Help needed connecting PPDB MTN sim to Vodaphone Option Card

[Garronm]

Hi there

Picked up a 3G sim from MTN today as Vodacom have run out of bandwidth and its not longer usable.

Anyway I'm having a little trouble, slot the sim into the Option Card and use the standard vodacom software to try and make a connection. Picks up MTN-SA with a 3 bar signal but on connection I get a 619 error, telling me something about a port not found.

From what I have read MTN use internet for there APN so I'm not sure whats going on. I have upgraded the firmware on the card too. I have had the most frustrating week known to mankind with Vodacom this week so please could someone help me out.

Thanks

 

[Abe]

Which modem is this option card? Does it have a model number?

 

[Garronm]

Option Qualcom 3G+ ( I think )

 

[doddler]

Have you tried setting the connection up manually in windows dialup....dial *99#

Username blank and password blank and it should connect....

 

[Wolfling]

Hi there

Picked up a 3G sim from MTN today as Vodacom have run out of bandwidth and its not longer usable.

Anyway I'm having a little trouble, slot the sim into the Option Card and use the standard vodacom software to try and make a connection. Picks up MTN-SA with a 3 bar signal but on connection I get a 619 error, telling me something about a port not found.

From what I have read MTN use internet for there APN so I'm not sure whats going on. I have upgraded the firmware on the card too. I have had the most frustrating week known to mankind with Vodacom this week so please could someone help me out.

Thanks

Hi there

Ive had the same kind of week and are looking for a different solution myself. Did you get the problem fixed?

I have an Vodaphone Option Qualcomm 3G CDMA card (CE0700) Will this work with a MTN sim and how do I make it work?

Thanks

EDIT: It will probably be a pre-paid sim. Will that be a problem?

 

[diabolus]

a] Make sure your MTN sim is Data Enabled. I suggest you FIRST try to connect to the internet via your phone [GPRS is sufficient] and then worry about datacard/pc. I've found MTN do not data enable your prepaid sim by default , only once you request WAP/MMS settings [for your phone] does it enable.

b] Try the "mymtn" APN instead of internet...might help who knows.

 

[Wolfling]

Hi

Ok I now have the MTN Prepaid SIM with a 500mb bundle on it.

Im still waiting for MTN to send me the settings for my phone to enable it to browse the web. (They said at 3pm Friday that it would take 24 hours.) However, when I use my phone as a modem to connect through GPRS/Bluetooth with my PC I can browse and stuff, so im pretty sure it's enabled and all.

However, when I pop the sim into my Data Card the dashboard tells me that the sim is invalid...

Im using ver 9.0 of the dashboard, should I perhaps use something else? Is the datacard perhaps network locked?

Any help would be appreciated, as the phone only has GPRS and that is a bit slow for what I need to do...

 

[ginggs]

a] Make sure your MTN sim is Data Enabled. I suggest you FIRST try to connect to the internet via your phone [GPRS is sufficient] and then worry about datacard/pc. I've found MTN do not data enable your prepaid sim by default , only once you request WAP/MMS settings [for your phone] does it enable.

With the SIM in the phone, type *123# then send (green button), you should receive the MTN menu, choose 1 for Phone Setup, then 1 again for Both MMS and WAP.

b] Try the "mymtn" APN instead of internet...might help who knows.

I think that should be 'myMTN', but 'internet' works just as well.

Im using ver 9.0 of the dashboard, should I perhaps use something else? Is the datacard perhaps network locked?

Vodacom say that they only locked a couple of Huawei E620 cards, it might be that the Vodafone Dashboard is network locked (or at least it's not configured for the MTN network). Try downloading the software directly from your card's manufacturer.

 

[diabolus]

Vodacom say that they only locked a couple of Huawei E620 cards, it might be that the Vodafone Dashboard is network locked (or at least it's not configured for the MTN network). Try downloading the software directly from your card's manufacturer.

Vodafone's software works fine with MTN [with identical settings/profiles as vodacom]. Easiest way to see if you're being networked locked is to go "Tools -> Select Network -> Manually " ..and see what networks come up. You should see Vodacom,MTN AND Cell-C , but things like "Not Allowed" next to the networks that does not correspond to the sim you're using. If you see nothing, then

a] Might be network locked on the card [try a Vodacom Sim and see if you pick up MTNs network with the same method above...then you'll know ]


b] Change your profiles to use GPRS-only [or 3G-Preferred]. Sometimes you simply do not have 3G reception [network congestion and all that].


As for "invalid sim" errors, not sure what that can cause..however i got the error before when

a] The pin was incorrect [or the fact that it is required] . I usually go onto my phone and turn off this setting [so it never asks for a pin].
b] The sim was like 16k or 8k or something very old. Most new sims are 32k - 128k, but some of these old little cafe's in the middle of nowhere do still sell older ones [especially where you tend to go on holiday ].

 

[Wolfling]

Problem Solved!

All I had to do is to downgrade my Dashboard SW from version 9 to version 7.

Interestingly I got this tip from the Vodacom technical helpline. It would seem that version 9 is little bit buggy...

 

[doddler]

I have just had something very similar happen to me....

I've got an MTN data contract and just bought an Vodacom Novatel card to use in my laptop as it doesn't have pc express. The card worked perfectly with the vodafone software, until I upgraded the software.....then it wouldn't let me connect to mtn.....so now I'm using the old software and it works fine...

 

[ginggs]

The card worked perfectly with the vodafone software, until I upgraded the software.....

I recall something like this when I had a look at the VMC 9.1 software. I think in the configuration files there is a list of operator codes and if your operator code is not on the list, no go.