T-Mobile Data Plans Suddenly Stop Working

[Jerry Raia]

http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkontherun/2007/02/tmobile_data_pl.html

"I have been using a T-Mobile Dash Windows Mobile 5 smartphone for almost a week now and enjoying the seamless web integration that T-Mobile has put into the Dash. Push email, the T-Zones connectivity, even web browsing on the Dash has been a real joy. I have especially liked using the Mobile Google Reader to keep up with my RSS feeds when free time makes itself available. Until this morning, that is. Sometime this morning I lost all ability to connect to the web. Nothing is working, I get various error messages indicating the server is unavailable."

Have any of you experienced this? If you read the blog article it is theorized T Mobile is trying to stop people who are abusing their system. In the process they are snagging legitimate customers in the net. I hope this is not the case.

[Jerry Raia]

http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkontherun/2007/02/tmobile_data_pl.html

"I have been using a T-Mobile Dash Windows Mobile 5 smartphone for almost a week now and enjoying the seamless web integration that T-Mobile has put into the Dash. Push email, the T-Zones connectivity, even web browsing on the Dash has been a real joy. I have especially liked using the Mobile Google Reader to keep up with my RSS feeds when free time makes itself available. Until this morning, that is. Sometime this morning I lost all ability to connect to the web. Nothing is working, I get various error messages indicating the server is unavailable."

Have any of you experienced this? If you read the blog article it is theorized T Mobile is trying to stop people who are abusing their system. In the process they are snagging legitimate customers in the net. I hope this is not the case.

[Kris Kumar]

Yeah, looks like T-Mobile is finally shutting down the loop-hole that had enabled people with ~$5 data plans to get complete net access. I think it is a good move. While I was a customer of T-Mobile I was a bit upset because as a legit $20 data plan customer, the service I was getting was the same as what a $5 customer would get. :?

Anyway, for legit folks who are affected by T-Mobile's fix, check out this update by JK:

Originally Posted by jkOnTheRun

"UPDATE: I spoke with T-Mobile tech support and they confirmed they made security updates to their network and that feature codes (SOCKS) were changed as part of that upgrade. She was able to reset my account (T-Mobile Internet) remotely and told me it would take up to 48 hours for the change to take affect. She admitted that the "security updates" were to prevent unauthorized data connections and that they had knocked customers off the grid. She also stated that tech support intervention is required for existing customers to get this resolved on a customer by customer basis.

She had me turn my Dash off while she made the change to my account and when I turned it back on everything was back to working normally, including all web stuff like email, exchange server sync, TZones, etc."

[Pete Paxton]

Well, I just checked my Tmo data connection and everything is fine. I also tested my exchange connection and it appears to be ok. Wonder why some have been affected and others have not? I have the "Total Internet" plan. I wonder if the plan I have makes a difference?

[Kris Kumar]

Ideally the folks with Total Internet plan should not have been affected. The lock down was meant for non-Total Internet plans. So it is good that you are not affected.

[Mark Larson]

Originally Posted by Kris Kumar

Yeah, looks like T-Mobile is finally shutting down the loop-hole that had enabled people with ~$5 data plans to get complete net access. I think it is a good move. While I was a customer of T-Mobile I was a bit upset because as a legit $20 data plan customer, the service I was getting was the same as what a $5 customer would get. :?

You must have a small heart, to wish ill upon people. Why didn't you sign up for the $5 plan then? Don't blame the rest for your own foolishness.

Some of us are with T-Mobile for cheap data. They don't have good phones, they got rid of their competitive family plan, and instead of building out 3G, they're focussing on stupid sh*t like MyFaves.

I will probably be taking my business to Sprint or Cingular because my only motivation for being with T-Mobile is gone. I don't want to sign another 2 year contract (up for renewal this month) to find out that they downgrade my access or remove features that I've taken for granted a few months down the line.

I am completely OK with them removing tethering access for people with the $5 plan, but $30 is too much to pay for using slow internet.

To me, T-MobileWeb implies that I should be able to use the Internet on my phone to the fullest, including gmail.

[Mike Temporale]

Originally Posted by Mark Larson

You must have a small heart, to wish ill upon people. Why didn't you sign up for the $5 plan then? Don't blame the rest for your own foolishness.

Wait a second - Kris is using the right plan for the job, and you're saying he should have signed up for the cheaper plan and stole access instead? And because he didn't do that, he's foolish? :roll:

[Jerry Raia]

Originally Posted by Mike Temporale

Wait a second - Kris is using the right plan for the job, and you're saying he should have signed up for the cheaper plan and stole access instead? And because he didn't do that, he's foolish? :roll:

Yeah that is pretty thin thinking.

[tjl129]

the main reason I've stayed with tmobile is because of their cheaper data ($5.00) plan. now granted it may not have been intended for smartphone users, if they remove that cingular is looking like a better choice for me. I wouldn't put it past tmobile to think that they left loopholes like this open to drive up the number of subscribers, but then again maybe I am just cynical

[Tim Williamson]

You really can't beat T-Mo as far as prices go (for data and voice), even if they shutdown the T-Zones loophole they still have the $20 Blackberry Plan that people can use for data (unless they close that loophole too), this is $10 cheaper than the closest competitor.

I'm in the Sacramento, CA area and at this moment I'm still getting full internet with T-Zones.

[tjl129]

I am in San Diego and still getting full internet access on the tzones plan. my contact ended last month so it might be time to shop for a new carrier soon.