Cingular cell phone service - FAQ: Why won't MEdia Net work with Cingular Connection Manager?

Author

FAQ: Why won't MEdia Net work with Cingular Connection Manager?

John Navas

2006-02-17, 11:48 pm

Q: Why won't MEdia Net work with Cingular Connection Manager?

A: It will work, but only if you *manually* configure Cingular Connection
Manager! (Cingular Connection Manager only configures automatically for Data
Connect, which is different from MEdia Net.)

For how to do this, see "Cingular Wireless MEdia Configuration" at
<http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...a_Configuration>.

--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...less_FA
Q>

Phil Nelson

2006-02-17, 11:48 pm

John Navas wrote:
> Q: Why won't MEdia Net work with Cingular Connection Manager?
>
> A: It will work, but only if you *manually* configure Cingular Connection
> Manager! (Cingular Connection Manager only configures automatically for Data
> Connect, which is different from MEdia Net.)
>
> For how to do this, see "Cingular Wireless MEdia Configuration" at
> <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...a_Configuration>.
>

Thanks, but it still doesn't work.

"Error 734: The PPP link control protocol was terminated"

This is the sort of thing that makes me want to switch to Verizon.

--
Phil Nelson

John Navas

2006-02-17, 11:48 pm

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In < 43f65112$0$95943$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net> on Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:41:05
-0800, Phil Nelson < pCUT_THiS_TEXTdn@soA
ND_THiS_TEXTnic.net> wrote:

>John Navas wrote:
>
>Thanks, but it still doesn't work.
>
>"Error 734: The PPP link control protocol was terminated"

Does MEdia Net work on the phone itself?

>This is the sort of thing that makes me want to switch to Verizon.

Why? Cingular has the same price for Data Connect. MEdia Net is a better
deal, but part of that better deal is that there's no support for tethering.

--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...less_FA
Q>

Phil Nelson

2006-02-17, 11:48 pm

John Navas wrote:
> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In < 43f65112$0$95943$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net> on Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:41:05
> -0800, Phil Nelson < pCUT_THiS_TEXTdn@soA
ND_THiS_TEXTnic.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Does MEdia Net work on the phone itself?

Yes, it does. I don't use it much, but I just tested it again, it works.

>
>
> Why? Cingular has the same price for Data Connect. MEdia Net is a better
> deal, but part of that better deal is that there's no support for tethering.

A variety of reasons, like coverage, but also because an acquaintance
told me today that with Verizon I could do data without having to pay
$20 / month, if I didn't want the latest and greatest high-speed
connection.

Was he was wrong?

As I said in the other thread, this thing won't even connect to my ISPs
local access number. Maybe I need get an acoustic coupler?

Mostly it's frustration with trying to get answers to basic questions
from the web site and support number. They both seem designed by the
same people that lay out stores to make it as difficult as possible to
go directly to what you want, in hopes that you will make extra impulse
purchases while you are wandering around.

--
Phil Nelson

Ernie Klein

2006-02-18, 2:48 am

In article < 43f69444$0$96013$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net>,
Phil Nelson < pCUT_THiS_TEXTdn@soA
ND_THiS_TEXTnic.net> wrote:

> As I said in the other thread, this thing won't even connect to my ISPs
> local access number. Maybe I need get an acoustic coupler?
>
I don't know a whole lot about all the data features, as I said in the
"Confused" thread that I started, but I do believe that all the data
services, be it MEdia, Data Connect, PDA, etc., connect via internet and
can never interface with your ISP's dialup access number.

The only way you can dialup your ISP via Cingular, to my knowledge, is
to use CSD (Circuit Switched Data) for $3.99/month, but that has a
maximum speed of 9600bps which is usable for some applications but is
much to slow for general browsing. It also eats into your minutes as it
is billed as an off network call (as far as I know, it you have
unlimited nights and weekends in your plan, you can use CSD during those
hours without additional charges).

--
-Ernie-

"There are only two kinds of computer users -- those who have
suffered a catastrophic hard drive failure, and those who will."

Have you done your backup today?

John Navas

2006-02-18, 5:48 am

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In < 43f69444$0$96013$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net> on Fri, 17 Feb 2006 19:27:45
-0800, Phil Nelson < pCUT_THiS_TEXTdn@soA
ND_THiS_TEXTnic.net> wrote:

>John Navas wrote:

>
>Yes, it does. I don't use it much, but I just tested it again, it works.

Then the likely problem is the config of the PC. FWIW, I personally use
Windows DUN, not Cingular Connection Manager.

>
>A variety of reasons, like coverage,

Cingular coverage is as good or better in most (but not all) areas.

>but also because an acquaintance
>told me today that with Verizon I could do data without having to pay
>$20 / month, if I didn't want the latest and greatest high-speed
>connection.
>
>Was he was wrong?

I don't know of any such option -- can you be more specific?

>As I said in the other thread, this thing won't even connect to my ISPs
>local access number. Maybe I need get an acoustic coupler?

That would take CSD, not GPRS!

>Mostly it's frustration with trying to get answers to basic questions
>from the web site and support number. They both seem designed by the
>same people that lay out stores to make it as difficult as possible to
>go directly to what you want, in hopes that you will make extra impulse
>purchases while you are wandering around.

I personally find lots of useful information on the Cingular website. See the
links in the FAQ below, which also has much useful information.

--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...less_FA
Q>

jay

2006-02-18, 5:48 pm

Also, when you get CSD to dial up to an ISP for $3.99 a month as Ernie says,
Cingular lets you use their isp for no additional charge. So Phil, it would
still be pointless to try to use your own dial up isp.

"Ernie Klein" <ecklein@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:ecklein-C8B7C5.21075917022006@news.west.earthlink.net...
> In article < 43f69444$0$96013$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net>,
> Phil Nelson < pCUT_THiS_TEXTdn@soA
ND_THiS_TEXTnic.net> wrote:
>
> I don't know a whole lot about all the data features, as I said in the
> "Confused" thread that I started, but I do believe that all the data
> services, be it MEdia, Data Connect, PDA, etc., connect via internet and
> can never interface with your ISP's dialup access number.
>
> The only way you can dialup your ISP via Cingular, to my knowledge, is
> to use CSD (Circuit Switched Data) for $3.99/month, but that has a
> maximum speed of 9600bps

Phil Nelson

2006-02-18, 5:48 pm

jay wrote:
> "Ernie Klein" <ecklein@pacbell.net> wrote in message
> news:ecklein-C8B7C5.21075917022006@news.west.earthlink.net...
>
>
>
> Also, when you get CSD to dial up to an ISP for $3.99 a month as Ernie says,
> Cingular lets you use their isp for no additional charge. So Phil, it would
> still be pointless to try to use your own dial up isp.

Sounds like just what I need, thanks. I will pay to go faster when I
can afford it and believe that the value is there. Meanwhile, I guess
9600 will be adequate for a few pings and an occasional ssh session.

I Didn't know about CSD. I never would have expected to pay extra for
data. I guess I was thinking of the cell call as analogous to my wire
line. In the old days when the RBOCs tried to charge extra for "data
conditioned" lines, we all thought it was gouging.

I guess there is some technical basis for it, though, when I think
about what line quality as poor as the typical cell-phone call used
to do to the 9600 bps data.

Anyway, CSD is cheaper than MEdia Net, which I haven't done one useful
thing with yet, as far as I can recall.

--
Phil Nelson

Ernie Klein

2006-02-18, 5:48 pm

In article < 20c39$43f7369e$97d59
86e$8547@ALLTEL.NET>,
"jay" <someone@alltel.net> wrote:

> Also, when you get CSD to dial up to an ISP for $3.99 a month as Ernie says,
> Cingular lets you use their isp for no additional charge. So Phil, it would
> still be pointless to try to use your own dial up isp.
>

I didn't know that, Jay. How does one connect to Cingular's ISP using
CSD?

--
-Ernie-

"There are only two kinds of computer users -- those who have
suffered a catastrophic hard drive failure, and those who will."

Have you done your backup today?

Ernie Klein

2006-02-18, 5:48 pm

In article < 43f74c84$0$95935$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net>,
Phil Nelson < pCUT_THiS_TEXTdn@soA
ND_THiS_TEXTnic.net> wrote:

> jay wrote:

>
>
> Sounds like just what I need, thanks. I will pay to go faster when I
> can afford it and believe that the value is there. Meanwhile, I guess
> 9600 will be adequate for a few pings and an occasional ssh session.
>

BTW, Phil, if you add the feature yourself using Cingular's web site,
the feature is called "Dial Up & Fax" in the Available Features page.

If you call customer service to add the feature, refer to it by that
name also. When I first called to find out about the feature they were
totally clueless when I mentioned circuit switched data -- they didn't
know what "Dial Up & Fax" was either, but at least they could _find_ the
feature by that name.

It is also interesting that _after_ you add the feature the name changes
to "Dial Access CSD" in the list of current features.

--
-Ernie-

"There are only two kinds of computer users -- those who have
suffered a catastrophic hard drive failure, and those who will."

Have you done your backup today?

Phil Nelson

2006-02-18, 5:48 pm

John Navas wrote:
> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In < 43f69444$0$96013$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net> on Fri, 17 Feb 2006 19:27:45
> -0800, Phil Nelson < pCUT_THiS_TEXTdn@soA
ND_THiS_TEXTnic.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Then the likely problem is the config of the PC. FWIW, I personally use
> Windows DUN, not Cingular Connection Manager.

I guess it is possible. As I said, it worked when the Cingular tech
enabled Data Connect service on my account temporarily, and stopped
working when he disabled it again.

I used DUH when I followed the instructions on your FAQ link. That's
what didn't work.

>
>
>
>
> Cingular coverage is as good or better in most (but not all) areas.

My friend with Verizon tells me that off the main highways, his
Verizon phone works where Cingular phones don't. Sometimes the call
quality is not poor, but, as he said, a poor quality call is often
better than no call at all.

>
>
> I don't know of any such option -- can you be more specific?

If I get the tethering working I will tell him about it. Probably he
will try it with his phone. Maybe he will go through the same time-
wasting drill with Verizon that I just went through with Cingular.
If I hear anything interesting, I will report back here.

>
>
>
>
> That would take CSD, not GPRS!

OK. I signed up for "Data Access CSD" (wasn't listed quite like that
in "available features", but I found it). I just dialed my ISP without
a problem. I wish I had known this last fall, I would have been paying
$3.99/ mo. instead of $4.99 for the last 6 months.

I had to call Cingular (again) to get the MEdia Net turned off, I can
add a feature from the web page, but not remove a feature.

Just as well, I got a nice, helpful lady without a difficult accent
who seemed to know just what she was doing. She removed the MEdia
Net feature and reversed data charges I just discovered in last
months bill- somehow I was charged for about 500K of data, though
my MEdia Net feature was supposed to cover the first 1Meg. And, when
I asked, she went back over previous bills, found a few more dollars,
and reversed them too.

If they can find more like her, I might even reconsider my plan to
bolt at the first opportunity.

>
>
>
>
>
> I personally find lots of useful information on the Cingular website. See the
> links in the FAQ below, which also has much useful information.
>

Me too. Eventually. Thanks again for the FAQ.

--
Phil Nelson

Phil Nelson

2006-02-18, 5:48 pm

Ernie Klein wrote:
> In article < 43f74c84$0$95935$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net>,
> Phil Nelson < pCUT_THiS_TEXTdn@soA
ND_THiS_TEXTnic.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
> BTW, Phil, if you add the feature yourself using Cingular's web site,
> the feature is called "Dial Up & Fax" in the Available Features page.
>
> If you call customer service to add the feature, refer to it by that
> name also. When I first called to find out about the feature they were
> totally clueless when I mentioned circuit switched data -- they didn't
> know what "Dial Up & Fax" was either, but at least they could _find_ the
> feature by that name.
>
> It is also interesting that _after_ you add the feature the name changes
> to "Dial Access CSD" in the list of current features.
>

Thanks. I got through it all before I read this. "Dial Up & Fax" was the
only thing close to what you described, and the price matched, so I
picked it

When I called in to remove the MEdia Connect, the nice lady I talked
with seemed far from clueless. I asked her about it just to be sure I
had selected the right thing from the web page. She knew about CSD,
though I suppose that could be from reading it off the list of enabled
features where I had just added it. Maybe it doesn't matter much.
Even if her depth of understanding was partly illusory, it was good
to have a pleasant and helpful conversation with Cingular support.

--
Phil Nelson

Phil Nelson

2006-02-20, 5:48 pm

Phil Nelson wrote:
> John Navas wrote:
>
>
>
> I guess it is possible. As I said, it worked when the Cingular tech
> enabled Data Connect service on my account temporarily, and stopped
> working when he disabled it again.
>
> I used DUH when I followed the instructions on your FAQ link. That's
> what didn't work.
>
>
>
> My friend with Verizon tells me that off the main highways, his
> Verizon phone works where Cingular phones don't. Sometimes the call
> quality is not poor, but, as he said, a poor quality call is often
^ oops, editing error, I meant "quality is poor"

> better than no call at all.
>

John Navas

2006-02-21, 5:48 pm

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In < 43f74c84$0$95935$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net> on Sat, 18 Feb 2006 08:33:53
-0800, Phil Nelson < pCUT_THiS_TEXTdn@soA
ND_THiS_TEXTnic.net> wrote:

>jay wrote:
[color=darkred]
>
>Sounds like just what I need, thanks. I will pay to go faster when I
>can afford it and believe that the value is there. Meanwhile, I guess
>9600 will be adequate for a few pings and an occasional ssh session.

You will find the latency (lag) painful for SSH.

>I Didn't know about CSD. I never would have expected to pay extra for
>data. I guess I was thinking of the cell call as analogous to my wire
>line. In the old days when the RBOCs tried to charge extra for "data
>conditioned" lines, we all thought it was gouging.
>
>I guess there is some technical basis for it, though, when I think
>about what line quality as poor as the typical cell-phone call used
>to do to the 9600 bps data.

A GSM phone has no real dialup modem, just a sort of virtual modem which
makes a connection to a carrier's IWU (Inter Working Unit), located in some
service center. The IWU has the actual modem that can make analog data calls
and/or fax calls over the PSTN (public switched telephone network). If the
carrier doesn't provide an IWU, or if your account isn't provisioned for CSD
(Circuit Switched Data), then a GSM phone cannot make data and/or fax calls.
If your account is provisioned for CSD, then all you need is to install the
phone as a modem with Windows Dial-Up Networking.

A regular dialup modem cannot be made to work over a GSM voice channel because
of the audio compression used in the GSM voice channel.

--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...less_FA
Q>

Phil Nelson

2006-02-21, 5:48 pm

John Navas wrote:
> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In < 43f74c84$0$95935$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net> on Sat, 18 Feb 2006 08:33:53
> -0800, Phil Nelson < pCUT_THiS_TEXTdn@soA
ND_THiS_TEXTnic.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
> You will find the latency (lag) painful for SSH.

Maybe it will be painful. Maybe it will bring back fond memories of the
old days, when I could just dump a document to my Hazeltine (1500?, I
can't remember) terminal and read it as it went by at 300 baud.

>
> A GSM phone has no real dialup modem, just a sort of virtual modem which
> makes a connection to a carrier's IWU (Inter Working Unit), located in some
> service center. The IWU has the actual modem that can make analog data calls
> and/or fax calls over the PSTN (public switched telephone network). If the
> carrier doesn't provide an IWU, or if your account isn't provisioned for CSD
> (Circuit Switched Data), then a GSM phone cannot make data and/or fax calls.
> If your account is provisioned for CSD, then all you need is to install the
> phone as a modem with Windows Dial-Up Networking.
>
> A regular dialup modem cannot be made to work over a GSM voice channel because
> of the audio compression used in the GSM voice channel.

You're right of course. But the expectation on the part of the customer
is predictable. Personally, I think it would be smart for Cingular to
provide some basic level of data support so people who just plug in the
"modem" expecting it to work don't have to burn three hours on the phone
with Cingular support, fail to get a useful answer, then (maybe) get an
answer on the Internet and grudgingly add another $3.99 / mo. to an
already ridiculously long and complex bill.

--
Phil Nelson

John Navas

2006-02-21, 5:48 pm

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <ecklein-95B4A6.09013518022006@news.west.earthlink.net> on Sat, 18 Feb 2006
17:01:36 GMT, Ernie Klein <ecklein@pacbell.net> wrote:

>In article < 20c39$43f7369e$97d59
86e$8547@ALLTEL.NET>,
> "jay" <someone@alltel.net> wrote:
>
>
>I didn't know that, Jay. How does one connect to Cingular's ISP using
>CSD?

See the FAQ (link below).

--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...less_FA
Q>

John Navas

2006-02-21, 5:48 pm

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In < 43f764d1$0$95926$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net> on Sat, 18 Feb 2006 10:17:31
-0800, Phil Nelson < pCUT_THiS_TEXTdn@soA
ND_THiS_TEXTnic.net> wrote:

>John Navas wrote:
>
>I guess it is possible. As I said, it worked when the Cingular tech
>enabled Data Connect service on my account temporarily, and stopped
>working when he disabled it again.

That's probably because you were using the Data Connect settings, which will
only work when Data Connect is enabled. The settings (Cingular Connection
Manager or Windows DUN) are different for MEdia Net (WAP).

>I used DUH when I followed the instructions on your FAQ link. That's
>what didn't work.

Sorry about that. Perhaps my instructions need to be made more clear.

>
>My friend with Verizon tells me that off the main highways, his
>Verizon phone works where Cingular phones don't. Sometimes the call
>quality is not poor, but, as he said, a poor quality call is often
>better than no call at all.

He's probably on AMPS (analog), which is an advantage with Verizon *if* you
need that kind of coverage. For me Cingular has advantages that outweigh the
advantages of Verizon. The tradeoff is different for different needs.

--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...less_FA
Q>

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