Cingular mediaNet

[tgeekb]

I have a Cingular Pearl with the personal BIS plan and 200 texts. Occassionally, like when I go bike riding, I like to take an older phone like my 6230 so I don't break my beloved Pearl. :smile:

My question is, if I were to 1) text and/or 2) go on the net with my 6230, would I be charged extra because I'm not using the BB server? I hope my question makes sense and thanks for any assistance.

[brucejr]

Data is data so I wouldn't think so. Prob only thing would be no emails with the 6230.

[Dubdub]

I have a Cingular Pearl with the personal BIS plan and 200 texts. Occassionally, like when I go bike riding, I like to take an older phone like my 6230 so I don't break my beloved Pearl. :smile:

My question is, if I were to 1) text and/or 2) go on the net with my 6230, would I be charged extra because I'm not using the BB server? I hope my question makes sense and thanks for any assistance.

Not exactly sure what you are asking. A BB plan supposedly only works with a BB since it is tied to the IMEI and PIN on the phone, so I don't know how you'd get data access on the 6230. TMs would be charged as TMs I would think.

[brucejr]

True he wouldn't be able to use the BB for emails and MMS, but I would think since surfing and SMS are not BB plan specific the network would just count the SMS's like usual and the surfing like data usage.

[tgeekb]

That's what I'm hoping, that data is data. I'm relatively new to BB so still unsure of all the different plans and how they work. I appreciate eveyones input.

[xxaarraa]

I swap between BBs, you should have no problem doing so. You wont get emails as they are PIN specific, but you can use all the data you want on any device.

[Pizzle]

Having a Blackberry Data Plan, and having a regular data plan are two different things.

If you have a Blackberry Data Plan, any data you access from another phone will be charged per kb, and won't be included in any unlimited plan you may have.

[tgeekb]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8100/4.2.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

Thanks. I think I'll stick to just using the phone function of the 6230.

[LaTuFu]

Wirelessly posted (Opera/8.01 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/3.1.7196/1662; en; U; ssr))

I just leave my phone in the car or at home. One reason I enjoy getting outside on my bike or running is it becomes a nice break from the electronic leash. And no worries about breaking it or getting it wet.

Wandered a little ways off your topic my apologies.

[Dubdub]

Wirelessly posted (Opera/8.01 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/3.1.7196/1662; en; U; ssr))

I just leave my phone in the car or at home. One reason I enjoy getting outside on my bike or running is it becomes a nice break from the electronic leash. And no worries about breaking it or getting it wet.

Wandered a little ways off your topic my apologies.

I like how you think! We are becoming an age of being too much in touch and too reachable with cell phones, email on the phone, etc. Remember when all we had was a typewriter? Some of you may anyway.

At least we could take a break on the weekend!

[brucejr]

Having a Blackberry Data Plan, and having a regular data plan are two different things.

If you have a Blackberry Data Plan, any data you access from another phone will be charged per kb, and won't be included in any unlimited plan you may have.

Thanks Piz. I wasn't sure if data would be differentiated by the system when he used the other phone for data purposes.

[quillhill]

Having a Blackberry Data Plan, and having a regular data plan are two different things.

If you have a Blackberry Data Plan, any data you access from another phone will be charged per kb, and won't be included in any unlimited plan you may have.

This hasn't been my experience with Cingular. I go between a BB during the week and another phone (lately it's been a RIZR or a Nokia N73) and I've never paid per kb for data on my regular, non-BB phones. And text messages come out of the bucket just the same.

The only difference, of course, is my e-mail isn't pushed to the regular phones because they can't do that and the push e-mail is tied to the IMEI/PIN of the BB.

BlackBerry data plan works on a regular phone, but MediaNet won't work on a BlackBerry. :) Make sense?

[Spiffyis5150]

Having a Blackberry Data Plan, and having a regular data plan are two different things.

If you have a Blackberry Data Plan, any data you access from another phone will be charged per kb, and won't be included in any unlimited plan you may have.

I'm not sure this is true. The Blackberry Data Plan seems to be a combo of a regular data plan and the additional capability of BIS or BES.

If you look at your Cingular bill, you can see this. For instance on my bill(which I'm on an BES), I see this under my summary for wireless data:

BBwWAPCUNL

-Blackberry 10,493(KB Used) 10,493(KB Billed) 0.00(Rate) 0.00(Total)
- INTERNET XPRESS 8556(KB Used) 8586(Billed) 0.00(Rate) 0.00(Total)

You can see that my data is divided into 2 different pools. INTERNET XPRESS is MediaNet. How do I know this?

Under my wife's wireless data summary(she has MOTO KRZR) it says:

MEDIA MAX UNL MNET
- INTERNET XPRESS 667(KB Used) 667(KB Billed) 0.00(Rate) 0.00(Total)

I think they are the same and from the stuff I've read over at the Cingular forum on Howardforums that seems to be the consensus. I may switch SIMS with my wife for a bit just to see how it turns out, but I think since pretty much all the regular cell phones use the wap.cingular gateway that this would make sense.

[Medic48]

Generally on a non-blackberry device you should still be able to access: Voice, SMS and MMS as those three services do not utilize the data services (although MMS does utilize data, some networks will not count MMS usage towards your data bucket). You may receive a "data access refused" when using a non-blackberry device on a blackberry service plan since it's using the blackberry APN.

--Phil

[quillhill]

I have not received a 'data connection refused' while using my SIM in a regular phone since getting a BlackBerry device and BIS plan last May and I have used, including a BB 8700 and 7130c, 19 different phones in the past year of all flavors, form factors, unlocked, unbranded, branded, locked, etc.

That's been my experience. Take it for what you will. :)

[Pizzle]

Neat. I happily stand corrected. When I try putting my SIM in a regular phone, my BB cries and makes me feel guilty, so I had never tried it. Poor assumption on my part.

To the OP: Rock out with your Nok out.

[quillhill]

I can't believe you let your BlackBerry guilt you out of being a phone whore. Sheesh. ;)

Says me, who goes running back to my BB every Monday morning, hugging it, petting it, caressing the scroll wheel.

[tgeekb]

This hasn't been my experience with Cingular. I go between a BB during the week and another phone (lately it's been a RIZR or a Nokia N73) and I've never paid per kb for data on my regular, non-BB phones. And text messages come out of the bucket just the same.

The only difference, of course, is my e-mail isn't pushed to the regular phones because they can't do that and the push e-mail is tied to the IMEI/PIN of the BB.

BlackBerry data plan works on a regular phone, but MediaNet won't work on a BlackBerry. :) Make sense?

This is great information to know about your experience. Someone else mentioned the same thing in another forum and pointed out the mediaNet icon I have along with the BB browser. I have accessed the mediaNet icon from my BB and it goes to my mediaNet home just like on a regular phone. That probably proves that they go together whether on a BB or other phone.

Someone else mentioned leaving the phone at home. The main reason I bring it is in case I am miles from home and something breaks I can't fix. But, at the same time, I ride along the Niagara River and there are some nice places to relax and take in the scenery. While I'm there, hey, why not check the weather or the score of the game. It blends the best of both worlds.

[quillhill]

*nods*

Absolutely. I don't worry so much about hurting my BB, but, I just hate leaving the house without a phone. The only place I go and don't take a phone with me is the gym. Usually I leave my phone in the car.

But, when I used to ride my mountain bike regularly, I definitely took my cell. Good plan.

Anyway, I have to have a weekend phone (i.e. a RIZR or my newest toy, a Nokia N73) or else the BB drives me bonkers. If I couldn't use a different phone on weekends with the ability to check the weather or sports scores -- once I was riding the elevator with this older couple on a Saturday during basketball season and I was wearing a Washington sweatshirt. The gentleman asked if I knew the score, so I looked up real quick on the Sync I was using then, no problem -- I'd lose my freakin' mind.

:D

[tgeekb]

haha. You sound a lot like me. We need help!

Nah, I just love having access to the things I love the most. It's not like I'm on all the time but I do like to make a quick check of a score, weather, or maybe the nearest Tim Hortons. It's all about convenience. (y)