Vodacom vs RIM on BlackBerry overbilling problems: who is to blame?

[jannievanzyl]

But then again and maybe I'm missing the point, so what you are saying is that even if you go and look at the apn and see blackberry.net, a developer can still bypass this via service books and "cheat" the system.
That's not very secure and I still do not believe BB would allow this.
Yes the app may change the APN without your consent but then you would see it

How would you see it? And apps do select the APN. Read Kosmik's post above. I assume you would take his word for it, even if you refuse to take mine?

[jannievanzyl]

there is somewhere in the settings where you can fill in the apn to be used...it was mentioned a few times here on mybb a while ago...more like a year or two ago...but many guys said though that this setting is not set in stone either and ultimately it is up to the app what apn will be used. I cant remember now where in the settings you will find this.

Called the 'TCP' setting and you're rights, apps don't use this setting.

[jannievanzyl]

Just a quick search got me this. It is not just a Vodacom thing.

http://supportforums.blackberry.com/...02/td-p/447708

Some aps might ask you what apn to use....some might not and many will use BIS by default and some might not. Perhaps if you open up the service book for the app you will see what apn it will direct data through. I dont have a blackberry anymore so cant check this myself...but I vaguely remember from my blackberry days if you open a service book it showed the apn it will use in there.

And look at the dates on those posts. 2010.

So customers on BIS in the UK noticed the same thing 2 years ago. But suddenly is a new thing and on Vodacom only????

[marine1]

Called the 'TCP' setting and you're rights, apps don't use this setting.

That's the point, so basically an app can bypass the "physical" setting.
That to me sounds like an unsecure and bloody idiotic system.
BIS should be locked down unless otherwise changed by the USER.
That's like malarew then - an app taking over your connection

[Ockie]

there is somewhere in the settings where you can fill in the apn to be used...it was mentioned a few times here on mybb a while ago...more like a year or two ago...but many guys said though that this setting is not set in stone either and ultimately it is up to the app what apn will be used. I cant remember now where in the settings you will find this. Let me go scratch for my 9300....gotta be here somewhere and I will see if I can find it.

ok...found my 9300

settings....device......Advanced System Settings.....TCP IP....and there you have the option of filling in a APN like blackberry.net

NB: Like I said though...many peeps said this can still be overidden by a app...so do not take this as being set in stone.

[marine1]

And look at the dates on those posts. 2010.

So customers on BIS in the UK noticed the same thing 2 years ago. But suddenly is a new thing and on Vodacom only????

Only time I have ever encounted a problem in the past, my APN was changed. My fault then,
Now it seems like the APN doesn't have to be changed.

[Ockie]

Called the 'TCP' setting and you're rights, apps don't use this setting.

lol. Thanks jannie. Damn..now I got out of bed to look for me ol blackberry for nothing. Oh well...at least I found my fav pair of undies thats been missing for a year!

[marine1]

ok...found my 9300

settings....device......Advanced System Settings.....TCP IP....and there you have the option of filling in a APN like blackberry.net

NB: Like I said though...many peeps said this can still be overidden by a app...so do not take this as being set in stone.

That's what I hav e been saying the whole night, so basically that setting means nothing. Very unsecure and useless system IMO

[biometrics]

I don't use a BB but this sounds bad!

[MickeyD]

That's what I hav e been saying the whole night, so basically that setting means nothing. Very unsecure and useless system IMO

... which is not unique to Vodacom, but applies to all mobile operators.

[biometrics]

... which is not unique to Vodacom, but applies to all mobile operators.

iPhone apps don't get to pick an APN.

[MickeyD]

iPhone apps don't get to pick an APN.

Thread is "RIM 'n Blackberry" ....

[Ockie]

iPhone apps don't get to pick an APN.

Nor Android phones. They use the APN that is provisioned for the network. The APN can be changed by the user though. Iphones can use either the normal internet APN or the iphone APN. Not entirely sure what purpose the iphone apn serves...but ja. Its there...its square..get used to it

[jannievanzyl]

iPhone apps don't get to pick an APN.

Not yet. Never found it interesting that Apple sets the APN name on your iPhone?

[HavocXphere]

@jannie: More of a general BIS question: (I'd ask the MTN rep if we had one of those )

Is there any reliable way of figuring out from the device what is going over BIS/not?

The icon in the top right seems to indicate BIS 100% of the time. I'm told that Opera mini for example goes over not-BIS, yet if I browse to a show-my-ip website it indicates a BIS ip (83.186.*.*), suggesting that its going over BIS after all.

If I see the edge/EDGE being in capital letters at the top right, is that a reliable indication that *all* traffic is going over BIS? Or does that just show the "main" connection at any given time & there is a mix of connections.

Entirely off topic: I just figured out how to see historical data usage (go to device & status info & type in "buyr"). Works out to just over ~120mb per month for me, with fairly light (I've got ADSL). Thats pre-compression I believe, so the VC 100mb post compression is actually pretty OK assuming a 2x-4x factor.