vB Easy Archive - Bell Mobility

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Bell Mobility - TCP/IP Stack
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Posted by: optimuscrime

Bell Canada isn't a monopoly anymore, but you'd never guess it from their customer service. As anyone on Bell without MDS/BES knows, they don't provide a TCP/IP stack for their Blackberry users. So, we pay the same as Rogers users, but can't use IM, HTML browsing, over-the-air installs or other features we should be able to use with 4.0.

So, frustrated, I wrote to Bell to find out if I should bother staying with them once my contract is up (just under a year!)

My email read, in part:

"...Rogers' Blackberry service, by contrast, has a TCP/IP stack at no extra cost
(other than your data usage) that allows you to do the majority of things
that
you need a BES for as a Bell customer.

Will Bell be offering this service within the next year? If not, I will
definately be switching to Rogers at the end of my contract.

I'm hoping for some good news. Should I plan to stay with Bell?"

Their verbose customer service representative clearly spent lots of time considering my concerns and drafting a response to address the issues I brought up.

This is Bell's response, in full:

"Hi

We are investigating this opportunity. Thanks"

That's it. That's their message to their users. If anyone is looking at Bell for Blackberry service, bear in mind that this is about the level of customer service you can expect at every point of contact.

As you can imagine, I'm 'investigating the opportunity' of switching to another provider

Posted by: jase88

I would agree this is most frustrating. Apparently Bell isn't interested in capturing more data customers; specifically, Blackberry customers.

No wonder they offer up to 100MB of monthly use on their unlimited plan.

Is Telus offering the open TCP/IP stack? Or are they in line with Bell in this regard?

Posted by: DarrenGuy

I am still investigating why the TCP/IP stack is blocked on Bell, and what the plan is on making it available.

Posted by: rip

Wirelessly posted (Blah BONK_FOO: BlackBerry7250/4.0.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 UP.Browser/5.0.3.3 UP.Link/5.1.2.1 UP.Link/5.0.2.7a)

Am I the only one with a full HMTL browser on Bell's 7250? I keep seeing people saying they have no HMTL browser, I have both on my Bell 7250...WAP-the Earth icon and HMTL- the earth with a group of people icon.

Posted by: DarrenGuy

I have full HTML browser however can't run verichat or other programs that use the TCP/IP stack function of a RIM.

Posted by: rip

Wirelessly posted (Blah BONK_FOO: BlackBerry7250/4.0.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 UP.Browser/5.0.3.3 UP.Link/5.1.2.1 UP.Link/5.0.2.7a)

Quote:

Originally posted by DarrenGuy
I have full HTML browser however can't run verichat or other programs that use the TCP/IP stack function of a RIM.

Yes, I am aware of the stack being disabled but in the thread starters post, he implied he had no HMTL browsing

Posted by: smay

TELUS Mobility 7250 did not cripple the tcp/ip stack, so you can use the device with third party apps. Combine this with a superior network and truly unlimited data plans, and you have a winner winner chicken dinner.

Posted by: Mark Rejhon

Quote:

Originally posted by rip
Yes, I am aware of the stack being disabled but in the thread starters post, he implied he had no HMTL browsing

[/B]

This is an error in the post.

The HTML browser goes through the blackberry.net service, rather than the TCP/IP stack.

Bell Mobility 7250's have a HTML browser -- but you cannot run 3rd party Internet applications. So if all you need is only HTML and email, go right ahead and get the 7250 -- it's still a great BlackBerry.

That's the clarification. You have HTML, but you must use only the included browser. No third party networking software works (not even Reqwireless Webviewer) because the TCP/IP functionality is somehow blocked by Bell Canada.

Posted by: optimuscrime

Quote:

Originally posted by Mark Rejhon
This is an error in the post.

...

That's the clarification. You have HTML, but you must use only the included browser. No third party networking software works (not even Reqwireless Webviewer) because the TCP/IP functionality is somehow blocked by Bell Canada.

You're bang on. You can use the included 4.0 HTML browser -- even on the old 6750 handhelds. However, if you want to use ReqWireless' product (or any other browser but the included one) it will not work.

My biggest complaint is the lack of IM -- I'm currently using web-based MSN over using the BB browser -- and it's excruciatingly slow and unreliable. My kingdom to use Verichat!

Yeah, so Rogers users thinking of switching to Bell for their generous 100MB limit? Don't, unless your overages are only coming from email. You won't waste your bytes with Verichat -- because Verichat won't work on your BB.

Posted by: Mark Rejhon

Quote:

Originally posted by optimuscrime
Yeah, so Rogers users thinking of switching to Bell for their generous 100MB limit? Don't, unless your overages are only coming from email. You won't waste your bytes with Verichat -- because Verichat won't work on your BB. [/B]

You can get Verichat working on Bell Mobility for just $10 to $25 per month. (Guaranteed....it actually works! Just takes extra money paid to a third party.)

BES/MDS Hosting services cost only $10-$25 extra per month, much cheaper than Rogers overages. You just have to get Mailstreet, eOutlook, Link2Exchange, or MyBlueberry or something...

See the "Hosted BES FAQ" in my BlackBerry FAQ link.

I have successfully tested Verichat on my coworker's Bell Mobility BlackBerry 7250 -- you simply need to run on a BES.

Posted by: optimuscrime

Quote:

Originally posted by Mark Rejhon
You can get Verichat working on Bell Mobility for just $10 to $25 per month. (Guaranteed....it actually works! Just takes extra money paid to a third party.)

BES/MDS Hosting services cost only $10-$25 extra per month, much cheaper than Rogers overages. You just have to get Mailstreet, eOutlook, Link2Exchange, or MyBlueberry or something...

Right. I could spend $20 a month to get my Bell device to do what a Rogers device would do out of the box.

I'm not saying that nothing can be done -- I'm saying that Bell is a relatively poor value, charging roughly the same amount for a crippled service.

And besides, their customer service is miserable and knows nothing about the service or devices they sell -- see, for instance, me being out of service for 2 full days because their Bell World employees couldn't figure out how to correctly change my number when I moved...)

Posted by: Mark Rejhon

Quote:

Originally posted by optimuscrime
Right. I could spend $20 a month to get my Bell device to do what a Rogers device would do out of the box.

Correct. It's "pick-your-poison".

Those people who are paying big bills (i.e. $200 and up) for data overusage on Rogers (see link below), are tempted at just paying only $20 extra and getting the same functionality for much cheaper on Bell.

Nontheless, my new employer is now about to cover my BlackBerry costs.... but this bears worth noting this "pick your poison" predicament for heavy BlackBerry users...

Posted by: jlsb

Quote:

Originally posted by optimuscrime
[B]Right. I could spend $20 a month to get my Bell device to do what a Rogers device would do out of the box.

It's $10US a month with myblackberry/blueberry and you also get wireless sync with Outlook for your Inbox, Contacts, and Calendar. Does Rogers provide that OUT OF THE BOX? (Mark, help me out here dude- I know you have the answer)

Look, I had nothing but trouble with Rogers Wireless. I was one of the early users of the 6750 combo phone/pda and for 6 MONTHS STRAIGHT they refused to acknowledged that I had a voice plan! I would get bills in excess of $1000 every month because my number had not been assigned a monthly contract (which of course I had). By the time I finally told them to go to hell and take me to collections they admitted their error. Since I've been with Bell Mobility they have nothing short of helpful and I find their service to be the best in the GTA. You may feel otherwise, but I'm really happy with Bell, their pricing plans, and their features. I'm a super heavy minute user and they are definitely cheaper than Rogers (probably not Fido) but overall I think they are the best.

Posted by: Mark Rejhon

Wireless Outlook sync isn't available without BES. You still need the $10 to $25 per month service; consider that another benefit in addition to the MDS (TCP/IP stack equivalent).

There's basic wireless email reconcilation and addressbook sync though for BWC ... (between BWC and BlackBerry, but not between Outlook and BlackBerry)

Bell is now having billing problems with $40 light BlackBerry users and BlackBerryOS 4 (it is impossible to avoid extra data charges now on the $40 plan even if you do NO email, NO web, on a Bell BlackBerry). $60 BlackBerry users are not affected though.

To be fair, Rogers data overages (>25MB) are quite annoying.