T-Mobile cellular service - ActiveSync over air charges

Author

ActiveSync over air charges

edavid3001@gmail.com

2006-12-10, 12:33 pm

How does t-mobile charge for ActiveSync over the air? I do not have a
data plan. I have an SDA that has WIFI. When configuring the firewall
at work to allow ActiveSync over the air, I noticed when I was syncing
that it would sometimes sync from my WIFI connection, and sometimes via
T-Mobile's proxy.

Normally I don't get any data access since I don't have a data plan,
however I can activesync with WIFI turned off. The online site shows
my text messages, but shows no charges/activity for Activesync on the
current pending month. I don't want to be surprised at the end of the
month.

Do they charge a flat data rate for those without a data package?

Todd Allcock

2006-12-11, 4:33 am

At 10 Dec 2006 09:10:03 -0800 edavid3001@gmail.com wrote:
> How does t-mobile charge for ActiveSync over the air? I do not have a
> data plan.

You are unintentionally exploiting a temporary "hole" in T-Mo's data
system right now.

T-Mo has essentially left the proverbial barn door open and all T-Mo
accounts can access data over their system.

> Normally I don't get any data access since I don't have a data plan,
> however I can activesync with WIFI turned off.

Enjoy it while it lasts. You should also have access to web-browsing and
POP/IMAP e-mail as well.

> The online site shows
> my text messages, but shows no charges/activity for Activesync on the
> current pending month.

No T-Mo data plans are metered- they're all unlimited, so T-Mo generally
doesn't report data usage, just as a buffet restaurant bill doesn't show
what you ate!

> I don't want to be surprised at the end of the
> month.

You won't be.

> Do they charge a flat data rate for those without a data package?
>
No- those without a data plan (normally) do not have any data access,
other than T-Mo's limited WAP "garden" with account info and
ringtone/wallpaper "store."

Sven Golly

2006-12-14, 4:33 am

Todd Allcock < elecconnec@AmericaOn
Line.com> wrote in news:elj471$hge$1
@aioe.org:

> system right now.
>
> T-Mo has essentially left the proverbial barn door open and all T-Mo
> accounts can access data over their system.

I don't think it's quite that way but close. You can do almost everything
with T-Zones that you can with the full data plan. I don't think T-Zones
supports direct POP3/SMTP though. AFAKI, you have to go through TM's IMAP
connector to your POP3 account. But it supports up to 3 POP accounts so I
ain't complaining.

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Todd Allcock

2006-12-14, 12:33 pm

At 14 Dec 2006 06:22:00 +0000 Sven Golly wrote:
>
> I don't think it's quite that way but close. You can do almost
> everything
> with T-Zones that you can with the full data plan. I don't think T-
> Zones
> supports direct POP3/SMTP though. AFAKI, you have to go through TM's
> IMAP
> connector to your POP3 account. But it supports up to 3 POP accounts so
>I
> ain't complaining.

Sounds like we're talking about two different things right now- first, T-
Zones (actually I've been corrected- it's now called "T-Mobile Web")
does offers full IMAP, POP and SMTP support. I use nothing but my WinMo
phone's e-mail client with 4 IMAP accounts, a POP account, and a "push" e-
mail account. However, if your POP mail provider doesn't allow access to
their SMTP server from "foreign" servers (like T-Mo) then you'd have to
use the connector you described because T-Mo doesn't provide their own
SMTP server AFAIK.

Second, the situation I pointed out above is a temporary one that exists
right now- T-Mo has apparently stopped authenticating accounts on their
WAP apn these last ouple of weeks, so it's a "free ride" (albeit a slow
one- speed has dropped 50%) on T-Mo data for any T-Mo customer who can
disable the T-Mo proxy on their phone.

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Sven Golly

2006-12-15, 10:33 pm

Todd Allcock < elecconnec@AmericaOn
Line.com> wrote in news:4581844a$0$1544
1
$88260bb3@free.teranews.com:

> Second, the situation I pointed out above is a temporary one that exists
> right now- T-Mo has apparently stopped authenticating accounts on their
> WAP apn these last ouple of weeks, so it's a "free ride" (albeit a slow
> one- speed has dropped 50%) on T-Mo data for any T-Mo customer who can
> disable the T-Mo proxy on their phone.

Any pointers to doing this?

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Sven Golly

2006-12-15, 10:33 pm

Todd Allcock < elecconnec@AmericaOn
Line.com> wrote in
news:4581844a$0$1544
1$88260bb3@free.teranews.com:

> Sounds like we're talking about two different things right now-
> first, T- Zones (actually I've been corrected- it's now called
> "T-Mobile Web")
> does offers full IMAP, POP and SMTP support.

I have just the basic T-MobileWeb (described below). Are you sure you
can setup a direct POP account with it?

http://www.gruups.com/tzones/

What are all the different T-MobileWeb (the new T-Zones) Plans.

T-Zones (free) - Shouldn't be called T-Zones. Just gives you access to
an e-commerce store to buy ringtones, wallpapers and games from t-
mobile. Nothing else, and is the reason why the service I've writting
about is now called T-MobileWeb and not T-Zones any more

T-MobileWeb ($5.99/Month) What we are talking about in this article. It
gives you access to Every website on the internet (even secure ones
through HTTPS), Also gives you access to your POP3 Email (this is also
shown in this article)

T-MobileWeb Pro ($9.99) - Same as the "unlimited" plan but ads access to
Emails servers without having to go through the myemail.t-mobile.com
gateway (maybe even Exchange synchronization)

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Todd Allcock

2006-12-15, 10:33 pm

At 15 Dec 2006 22:50:09 +0100 Sven Golly wrote:
>
> Any pointers to doing this?

Not any good ones- high end "smart" phones can pull it off (my T-Mo MDA,
for example) and my unlocked AT&T-branded Nokia 3620 can for example (in
fact, it took me an hour to figure out where to PUT the proxy on that
phone to get T-Zones to work in the first place!)

My lower-end phones don't seem to have a proxy setting (Nok 3120, 6610,
6010) so those are stuck w/limited T-Mo Web.

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Todd Allcock

2006-12-15, 10:33 pm

At 15 Dec 2006 22:57:05 +0100 Sven Golly wrote:

> I have just the basic T-MobileWeb (described below). Are you sure you
> can setup a direct POP account with it?
>
> http://www.gruups.com/tzones/
>
Excellent page, BTW.

In all fairness, I can't confirm nor deny. Upon checking my account info
online, I actually have the old $4.99 "T-Zones" (which indeed does have
unlimited POP/IMAP/SMTP access) not the current $5.99 T-Mobile Web. Back
in those days, however, there was a $9.99 "T-Zones Pro", which purported
to add "corporate e-mail" which no one at T-Mo CS (when I signed up)
could explain how that differed from the $4.99 package except to say it
had "something to do with Lotus mail."

I suspect, however, that the T-Mobile Web plan has POP/IMAP, since the
HoFo'ers haven't screamed otherwise, and many have used their unused
POP/IMAP ports to "tunnel" to their own personal proxy servers on their
home PCs to bypass the limitations of T-Mo's proxy (mostly the 1MB file
download limit.)

If you want to test it, go ahead and try to access your e-mail when
tethered, or go to AOL and get a free IMAP account (in your settings use
imap.aol.com and smtp.aol.com for your servers, check the "use
authentication" box for SMTP and give it a whirl.

Also, it's interesting to note, back when I signed up for T-Zones, no
proxy was necessary, because port 80 (the http port) was open but https
DIDN'T work. After they put the proxy in, https worked through the
proxy, so IMHO, the 1MB download limit was a worthwhile trade for https
access. (Frankly, even with EDGE, large downloads are no picnic, but
it's nice not having to use a dial-up ISP over 9.6kbps CSD to do https
online banking like I used to have to!) ;-)

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Sven Golly

2006-12-16, 10:33 pm

Todd Allcock < elecconnec@AmericaOn
Line.com> wrote in news:45833358$0$1543
5
$88260bb3@free.teranews.com:

> Not any good ones- high end "smart" phones can pull it off (my T-Mo MDA,
> for example) and my unlocked AT&T-branded Nokia 3620 can for example (in
> fact, it took me an hour to figure out where to PUT the proxy on that
> phone to get T-Zones to work in the first place!)
>

I have a T-Mobile SDA. Similar to the MDA but without the keyboard.

--
Sven Golly
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Todd Allcock

2006-12-17, 12:33 pm

At 17 Dec 2006 03:05:31 +0000 Sven Golly wrote:

> I have a T-Mobile SDA. Similar to the MDA but without the keyboard.
>
Your menus are a little different, I told, but in the MDA's "connections"
app, you edit the "T-Mobile Data" connection and uncheck the "this
network uses a proxy server to connect to the internet" box under the
"Set up my proxy server" menu.

Alernatively, you can create a new connection (I called mine "Free T-
Zones") and don't enter a proxy- just specify the wap.voicestream.com APN
and leave everything else blank.

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Sven Golly

2006-12-18, 10:33 pm

Todd Allcock < elecconnec@AmericaOn
Line.com> wrote in news:458577cd$0$1542
1
$88260bb3@free.teranews.com:

> Your menus are a little different, I told, but in the MDA's "connections"
> app, you edit the "T-Mobile Data" connection and uncheck the "this
> network uses a proxy server to connect to the internet" box under the
> "Set up my proxy server" menu.
>
> Alernatively, you can create a new connection (I called mine "Free T-
> Zones") and don't enter a proxy- just specify the wap.voicestream.com APN
> and leave everything else blank.

I'll give it a shot to see what happens.

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edavid3001@gmail.com

2006-12-20, 10:33 am

I have a T-Mobile SDA with NO data plans of any type. Not the
unlimited, not T-Mobile web, nothing.

I can surf the Internet via GRPS (is that the right term?) though in
the past I have not been able to.

This is great, as long as T-Mobile doesn't come back and try to charge
me for this. I'll fight that. I have 802.11 on the SDA and I have
access to WIFI in the places I use my phone.

My concern was that while configuring the firewall at work for
ActiveSync over the air I had noticed that my traffic was coming from
both the WIFI network's IP address as well as t-Mobiles. While WIFI
was enabled. That caused some grief as I'd only opened up ActiveSync
to the work's IP address, initially.

Anyway, it would be nice if they would leave it this way. Even if I
only get 5Kb/s, it be nice to be included on the plan. I just can't
see paying $30/mo per phone to get Internet access while I am also
paying $70/mo for cable and Internet.

Todd Allcock

2006-12-20, 3:33 pm

At 20 Dec 2006 06:53:06 -0800 edavid3001@gmail.com wrote:
> I have a T-Mobile SDA with NO data plans of any type. Not the
> unlimited, not T-Mobile web, nothing.
>
> I can surf the Internet via GRPS (is that the right term?) though in
> the past I have not been able to.

It's (I assume) a temporary situation while T-Mo does some upgrading.
This happened once a few years ago and lasted a couple of months.

> This is great, as long as T-Mobile doesn't come back and try to charge
> me for this.

No, it'll just stop working one day.

> Anyway, it would be nice if they would leave it this way. Even if I
> only get 5Kb/s, it be nice to be included on the plan.

I wouldn't count on it! ;-)

> I just can't
> see paying $30/mo per phone to get Internet access while I am also
> paying $70/mo for cable and Internet.
>

How about $6/month? Just sign up for "T-Mobile Web." It allows Exchange
sync and e-mail plus web-browsing via a T-Mo proxy server-
216.155.165.50:8080. It's the best value in mobile data.

BTW, there's a T-Mo usenet group at alt.cellular.t-mobile now if you
didn't know. Ask your news provider to carry it if they don't. The
Voicestream group has been getting progressively quieter these days! ;-)

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edavid3001@gmail.com

2006-12-20, 10:33 pm

>>BTW, there's a T-Mo usenet group at alt.cellular.t-mobile now if you[color=darkred]

I have asked Google several times, but they refused to add it. I can
read via my NNTP account from my ISP, but that account is read only.

Sven Golly

2006-12-21, 4:33 am

edavid3001@gmail.com wrote in news:1166651472.566187.144250
@n67g2000cwd.googlegroups.com:

> I have asked Google several times, but they refused to add it. I can
> read via my NNTP account from my ISP, but that account is read only.

Yeah well I have people who post from GG almost killfilled. Not quite but
almost. Seems to me that 75% of their posts are spam or drivel. Not yours
but 75%. So my killfile rule for GG posters is set to -7500.

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Sven Golly

2006-12-21, 10:33 pm

Todd Allcock < elecconnec@AmericaOn
Line.com> wrote in
news:458577cd$0$1542
1$88260bb3@free.teranews.com:

>
> Alernatively, you can create a new connection (I called mine "Free T-
> Zones") and don't enter a proxy- just specify the wap.voicestream.com
> APN and leave everything else blank.

Is this under Settings / Connections / GPRS?? I have T-Mobile GPRS in
there already and that's the way it's already set up.

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Todd Allcock

2006-12-21, 10:33 pm

At 22 Dec 2006 02:48:08 +0100 Sven Golly wrote:

> Is this under Settings / Connections / GPRS?? I have T-Mobile GPRS in
> there already and that's the way it's already set up.
>

As I said, the MDA and SDA are different. I can create a gazillion
different "Connections" on the MDA and select which to use. (Most likely
a holdover from the days PPC's didn't have phones built-in. On prior
PPCs I had different settings for dial-up ISPs in different cities,
settings for connecting through cellphones via bluetooth or IR, etc.

So, on the MDA I have two different "networks" set up- one without the
proxy and one with.

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Sven Golly

2006-12-23, 10:33 pm

Todd Allcock < elecconnec@AmericaOn
Line.com> wrote in news:458b4240$0$1550
2
$88260bb3@free.teranews.com:

> As I said, the MDA and SDA are different. I can create a gazillion
> different "Connections" on the MDA and select which to use.

On the SDA, there are about 6 different Connection types including
Bluetooth, IRDA, WiFI, GPRS, Phone, Modem etc. each of which can have
multiple connections.

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Todd Allcock

2006-12-24, 4:33 am

At 24 Dec 2006 00:14:52 +0100 Sven Golly wrote:

>
> On the SDA, there are about 6 different Connection types including
> Bluetooth, IRDA, WiFI, GPRS, Phone, Modem etc. each of which can have
> multiple connections.

Then I assume you'd create a GPRS connection with the wap.voicestream.com
apn and no proxy.

Sven Golly

2006-12-26, 4:33 am

Todd Allcock < elecconnec@AmericaOn
Line.com> wrote in news:eml8pa$ivq$1
@aioe.org:

> Then I assume you'd create a GPRS connection with the wap.voicestream.com
> apn and no proxy.

OK, so I'm already set up that way. :-)

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