EM-500, T68, Internet Connection

[CTSLICK]

So here's the deal. I have an EM-500 and a T-68 with T-mobile service (1 Mb/Month data plan). I want to use the T68 for internet connectivity via the IR port but have had zero success. Do I need to use a dial up number or can I piggy back onto my data plan? Can anyone point to a step by step for my device, the stuff I have seen for the iPaq doesn't seem to do it for me. any pointers would be appreciated...thanks

[Ed Hansberry]

As soon as I get my t68 back (Friday I hope) I'll fire my EM-500 up and give it a go. Reply back by Saturday if you haven't seen anything to jog my memory to do it if no one has responded with the answer.

[CTSLICK]

As soon as I get my t68 back (Friday I hope) I'll fire my EM-500 up and give it a go. Reply back by Saturday if you haven't seen anything to jog my memory to do it if no one has responded with the answer.

Thanks Ed...this ought to be a real trip down memory lane for you.

[CTSLICK]

Hey Ed, are you willing to take a little time to see if you can get this to work now that you got your T68 back?

[Ed Hansberry]

Hey Ed, are you willing to take a little time to see if you can get this to work now that you got your T68 back?

Yup. I'll do it tonight. Just put a task on my iPAQ to remind me. :)

[Ed Hansberry]

Ok, here is the quick and dirty on getting it to work.

• Start|Settings|Connection|Modem|New Connectoin
• Select "Generic IrDA Modem"
• Leave the baud at 19,200 for now.
• Leave "advanced" alone
• Next
• Clear the country and local code. Be careful here. When you edit the connection, country and area code will be filled back in. Keep deleting it.
• Type "*99***x#" for the number and replace "x" with the CID code on your phone you are dialing. See below to figure out which one you want.
• Next
• Uncheck "Wait for dialtone"
• Finish
• Select the Dialing tab
• New
• Call it IR Dialing or something.
• Dialing Patterns
• Replace everything in all three boxes with just the letter "g"
• Connect. Don't enter any userid or password info. T-Mobile doesn't require it.

To find out your CID code, on the T68i,
• Menu
• Connect icon (middle of bottom row)
• Data Comm
• Data Accounts
• You probably want either Internet2 or Internet3. Internet3 allows VPN calls, but the EM-500 doesn't support that unless you have 3rd party software installed, so for your purposes, they are identical
• Select Internet2. See the third line - CID=2 (or whatever it is on your phone?) that means you change the x above to a 2.

If you have no networks configured, create a new one.
• Add account
• GPRS Data
• Call it whatever
• APN: make it internet3.voicestream.com
• leave the password and user ID blank.
• If that fails to work, try internet2.voicestream.com or internet.voicestream.com. I know internet3 will work but you might need to call t-Mobile to enable your account for that network as it has the VPN connection and again, that isn't of much use for the EM-500.

Once you have it working, you can play with the baud rate and see if you can get it faster. Above 56K is not meaningful because that is the limit of the GPRS network on T-Mobile right now.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

8O Ed... you are one BAD man!! 8O

You guys are starting to make me nolstalgic for my old EM500...

[CTSLICK]

Great walk through, at least I know it CAN work. Dang it...so close.

Something has to be up with my Data Accounts on T-mo

I have
iStream GPRS=CID 1
Internet2=CID 2
Internet3=CID 3
iStream CSD (no CID number)
PPC Data-CID 4 (I created this using your instructions to create an account.)

Using CID 1, I can connect but I get no throughput.

Using CID 2, 3 or 4 the sequence on my EM-500 goes, Dialing, User Authenticated, Connected. On the T-68 is says Connecting but as soon as my EM-500 says User Authenticated the T-68 says Wrong Access Point Name (APN).

So unless you have any other ideas I guess I'll give T-mo a call and see what the deal is.

Thanks again

[Ed Hansberry]

Using CID 2, 3 or 4 the sequence on my EM-500 goes, Dialing, User Authenticated, Connected. On the T-68 is says Connecting but as soon as my EM-500 says User Authenticated the T-68 says Wrong Access Point Name (APN).
Use 2 - that is the most common. And yeah, call T-Mobile and tell them you need to talk to someone about connecting your Pocket PC to the internet through the T68. They have a whole group that does that and they will know exactly what needs to be changed on their side to allow the APN to work.

[CTSLICK]

Ed,

I had to change my data account. I was using TZones, their 1MB/month wap services. To do data on the PPC you have to have an internet data account, the lowest level is a 2MB/month for $9.99. So I had them re-arrange my account and am waiting for the change to "propagate" through the system...then I'll test it out. The T-mo data rep complemented you on your setup guide. Your advice was like reading out of their manual 8) Thanks again for all your help.

[Ed Hansberry]

Cool! :way to go: You'll enjoy it. Just watch the data transfers. Your T68 will keep up with it.

[Janak Parekh]

Yes - make sure to get Spb's GPRS monitor, especially if you have only 2MB.

--janak

[CTSLICK]

No doubt I will have to keep track of my usage! I used up about 100k just checking it out last night. Stupid me left the images on :( Got those turned off now so it should be a little better.

Connection speed is decent, I can use Yahoo's mobile site without much delay. I even checked out PocketPCThoughts.com last night, pretty good mobile edition.

I just signed up for the 2MB plan to check it out. If this turns out to be truly functional then I think I might up my plan to 10MB. I'll probably push down my voice minutes to keep my monthly bill somewhat manageable. :roll:

[CTSLICK]

Yes - make sure to get Spb's GPRS monitor, especially if you have only 2MB.

--janak

Janak,

Sadly Spb GPRS Monitor is is for PPC 2002 and Phone Edition only... :( I know my EM-500 is getting a little old but its still functional and actually serves me quite well. The only thing that is really compelling me to move to a newer device is software...BAH! $350 device so I can buy $20 software. Will the madness never end!!

[Janak Parekh]

Sadly Spb GPRS Monitor is is for PPC 2002 and Phone Edition only... :(
:cry: Forgot about the fact that PPC 2000 doesn't have the noficiation area. Sorry.

Will the madness never end!!
Nope. Tell me one area of technology where madness doesn't exist. ;)

--janak

[CTSLICK]

Sadly Spb GPRS Monitor is is for PPC 2002 and Phone Edition only... :(
:cry: Forgot about the fact that PPC 2000 doesn't have the noficiation area. Sorry.

Will the madness never end!!
Nope. Tell me one area of technology where madness doesn't exist. ;)

--janak

It gets worse, I cannot find ANY GPRS monitors that will work on PPC2000. Can that be right?

[Janak Parekh]

It gets worse, I cannot find ANY GPRS monitors that will work on PPC2000. Can that be right?
Yeah, I think so. :(

--janak

[vassiliphilippov]

The technology that is used by all existing GPRS Monitors uses API function that are not supported by Pocket PC 2000. It seems that it technically impossible to create a connectio monitor for Pocket PC 2000.

Vassili Philippov
Spb Software House

[Ed Hansberry]

The technology that is used by all existing GPRS Monitors uses API function that are not supported by Pocket PC 2000. It seems that it technically impossible to create a connectio monitor for Pocket PC 2000.
Just to let you know, Vassili is THE man when it comes to GPRS Monitor. :werenotworthy:

[CTSLICK]

Well that settles it then. Thanks for the additional info gentlemen. I guess I'll just use the Data counter on my T68 to try and keep track of usage.