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Do the unlocked Nokias need PDA Plans?

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Posted by: shirizaki

Specifically the E63-2 and the E71 from Amazon. If they do then that's fine, but I wanted specifics. I'd hate to get my plan changed mid month.


Posted by: efparri

It is not unlocked, per se, which determines the type data plan needed. The operative word is 'Unbranded." So far, AT&T requires the correct data plan only on its branded phones and on iPhones from any source. If the phone was once branded with the new AT&T logo or the old Cingular logo, the correct data plan is required regardless of the current locked or unlocked status.

Since the E63 comes in more than one version, make sure that you get one with the North American 3G bands. The E71-2 has North American bands.


Posted by: shirizaki

ah i meant to say unbranded. thanks for that info.


so this means it works will -all- unbranded phones then (i.e. palm centro pro unbranded)? I mean I'd assume if I was sapping a ton of data they'd bump me to the tethering plan regardless.


Posted by: efparri

Quote:
Originally Posted by shirizaki
ah i meant to say unbranded. thanks for that info.


so this means it works will -all- unbranded phones then (i.e. palm centro pro unbranded)? I mean I'd assume if I was sapping a ton of data they'd bump me to the tethering plan regardless.

Tethering is not permitted on any data plan unless you have the tethering add-on. Any other tethering is at your own risk. Tethering can only be added to a PDA or BlackBerry data plan.


Posted by: shirizaki

So is that a go for unbranded phones having the $15 MEdia net data plan?


Posted by: peachangelmusic

Quote:
Originally Posted by efparri
Tethering is not permitted on any data plan unless you have the tethering add-on. Any other tethering is at your own risk. Tethering can only be added to a PDA or BlackBerry data plan.



Actually, if you have the right software (found free online) you can tether a phone with a $10 data plan (bc of unlimited messaging). I've successfully done this with a Nokia 6555 and a USB cable. Just don't go over the data limit (or pull a lot of data bc that gets suspicious on their end)

The E63 and E71 are both unlocked and unbranded. As long as the phone's IMEI is not an AT&T branded IMEI that they have in their system, they can't tell if you have a regular phone or a smart phone. Been successfully using the $10 data plan with a E71 for a while now ($15 data if you do not have unlimited messaging or not on a family plan).


Posted by: efparri

Quote:
Originally Posted by peachangelmusic
Actually, if you have the right software (found free online) you can tether a phone with a $10 data plan (bc of unlimited messaging). I've successfully done this with a Nokia 6555 and a USB cable. Just don't go over the data limit (or pull a lot of data bc that gets suspicious on their end)

The E63 and E71 are both unlocked and unbranded. As long as the phone's IMEI is not an AT&T branded IMEI that they have in their system, they can't tell if you have a regular phone or a smart phone. Been successfully using the $10 data plan with a E71 for a while now ($15 data if you do not have unlimited messaging or not on a family plan).

Do you not understand the word "permit?" I was describing what is allowed by the rules of the carrier. I gave the caveat that you tether at your own risk without the proper data plan add-on.


Posted by: shirizaki

Quote:
Originally Posted by peachangelmusic
The E63 and E71 are both unlocked and unbranded. As long as the phone's IMEI is not an AT&T branded IMEI that they have in their system, they can't tell if you have a regular phone or a smart phone. Been successfully using the $10 data plan with a E71 for a while now ($15 data if you do not have unlimited messaging or not on a family plan).


So that means that as long as a GSM phone (that works in America) has never been ATT branded I can get the $10 data plan?


Posted by: efparri

Quote:
Originally Posted by shirizaki
So that means that as long as a GSM phone (that works in America) has never been ATT branded I can get the $10 data plan?


Your question has been answered at least three times. So far, AT&T Mobility does not require a PDA data plan on devices not branded by them. This may not be a permanent policy but that is what it is at the present time.


Posted by: shirizaki

I'm sorry, but thank you very much. I was trying to make my understanding crystal. This is my first time dealing with GSM phones and ATT.


Posted by: geoffcoplt

The simple answer is yes (with a caveat) you can use the $10 MEdiaNEt Unlimited plan with the UNBRANDED Nokia E71 without any repercussion from at&t Mobility at the present time. The caveat being your are supposed to add a PDA data plan to any PDA regardless of branding.

However, at&t Mobility does not have an easy way (at this point in time) to pull up every unbranded device and see exactly what it is. Let me be clear, at&t Mobility does have the ability to distinguish a device by it's IMEI, but at present their systems can only automatically detect branded devices (since their IMEIs have been added to the at&t Mobility database).


Posted by: George Knighton

Quote:
Originally Posted by geoffcoplt
The simple answer is yes (with a caveat) you can use the $10 MEdiaNEt Unlimited plan with the UNBRANDED Nokia E71 without any repercussion from at&t Mobility at the present time. The caveat being your are supposed to add a PDA data plan to any PDA regardless of branding.

However, at&t Mobility does not have an easy way (at this point in time) to pull up every unbranded device and see exactly what it is. Let me be clear, at&t Mobility does have the ability to distinguish a device by it's IMEI, but at present their systems can only automatically detect branded devices (since their IMEIs have been added to the at&t Mobility database).

Best answer so far in the thread. :-) The only caveat I would add is that this writer has on one occasion (only one occasion) run across an AT&T employee who was clearly using a non-AT&T database of Nokia IMEI.

I think that it is extremely unlikely that an employee would insist that you are using an unbranded PDA in the face of your insistence that you are not, but you should have your ducks in a row in order to avoid embarrassment or being caught trying to do something they don't want you to be doing.

It's not really the employee's fault. They're all coached to say and believe that if you are using any kind of PDA without a PDA plan, that you might not have access to all the services that you want to have.

If you set up your plans exactly the way you want them to work, using a fairly modern multifunctional device like a V9 or a V3xx, and then put the same SIM into a non-RIM, non-Apple device like an N97, they would really never know the difference. The system would know your IMEI had switched, but no individual person would really care about it if it never came to their attentions.


Posted by: shotcaller88

Quote:
Originally Posted by geoffcoplt
The simple answer is yes (with a caveat) you can use the $10 MEdiaNEt Unlimited plan with the UNBRANDED Nokia E71 without any repercussion from at&t Mobility at the present time. The caveat being your are supposed to add a PDA data plan to any PDA regardless of branding.

However, at&t Mobility does not have an easy way (at this point in time) to pull up every unbranded device and see exactly what it is. Let me be clear, at&t Mobility does have the ability to distinguish a device by it's IMEI, but at present their systems can only automatically detect branded devices (since their IMEIs have been added to the at&t Mobility database).


anyone have any luck tethering an E63 with MediaNet?


Posted by: RYOBI

Quote:
Originally Posted by shotcaller88
anyone have any luck tethering an E63 with MediaNet?
When you say tethering, you mean hooking up your laptop to the internet via the E63?


Posted by: shotcaller88

Quote:
Originally Posted by RYOBI
When you say tethering, you mean hooking up your laptop to the internet via the E63?


yes, exactly. I am looking at the Nokia E63 or maybe 5800.


Posted by: RYOBI

Quote:
Originally Posted by shotcaller88
yes, exactly. I am looking at the Nokia E63 or maybe 5800.

I use my E71, MacBook and ATT internet to tether occasionally. I pay $10 a month for data.


Posted by: mrcamp

Yes. I just got my E63 via amazon on Wednesday. I hooked it up via Nokia PC suite and I am tethering on my mediaNet plan without problems. Even with the slow 3G speeds (UMTS), I watched youtube videos for about 45 mins yesterday without any problems at all. Just hook it up to PC suite and select connect PC to web. It will try to get the settinsg from the phone, if it can't you can just enter it manually, and click connect.

Quote:
Originally Posted by shotcaller88
anyone have any luck tethering an E63 with MediaNet?



Posted by: FormerRuling

Quote:
Originally Posted by George Knighton
Best answer so far in the thread. :-) The only caveat I would add is that this writer has on one occasion (only one occasion) run across an AT&T employee who was clearly using a non-AT&T database of Nokia IMEI.

I think that it is extremely unlikely that an employee would insist that you are using an unbranded PDA in the face of your insistence that you are not, but you should have your ducks in a row in order to avoid embarrassment or being caught trying to do something they don't want you to be doing.
.



They weren't using another database...most likely just knew the E71 is a "PDA" class phone.

Either way...OLAM allows you to add Dumbphone data to the line when the IMEI isn't registered (unbranded) so it isn't like if they added PDA data you couldnt just turn around and replace it online with the $15 data...


Posted by: George Knighton

Quote:
Originally Posted by FormerRuling
They weren't using another database....

With all possible respect to your position and knowledge, the representative as much as admitted he was online looking at somebody's database.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mrcamp
Yes. I just got my E63 via amazon on Wednesday. I hooked it up via Nokia PC suite and I am tethering on my mediaNet plan without problems. Even with the slow 3G speeds (UMTS), I watched youtube videos for about 45 mins yesterday without any problems at all. Just hook it up to PC suite and select connect PC to web. It will try to get the settinsg from the phone, if it can't you can just enter it manually, and click connect.

The newer (unlocked!) E phones like the E63, E71 and E72 will automatically install Internet and text messaging settings based on the provider it finds on the SIM. If you change SIM, it goes through the process by itself again automatically.

If you ever need to do it manually, there is an application for this in the Tools folder. It's simply called Settings Wizard.


Posted by: FormerRuling

Quote:
With all possible respect to your position and knowledge, the representative as much as admitted he was online looking at somebody's database.

No need to pass respects to me. I'm surprised anyone would take the time to search IMEIs outside of our company database (or for that matter even know where/how), and make decisions about the PDA plan based on the model it returns lol. Especially given like I said OLAM allows you to freely change it yourself :\




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