GPRS & EDGE II - This time it's a summary

[tuscanhills]

The aim of this thread is to try to distil the vast amount of information that's been given in other threads about how to get on line using mobile/cell phone technology. The original thread (http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/cost-living-utility-services/2801-gprs-edge.html) was started some time ago & has developed and expanded as technology has changed and as new airtime deals have come and gone.

I’ve tried to keep terminology international but if I move off into comparisons with the UK, my apologies!

1. What is does not cover is:
2. What this will cover:
3. Terminology
4. Considerations
5. What hardware is needed
6. What software is needed
7. What else is needed
8. Who provides the services to allow you to dial up?
9. Network coverage
10. How much does it cost?
11. Problems

What is does not cover is:
I'm only wanting to summarise my & others' experiences with mobile connectivity so I don't plan to cover:
- How to get on line using dial up
- How to get on line using broadband
- How to get on line using satellite

What this will cover:
- A quick walk through some of the terminology used
- Some important considerations you should make before committing to any of this
- What bits of kit are needed to dial up (hardware, software or services)
- Who provides the necessary services to allow you to dial up
- How to get connected using a data card as a modem
- How to get connected using a mobile/cell phone as a modem
- What problems you may encounter when trying to get this sorted

Terminology
There is a wide & sometimes bewildering array of terminology that’s needed to be understood/appreciated before entering into this field. Understanding them will help when describing your wants/problems or experiences.

• 3G, 3.5G, 4G etc.. – these are terms that define the speed of a service providers’ network & let you know who fast your surfing will be. There are many & numerous but 2G is like dial up, 3G is faster(!) and 3.5G & above is like broadband
• Access point - a device (usually a modem) that connects your laptop the internet ie you can connect to a broadband connection at an internet café using their access point.
• APN - An Access Point Name. This is really the account & password that gets you on-line.
• EDGE – This is a 2G connection and you’ll experience speeds a bit like dial up. The hierarchy of connections run a bit like this: GSM -> GPRS -> EDGE -> UMTS -> HSDPA
• GPRS – This is a 2G connection and you’ll experience speeds a bit like dial up
• Hot spot – Another Access Point, but tends to be in a public place like a shopping arcade/mall or airport.
• HSDPA - This is a broadband speed connection using a SIM card.
• SIM – This is the card that’s put in the back of your mobile/cell phone and contains your network data, as well as some other data like contacts etc..
• UMTS – This is a broadband speed connection using a SIM card.
• USB – Universal Serial Bus. It’s actually a means of connecting lots of things (camera, printer etc..) to your PC but when I use it in this post, I am referring to the cable that connects your mobile / cell phone to your laptop.

Considerations
There are some obvious considerations you should make when looking to get connected:

• Do you need to use mobile technology? Are there other alternatives (dial up, broadband, internet cafes or wi-fi over banda larga)?
• Do you need a new SIM; I started off with just the one that I also used for voice, but switching between the two was a pain and I missed a number of calls as I was dialled up. I’d recommend you get two; it’s easier (one for voice and a dedicated one for data) and not too expensive.
• Who much do you want to spend? It is possible to get this all set up in your home country & “hand the expense” of roaming charges etc… I’d recommend buying an Italian SIM, arranging an Italian data top-up & keeping the costs to a minimum,
• Which service provider offers you the best signal strength?
• If you’re a traveller, rather than a resident, do a trial at home to sort out the technology, before travelling to Italy. It’s better to pay a bit more by testing the technology, connection & password set up at home, than fussing about it abroad!

What hardware is needed:
The hardware need is fairly simple but the numerous acronymns and terms can be confusing, so in the most simple terms, you will need:

• A Computer; simple and obvious but necessary. Now I know that this could not only be a laptop but also a PDA, Blackberry etc.. however these have built in capability for 'surfing and mails' so have been excluded (Thanks NickZ)
• A modem; this can be a mobile/cell phone or a data card. A non-landline solution is great for many living “in the sticks” as most either don’t have broadband connections and others find the cost of getting a telephone line put in prohibitive. A mobile or cell phone solution is quick, relatively cheap and also more flexible than a landline. The modem will allow your PC to ‘talk’ to the internet and will do the same thing as the phone wire out the back of your desktop PC. There are two types of modems on offer: A mobile phone (that connects to your PC by a cable or by Bluetooth); or a data card that slots into the PCMCIA slot of a laptop; this is in effect the computer’s mobile phone.

What software is needed
None, usually part of mobile or data card. If not, Windows has a number of wizards to guide you in how to set up a connection. If not, most mobile phones now come with software that will help with the set up

What else is needed
There's only a few more things that are needed & these are key:

• SIM card; these are simple & easy to get hold of & only need you to present your passport to the vendor. The cost of data is much cheaper in Italy than in the UK.
• Data allowance; this is either part of a contract or a top-up bought in a shop.

How to prepare your PC
There are a number of things that you might want to do to get your PC “mobile friendly”.

• Shop locally and get them to set it up; most geeky shop
  assistants are more than happy to help & demonstrate their technological prowess!
• Consider that technology will always improve to try to buy the fastest, most recent technology. It will last longer!
• Consider how you surf; if you go to sites that have a lot of pictures, video or such flashy things, then this will slow it down. There are a number of sites that have a TEXT ONLY option that give you all the same information, but without he pictures or graphics
• Turn off your virus checker; this often starts ‘looking’ for updates automatically and slows things down
• You might also like to consider limiting the size of emails that a re downloaded. Outlook can be configured to check the size of mails before downloading and if there above a set size (you define the size) it can then put a block on downloading it immediately…..you chose whether and when to download it. This is great if you’re always being sent huge jokes/videos etc..
• I had been using a work laptop to had to configure my Outlook so that it wasn’t trying to synch everything (names, calendar etc..)

Who provides the services to allow you to dial up?
There are a number of providers, each offering a wide range of packages, deals & download limits/times

• 3 - 3 was the first mobile operator to offer 3G services (UMTS) and in 2006, announced the first launch of (HSDPA) in May 2006 launched the Digital Mobile TV with the DVB-H technology
• TIM - TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile) is Telecom Italia's mobile phone brand, and runs a GSM, EDGE, UMTS and HSDPA network in Italy
• Vodafone - Vodafone Italia (former Omnitel Pronto- Italia) and uses GSM technology; it is presently rolling out an UMTS network.
• Wind - Wind currently runs a GSM (900/1800/E900), GPRS, EDGE and UMTS (videocall and mobile broadband) network. While the GSM/GPRS network is available almost everywhere, EDGE and UMTS are available in most cities, but they're still expanding, expecially in the countryside. The HSDPA network is under development, and it will be switched on during 2007.

Finding out signal strength is obviously very important & for that it’s best & simplest to just talk to your neighbours who will know which networks get the best reception in your area.

Who offers the best deal will obviously change and depend upon which network offers you the best signal. This will change but key considerations are:

• Contract or pay as you go? – Yes, the perennial question! Contract offers more data but can tie you in, PAYG is flexible but requires top-ups. For reference, however abbonamenti = contract & prepagato = PAYG
• Reception – This relates to both how good your signal strength is & also whether you can get GPRS or EDGE or whatever technology. When you’re looking in store, you may get a very fast connection, but in the back of beyond, the story may be less satisfying.
• Time constraints – Some providers only allow access a defined periods (ie off-peak)
• Duration – Most PAYG options are time limited to 30 days
• Download volume – These are defined in gigabytes and tell you how much data you can transfer; if you intend to just look at webpages, then most will be fine but if you want to watch YouTube, then you may need to have more weighty packages!

Most service providers allow you to check your data allowance however, either online or via dialling a specific number.

Network coverage
There are sites that help with this: TIM & a more general one here, any more????

How much does it cost?
Based on my own experience (ie no recommendations, caveat emptor, other products are available etc…) the costs broke down thus:

• Laptop - £0 (had it already)
• Data card - £20-40 (I got mine from eBay)
• SIM card - €30 (the card was not a problem as I had it already, but needed to top it up with TIM’s Maxxi Facile 24x7)
• Blood, sweat & tears – Endless!

Problems
There are numerous problmes I've experience, but in the main they come down to only a few root causes:

• APN is not set correctly; these vary with network providers and if you have bought your data card/phone separately from your SIM, then you should make sure they are set correctly. There’s a useful site that will allow you to do this (http://www.taniwha.org.uk/gprs.html)
• Connection keeps dropping. This is usually a result of poor signal strength or no credit/data allowance!

Thanks
The list is very long but a number of members have provided me with a stack of help:

• GlenB
• DerekL
• Rob
• NickZ
• Cassini

So thanks to them……

[NickZ]

Originally Posted by tuscanhills

[*]A Computer; simple and obvious but necessary

Actually it depends on what you need the connection for.

For some people a smart phone might be enough. Or maybe a PDA. Others will want a full blown computer but for just email and light surfing some people will manage with less.

Also people need to make sure the phone/modem they buy supports the highest speed [service type] they are considering.

[pigro]

Originally Posted by tuscanhills

The hierarchy of connections run a bit like this: GPS -> GRPS -> EDGE -> UMTS -> HSDPA

For completeness (not nit-picking, honest!!) I think you probably meant:

GSM -> GPRS -> EDGE -> UMTS -> HSDPA ??

Excellent & highly useful summary. Some possible additions you may consider:

1) I suspect many readers may buy a second hand, unlocked data card from ebay (and therefore without much in the way of documentation) the less tech-savvy may have some difficulty setting up APN's etc. There was a software tool called Multinet from a company called DigiNext - a free download which works on the Vodafone connect card & acts as a connection manager - it shows all available roaming networks wherever you are anywhere in the world, and automatically sets the APN info for whichever one you select. Also has more & better diagnostics for if/when things go wrong, and a number of (paid-for) plugins which can do some more fancy stuff.Their own website IQonn® just has a holding page at present referring to a forthcoming new product but google "multinet download" will get you plenty of d/l sites for the old product. I don't actually use it normally (my Voda s/w works fine and is easier day to day) but they can both co-exist quite happily on the same PC, so may be another tool in the box for a few unnlucky souls with problems they cant solve alone, or for international jet setters with the need to connect in other locations than just Italy .

2) for the "how much does it cost" section, a precis of the main Italian Network provider PAYG bundles and their key T's & C's would be very useful for new users coming to this thread fresh ... I suspect most of them will, at least initially, dabble with a PAYG sim to verify that they have installed their h/w correctly, that they can get connected, and to check signal strength/speeds etc. before they sign up for any fixed contract. Also, many (like me) will be holiday home owners for whom PAYG is the only sensible solution regardless from a cost perspective. The data bundle & costs are usually reasonably understandable from the providers websites, however the small print in the T's & C's is often a nightmare for the uninitiated and for those with little/no italian, so a basic guide for initial SIM costs, recharge methods, data costs outwith "bundle", any limits/expiry on promotions and general coverage/customer Service feedback would probably be of use. Whether you have time to do so without it becoming a nightmare is of course a different matter (and I'm not volunteering )

3) Links to the coverage maps for the operators would be nice. I'll kick off with GSM Roaming - Italy as a "starter for 10" but there are probably many better sites out there.

once again, thanks for the good work, hope the feedback is taken constructively (I have no idea what's been going on on the forum recently but there appears to be some in-fighting or personal issues amongst some of the more regular contributors, and I don't want to annoy/offend anyone)

[adriatica]

the button seems too easy... so i will just say that obviously an impressive amount of work... its good to see that someone has this degree of interest and is prepared to do an awful lot of work to present it well

thankyou...well done and i dont understand a word... joke ... from your good start i will maybe get to terms with it all

[Cassini]

Excellent work by Tuscanhills just want to add a little Macintosh info. Very few macs will accept a data card therefore the options are a mobile phone or a usb modem with appropriate software eg Globetrotter Icon with Novamedia Launch to Net software.

[TimandPatAllen]

Excellent work - really helpful.

I used the original thread to set up a second hand laptop with a Nokia phone, and Vodafone Italian PAYG SIM card and it works well enough for the short periods we are in Italy at the moment. Obviously, broadband landline is going to be easier and more convenient if you can afford it but to just send and receive e-mails, my set up is fine.

I would just say a couple more things. I have a Samsung mobile here at home (the black one that slides up to answer - can't remember the model number) and had intended just to change the SIM card when I was in Italy. I found though that the Samsung software supplied with the phone and the connecting lead completely messed up the laptop software and required Windows XP to be re-installed (twice!). Consequently, I got hold of a bog-standard Nokia and it worked perfectly first time. I haven't yet used it as a phone(!) but it does give me the option of a mobile that isn't roaming if I want.

Having got the Nokia, I then decided to use Bluetooth (which was built in to both phone and laptop to connect them. I find Bluetooth pretty fiddly and needing quite a lot of setting up and pushing of buttons to allow the connection to be made. It may be that I just don't use it often enough and I'm probably traditional enough to feel more confident with a bit of wire connecting the two than the magic of wireless. Once the connections are made however, they seem pretty robust.

Having said all that, I think the slowest part of the set up is actually the laptop itself whic is an elderly Pentium 3 I think, but it allows us to watch DVD's satisfactorily.

Thanks again to those who distiled the original thread. This one looks as though it could run and run as well!

Tim

[NickZ]

The bit for Macs can apply to PC users to. Check and make sure what ever you choose fits the machine.

[David&Chris]

Quote....

Excellent & highly useful summary. Some possible additions you may consider:

2) for the "how much does it cost" section, a precis of the main Italian Network provider PAYG bundles and their key T's & C's would be very useful for new users coming to this thread fresh ... I suspect most of them will, at least initially, dabble with a PAYG sim to verify that they have installed their h/w correctly, that they can get connected, and to check signal strength/speeds etc. before they sign up for any fixed contract. Also, many (like me) will be holiday home owners for whom PAYG is the only sensible solution regardless from a cost perspective. The data bundle & costs are usually reasonably understandable from the providers websites, however the small print in the T's & C's is often a nightmare for the uninitiated and for those with little/no italian, so a basic guide for initial SIM costs, recharge methods, data costs outwith "bundle", any limits/expiry on promotions and general coverage/customer Service feedback would probably be of use. Whether you have time to do so without it becoming a nightmare is of course a different matter (and I'm not volunteering )

End quote...

Hi

I can add details of the TIM PAYG services as I use one of these...

TIM offer good coverage (supposed to be the best in Italy) of EDGE, UMTS & HSDPA.

Their PAYG offerrings are...

MaxxiTIM Webtime Ricarica.
&
MaxxiTIM Webtime Facile Ricarica.

The first costs 25 euros for a 30 day period provided you don't use more than 9 gigabytes, (only someone downloading massive music/video files could get near this total - so it's great for most of us). However the usage is limited to off-peak hours - 17:00 to 09:00 (evening & overnight) each day and all-day Sat/Sun and Feste. If in someway you manage to exceed the huge data allowance you either - recharge the 25 euro fee early or pay a very high data fee for each megabyte until the initial 30 days is up.

The second costs 20 euros for 30 days but only gives you 500 megabytes (though a current short-term offer doubles this to 1 gigabyte) and you can use this anytime you like - 24/7. If/when you use up the data allowance you can either recharge early (another 20 euros) or pay the very high data fee mentioned above.

Note - these two options are also available as monthly contracts instead odf PAYG if you want.

Both of these PAYG options are great for sporadic visitors as you can recharge when you like - either early (within 30 days) if you use up the data allowance or after a gap (when you've returned to the UK for a few months).

If you need to be online at any time of the day the second is for you - but this also probably means you use a lot of data so you might have to recharge more than once a month!!

Normal users will find the limited hours option (17:00-09:00 + weekends) is more than adequate given the mass of data you can use.

To start up - simply go to a shop CentroTIM ask for a MaxxiTIM Webtime Sim card (either Ricarica-25 euros/9 gig or Facile Ricarica-20 euros/500 meg). They will ask for a username - then give you a password (normally numeric) and an Access Point Name (APN) of ibox.tim.it - take your 25 euros and issue your Sim. It takes about an hour to become active. You enter the username, password & APN into your computers' software and you should be online (I was).

When renewal time is due (either 'cos the 30 days is up or the data volume is exceeded) you just recharge as you would any Italian mobile - go to a CentroTIM shop and give them the Sim mobile number and tell them you want a MaxxiTIM Webtime recharge either 25 or 20 euros.

I use the 25 euro MaxxiTIM Webtime Ricarica option as I visit Italy for a couple of 3-mth sessions each year.

Hope this adds to the excellent summary that started this post.
David

[TimandPatAllen]

In my earlier post, I said that the setup I was using (GPRS via a Nokia mobile and Vodaphone Italy) was working satisfactorily. Obviously I spoke too soon!

When we were in Italy last week, I tried using the laptop to access our e-mails as I had done in November last year. I used the same hardware with the same settings. There was plenthy of credit (more than 30 euros) on the phone (it's a PAYG account) and I could make and receive voice calls OK. All seemed to go fine, there was a good signal and the laptop and mobile showed the GPRS connection being made but almost as soon as it connected, the connection was dropped. On some occaions, it even gave a data transfer rate so it did seem to make a proper connection and when it dropped it, it seemed to do so in an orderly fashion. It kept doing this and I was unable to ever make it work. The connection failed too quickly to determine whether it was the network, the phone (although I don't think it was) or the laptop that was breaking the connection.

Anyone got any ideas why this might be happening?

[NickZ]

Originally Posted by TimandPatAllen

There was plenthy of credit (more than 30 euros) on the phone (it's a PAYG account) and I could make and receive voice calls OK.

But did you have a data plan active?