vB Easy Archive - Cingular 8125 Pda Trap Plan!!!!

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Cingular 8125 Pda Trap Plan!!!!
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Posted by: batreyud

So apparently you can't get a MediaNet or Edge internet unlimited plan with PDA phones, because you have to get Data Connect PDA plan which is $40/month for unlimited... This is rediculous... I might as well return the phone, wait for the new cingular wireless data network to get in town that is supposively faster then DSL, which will be 50$ a month. $40 a month seems so damn steep.

Posted by: Dapss

Some people have been able to get medinet on their 8125.
But didnt you know the pricing of the 8125 data plans before you bought it?

Posted by: blazeman923

Not meinging to Flame... but I would have to agree with Dapss... how could you have not known the data plan price before you got the phone. I understand your frustrations... but if you didn't do your homework... nothing to complain about

Posted by: LVNeptune

nevermind wrong forum

Posted by: batreyud

well ofcourse I knew, but I guess the point of my thread was missed because the point was for somebody to tell me I could use medianet pricing... even knowing the pricing, can one not complain on what a blatant ripoff this is?

Quote:

Originally Posted by blazeman923

Not meinging to Flame... but I would have to agree with Dapss... how could you have not known the data plan price before you got the phone. I understand your frustrations... but if you didn't do your homework... nothing to complain about

Posted by: digitalslurp

I'm using MEdia Net on my 8125 pda. Just took the sim out of my razr and popped it in.

Posted by: CrunchDude

I am using MediaNet with my Treo 650. No problems. I have a Nokia IMEI on file with them, though.

Posted by: matt0525

I bought my 8125 a week ago, and the rep started to say "Are you familiar with our data plan?" My response was simply "yes, but I don't need it. I have unlimited MediaNet and I won't be using much data functions, so....."
I just checked OLAM, and it still says 0 used and unlimited for data. I've heard (on here) that you can call CS and they will change it. You may be stuck with it for this billing cycle, but after that, it'll be MediaNet.

Good luck!!

Posted by: johnsrt4

I;m about to buy this phone and if I buy online it gives me the option of pda unlimited but you can also click no data plan but it also gives me the option of medianet so should I click th emedia net instead? Do you think the order will go through alright? also with media net can you still use the phone to full potential? email and all? I'm a nobie to this I'm used to being ripped off by nextel for my blackberry but wanted to switch to cingular but looks like the same deal almost?
thanks
John

Posted by: batreyud

I fingered through some wireless forums and cingular forums and have found out the difference between the two is that medianet goes through the corporate firewall and your ip is a nat address, and the data plan connects straight to the IP address which allows WinXP VPN protocols and your own static IP address. The following is some VPN information about the differences.

http://forums.wirelessadvisor.com/w...lar-8125-a.html

The saddest part of the story is that none of the cingular represenatives know this, and when configuring the 8125 they preconfigure it to use medianet instead of the data plan network (even if you have payed for the data plan network).

So after finding out that I could use medianet (obviously the Cingular rep is trying to make his commish on the extra $20

), I decided to get online to add the feature, but when it wouldn't allow me it connected me to a rep online, whom then added it for me. I goto check my plan, and I have unlimited medianet for $0.00,

hmmmmm???? Not sure what thats about.

My only problem now is setting up outlook on media net, it doesn't seem to want to connect under EDGE, so I am trying to figure this out now... So far it seems I can use Xpress Mail, but that would require my computer to be up to check the mail, and when I leave town for 2 weeks, I am not sure what the stability of my computer will be...

Posted by: johnsrt4

So you canceled your unlimited pda data plan and got the unlimited media net?

Posted by: digitalslurp

Wirelessly posted (HTC-8100/1.2 Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.5; Windows CE; PPC; 240x320))

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnsrt4

I;m about to buy this phone and if I buy online it gives me the option of pda unlimited but you can also click no data plan but it also gives me the option of medianet so should I click th emedia net instead? Do you think the order will go through alright? also with media net can you still use the phone to full potential? email and all? I'm a nobie to this I'm used to being ripped off by nextel for my blackberry but wanted to switch to cingular but looks like the same deal almost?
thanks
John

Yah it'll be fine. Using medianet just means a different access protocal and suppose to be for phones. Nothing gets disabled if you use medianet.

Posted by: matt0525

iirc, VPN is the only advantage to the data connect plan. Push email is dependant upon your email server and as long as it's Exchange 2003 SP2, the plan you have is a moot point...

Posted by: batreyud

irc would of been nice, but oh well. I have never used a VPN yet, but this is probably not the place to ask what the advantages of them are, unless I am inquiring about the usefulness of a VPN and a cell phone. I had to setup Xpress Mail to get my mail, and the downside about that is my computer must be up and running for me to retreive the messages (which I think acts like an Exchange server). In the link I had posted above they talk about using Cisco VPN you have to use medianet instead of the data plan.

From the forums that I have read MediaNet and PDA Data Plan don't have any major speed differences between the two.

In conclusion, MediaNet seems like a better value... An extra $20 to connect to IRC, VPN, and directly to POP mail servers, just doesn't seem worth the money.

Posted by: plmills

Quote:

Originally Posted by batreyud

In conclusion, MediaNet seems like a better value... An extra $20 to connect to IRC, VPN, and directly to POP mail servers, just doesn't seem worth the money.

Ummm... I have unlimited media plan, and regularly connect to IRC and POP mail servers (don't have any need for VPN, so I can't speak to that one). I just don't use the MediaNet connection. I use the My Isp connection, and do not have a proxy selected.

There are rumors out there that this will cause data charges, but there are also lots of counter examples where folks are not having additional charges by not using the MediaNet proxy.

So far, I have not incurred any additional data charges by bypassing the MediaNet proxy.

Posted by: batreyud

Well ofcourse if you connect to Wi-Fi you can get on IRC and your POP mail servers, that is a no-brainer, but I am referring to on the go type usage.

There still needs to be a better wireless management software to be released, because the usage of MediaNet+WiFi is rediculously complicated. Everytime I want to use Wi-Fi I have to turn my proxy off for MediaNet...

Posted by: Mr Pink57

This is the kind of stuff that always scared me about going to GSM for my data. Setting up proxy's etc, while on SPCS I have unlimited data included in my plan (SERO) and covers all EVDO. But I am sure things are less complicated once actually set up or have been doing it for a while.

pink

Posted by: blessd24

The reason its 40 a month is because when viewing webpages on the 8125 or any other PDA you are using alot more data which in turn costs Cingular more so it should cost you more. Its pretty much as simple as that, if you are caught then it will be changed to the correct plan. Its the same way with tethering, for that you need to have a 59.99 laptop connect plan.

If any of you dont think you will be caught then well i guess its just your conscience.

Posted by: plmills

Quote:

Originally Posted by batreyud

Well ofcourse if you connect to Wi-Fi you can get on IRC and your POP mail servers, that is a no-brainer, but I am referring to on the go type usage.

There still needs to be a better wireless management software to be released, because the usage of MediaNet+WiFi is rediculously complicated. Everytime I want to use Wi-Fi I have to turn my proxy off for MediaNet...

No - I am telling you that I can access these servers with a GPRS or Edge connection, using an 8125 on the Unlimited MediaNet plan. You just have to turn off the Cingular proxy in the MediaNet connection. Or set up a second connection (like MyISP) and disable a proxy - you can use this connection to access GPRS just like the MediaNet connection. In fact, with either connection, you can transparently switch between WiFi and GPRS, with the 8125 using the wifi when the wifi radio is on and a connection is available, and using GPRS otherwise. In either case, your servers will work just fine - you'll be able to POP and IRC all you want.

I agree that the software should allow you to specify an automatic use of the MediaNet connection with GPRS and a different connection with WiFi, if you want to set it up that way, but as long as you disable the Cingular proxy, a single connection works fine (and automatically) for either type of connection.

By eliminating the Cingular proxy, you are giving up the following:

1) Access to Cingular's MediaNet home page (no big loss on an 8125, since the MediaNet home page mainly is a for use with much less powerful devices than the 8125).

2) Possible speed improvements, since Cingular's proxy performs Internet caching. Frankly, I suspect that it's more of an advantage for Cingular than for their customers, but, in theory, if the cache is efficiently managed on Cingular's part, and the users all want to load the same, static web pages, Cingular can deliver them slightly faster via its proxy.

However, for the most part I see little advantage (either to Cingular or its customers) to use of the proxy for sites with a lot of dynamic content, like Google search results, web discussion forums, mapping/driving direction websites, weather sites, etc. - these *are* mostly the things you bought a powerful wireless-web-enabled phone to do, n'est pas???

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessd24

The reason its 40 a month is because when viewing webpages on the 8125 or any other PDA you are using alot more data which in turn costs Cingular more so it should cost you more. Its pretty much as simple as that, if you are caught then it will be changed to the correct plan. Its the same way with tethering, for that you need to have a 59.99 laptop connect plan.

If any of you dont think you will be caught then well i guess its just your conscience.

I don't buy your argument, blessd24. For one thing, I think you are failing to recognize that Cingular is already making a very fair profit (many would say a killing) at $20 a month for an unlimited data connection for any customers that aren't downloading literally gigabytes of data per month.

And I don't want to tether my laptop to my phone - if I did, I'd be breaking my terms of service for how MediaNet is supposed to be used. As long as I conform to the terms of service (no tethering, running a server, no VOIP, certain forms of streaming downloads prohibited, etc.) for the unlimited MediaNet plan, I believe Cingular will be fine with my using my 8125 with the plan, and I'll sleep with a clean conscience, as well.

Not wanting to pay $40 a month for a service whose features I don't need and won't use doesn't make me unethical, or mean I lack a proper conscience.

Posted by: blessd24

Quote:

I am pretty much giving you Cingular's answer to all these debates. This is pretty much what they told us to say. They way the explained the actual numbers of bytes transfered it made sense to me. If i had the comparison then i would give it to but i cant find it right now. Of course they could be lying.

Posted by: KikoKazuma

The title of this thread cracks me up.

This guy calls it a trap plan lol.

Posted by: beatniks3

Quote:

Originally Posted by plmills

I believe Cingular will be fine with my using my 8125 with the plan, and I'll sleep with a clean conscience, as well.

not sure cingular will share your viewpiont on this no matter what excuses you make....

Posted by: plmills

Quote:

Originally Posted by beatniks3

not sure cingular will share your viewpiont on this no matter what excuses you make....

Well, it's their network, so they can obviously make the rules, no matter how silly, inconsistent or unfair they may be. Generally, in an industry where competition is this tight, making really dumb decisions is punished by loss of profitability.

A true power user of *any* web-enabled phone can use an unlimited data plan to download so much data that, in theory, Cingular would lose money on that customer. I personally would think they'd be more comfortable with a customer like me using an 8125 and the unlimited MediaNet plan in a sane, reasonable way, than a customer like that, using, for example, a generic Motorola flip-phone and trying to "download the whole internet" with the stupid WAP browser on the thing. If they're so worried about their bandwidth, they shouldn't be selling any unlimited plan to *anyone* for $20.

Because I *know* I'm using the plan in a reasonable way, I'm just saying Cingular's opinion of my use doesn't bother me too much. If at some point they object and try to charge me more, or cut me off, or backcharge me, I'll just cancel and switch to another provider, and Cingular will have lost a profitable customer and his family forever.

By the way, I was placed on the plan by the CSR who sold me the phone, at the same time I purchased the phone. I asked for a plan where I wouldn't be charged by the byte for data use, and he specifically steered me away from the $40 plan. In fact, the only reason I even knew there *was* a $40 plan was because he alluded to it by saying "Let's get you on the MediaNet unlimited plan - you sure don't want our $40 plan - way too expensive, and all it gives you extra is the tethered-use capability - anyway it's really intended for business use, not personal use". Until this volunteered information was revealed, I wouldn't have even *known* about that plan when I purchased my 8125. After I got the phone, I was amazed when I became aware of the widespread confusion over the two different plans, and that there was such a kerfuffle over the MediaNet unlimited vs. the PDA Data plan. I just can't see where Cingular has much of a beef when their own CSR's are pushing the plan onto new 8125 customers like me.

I believe I am a relatively sophisticated user of the Internet and its related gadgetry, and if I was so easily mislead into purchasing an expensive phone with an inappropriate (invalid? illegal? Criminally felonious?...) data plan by Cingular's own CSR, imagine how confusing this all is to most other customers (the ones who don't even know about sites like hofo, for example).

In my opinion, the whole thing is Cingular's fault, and I'll waste no sleep or further time worrying about whether Cingular is getting the shaft by my paying $20 a month to use their network in a reasonable way with the phone and plan they themselves recommended and sold to me.

If it comes back and bites me in the ***, then so be it. And shame on Cingular for treating good customers as if they were criminals, when they were only doing what Cingular recommended for them to do when they spent their money and signed up for a contract.

Posted by: jsmonet

at a blazng 10k~20k/sec dl speed with almost 3 seconds of latency, cingular isn't losing any money at all leaving the 20/month plan on pda's. if they actually gave us any speed worth paying for this would be a very different situation.

also, the 6620 was more than capable of browsing normal pages with opera, but cingular never fingered it as a pda phone necessitating the 40/month plan, it seems.

Posted by: maxima99gxe

i am going to purchase the treo650,i was told by the cingular csr, that if i do purchase this phone, i will be charge for using aim through sms is that true?

Posted by: ZKuJoe

I have the $19.99 unlimited Media Net plan but my first 5 bills were $1000+, what I did was call them up and tell them I had the unlimited MediaNet plan and they would tell me the plan didn't count for PDA phones, but if you check Cingular's website even though it's in the PDA category it's running Windows Mobile 2003 Smartphone Edition making it a Smartphone for all intents and purposes. I finally got my billing straightened out. BTW, I had to speak with many many different customer service reps before I was able to get a hold of a supervisor. After 2 minutes with the supervisor he agreed the Smartphone was not qualified for the $40 PDA date plan.

And in responce to jsmonet: I average 35-40kbps on downloads/torrents.

Posted by: blessd24

Quote:

Originally Posted by RabidDogBoy

I have the $19.99 unlimited Media Net plan but my first 5 bills were $1000+, what I did was call them up and tell them I had the unlimited MediaNet plan and they would tell me the plan didn't count for PDA phones, but if you check Cingular's website even though it's in the PDA category it's running Windows Mobile 2003 Smartphone Edition making it a Smartphone for all intents and purposes. I finally got my billing straightened out. BTW, I had to speak with many many different customer service reps before I was able to get a hold of a supervisor. After 2 minutes with the supervisor he agreed the Smartphone was not qualified for the $40 PDA date plan.

And in responce to jsmonet: I average 35-40kbps on downloads/torrents.

Smartphone is a tricky phrase. Nowadays there is a special plan (which i dont get how it is different from normal Media net unlimited), that is only for phones like the 2125. Dont ask me why. Its named Smartphone connect and its 19.99 just like medianet unlimited.

Posted by: ZKuJoe

WTF??? As of this morning they appear to have dropped the Unlimited MediaNet and replaced it with the $40 PDA plan, but I'm on the phone with a rep replacing the PDA plan with thier "MEdia Max 200 Bundle" plan... still $19.99 but now with 200 text messages.

EDIT: I got the MEdia Max 200 Bundle setup and the other plan removed, but I wouldn't have even known they changed it until I got my bill in 2 weeks had I not gone looking on their website for a past bill when it luckily caught my eye. I wish Cingular had the decency to let their customers know when they change their plan... needless to say I love my phone more than they love pissing me off so this relationship is going to be a painful one.

Posted by: KikoKazuma

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxima99gxe

i am going to purchase the treo650,i was told by the cingular csr, that if i do purchase this phone, i will be charge for using aim through sms is that true?

It depends ont he AIM client that you are using. Some use sms, some use data.

Posted by: batreyud

Hmm, how are you accomplishing that? How can you connect to medianet without using the proxy server? I would love to be able to download straight off my POP mail server without having to run xpress mail on my home computer.

Posted by: ZKuJoe

Just uncheck the proxy setting.

Also I want to make a correction to one of my previous posts that somebody pointed out to me. The Cingular website was changed and it now shows it running Windows Mobile 2003 Pocket PC edition. Some websites still show it using the Smartphone edition, but Cingular's site does not.

Posted by: KikoKazuma

Quote:

Originally Posted by batreyud

Hmm, how are you accomplishing that? How can you connect to medianet without using the proxy server? I would love to be able to download straight off my POP mail server without having to run xpress mail on my home computer.

Dude, pocket outlook...

Posted by: rkorzuch

Quote:

Originally Posted by batreyud

Just upgrade to the new ROM and their are no more proxy settings

http://www.htcamerica.net/support/s...nloads_8125.htm

Posted by: batreyud

Quote:

Originally Posted by KikoKazuma

Dude, pocket outlook...

lol no **** sherlock? behind the proxy server outlook will not connect to my pop server. Now if i had an unlimited PDA plan it would allow me, and it did when I had that plan, but now that I have switched it won't let me. Are you guys sure you are talking about the media net plan? I have the new rom and everything, and it will not connect without a proxy

Posted by: ZKuJoe

You'd have to had setup the proxy yourself if you have the new plan. I have the Unlimited Media Net plan and I don't have a proxy on.

Posted by: Integra99

alittle confused on what you guys are saying about proxy and junk, but my question is im thinking about getting the 8125, Are you guys saying that the Unlimited medianet will work fine , as going on to the internet checking emails? aim?sending emails? or would i have to get a data plan. also what about downloading content from a website are you charged for that?

Posted by: ZKuJoe

Yes, I have the unlimited Media Net plan and I download torrents all day while at work as well as browse forums and check e-mail.

Posted by: tecboi

Quote:

Originally Posted by RabidDogBoy

Yes, I have the unlimited Media Net plan and I download torrents all day while at work as well as browse forums and check e-mail.

u download torrents? how do you do that on a pda? please explain?

Posted by: ZKuJoe

http://www.adisasta.com/wmTorrent.html

Posted by: digitalslurp

Quote:

Originally Posted by batreyud

You can set the email accounts to use the "My ISP" option which will allow you to check email. This way you can check your email, but still use the proxy for pocket ie for the faster speed and access to the medianet home page.

http://howardforums.com/showpost.ph...41&postcount=16

Posted by: J_ZAM

I just spoke to cingular and they advised me that for internet access on a 8125 that I would need a PDA plan. If I just told them to give me the unlimited media net plan regardless of this and then changed the proxy I would still not be billed for the internet access?? Is this something that cingular will eventually pick up on and change? Just kinda seems like a temporary loop hole.

Posted by: batreyud

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_ZAM

I just spoke to cingular and they advised me that for internet access on a 8125 that I would need a PDA plan. If I just told them to give me the unlimited media net plan regardless of this and then changed the proxy I would still not be billed for the internet access?? Is this something that cingular will eventually pick up on and change? Just kinda seems like a temporary loop hole.

v

by changing the proxy, do you mean turning it off? I can't seem to accomplish this with my UnlimitedMediaNETplan, because it will tell me to find a new connection. The people might not give you the unlimited medianet plan at the store, because they told me that they were only allowed to giveme the pda plan, which was bull, so I used the website to add my medianet plan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by apok

Wirelessly posted (HTC-8100/1.2 Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.5; Windows CE; PPC; 240x320))

Just found out you can set the accounts to use a different connection other than the default.

With outlook open hit Menu / tools / options / select the account you want to change / hit next 3 times until you see the server information page / options / change connection to my isp.

This way you can have medianet set as default for the faster speeds, but still able to check email.

I don't have the default my isp connection settings, and what do these settings connect through, medianet?

Posted by: GldRush98

Wirelessly posted (Cingular 8125 (2.25 Rom): HTC-8100/1.2 Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.5; Windows CE; PPC; 240x320) UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

I have unlimited MEdia Net and the 8125 esn on my account and it's fine. Only thing is My Account doesn't show information on my MEdia Net home page any more.

Posted by: guildsolutions

Right -- but remember if you use the wrong plan on purpose you just might end up getting rocked with a huge bill thats your fault.

Posted by: Dj_Flawle$$

im intrested in the 8125 and i called cc and i asked about the media ne and they said that its not avaliable for pda's i wanted to know if this is true or how can i open an account with the 8125 with media net

Posted by: the.rebot

Wirelessly posted (HTC-8100/1.2 Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.5; Windows CE; PPC; 240x320))

not true... i'm sure you've talked to more than one rep, but I have had a smart phone for more than a year using MNet unlimited ($19.00) AND they don't charge me to tether my notebook.

Posted by: Integra99

is it possable to take voice off? and just add medianet and also since the only unlimited media net includes 200 text and unlimited cingular video can the 8125 play that?

Posted by: ZKuJoe

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dj_Flawle$$

im intrested in the 8125 and i called cc and i asked about the media ne and they said that its not avaliable for pda's i wanted to know if this is true or how can i open an account with the 8125 with media net

Not sure if you read anything posted here or not, but I think 99% of the people have said that they are using the MediaNet plan and not the PDA plan.

Posted by: dyka

Quote:

Originally Posted by apok

I'm using MEdia Net on my 8125 pda. Just took the sim out of my razr and popped it in.

same here. using media net for $20 a month. works great for the most part. hard to stream music and such with medianet.. drops connection too often. as far as exchange and all warks great

Posted by: .7

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=652106

We've been over this time and time and time again in this forum. Those who are using MediaNet on PDA's know their supposed to have a PDA plan, and if you feel justified in using the service that way then to each his own. The service is Cingular's to sell and price, not the other way around, but there are some in here that feel differently and thats fine.

If anyone wants to contuine to beat this topic to death then please do so on the thread above.