BSNL GPRS & Configuration settings

2007-07-27T10:33:00.000+05:30

Links to Various Sub-Sections:

Introduction
GPRS Availability & Activation
Handset Settings for GPRS
Get Connected
Browsing & Other Background
Using the Phone as an External Modem to Internet Connection via GPRS
Managing Connections on your Mobile Device

Introduction:

BSNL is a government Company in my country, India providing GSM Cellular services & GPRS along with many other valued services like any other Mobile service provider in the world. My main interest for getting the above GPRS connection was generated on account of 2 basic reasons-

My newly purchased mobile Handset Nokia N-73-1 Music Edition.

The awfully cheap prices at which the services were hosted.

I belong to Bhilwara ( a place in India situated in the south of the Rajasthan State) and am dedicated to sharing my experiences so that the problems faced by me would probably not be faced by others. This post goes on to dictate how I went on to get my GPRS connection to work as it should on my nokia N73 and how you ought to configure it with minimal effort.

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GPRS Availability & Activation:

The very first step was to enquire about the availability of the services in my current plan. Naturally you had to get it activated because it attracted a monthly expense of Rs. 49.00 per month (for a 5MB data usage limit & 1 Paisa per Kb for additional usage) or Rs. 199.00 per month (for unlimited data usage). I opted for the GPRS49 plan.

I have been on a Post-paid connection since long so had to send a text message with GPRS49 as the content to 3733. For prepaid users, it was something different. (I am not going to discuss the activation for prepaid users as I am particularly new & don't want anybody to get anything wrong because of me.) Well the confirmatory SMS arrived in an hour, saying that GPRS was successfully provisioned with a request to send an SMS containing handset manufacturer name followed by the model number (NOKIA N73 in my case) to 8355 to get my particular handset settings for GPRS. Mark the language, it said "Provisioned" & not "Activated". You may send the SMS but read below, I think there is a simpler way to get the work done. Later the next day, I got the Message that GPRS was "Activated" on the very Date I had applied for & call the Customer Care Number 9400024365 in case of help.

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Handset Settings for GPRS:

The Default setting for "Confirm SIM services" in my handset was set to "No". It is recommended that you set this to "Yes". It can be set via the following Path in the Handset. Menu > Settings > Security > Phone and SIM > Confirm SIM services. Another thing I would like to state that please do NOT do the following : Menu > Tools > Setting Wizard > (select) Operator. This will download outdated settings of GPRS via the SIM Operator Menu which won't work & will over complicate the setup. In case you have done so, do the following: Menu > Settings > Connection Access Points > & select the following 3 Access Points one by one labelled exactly as BSNL Internet, Cell one Portal, BSNL MMS & delete them. Or you may delete all of them, if you unsure of what I am talking about. The SIM will re download them in case it doesn't find them. Its better you delete all of them to avoid misconfiguration later.

Anyways, when you get the Activation message from 8355, switch off your Phone for at least 10-15 minutes. When you switch it on, the phone will request the following- Allow SIM Card to send a message? Select Yes & then you will get 6 SMS from 8354.

Welcome! Your Nokia N73 handset will now be configured with access to services. Please accept when prompted.

Configuration Message: bsnlwap

Configuration Message: bsnlportal

Configuration Message: bsnlgprs

Configuration Message: logical_proxy_name

Your Handset has been configured. To download.....Thanks.

The above procedure will take place only once. For it to repeat, you must insert the Card of some other Mobile Service Provider & switch on the phone. Once the network of the Different Mobile Service Provider appears in the phone, switch it off & insert the Bsnl Sim Card. Now the above procedure of automatically getting the settings will be repeated in case you had cleared your previous settings. Better still, you can use the traditional way of sending an SMS containing the handset manufacturer name followed by the model number (NOKIA N73 in my case) to 8355.

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Get Connected:

Select Save from the Options Menu for all the 4 Config. messages with response to the question "Set as default settings" as Yes for bsnlwap message & No for the balance 3 Config.messages. In case you select a wrong default setting for any don't worry. Do this : Menu > Applications > Services & Press Cancel (Right Soft-key) when the phone says "Connecting via ....". Then Select Options (Left Soft-key) > Settings > Access Point > change the selection to bsnlwap.

One thing I'd like to mention here is that the phone displays a shaded Edge Connection Logo (2 horizontal arrows top one facing left & bottom one facing right) just below the network signal symbol in case a GPRS connection is available for use on the network. In case you don't see the logo there, then that particular location does not have GPRS services at that time. Wait for it to appear else you will just try in vain to get connected to GPRS. This logo will change to a solidified one when you successfully connect to the GPRS services.

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Browsing & Other Background:

What Access Point to select for what type of browsing?

bsnlwap - When you want to browse the internet from your mobile's browser. When you press & hold the 0 (Zero) key, it opens. Or you also can go to Menu >Applications >select Services to open the Phone Browser. Don't worry, you will be able to browse http sites (non-wap ones) also with it.

bsnlgprs - Use this when you connect through your PC or laptop to connect to the Internet using the Mobile phone as Dial-up modem (more on this, below).

bsnlportal - Use this when you want to download stuff for your mobile (like ring tones, games, wallpapers, etc.) from the bsnl website. Note the stuff you download will be charged whether you choose to save or discard it, so be careful. However data transfer volume when connected via bsnlportal will not be charged (it will not be included in the 5MB limit). Naturally, you will not be able to open other sites when connected via bsnlportal.

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Using the Phone as an External Modem to Internet Connection via GPRS:

My main interest was centered around the ability to browse the Internet using a Laptop with the phone hooked up as an external modem (connected via USB Cable).

I am on the Windows XP platform (with SP2 installed). Much of what I did was taken & done from the following presentations which you may download and see from - http://ap.bsnl.co.in/mmsgprs/mob_gprs1.ppt & http://ap.bsnl.co.in/mmsgprs/mob_gprs.ppt

Well the second link proved much helpful to me but it was for the Infrared Port. Anyways if you have Nokia PC suite installed, you can very well skip / ignore the IR configuration process & refer to it as USB.

Before you connect the Mobile to the PC make sure you have set the default Access point in your mobile to bsnlgprs via - Menu > Applications > Services & Press Cancel (Right Soft-key) when the phone says "Connecting via ....". Then Select Options (Left Soft-key) > Settings > Access Point > change the selection to bsnlgprs.

Well as you know, everything does not work out as it should & the same happened in may case. Everything went right as expected but the Newly created Dial up Connection would simply fail to connect. It gave some PPP-link error & then proceeded to redial. I was stuck.

http://rajasthan.bsnl.co.in/main/main/LATEST%20PHONE%20SETTINGS%20FOR%20GPRS.htm may or may not be available but I was lucky & proceeded with the following:

You have to do this on your PC: My Computer > Control panel > Phone and modems > Go to Modems > select Modem over USB Properties > Advanced > Extra Initialisation Commands & put the following string in the box

at+cgdcont=1,"ip","gprsnorth.cellone.in","",0,0

& then Ok'ed out everything. Bingo! I was connected at 460.8 kbps then & was able to browse the Internet.

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Managing Connections on your Mobile Device:

One more thing. What if you are using the mobile browser in your device & are connected via bsnlwap & you want to connect to bsnlgprs. (The connection won't end automatically if the Online time has been set to unlimited in your mobile). You can change it via Menu > Settings > Connection > Data Call > Online Time > Set it to User Defined & then specify 5 minutes or whatever you like in the Disconnect after (minutes) prompt which appears after that. Or Menu > Tools > Connection Manager > Scroll to your Active Connection > Select Disconnect from the Options menu at the Left selection Soft-key. It may take approx. 45-60 seconds for the phone to disconnect if the connection is active (& the Conn. Manager may appear to be frozen / hanged, the yes option of the disconnect prompt will be there not responding no matter how many times you select it- Once is enough) but the phone will return to normal after that.

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Hope this guide was helpful.

Ravi.

My experience with BSNL GPRS & its configuration

BSNL GPRS & Configuration settings