BIS - need clarification

[Eugenef]

Hi guys

I have a Blackberry 9700 (which I LOVE, will never again have anything other than BB). I've been searching now for quite a bit, but can't seem to get the answer I am looking for.

In order to use BIS - do you need to turn Wi-Fi on under connections?

It would appear that this is not necessary, but if you go to mtn.blackberry.com it states:
You need to create an account to begin sending and receiving email on your BlackBerry device. Please turn on your device and ensure that it is connected to the wireless network.

Does this refer to the mobile network?

 

[Azbubu]

No. Don't need wifi for BIS. By "wireless network" they're referring to your normal network. Can see the confusion though.

 

[Crowley]

The wireless network they are refering to is the mtn/Vodacom/CellC network.

 

[Venom Rush]

I also want to know about this. Before I got my BB I saw mention that a BB icon is shown when you are connected via BIS and that if you didn't see it then you were actually browsing via the SP's network which cost you.

 

[FapCop]

Hi guys

I have a Blackberry 9700 (which I LOVE, will never again have anything other than BB). I've been searching now for quite a bit, but can't seem to get the answer I am looking for.

In order to use BIS - do you need to turn Wi-Fi on under connections?

It would appear that this is not necessary, but if you go to mtn.blackberry.com it states:
You need to create an account to begin sending and receiving email on your BlackBerry device. Please turn on your device and ensure that it is connected to the wireless network.

Does this refer to the mobile network?

BIS does not use your blackberries wifi capability. I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to do.

To enable BIS on your device (if it isn't enabled already), phone up customer care if you're on contract and they should sort it out for you. If you're on prepaid, it can also be done. I think on prepaid its R59 for a month's subscription.

To tell if your phone is using BIS, just check next to that thing that shows your signal. If "EDGE", "3G" or "GPRS" is in upper-case, then BIS is enabled and you're browsing using said service. If its in lower-case ("edge", "gprs" or "3g"), then you're on your provider's apn and you're charged the normal R2 per MB.

Hope that helps

 

[Eugenef]

Thanx to all the responses, and confirming my suspicions.

 

[Venom Rush]

To tell if your phone is using BIS, just check next to that thing that shows your signal. If "EDGE", "3G" or "GPRS" is in upper-case, then BIS is enabled and you're browsing using said service. If its in lower-case ("edge", "gprs" or "3g"), then you're on your provider's apn and you're charged the normal R2 per MB.

Hope that helps

Ok awesome. I made sure my APN was set to blackberry.net

 

[CranialBlaze]

Ok awesome. I made sure my APN was set to blackberry.net

That does nothing, the anp setting there serves no actual purpose other than to those who wish to use the phone without BIS and also in some countries there are sepereate bis packages and each has its own serer/anp with authentication. Here in south africa it serves absolutely no purpose other than to confuse the guys who are listening to those who have no idea what they are talking about on this forum.

Simple test, if changing the apn actually stopped u from using the normal non-bis data network then a video on youtube would give you an error instead of buffering and then playing.
You will notice the vide will play and you will still pay.

 

[FapCop]

That does nothing, the anp setting there serves no actual purpose other than to those who wish to use the phone without BIS and also in some countries there are sepereate bis packages and each has its own serer/anp with authentication. Here in south africa it serves absolutely no purpose other than to confuse the guys who are listening to those who have no idea what they are talking about on this forum.

Actually, "blackberry.net" as an apn here does serve a purpose. It basically forces installed applications that supports BIS to use BIS. Take 2go for an example. That application does not support BIS. When starting up it asks to make a low-level connection before logging in. Since this app doesn't work under BIS, it accesses the servers using the normal sp apn, using your airtime as normal. Setting your apn to "blackberry.net" will force it to not use the sp apn, which in turn makes 2go unable to establish a connection. So with that said, setting your apn to "blackberry.net" will only grant applications that supports BIS network access. It is useful for people running low on airtime and want to cut down on costs

EDIT: this only affects installed applications. It has no effect on the standard browser and as far as I know, no effect on email

 

[CranialBlaze]

Actually, "blackberry.net" as an apn here does serve a purpose. It basically forces installed applications that supports BIS to use BIS. Take 2go for an example. That application does not support BIS. When starting up it asks to make a low-level connection before logging in. Since this app doesn't work under BIS, it accesses the servers using the normal sp apn, using your airtime as normal. Setting your apn to "blackberry.net" will force it to not use the sp apn, which in turn makes 2go unable to establish a connection. So with that said, setting your apn to "blackberry.net" will only grant applications that supports BIS network access. It is useful for people running low on airtime and want to cut down on costs

EDIT: this only affects installed applications. It has no effect on the standard browser and as far as I know, no effect on email

Tested it myself too and contacted vodacom, i had 3 applications on my handset using normal data that i was paying monthly for and my phone had been set to blackberry.net the entire time. I then had the internet apn disabled on my line and then only did i figure out which apps were causing charges.

For example i had the storm2, the newest version of mxit that supports it is 5.8.2, this does not work with bis at all, i had to have the anp re-enabled in order to get it to work, and as a test i set the apn to blackberry.net and it still worked.

I have tested that apn on 3 phones i personally own and have proven that it has absolutely no effect. My lookout, mxit bellow version 5.9.3 and there was a security/spam app i was using that also stopped working when i disabled my apn. As a test for this forum itself i had my apn at blackberry.net for a week and then went onto vodacom site and took a screen shot of my last 10 transactions and 6 of my last 10 charges were amounts between 1c and 5c for internet usage while my apn was set to blackberry.net

Hell, i just checked my apn is still on BB.net from that test and i have charges for gprs on my line.