 6200 with "occasional use as a modem" as a consideration,
but $240 for once or twice a year use at super low data rates is
ridiculous. A taxi to a Starbucks would be cheaper. Am I missing something?

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Will - 14 Jul 2005 05:03 GMT

With AT&T and with Cingular now...I can still connect my laptop and/or my
iPAQ to either one of my Nokia phones (6200 included) and my Razr without
problem. The key for most problem free connections is to us one of the
phone company's "connection" managers. The blue tooth is even a more solid
connection then the wired for the 6200.

It used to be that "Wireless Internet" allowed 9600 baud CSD service as a
tethered modem and was charged to minutes. It appears that has gone away
and one now has to use GPRS etc and subscribe to a data plan. The
Cingular tech support guy said their cheapest is $24.99/month but even the
$19.99/month thing I've seen mentioned here is uneconomic. I originally
bought my Nokia 6200 with "occasional use as a modem" as a consideration,
but $240 for once or twice a year use at super low data rates is
ridiculous. A taxi to a Starbucks would be cheaper. Am I missing
something?

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John Navas - 14 Jul 2005 16:37 GMT

>With AT&T and with Cingular now...I can still connect my laptop and/or my
>iPAQ to either one of my Nokia phones (6200 included) and my Razr without
>problem. The key for most problem free connections is to us one of the
>phone company's "connection" managers. The blue tooth is even a more solid
>connection then the wired for the 6200.

I personally get excellent results over Bluetooth with no "connection manager"
-- I just create a dial-up "connectoid" in Windows XP.

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Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

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John Navas - 14 Jul 2005 16:35 GMT

>It used to be that "Wireless Internet" allowed 9600 baud CSD service as a
>tethered modem and was charged to minutes. It appears that has gone away
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>but $240 for once or twice a year use at super low data rates is
>ridiculous. A taxi to a Starbucks would be cheaper. Am I missing something?

MEdia Net 1 MB at $5/month
<http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cell-phone-service/features/pop-features.jsp?p_
featureId=csku00517>

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Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

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tmoran@acm.org - 16 Jul 2005 00:13 GMT

> MEdia Net 1 MB at $5/month
> <http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cell-phone-service/features/pop-features.jsp?p_
featureId=csku00517>

That's odd. That page includes a package "Media Net Pay Per Use" which
is what I want, and in fact according to My Account, what I have. Should
I not be using GPRS and dialing *99# etc, but do something different?

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PDA Man - 16 Jul 2005 03:10 GMT

That is GPRS. When you use *99# to dial into Cingular that is the sequence
to Dial Into Cingular and connect to the Internet using GPRS and that will
have you using the Pay As You Go Media Works Plan, now billed at .01 per KB.

> > MEdia Net 1 MB at $5/month

<http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cell-phone-service/features/pop-features.j
sp?p_featureId=csku00517>

> That's odd. That page includes a package "Media Net Pay Per Use" which
> is what I want, and in fact according to My Account, what I have. Should
> I not be using GPRS and dialing *99# etc, but do something different?

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tmoran@acm.org - 16 Jul 2005 05:29 GMT

>That is GPRS. When you use *99# to dial into Cingular that is the sequence
>to Dial Into Cingular and connect to the Internet using GPRS and that will
>have you using the Pay As You Go Media Works Plan, now billed at .01 per KB.

That's what I thought, that's what I am signed up for, that's what I
tried, that's what doesn't work. I click "Dial" on the computer and a
moment later the phone screen says something like "Sign up for GPRS
first". Tech support guy 1 two weeks ago in San Diego went through all
the settings and checked my account and said everything looks good, but
they were having problems so try back later. A couple of days ago in
Silicon Valley I tried again. Same thing. This time tech support guy 2
says I need to sign up for a $25/mo media plan, what I have is only good
for the phone's stand alone browser (which works) but no good for the
computer using it as a modem to access the internet in general. FWIW
I successfully got the computer on the internet last December with this
same phone, and presumably same service plan, connected by data cable (the
new laptop has IR).
What service is supposedly provided by "Media Net Pay Per Use"?
If that service includes tethered computer internet access, should
the computer dial *99# to get it?
Should it work with Windows modem drivers and IR, or does it need
Nokia's software package and a data cable?

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John Navas - 18 Jul 2005 01:46 GMT

>... This time tech support guy 2
>says I need to sign up for a $25/mo media plan, what I have is only good
>for the phone's stand alone browser (which works) but no good for the
>computer using it as a modem to access the internet in general. ...

MEdia plans *will* work with a computer.

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Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

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John Navas - 18 Jul 2005 01:45 GMT

>> MEdia Net 1 MB at $5/month
>> <http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cell-phone-service/features/pop-features.jsp?p_
featureId=csku00517>
> That's odd. That page includes a package "Media Net Pay Per Use" which
>is what I want, and in fact according to My Account, what I have. Should
>I not be using GPRS and dialing *99# etc, but do something different?

You don't get CSD with pay-per-use -- you have to at least get a minimal data
package.

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Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

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tmoran@acm.org - 18 Jul 2005 07:42 GMT

> > That's odd. That page includes a package "Media Net Pay Per Use" which
> >is what I want, and in fact according to My Account, what I have. Should
> >I not be using GPRS and dialing *99# etc, but do something different?
>
> You don't get CSD with pay-per-use -- you have to at least get a minimal data
> package.

Now I'm more confused. I thought CSD was pay-with-minutes, not bytes,
and 9600 baud, while GPRS, dialing *99# etc was faster and pay-by-bytes.
"Media Net Pay Per Use" has a by-byte fee, not a minute fee, so I thought
that meant I should have GPRS, and didn't address the question of CSD.
Now you are telling me I don't have CSD. Right. But shouldn't I have
GPRS pay-by-bytes? Why does my phone say "sign up for GPRS first"?

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dmartin@newarts.com - 18 Jul 2005 15:36 GMT

I have a two line cingular family plan. one of the features I could add
listed under "available features" is:

"GSM Data Circuit (CSD) $3.99"

This feature is available for my line which has a GPRS feature and for
my line which has no GPRS feature. It is the pay-per-minute feature you
seek.

My guess is that it is available on any contract. It may be difficult
to find a CSR who understands what you are requesting. The best bet may
be to use the exact name for the feature.

Dave

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John Navas - 19 Jul 2005 18:33 GMT

>> > That's odd. That page includes a package "Media Net Pay Per Use" which
>> >is what I want, and in fact according to My Account, what I have. Should
>> >I not be using GPRS and dialing *99# etc, but do something different?
>>
>> You don't get CSD with pay-per-use -- you have to at least get a minimal data
>> package.

> Now I'm more confused. I thought CSD was pay-with-minutes, not bytes,
>and 9600 baud, while GPRS, dialing *99# etc was faster and pay-by-bytes.

Correct.

>"Media Net Pay Per Use" has a by-byte fee, not a minute fee, so I thought
>that meant I should have GPRS, and didn't address the question of CSD.

You should have pay-as-you-go GPRS (without CSD) unless it has been disabled.
You only get CSD if you sign up for a GPRS "package," not just the
pay-as-you-go GPRS that everyone gets.

>Now you are telling me I don't have CSD. Right. But shouldn't I have
>GPRS pay-by-bytes? Why does my phone say "sign up for GPRS first"?

Everyone gets pay-as-you-go GPRS (without CSD) unless the feature has been
disabled -- see <http://www.cingular.com/media/media_net>. If you want
pay-as-you-go GPRS, and your handset supports GPRS, call Customer Care and
have it enabled.

Note that CSD is not available in all areas.

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Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

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