Talk:AT&T Mobility FAQ

• todo-list of AT&T Mobility FAQ

Creation

All of this material, which was originally posted to alt.cingular.wireless, and copied from there to other places, was created by me. I started the page before I had created an account here. --John Navas 08:31, 16 November 2005 (UTC)

Anon edits on Cingular FAQ

Hey

Probably wondering who this person doing anon edits on your FAQ for Cingular is; well it's me. Just some background, I work in the Cingular data support center, and work with both "blue" and "orange" customers.

Cheers

--24.19.197.36 00:13, 28 November 2005 (UTC)

Thank you. --John Navas 21:05, 28 November 2005 (UTC)

What data speeds are possible with Cingular (GSM)?

Re this area, where you state that HSDPA is backwards compatable to UMTS, EDGE and GPRS this is not true. The device drives this, not just the service. The Blue Novatel U520 UMTS card is NOT backwards compatable with EDGE, and GPRS, but from what I have seen all of our new HSDPA/UMTS devices will be backwards compatable. --Admrboltz 22:17, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

You are correct -- the brain-damaged Novatel U520 isn't backwards compatible. I'll correct the FAQ. --John Navas 07:46, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

ISPDA@CINGULARGPRS.COM

For Cingular HSDPA data service, what's the username and password for dialing-up to the Internet? the same as GPRS/GSM services? Thank you! --Rae

This is the CSD user name, not the accelerated profile user name. Acceleration at hardware level is built into isp.cingular. --Admrboltz 05:02, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

With all due respect, GPRS is, well, GPRS (not CSD), and as per documentation from Cingular devCentral -- "Device and Software Settings Wireless Internet, Wireless Internet Express, & Data Connect (WAP and ISP)", no longer available, and "Wireless Data Throughput Orange Paper" -- Data Acceleration is implemented in software, not hardware, and can be turned ON or OFF by the UserID, as explained in the FAQ. If you have (hard) evidence to the contrary, please provide it. --John Navas 07:46, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

"Cingular Wireless has added wireless data acceleration / compression servers to its core IP network to provice higher apparent throughput for its Data Connect subscribers." page 4 of the above PDF document. Per Cingular Wireless data base id KB42054 (which I can email you), shows ISPDA for CSD. ALL documentation for Data Connect via cell or aircard, states ISP@CINGULARGPRS.COM --Admrboltz 22:46, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Hopefully the following information, drawn in part from Cingular "Device and Software Settings, Wireless Internet, Wireless Internet Express, & Data Connect (WAP and ISP)" [REVISION 2.2, Solutions Engineering, Technology and Product Realization, 5/24/2004 11:37 AM] will clear things up:

1. CSD (GSM dialup) and Data Connect (packet data; e.g., GPRS) are two different things, as explained in the FAQ.
2. Data Acceleration (e.g., additional image compression) is implemented in software running on Cingular servers. There is no acceleration in hardware alone.
3. Data Acceleration is available for CSD as well as for Data Connect. I am adding this to the FAQ. It is not available for MEdia Net (packet data different from Data Connect).
4. You are confusing the Userid for Data Connect (GPRS) with CSD. They are not the same.
5. Data Acceleration is enabled or disabled with "DA" in login Userid as follows:

	Data Acceleration ON	Data Acceleration OFF
CSD	ISPDA@CINGULAR.COM (or legacy Userid WIDC0001@W4.MYCINGULAR.COM)	ISP@CINGULAR.COM
Data Connect	ISPDA@CINGULARGPRS.COM (or legacy Userid WIXDC001@W5.MYCINGULAR.COM)	ISP@CINGULARGPRS.COM

--John Navas 23:00, 24 December 2005 (UTC)

Speaker Interference

Please address the annoying noises that Cingular phones create on speakers when they are too close during time updates and right before ringing. I would like to know more about why there is such interference, and if there is any simple way to dampen/shield it without weakening the phone-tower signal strength. --Adam Katz 18:42, 08 December 2005 (UTC)

I will add this to the FAQ. Thanks for the suggestion. --John Navas 23:19, 24 December 2005 (UTC)

See also the Ask Slashdot article How to Avoid Mobile Phone Interference w/ Speakers --Adam Katz 00:06, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

Firewall

Data point: I believe about six months ago Cingular started blocking at least some outgoing tcp/80 when using CSD. tcp/22 still works though. Haven't tested other ports, but I believe that on one occasion I successfully used a HTTP proxy in Blazer to get around the firewall. I suppose it would also be possible to set up one's own VPN to get around it. Also, I don't know if it works this way for everyone else, but on my $29.99/mo. plan, CSD use during peak hours is $0.40/min. in addition to using one's voice minutes. Non-peak uses up only voice minutes. —Fleminra 00:01, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

Actually it looks like the issue is either intermittent poor performance, or possibly address-based filtering (not port-based). Around 10:30pm (weekday) it appeared that google.com, yahoo.com, and wikipedia.org were blocked, but other, lower-profile sites were not blocked. As of 2am (weekday), only google.com isn't working. —67.188.126.213 10:02, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

1. I've seen no real evidence of port blocking or site blocking on CSD. I suspect these were just normal Internet problems.
2. If you check carefully, I think you'll find that you got/get charged $0.40/min for CSD only as overtime; i.e., when you've exhausted your Anytime minutes.

--John Navas 04:49, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

Cingular Misinformation by John Navas

John, I always wondered who was steering people in wacky unconfirmed directions with Cingular. First of all, if you have a tech problem with Cingular, a Customer Service Rep also known as Tier 1 can not send you through to Tech also known as Tier 2. In most cases Tier 2 doesn't talk to customers. Secondly Tier 1 has the outmost power to resolve most things without escalating. In fact Tier 1 rep's have extensive training in how to resolve most all types of issues ie: billing & technical. What outdated source information have you obtained in the past that led you to believe that these statements are true? 4/4/2006

Rebuttal by John Navas: This information in the FAQ is based on extensive personal experience as a customer, reports from other customers, and confidential reports from Cingular employees. I would nonetheless be happy to revise it given persuasive evidence to the contrary. With regard to your specifics:

1. I have been transferred to Tech Support by Tier 1 reps on several occasions, when particular technical problems couldn't be solved by Tier 1.
2. I have been told many times about the limits of financial authority at Tier 1.
3. Poor training of Tier 1 reps has been apparent on several (but by no means all) occasions.

Finally, your complaints don't belong on my User page, which is why I moved them here. In the future, either post to my Talk (discussion) page, or to the Talk (discussion) page for the document at issue. --John Navas 04:41, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

Tethering

Folks, hope someone can add something to the page about tethering, and the best options.

I'm currently a Data connect subscriber, and just use the feature to download email and hit some FTP sites. If its true that the MEdia Net feature will also allow tethering, such as through Bluetooth -- then I and perhaps many more are paying for more than we need with Data Connect.

Using a new phone now - a Nokia 6682, which allegedly is a class 10 gprs/edge phone. Don't know about HSPD.

"Tethering" does work on MEdia Net by means of any connection type supported by the mobile device (e.g., cable, IrDA, Bluetooth). It also works with a SIM swapped into a PC Card. --John Navas 07:32, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

OK - is there any performance difference between the two? Currently, Unlimited MEdia Net is priced lower than Data Connect, so it's hard to see what advantages there are for Data Connect. Or am I missing something? - Miratonyn

See What is the difference between MEdia and Data Connect? --John Navas 16:29, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

Interesting. Have you heard of any reports of Cingular actually kicking people off MEdia Net who routinely tether?

In a word: no. Just conjecture. --John Navas 03:35, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

Some FYI on this... Yesterday I called Cingular, got a "Tier 1" and, as a new customer, got some help setting up simple POP mail retrieval on a Pocket PC. She was very helpful, and when I asked about tethering options beyond what I had tried myself with the basic Windows Dial-up Wizard -- I have an unlimited PDA Connect account, but not Laptop Connect -- she said while it should work fine, I should watch my charges posted. She said that the tech people were gearing up to start "sniffing data packets", as according to her PC packets are differentiable from PDA packets... (really, even when via the tether?) ...And, when they're ready, the general "per KB" charges or some such would apply. I.e., not kick you off, but just silently stick it to you. HTH...

--Rich D 02:20, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

As I read the Terms and Conditions, you should be able to have any sudden switch to Pay As You Go data charges capped at the most favorable package for which you qualify, laptop connect (currently $60/month), although this might take serious persistence, escalation and/or complaint. --John Navas 05:32, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

Data Plans

I am confused with the roaming charges on the North America and Global Data plans. Do they even exist? In any case this should be covered in the book Klingoncowboy4 18:26, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

See new section International Data Roaming. --John Navas 22:12, 30 January 2007 (UTC)