I turn off my Voice/Data connection, and just leave the WiFi on.

I found out that I can still send instant messages via BB Messenger and receive and send email via WiFi. I always thought Blackberry has it's own network and would disable it's Blackberry feature through WiFi since it's not the Blackberry Network.

However, I can't connect to Yahoo Messenger. Now that's weird. Maybe Yahoo is purely connected to Blackberry Network.

Anyone else noticed the WiFi connection and still receive email and bb messenger without the Data Connection on?

I'll try it tonight and see what happens....either way, I don't forsee me ever turning the wirless off (unless i'm in a plane).

This is nothing new. As long as you have a BlackBerry Data Plan provisioned on your account, you can still authenticate to the RIM infrastructure over WiFi even when the GSM radio is turned off.

Certain third-party apps will also operate over WiFi only, whereas others cannot.

Cool. New to me since this is my first Blackberry with WiFi. I have other devices with WiFi such as my AT&T Tilt, but that's nothing special.

Now that I know, I can go overseas, and still chat to people via bb messenger and send email without the need to get a SIM/GSM Card.

I figured it would work...But the confirmation is great news.

Will certainly make things a lot easier when traveling...

i did the exact same thing yesterday after i found out you could play word mole multiplayer. I wanted to see if it would play over wifi so i turned off the radio, turned on wifi and i got a message on my bbm.

I've had a berry since the 950 and thought i would never have any more questions about berrys... until now.

I did a search and couldnt find anything. So here I post.

With the radio on AND the wifi on, would the berry automatically choose the wifi or the network radio to send pins, bbm msgs, and games like word mole ? I know when browsing you can tell which one it was using, but there really isnt an icon in bbm or wordmole.

doesnt really matter... but would still love to know.

Wirelessly posted (8700c)

Yeah toyed around with this stuff the first night I had it. No BeeJive though, no GPS.....

I have GPS [Navi] in my car, but hadn't had it on any of my prior blackberry's so my oldest daughter and I had a laugh walking around the neighborhood and see the blue dot in google map move with us.

I'm curious to see what the tag line is when posting via WiFi here. Also to MikeyL, I think it sends the messages over WiFi
when it's available, but data info on a billing cycle might tell for sure.

I haven't tried on .162 yet but when I was on .125 with Data Services off and WiFi on I couldn't connect to WiFi. :(

EDIT: OK Still can't connect to WiFi with Data Services off (Mobile Network is still connected) but if I turn the Mobile Network off I can connect to WiFi.

This actually kind of sucks for travel since the goal (for me anyways) would be to avoid the data roaming since voice roaming is a non-issue.

Anyone know of a way to connect to WiFi with Data Services off but still be connected to the Mobile Network?

The only way to tell that I know of, if you are connected to BlackBerry's Infrastructure is to go to Menu/Manage Connections/Services Status and check if BIS or BES Connection says WiFi NOT Mobile Network

When traveling overseas, and trying to save $$$ on data roaming, most of us just connect once or twice a day in hotels that have wifi service. Grab a few emails, respond, etc.

Here's something to try:

- keep data services set to off but manage connections->mobile network set to on (phone/sms)
- when you need to connect wifi, set mobile network off; set data service to on; enable wifi and search for the wifi network and connect
- when finished, reverse the process; wifi off; data service off; mobile network on

Maybe someone can try this on their next trip.

BeeJive will work, you just need to change the settings under Networking to activate wifi.

Kinda old news, thats why you have wifi servicebooks,

I understand the whole idea of the WIFI overseas to save some $$$ with no roaming plan.

but, this is what happend to me less than a month, it was really weird..

I flight to other country a month ago, i stayed in a friends house, i asked for the wifi password of the house and i was connected. using BBM, E-mails, Etc...everything was fine

But, two weeks ago I took another flight overseas to another country, this time it was in a hotel. I paid 24 hours for wifi, i got the access....but, i was just able to use internet...i was unable to use the BBM service, or emails or facebook, which at that point it was ver important for me.

The only thing that i can think is that the bbm works depending on the WIFI protocol that you are using 802.11 a b or g. Please tell me if i am wrong...

Any suggestions? thanks

Yes, you are indeed incorrect.
Makes no difference if its a, b or g.

The issue was due to the hotel's network and likely their firewall only allowing port 80 traffic.
This would be fine for web browsing but would not allow authentication to RIM's infrastucture for other blackberry data features.

So it has nothing to do with my cell phone?
is just bad luck?

Exactly.
Not all WiFi networks are created equally.

Thank you....I was about to get into the ultimate fighiting with AT&T

I'm currently abroad with my family for Xmas - very useful to be able to turn off data while roaming and rely on WiFi for the week for email etc... Saves quite a lot on data roaming charges.

+1

The wifi network must pass port 443 SSL to interact with the blackberry network.

Not on mine. My JiveTalk has the Wi-Fi option unchecked, but is configured to connect via BIS. Therefore, because BIS is being accessed via Wi-Fi (which is managed by the phone itself, not JiveTalk), JiveTalk connects via Wi-Fi without even realizing it. And same with every other app on my phone... Opera Mini, Google Maps, etc... any app that has a Wi-Fi option, I do not enable that Wi-Fi option. The phone simply redirects all BIS traffic through my Wi-Fi connection.

Are there charges for accessing the Internet via Wifi. I was told that (somehow) Rogers manages to charge $9/hour for this. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me (what's an hour in this case?).

Thanks,

-Gary