TT 730 and traffic via Vodafone PAYG

qkjb · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 01, 2005 Posts: 93

I have been using TT Traffic via a Sony Ericsson phone which remains on TT's compatibility list for several years. Recently I purchased an iPhone and as I was aware it wouldn't give a data link to the TT, retained my old phone as a PAYG to continue to link for data. After an hour in a Vodafone shop and over two one hour phone calls with a Vodafone very helpful techie, it won't connect. Put the contract sim in and it will. We have tried every form of data string but no joy. The phone is enabled for GPRS and full internet.
I have been suffering a screen flicker problem with this unit which has been the subject of earlier posts, and TomTom have now agreed to take the unit in for repair. Fingers crossed. However they have emailed me saying that Traffic won't work with a PAYG phone, only a montly contract phone. As far as I can see this isn't mentioned anywhere on their site and other posts I have found say a PAYG contract works with O2 and others.
Has any one else had this problem or is it TomTom simply not be prepared to sort out another customer problem? Vodafone have been copied in on the correspondence because they want to know why it won't work.

JaguarV12e · Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:22 pm Post subject:

When I first got my 730 (soon after they came out), I activated the 1 month trial of GPRS traffic and it worked fine with a Vodafone PAYG SIM. I think that Vodafone have 2 or 3 APNs, and only one of them worked, but I am not now sure which one. I don't think it was the default one picked by Vodafone or Tomtom.
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Tomtom Go 1005
Tomtom Go 730T

mikealder · Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:30 am Post subject:

O2 PAYG will only work if you have a data traffic bundle/ bolt on added to the number, other PAYG services known to work are T-Mobile and Orange - Mike

qkjb · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 01, 2005 Posts: 93

Thanks Guys. Looks like TomTom were not "accurate" in their response. I will go back to them with this knowledge to see if they want to change their minds! I will also send this fresh news on to Vodafone. The very helpful tech man at Vodafone spent hours, literally , going through all available APNs and came to the conclusion that the 730 simply wasn't retaining the PAYG string and it kept reverted to the contract string which is why it wouldn't work. Either way, it looks as though it doesn't have to be a contract phone which is what I suspected.
More anon I hope but thank you for the quick responses.

mikealder · Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 1:09 am Post subject:

Which SE phone do you have is it an Experia per chance or a more normal device.
As for the VodaFone sim, are you sure the PAYG SIM has had full GPRS access enabled, if it only supports WAP (which is the default setting) then the TomTom won't work via such a connection, check the full GPRS is enabled - Mike

qkjb · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 01, 2005 Posts: 93

It's a dear old SE 750i nothing fancy at all but it worked fine on contract. According to the Vodafone chaps it is fully GPRS enabled. I checked that out when I first made contact. However, it is also true to say that I had to ask three times when I first had the phone on contract, so may be I should ask again.

mikealder · Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 1:22 am Post subject:

Remember its NOT the phone that gets enabled is the number and SIM card, unless someone has requested your VodaF PAYG SIM to be enabled for GPRS it simply won't work - The phone has very little to do with it as this is a network setting - Mike

qkjb · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 01, 2005 Posts: 93

Yes - that's a very valid point. I am sure that they said the sim was fully GPRS enabled but! When the guy in the shop checked the number of the new sim he said it was and it showed up on the screen. Better to check again though to be sure.

qkjb · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 01, 2005 Posts: 93

As a follow up to the very helpful guidance you both gave me yesterday I received a response from TomTom Customer Service this morning. I am quick to criticise them so I guess I should be quick to say when they are being helpful. The response is below.

MrT · Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:36 pm Post subject:

it is not just the APN settings, is is also the dial command string that has an effect and this can vary by phone. Most phones do not need a full dial string and only really require *99# to dial out the default or first APN (CID=1). The rest of the modem instruction string (+AT CON etc) is usually superfluous and on some phones even causes problems. If you have more than one APN on your phone, you will need to use the number of the APN you require, eg the for the second APN (CID=2), the dial string will be *99***2# and for the third, *99***3#. Some phones will not work on more than one APN setting.

For example on my Nokias and Sonys where Vodafone PAYG is my first APN, my details are:

APN= pp.internet
user=web
password=web
dial=*99#

I also use WAP web access (cheaper overseas) but this does not support TomTom.

APN=pp.vodafone.co.uk
user=wap
pass=wap
dial=*99#

You do need to check that Vodaphone has given you GPRS WEBaccess on your SIM, on some you may have to request it.
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Drivelux

qkjb · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 01, 2005 Posts: 93

Hi Mr. T,
That's very helpful and thanks for taking the time. I worked through the strings until I got to *99***3# but the phone seems to ditch them and return to the settings for the contract sim. Actually I think there is a problem with the memory in the 730T anyway which is one of the reasons it is going back for repair. I have saved and printed off your post for when I get it back. Thanks for the guidance.

MrT · Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:56 pm Post subject:

I cannot remember exactly the TT setup procedure, but I used manual but the APN, user and password on the TT must match the settings on the phone for that APN/CID. If TT did not give me the manual option, I could force it by going somewhere where I could not get a mobile signal.

I don't think this affects your phone, but on my HTC running Windows Mobile6, I had to install Windows DUN (Dial Up Networking, search the internet to download it) on the phone before I could use it.
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Drivelux

qkjb · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 01, 2005 Posts: 93

More things to try and more thanks.
The Vodafone techie man has been in touch to see if there is any more he can do so I'll drop a note back re making sure the sim is set up OK. You have triggered a recollection that the phone didn't ask for a password when I tried to set it up although it did with the contact sim. I'll post back if I get anywhere. I have just negotiated my way through "How to send the 730 back to TT" process.

bw2020 · Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 2:42 pm Post subject:

Hi qkjb see my reply in this post - it may help with SE phones and PAYG?
HERE
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Samsung A71 Android 10
CamerAlert v1.4.0.876

qkjb · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 01, 2005 Posts: 93

Thanks BW2020, that's also very helpful and I will give it all a go maybe this evening. My wife has taken to reminding me I have a work deadline to meet today and threatens to hide the TomTom if don't get on with it. Ho Hum! She probably right.
I really do appreciate the help that comes from these forums. It has always been friendly, fast and professionally informative.
Thanks to everyone who has posted.

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