Gprs & Iphone 3gs: Getting Screwed By Ais?

[absolutelyBangkok]

Not sure if AIS is trying to screw me.

With the iPhone 3G I had a monthly GPRS usage of some 150 hours, so the 250 hours package was good enough.

Got the 3GS now - and last month I had used some 25,000 minutes of online connection, that's each hour some 34 minutes for the whole month ...

Didn't change my style of using the phone at all. Roughly the same amount of browsing sites and checking email ...

Got a similar experience? Tried to argue with them, but they insist their system can't be wrong.

Anyway, they offer the unlimited package retroactively, still ...

Feedback appreciated.

[garyh]

If you search around there are others that have said how their apple phones keep connecting for no reason. You changed your phone and this happened, does this not ring any alarm bells?

[Maestro]

I don’t have an iPhone but I can imagine that there are programs running in the background that connect to the Internet at certain intervals, for example to check if there are new emails or to transmit your GPS position. I suggest you check if there is a way to switch off GPS and to configure the interval for checking the email account. Verify also if there are other applications that automatically connect to the Internet.

--

Maestro

[motoyen]

On your phone go ti Settings --> Mail... --> Fetch New Data --> Advanced. Even though I had Push Notification and Fetch New Data turned off I found that my phone was still checking my email. Going into advanced I had to change each individual email account to manual.

You can also track how much cellular bandwidth you are using by going to Settings --> General --> Usage. Every billing cycle I hit the reset button which resets all my Cellular Network Data to zero. This won't tell you how long you've been online but it will give you an idea of how much bandwidth you are using. If your data amount is small than I would imagine the amount of airtime you're using would be small as well.

[absolutelyBangkok]

Yeah I'm on manual checking and Push Notification off - same usage as the months before ... but nearly the triple amount of hours?

Before with the iPhone 3G I had firmware 2.xxx, the iPhone 3GS runs on 3.xxx

So may it be that the new firmware connects in the background to the net?

Anyone else saw a rise in GPRS hours after switching to the 3GS?

[Gary A]

The people that are having problems with AIS or Dtac are the same people who are using iPhones. That should tell you something for sure.

[clokwise]

The people that are having problems with AIS or Dtac are the same people who are using iPhones. That should tell you something for sure.

Yup, I was one of those. Right after purchasing my iphone it sucked 400baht of 12Call prepaid credit overnight - seemingly doing nothing. After checking my options, I went for True unlimited data plan at 690 baht per month. Includes 3G service as well (which AIS can't do with the iphone due to incompatibility). Only downside was I had to change my mobile # when moving to True.

[namoo]

The people that are having problems with AIS or Dtac are the same people who are using iPhones. That should tell you something for sure.

Yup, I was one of those. Right after purchasing my iphone it sucked 400baht of 12Call prepaid credit overnight - seemingly doing nothing. After checking my options, I went for True unlimited data plan at 690 baht per month. Includes 3G service as well (which AIS can't do with the iphone due to incompatibility). Only downside was I had to change my mobile # when moving to True.

AIS 650baht unlimited data..end of problem.

[Sabum]

Yes its the 3.0 firmware, just look at the other threads right next to this one to find some fixes.....

Ais is not trying to screw you, however APPLE set it up so phone companies have as much chance as possible to milk you. The iphone is supposed to be used as a device that is constantly connected to the internet, they made it so if a company wants they can make it impossible for you to completely stop edge usage. For instance if you go into settings and try to change the apn (which would normally disconnect you from internet) you cannot as AIS uses auto settings that you cannot change in your iphone. Everyone is turning to unlimitted plans which is more money than people wanted to spend on their phone but they feel there is no alternative, this makes AIS lots of money, thanks to the way the iphone is setup. This is all deliberate by apple and AIS. There is a way without paying for unlimitted plans, but it requires you tracking down which apps are leaking and uninstalling them and making sure all your push settings are set up correctly. I pay 400 baht a month for my phone bill, and I do use internet sometimes when away from my wifi. If I install a new app I need to watch my edge usage closely to make sure its not a leaking app.

Edited January 11, 2010 by Sabum

[djk]

Why not just keep it simple and get an unlimited plan?

I got mine from true and pay just 599 baht per month, being in Chiang mai I also get free use of their various WIFI spots dotted around the city which is handy.

If preferred, I'm sure AIS have a similar plan.

Seems pointless having an iPhone if everything's turned off, might as well get a normal phone just for calls...

[innerspace]

I havent used my iphone in Thailand yet but will do next week so have been checking out reviews on it.

A thought I had after reading these comments was that SBSettings (Jailbreak only app, replacement of BossPrefs) allows quick and easy 2 touch toggling of your internet.

So if you are on a limited data/hours package you could switch on 3g/edge only when you want to use it.

[Sabum]

I havent used my iphone in Thailand yet but will do next week so have been checking out reviews on it.

A thought I had after reading these comments was that SBSettings (Jailbreak only app, replacement of BossPrefs) allows quick and easy 2 touch toggling of your internet.

So if you are on a limited data/hours package you could switch on 3g/edge only when you want to use it.

This wont work for some cydia apps that leak even through sbsettings.

[thaireddevil]

I have a 3GS which was one of the first released by Apple. Therefore it is open to any network and is a worldwide sim free iphone. Ive noticed the problem that my Thai friends have been having with the Thai Iphone's. This problem is easy to get around. Take off mobile life (this is a connection manager for AIS) which is an open connection. Your GPRS will use up your credit even if the phone is searching for a signal. Another way around this is to turn off your location settings. You can also leave all the settings for cellular data blank. That way you are not associated to any network. All you need are the MMS settings that if you use them otherwise leave all the settings blank. You can check the data you are using and compare it to the previous data that you were being billed for. Myself and all of my friends DO NOT get billed for data we don not use. Mobile Life is the problem!!

[t.s]

The people that are having problems with AIS or Dtac are the same people who are using iPhones. That should tell you something for sure.

gee thanks for restating the obvious.

[t.s]

I have a 3GS which was one of the first released by Apple. Therefore it is open to any network and is a worldwide sim free iphone. Ive noticed the problem that my Thai friends have been having with the Thai Iphone's. This problem is easy to get around. Take off mobile life (this is a connection manager for AIS) which is an open connection. Your GPRS will use up your credit even if the phone is searching for a signal. Another way around this is to turn off your location settings. You can also leave all the settings for cellular data blank. That way you are not associated to any network. All you need are the MMS settings that if you use them otherwise leave all the settings blank. You can check the data you are using and compare it to the previous data that you were being billed for. Myself and all of my friends DO NOT get billed for data we don not use. Mobile Life is the problem!!

agreed

[Chonburiram]

The people that are having problems with AIS or Dtac are the same people who are using iPhones. That should tell you something for sure.

It's more like the people who can't read and comprehend a manual who are having problems.

[bolt]

On another post someone mentions if you sign up for the unlimited internet blackberry package for 599 from AIS. Call them; say you want to switch to the BlackBerry package, when they ask, tell them you have a blackberry. They take your word for it. 400 baht per month saved.

Is this true has anyone done this?

Will it work for the IPad 3 G also????

[HDRIDER]

Hi

Me and my Gf did it, no problem changing to BB plan

[nikster]

Yes its the 3.0 firmware, just look at the other threads right next to this one to find some fixes.....

Ais is not trying to screw you, however APPLE set it up so phone companies have as much chance as possible to milk you. The iphone is supposed to be used as a device that is constantly connected to the internet, they made it so if a company wants they can make it impossible for you to completely stop edge usage. For instance if you go into settings and try to change the apn (which would normally disconnect you from internet) you cannot as AIS uses auto settings that you cannot change in your iphone. Everyone is turning to unlimitted plans which is more money than people wanted to spend on their phone but they feel there is no alternative, this makes AIS lots of money, thanks to the way the iphone is setup. This is all deliberate by apple and AIS. There is a way without paying for unlimitted plans, but it requires you tracking down which apps are leaking and uninstalling them and making sure all your push settings are set up correctly. I pay 400 baht a month for my phone bill, and I do use internet sometimes when away from my wifi. If I install a new app I need to watch my edge usage closely to make sure its not a leaking app.

Wild theories here. AIS doesn't even sell the iPhone. The iPhone is indeed intended to be online at all times which is why all official apple partners sell unlimited data packages. At pretty good prices too.

That said, its very easy to make a stock iphone not leak data, i have pointed it out in at least 2 ore threads here. I was running my iphone on a 20 hours per month package for 2 years. Here is what you have to do:

- uninstall all cydia apps. Some of them leak data and they don't play by the rules so no way to stop them

- turn off notifications in the preferences

- set all email checking to manual

That's it. You don't lose much with this ,and you also increase your battery life tremendously. You can still use internet on demand , check email,, surf the web etc. Battery life is about 5 days or more.

[TheLaughingMan]

You dont have to give up cydia apps, just check your usage when you install a cydia app, if usage is suddenly going up, uninstall that app. In my expeirience it is only a small handful of cydia apps that have been a problem.

[mausplan]

I have AIS and a 3G. As an alternative to paying the unlimited package if you want to stop the cost of GPRS / Edge cost the settings are >Settings> General> Network> Cellular Data Network> APN " aisnodata" > User Name "blank"> Password "blank"

[Myaimistrue]

I have AIS and a 3G. As an alternative to paying the unlimited package if you want to stop the cost of GPRS / Edge cost the settings are >Settings> General> Network> Cellular Data Network> APN " aisnodata" > User Name "blank"> Password "blank"

[Myaimistrue]

Correct! Then, when you want to go online, just put in "internet" and you can connect for 1baht per minute. When finished, put "aisnodata" back.

[Myaimistrue]

I have AIS and a 3G. As an alternative to paying the unlimited package if you want to stop the cost of GPRS / Edge cost the settings are >Settings> General> Network> Cellular Data Network> APN " aisnodata" > User Name "blank"> Password "blank"

If you update your Network Settings, as recently offered in iTunes, you don't have to do this anymore! You just have to turn Cellular Data on/off! Good news!

[Lammbock]

Funny, 2 weeks ago when i got my IPhone 4 i went to AIS because i needed a sim switch.

The customer care women suggest me to get the AIS GSM/EDGE unlimited package for 650 Baht because i will not be able to control my usage of online time!!!

:jap:

Edited September 21, 2010 by Lammbock