PC Mobile selling SIMs now?

[Takumi_Inui]

The APN I'm using is proxy.bell.ca and I'm getting 2.16 Mbps download and 1.4Mbps download. Keep in mind that this is tethered to my iPhone 4 via a external app on Windows Mobile 6.5 so it can probably be much faster.

What APN did you use when you were using your iPhone? I'm thinking about cutting the sim and putting in my iPad.

[cmstlist]

The poster said the iPhone configured it automatically, so I'm guessing it defaulted to the Bell iPhone APN pda2.bell.ca. So that's the one that charges extra. I assume that iPhone/iTunes chooses the APN based on the MCC/MNC of the SIM, and the PC Mobile SIM is likely reporting the same code as Bell (just as with Solo and Virgin).

How many days do you get on the $10 starter credit before expiry?

[ceredon]

^Correct, I did not change the APN. I'm not jailbroken either, so I didn't look at what the APN settings were.

I think the $10 credit is good for 30 days.

[Jam08]

good deal so far.

[cmstlist]

Crossposting from RFD...

I purchased a PC Mobile phone yesterday. Nokia 7230, which is the only phone offered by PC thus far that has a SIM card. Prepaid is really all I need...I don't even need web browsing, but thought for 25 cents/day, it was worth having just in case. I really am just an occasional phone user...half the time my phone sits in my purse dead or without any minutes. A $25 card usually lasts me close to the 2 months it is valid for, often expiring because I forget to top-up. Much less of a hassle than a plan....since I can't validate spending $60+ month on a data plan for an iPhone, which is something I might actually use.

In any case, when I called to activate my phone, I also asked them to activate unlimited web browsing on my account as well. The CS rep then carried on something about the phone being on a different network (I know little about cell networks...but this is also the only phone that has 3G...and it does appear to be connected via 3G) and how they haven't come up with plans yet to compensate for the higher data speeds, etc. So, he said in addition to the 25 cents/day, I would also be charged 5 cents/mb of data used, including web browsing. I was a little miffed about this, as nowhere in the purchasing process (website, buying in-store, or prior to activating phone on my account) was there any mention that the advertised rates and plans would not apply to this phone. In any case, I said not to worry about activating it - that I'd do my own research (not knowing anything about data usage on cell phones) and activate at a later point if I so decided.

After looking into it a bit last night, I went ahead and activated the web browsing via self-serve...again, never did it mention there being different rates on this phone. I fiddled around a bit, downloaded an app or two, etc.....there is a data tracker on my phone and I really didn't use very much...but then again I didn't do anything too involved. I checked this morning and the only amounts deducted from my account have been the unlimited browsing fee of 25 cents. I'm not sure when the supposed extra data charges are supposed to come out...I'll have to keep an eye on my balance.

In any case, I do think PC maybe jumped the gun on releasing a 3G phone without changing their plans accordingly. So, don't be surprised, if you do decide to put a SIM card in another phone, things similar to the person above happen. The guy on the phone with me, nice as he was, didn't really seem to know what he was talking about.

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/pc-mo.../#post12221622

So it looks like the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing.

[mikereidis]

Yes, I also posted on RFD...


I have an Optimus Chic I bought outright from Bell a week ago. Runs Android 2.2.1 / Froyo.

It's been unlocked and I was able to use a Wind SIM with it, 2g only.

I bought a SIM from Loblaws today. Guy at first store had no idea what I was talking about. At 2nd Loblaws they were at a self serve display.

I called in to activate and get UMB. First gal (accidentally?) hung up. Second told me it was $7 per month, I corrected her to $0.25 per day, but she insisted she was right.

Any way to check balance online ? I see I can activate online, but I'm already activated.

I check balance via SMS and it says $9.75. Cool.

I create a new APN entry with config shown above, namely:

Access name: proxy.bell.ca
HTTP proxy: web.wireless.bell.ca:80
Port: 80
Auth type: none
User ID: blank
Password: blank
Protocol: HTTP

It did not work. Nothing I tried helped; rebooting, wireless on then off etc. Hmm, maybe I should try SIM remove and replace ?

Anyway, for some wacky reason, phone ended up resetting it's APN to the original default one for Bell data. Phone is unlocked but still has Bell's "Special" firmware in it. I can't delete that APN.

So data worked at that point, but I figured I was likely to have depleted my balance.

Sure enough, my balance now shows $0.35 left.


IMO, if this can be made to work it's much better than PetroCan or Speakout for UMB:

1 - It's around $7.50 per month (Depending on days in that month) instead of $10.
2 - It's 3g as compared to the ztar networks 2g.
3 - I think rural coverage for Bellus network still better than Rogers/ztar.

But how can this work ? Perhaps I'll grab their Nokia 7230 and check the settings.
But I'll also need a way to prevent rogue Bell app from changing my APN.

[cmstlist]

The extra :80 is redundant I think, if the port has its own field.

Not sure about the firmware resetting its APN. There is an XML file containing a firmware's default APN settings, which you might be able to modify if you root the phone.

Sent via the HowardForums Android app

[mikereidis]

The extra :80 is redundant I think, if the port has its own field.

Not sure about the firmware resetting its APN. There is an XML file containing a firmware's default APN settings, which you might be able to modify if you root the phone.

I'm resisting the temptation to root at this time. I might even return this phone within the 14 day limit and try with a Telus Optimus One. For the Optimus One there are custom ROMs that might help me.

I installed the HiAPN app and it was thankfully able to delete the default Bell APN definition.

I'm running an Android debugging shell and I can see that DNS is working OK on the phone.

I swapped the PresChoice SIM for a Bell SIM (with data) and my phone is working fine for browsing.

So I'm now thinking there must be something Bell is doing, on this phone and/or on their network that prevents this from working with PresChoice. Could also be something on the PresChoice SIM too, but I doubt that. It's just Bell trying to protect themselves.


Here's the full APN config that works on Bell but not on PresChoice:

Name: PC
APN: proxy.bell.ca
Proxy: web.wireless.bell.ca
Port: 80
Username: <Not set>
Password: <Not set>
Server: <Not set>
MMSC: http://mms.bell.ca/mms/wapenc
MMS proxy: web.wireless.bell.ca
MMS port: 80
MCC: 302
MNC: 610
Authentication Type: None
APN Type: <Not set>


Authentication Type: was set to "CHAP" by Android by default, but I changed to None and it seems to make no difference.

I noted that the MCC and MNC automatically set themselves even though I didn't set them initially. Perhaps those values came from the SIM.

[cmstlist]

Let us know the outcome! If you live in the Vancouver area you could also try it on my Telus Milestone, already unlocked.

Sent via the HowardForums Android app

[mikereidis]

Let us know the outcome! If you live in the Vancouver area you could also try it on my Telus Milestone, already unlocked.

I'm in Gatineau, QC across the river from Ottawa.

I'm happy to report it SEEMS to work now ! (Yay!) And yes, I'm using the proxy.bell.ca APN, so hopefully this isn't charge-able at those crazy rates.

What makes me hesitant though, is that it LOOKs like an IP data connection. I can run telnet on port 23. And every app I've tried works, including Google Maps, Youtube, both Dolphin and both Opera browsers going to various sites and TuneIn Radio (streaming audio).

Indicator is 3g and my Speedtest.net results at 2:00 AM EST are:
Download: 3219 kbps
Upload: 1611 kbps
Ping: 189 ms

From my PC connected to phone I run: adb shell ping -c 10 nrc.ca
and get:
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 83.677/97.602/127.614/16.909 ms


I don't know why it suddenly began working. Just prior I had installed a Wind SIM and was trying to WAP proxy through the local Rogers cell site at 2g. (I'm a bit too far from Wind Home sites.) But then went back to the Pres Choice SIM and it worked.

Perhaps the UMB activation didn't go through until after midnight ?

I run the "SIM Toolkit" self-serve app and I see my balance dropped to 10 cents from the previous 35 cents. I'm guessing that quarter is just another day's charges for UMB.

I'll call tomorrow/later today and ask them to refund my errant $9.40. Hopefully the balance won't plummet again, LOL.

Still kinda nervous about the fact I seem to be able to run all apps and use any port. Maybe mis-configured equipment or some result of my data usage on pda.bell.ca .

If this works and when word gets out I have to imagine Bell is gonna notice and put a stop to it. Even restricted to just port 80 for HTTP this is incredible for some $100 per year.


BTW, my impression of this whole UMB thing is that it's not just limited to WAP. At worst it's limited to a few ports, and AFAICT the network doesn't care what goes over those ports. I suspect they had to do this to enable UMB on the more recent smarter "dumb-phones".

If so, at worst I think I can run my own Internet server on my cable internet and give myself access to just about anything I'd need the Internet for.


Fingers crossed this continues to work for 2 bits a day !

[ceredon]

^That's awesome, thanks for the updates. I've only got 4 days left on my PC Mobile SIM, so I guess I will give this a try. If it works and my balance doesn't drop massively over the next couple days, then I will be switching my wife over from Fido prepaid.

[ceredon]

Hmm, can't get a menu option for data via the SMS activation choices. I don't want to call in to activate data, as they will have a record of me accessing data previously and then their having to disable data and credit me the charges. Any other way to add the data option?

Edit: ok, added through the IVR call in system without having to speak to anyone. I'll try to update over the next couple days with how things are going.

[ceredon]

Everything seems to be working but something is resulting in a slow drain of my balance. It seems to be dropping in $0.15 increments. I don't think it is due to data usage, because I have done more network activity this time than when I original tried and the first time my balance dropped to 0 within 1/2-1 hour. I have done all of the same activities I did then, but more of them. I have run more speedtests and browsed more web pages and loaded more emails. It has dropped about $2.50 in the last hour and a half. I suppose it could be data, but I would have expected it to be down to $0 by now. The only other thing I have been doing a lot of is sending text messages to check my balance. Anyone know if texts to the PC Mobile account balance system would count as chargeable texts? The other weird this is that my balance droped about $0.30 overnight, when the SIM wasn't in my phone, I hadn't activated data yet. All I did last night was check my balance and then pulled the SIM. Before I activated data today, I put the SIM in and check my balance and it had dropped a little.

Anyway to see what the deductions are for?

Edit: I see their site says texts to their 'PCSMS' service for checking balance should be free. I guess it must be data usage that is slowing draining my balance, but I don't see how it dropped overnight without data even active on my account (nor my SIM inserted). And it if it is data, why isn't it dropping faster?

[cmstlist]

@ceredon: Is this still on your iPhone? Did you manage to swap out the APN successfully?

Also regarding adding the option by SMS:
http://mobile.presidentschoice.ca/pc...ional_Features

To add Unlimited Internet Browser feature to your account, please dial #PCMO (#7266) free from your PC mobile phone or 1-877-284-6361 (1-87-PCT-INFO-1) to speak with a PC mobile representative. If you wish to add this feature using PCSMS, send a text message with the letter "M" (capitalization does not matter) to "PCSMS" (72767) and follow the instructions, or contact PC mobile customer service.

Do those instructions not work?

[ceredon]

@ceredon: Is this still on your iPhone? Did you manage to swap out the APN successfully?

Also regarding adding the option by SMS:
http://mobile.presidentschoice.ca/pc...ional_Features


Do those instructions not work?

Yeah, I am going to for the day with the PC Mobile SIM inserted, if I can keep my balance from running dry before the end of the day. I am currently streaming radio over 3G, so that should tell me pretty quick if it was data access that was draining the balance. I realize that the deductions might be caused by FaceTime on the iPhone. It periodically sends text messages to stay registered (to the UK no less) so maybe that was why my balance was dropping slowly. I have disabled facetime, so we will see if it keep dropping. So far so good for the last 1/2 hour, no drops in funds.

I did install the APN as described above (well, the Apple iPhone config utility doesn't allow setting all of those settings, but I set what I could.

I was following those instructions to add the data feature, but it would never offer data as an option. So, I called in and did it manually but didn't have to speak to anyone, which is what I wanted to avoid.

Edit: well, it just dropped another $0.15. WTF? It can't be data usage because I am intentionally pushing it hard now. Streaming audio and doing some youtube etc. really puzzled. Going to do a reboot and then monitor for a while.