Sign up with GoogleSorry for doing this, but 3 hours of fighting to set up a simple connection can do that. This forum was one of the only places that actually helped! I hope this is at least (nearly) the right place to start this thread.
I'm going to go to this trouble because I don't believe I am the only one going through this frustration. In fact I know I am not!
In Dec 2005, I started using Vodacom data network at R2/MB, with my Sony 600i as a modem. Setup was a headache but once going it worked fine. Only the cost was a problem.
Much to my delight I got a 500MB Vodacom data contract in April 2007 with a E220 modem. Only R0,50/MB! It set up instantly and I thought my days of struggle were done.
What irritated me now was that if I needed to avoid out-of-bundle charges by adding MB, it involved a trip to the shop or a call to 155 (with associated long explanation). And then the ad-hoc bundle was only charged a month later - messing up the budget.
So I was delighted that MTN decided to launch a "prepaid" data bundle. 350MB at only R0,48/MB!
Sounded easy - get MTN prepaid starter pack, put the SIM in your cell, load with airtime, dial 141 and convert to data time. All this was surprisingly pain free.
[See here for MTN bundle costs: http://www.mtn.co.za/?pid=248769]
[Vodacom's offering is here: http://www.vodacom.co.za/services/mobile_data/overview.jsp]
Being hopeful, I first tried the SIM in my Vodacom E220. This is a 32K SIM mind you. The SIM picked up fine but the Vodafone Mobile Connect Lite software was not co-operating(ver 2.2.2.1) (or maybe I'm stupid about the settings). A call to a mate who has just gone this same route got me the assurance that he managed to set up MTN data on his E620 without trouble.
After reading the forums I found I had 2 routes. I could load the Huawei generic software for the E220 (found here: http://www.huawei.com/mobileweb/en/doc/list.do?type=-1&id=736) or I could try and load and setup the MTN software for the E220 (found here: http://www.mtn.co.za/?pid=320534)
I chose to load the MTN software as the Huawei software (apparently) flashes the firmware of the modem and deletes all the Vodacom settings, SMS etc.
(The Vodacom software can be found here BTW: http://www.vodacom.co.za/services/mobile_data/downloads.jsp)
Installation was a breeze but no luck on getting connected. I'm still reading the manual to figure this out. Some forum wag commented that it is easy to set up the Vodacom connection in the MTN software but neglected to tell us ordinary peeps how. There seems to be the capacity to do this is you have the savvy and the settings (I see a steep learning curve ahead).
I defaulted to returning the SIM to my cellphone and setting it up as a modem. Here the settings got a bit tricky again. After managing to get the modem part set up the Laptop was not talking to the PC. You check this in Control Panel - Phone and Modem Options - [tab] Modems - [select phone data modem] - Properties - [tab] Diagnostics - Query Modem. If the PC talks to the cellphone-as-modem then you should get a lot of text in the little window in the middle. If you scroll the gibberish, then you will see "Configuration settings on Channel 1" and several lines starting with +CGDCONT and looking something like this:
+CGDCONT: 1, "IP","internet","0.0.0.0",0,0
+CGDCONT: 2, "IP","vlive","0.0.0.0",0,0
+CGDCONT: 3, "IP","myMTN","0.0.0.0",0,0
These are initialization commands for accounts on your phone/modem (ie. not on the PC). They give an indication of which data accounts are set up on your phone.
If you don't see "myMTN" then you need to get this set up. To do this with MTN dial *123*13# and allow the settings to install. Now make sure that the internet profile which you just received is set as the default profile: On your phone, go to "Menu" - "Browser" - "WAP profile" (or similar). Select the correct internet profile for use in this case, "MTN GPRS".
I set up a dial up connection to MTN by using "Network Connections - Create new connection" and using the "New Connection Wizard".
Settings are: Connect to the Internet - Set up my connection manually - Connect using a dial up modem - [select appropriate data modem] - [give your connection a name ] (this is just a label) - [enter a phone number] - [do NOT enter user name or password and untick both boxes] - [tick desktop shortcut].
The phone number is critical here, mine is setup as *99***4#, where the 4 represents the data account "myMTN" on my phone/modem. This is thus the 4th data account in the list. You can find this on your phone where you find info on the data account or with the "Query modem" trick I detailed earlier. Variations of the phone number are *99*1# and *99#. Don't ask, I just try all variations.
Now go back to the desktop and the shortcut. Double left click on the shortcut and then select "Properties". Make sure under the "General" tab that "use dialing rules" in unticked. Select "Option and leave only "show progress" and "prompt for number" ticked. "Ok" gets you back to the connect box. Hit dial and pray.
If it all goes well you should see the dialogs; "Verifying user" then "Registering user" and finally "Connected". Good luck.
Dear reader, please go to the trouble of adding your wisdom to this thread. There is very little actual help with this. MTN gives me Mamela and Vodacom gives me Suzie and neither have visited an A+ class - I'm tired of being on hold for technical guys who never answer.
I'm going to go to this trouble because I don't believe I am the only one going through this frustration. In fact I know I am not!
In Dec 2005, I started using Vodacom data network at R2/MB, with my Sony 600i as a modem. Setup was a headache but once going it worked fine. Only the cost was a problem.
Much to my delight I got a 500MB Vodacom data contract in April 2007 with a E220 modem. Only R0,50/MB! It set up instantly and I thought my days of struggle were done.
What irritated me now was that if I needed to avoid out-of-bundle charges by adding MB, it involved a trip to the shop or a call to 155 (with associated long explanation). And then the ad-hoc bundle was only charged a month later - messing up the budget.
So I was delighted that MTN decided to launch a "prepaid" data bundle. 350MB at only R0,48/MB!
Sounded easy - get MTN prepaid starter pack, put the SIM in your cell, load with airtime, dial 141 and convert to data time. All this was surprisingly pain free.
[See here for MTN bundle costs: http://www.mtn.co.za/?pid=248769]
[Vodacom's offering is here: http://www.vodacom.co.za/services/mobile_data/overview.jsp]
Being hopeful, I first tried the SIM in my Vodacom E220. This is a 32K SIM mind you. The SIM picked up fine but the Vodafone Mobile Connect Lite software was not co-operating(ver 2.2.2.1) (or maybe I'm stupid about the settings). A call to a mate who has just gone this same route got me the assurance that he managed to set up MTN data on his E620 without trouble.
After reading the forums I found I had 2 routes. I could load the Huawei generic software for the E220 (found here: http://www.huawei.com/mobileweb/en/doc/list.do?type=-1&id=736) or I could try and load and setup the MTN software for the E220 (found here: http://www.mtn.co.za/?pid=320534)
I chose to load the MTN software as the Huawei software (apparently) flashes the firmware of the modem and deletes all the Vodacom settings, SMS etc.
(The Vodacom software can be found here BTW: http://www.vodacom.co.za/services/mobile_data/downloads.jsp)
Installation was a breeze but no luck on getting connected. I'm still reading the manual to figure this out. Some forum wag commented that it is easy to set up the Vodacom connection in the MTN software but neglected to tell us ordinary peeps how. There seems to be the capacity to do this is you have the savvy and the settings (I see a steep learning curve ahead).
I defaulted to returning the SIM to my cellphone and setting it up as a modem. Here the settings got a bit tricky again. After managing to get the modem part set up the Laptop was not talking to the PC. You check this in Control Panel - Phone and Modem Options - [tab] Modems - [select phone data modem] - Properties - [tab] Diagnostics - Query Modem. If the PC talks to the cellphone-as-modem then you should get a lot of text in the little window in the middle. If you scroll the gibberish, then you will see "Configuration settings on Channel 1" and several lines starting with +CGDCONT and looking something like this:
+CGDCONT: 1, "IP","internet","0.0.0.0",0,0
+CGDCONT: 2, "IP","vlive","0.0.0.0",0,0
+CGDCONT: 3, "IP","myMTN","0.0.0.0",0,0
These are initialization commands for accounts on your phone/modem (ie. not on the PC). They give an indication of which data accounts are set up on your phone.
If you don't see "myMTN" then you need to get this set up. To do this with MTN dial *123*13# and allow the settings to install. Now make sure that the internet profile which you just received is set as the default profile: On your phone, go to "Menu" - "Browser" - "WAP profile" (or similar). Select the correct internet profile for use in this case, "MTN GPRS".
I set up a dial up connection to MTN by using "Network Connections - Create new connection" and using the "New Connection Wizard".
Settings are: Connect to the Internet - Set up my connection manually - Connect using a dial up modem - [select appropriate data modem] - [give your connection a name ] (this is just a label) - [enter a phone number] - [do NOT enter user name or password and untick both boxes] - [tick desktop shortcut].
The phone number is critical here, mine is setup as *99***4#, where the 4 represents the data account "myMTN" on my phone/modem. This is thus the 4th data account in the list. You can find this on your phone where you find info on the data account or with the "Query modem" trick I detailed earlier. Variations of the phone number are *99*1# and *99#. Don't ask, I just try all variations.
Now go back to the desktop and the shortcut. Double left click on the shortcut and then select "Properties". Make sure under the "General" tab that "use dialing rules" in unticked. Select "Option and leave only "show progress" and "prompt for number" ticked. "Ok" gets you back to the connect box. Hit dial and pray.
If it all goes well you should see the dialogs; "Verifying user" then "Registering user" and finally "Connected". Good luck.
Dear reader, please go to the trouble of adding your wisdom to this thread. There is very little actual help with this. MTN gives me Mamela and Vodacom gives me Suzie and neither have visited an A+ class - I'm tired of being on hold for technical guys who never answer.
