[ixtab]

Hi,

I am currently on AT&T and about to travel to Europe (for 1 week), I pretty much refuse to get the AT&T International BB plan (as I read that they now require you to commit to have it for 1 year!!!).

So I got a local SIM card (from a family member) with a local phone number and local data plan which I plan to use with my unlocked BB.

Now my question, since my family's SIM card does not have a BB plan I assume my AT&T BIS (and work's BES) won't work, right?

What other options (besides webmail) do I have to access my BES & BIS servers here in the states?

Is there a 3rd client email app that is POP based that I can temporarily use to pull my emails over a regular data plan?

Thanks,
Ix.

[x14]

Originally Posted by ixtab

I am currently on AT&T and about to travel to Europe (for 1 week), I pretty much refuse to get the AT&T International BB plan (as I read that they now require you to commit to have it for 1 year!!!).

I've called AT&T about international roaming and they said you can enable/disable the service when you need to. You would pay for a per byte used

Originally Posted by ixtab

Now my question, since my family's SIM card does not have a BB plan I assume my AT&T BIS (and work's BES) won't work, right?

What other options (besides webmail) do I have to access my BES & BIS servers here in the states?

BB will not work.

[John Clark]

It will work as phone and SMS but no data. If (and it's a big if) the sim card you have has a regular gprs data plan you can setup the APN for that carrier under OPtions >TCP. However, you will need that apn setting for that specific carrier. And even with this working you will only get internet access with third party browsers/applications with no push email.

[ixtab]

Thanks for all the feedback.

So if I have Gmail (app) and the Google App Mail (app) and setup the correct local APN (I know they have gprs data enabled on the SIM I'm getting) then I should be able to use the 3rd party Gmail apps right?

And assuming the BB Browser won't work, I can always use Opera 3.1.

Thanks,
Ix

[takeshi]

Should but that means "probably" and not "definitely" -- to be clear. There are certainly plent of cases documented here where people couldn't get a regular data plan working even with the correct TCP settings.

[AlexKidd]

Make sure you have all of these apps installed BEFORE you get there and swap out. Over the air installs require the BB Browser which only works through BIS or BES.

And as always, we make no promises since each carrier can be different. We'll say it "should work".

--Kidd

[monkeypaw]

Originally Posted by John Clark

It will work as phone and SMS but no data. If (and it's a big if) the sim card you have has a regular gprs data plan you can setup the APN for that carrier under OPtions >TCP. However, you will need that apn setting for that specific carrier. And even with this working you will only get internet access with third party browsers/applications with no push email.

Bump since it now applies to me. I do not want any BB services while overseas. I just want to check internet mail once in a while, and more importantly have a local phone number. So an international data or email plan isn't really an option.

2 questions:

First, if I have a sim from another country that I have used in the past to get internet on my unlocked Razr, do I understand it correctly that I can theoretically drop that into an unlocked 8320 and get data? Assuming I have the correct APN of course. I already have Opera and Google Apps installed.

2nd, websites typically list an APN plus DNS settings. Are the DNS settings changeable in the 8320 somewhere? or will the network just show up the Host Routing Table and that be enough?

Thanks.

[AlexKidd]

Originally Posted by monkeypaw

First, if I have a sim from another country that I have used in the past to get internet on my unlocked Razr, do I understand it correctly that I can theoretically drop that into an unlocked 8320 and get data? Assuming I have the correct APN of course. I already have Opera and Google Apps installed.

As long as the SIM is still valid and has GPRS data services available, you just need to configure the TCP APN settings in your BB and use those third-party apps which support using the TCP APN rather than BIS/BES connections. Built-in applications like the Blackberry e-mail and Blackberry web browser will definitely not work. And as I said before, be sure to install all of your apps before you leave, OTA installs will need the Blackberry browser. A PC with Desktop Manager can install apps though, so you can fall back to that if you can get to a PC.

Originally Posted by monkeypaw

2nd, websites typically list an APN plus DNS settings. Are the DNS settings changeable in the 8320 somewhere? or will the network just show up the Host Routing Table and that be enough?

DNS servers are typically communicated from the mobile provider to the handheld automatically during the APN handshake, so there's no need to configure them manually. On Pocket PC devices, the DNS can be manually overridden and honestly that should work as well unless a firewall is blocking access to your preferred DNS server. BB users always use the automatically assigned DNS servers, so you shouldn't need to worry there.

--Kidd

[monkeypaw]

Originally Posted by AlexKidd

As long as the SIM is still valid and has GPRS data services available, you just need to configure the TCP APN settings in your BB and use those third-party apps which support using the TCP APN rather than BIS/BES connections. Built-in applications like the Blackberry e-mail and Blackberry web browser will definitely not work. And as I said before, be sure to install all of your apps before you leave, OTA installs will need the Blackberry browser. A PC with Desktop Manager can install apps though, so you can fall back to that if you can get to a PC.



DNS servers are typically communicated from the mobile provider to the handheld automatically during the APN handshake, so there's no need to configure them manually. On Pocket PC devices, the DNS can be manually overridden and honestly that should work as well unless a firewall is blocking access to your preferred DNS server. BB users always use the automatically assigned DNS servers, so you shouldn't need to worry there.

--Kidd

Thanks. I'll report my experience after my trip but the trip isn't for several weeks. Luckily I have an 8320 Curve on Tmobile so I can swap sim cards back and sync BB email every few days at a wifi spot.

[crisambo]

Originally Posted by monkeypaw

Thanks. I'll report my experience after my trip but the trip isn't for several weeks. Luckily I have an 8320 Curve on Tmobile so I can swap sim cards back and sync BB email every few days at a wifi spot.

You already have a T-mobile BB, why not "try-out" T-mobile service, with Intl BB plan while you're on your trip overseas . . . wink, wink...

[AlexKidd]

Originally Posted by crisambo

You already have a T-mobile BB, why not "try-out" T-mobile service, with Intl BB plan while you're on your trip overseas . . . wink, wink...

He specifically says he needs a local phone number while in the international area, that's something T-Mobile can't provide.

--Kidd

[crisambo]

bump

[monkeypaw]

I asked Tmobile for the unlock code and they graciously provided it even though my first payment is not yet due on the account. I really can't say enough good things about their customer service. I even got my $50 rebate before my 1st bill closed. Very glad I made the switch from AT&T.

After unlocking, I dropped in my old pre-paid AIS Thailand sim and even the Blackberry browser will work. It took some fiddling around, but it works. The settings are browser set to the AIS Wap browser and Emulation Mode to "Openwave (WAP)". Although it may work with other emulation modes. I set TCP to "wap" which I found on some forum response as the setting for AIS Thailand WAP.

This is not a BB plan, the internet works, but no mail and no need to set up the BB on the network. I'm on OS 4.2.2.180 so maybe they've made it less restricted than before.

Opera works as well. I'm just surprised that the BB browser works since it is supposed to not work. It's not accidentally on wifi or anything either. I made sure that was shut down the couple times I tried it.

[Attila The Hun]

Originally Posted by ixtab

Hi,

I am currently on AT&T and about to travel to Europe (for 1 week), I pretty much refuse to get the AT&T International BB plan (as I read that they now require you to commit to have it for 1 year!!!).

So I got a local SIM card (from a family member) with a local phone number and local data plan which I plan to use with my unlocked BB.

Now my question, since my family's SIM card does not have a BB plan I assume my AT&T BIS (and work's BES) won't work, right?

What other options (besides webmail) do I have to access my BES & BIS servers here in the states?

Is there a 3rd client email app that is POP based that I can temporarily use to pull my emails over a regular data plan?

Thanks,
Ix.

How often do you travel? because I used my BB8820 over sea and all worked like a chime.