Terminoligical Inexactitudes

[Gaccha]

I am confused.

I always thought that if I buy pre pay true move at 7 11 then I can use it for data connection. I thought I could access data when there is only a phone signal.

Yet when I found myself in the boonies with no wifi access I found my credits gave me no data.

So much confusion. How can I access data for my smartphone beyond Wi-Fi access? can I use my credit to access true Wi-Fi? what plans are available for data? is there a distinction between 3g and other data access in how I access?

You can see I can't work it out. Thanks.

[lomatopo]

Excellent thread title, BTW.

Can you share any details re: your device: make/model, please be detailed and exact. Can you share any details re: your application requirements?

In theory you should be able to get low-speed 2G data pretty much anywhere, you will pay 1 baht/min for access unless you subscribe to a data plan.

[bobl]

I think you mean terminological... Unless your intent was irony...

Wifi has a very short range, you don't need to be out in the boonies for it not to work. Sometimes you can move 3 feet to the left it stops working.

Yes, there are data plans you can subscribe to that will give you both of 3G and WiFi data but ONLY if your phone supports it.

From your post it sounds like you've been using WiFi and not 3G - which suggests that perhaps either your phone is not 850MHz compatible or that you have less than optimal settings in your configuration...

In any case - even if your phone can't do 850MHz 3G, as Loma says you should be able to at least use EDGE (2G) while outside of WiFi coverage. Again, could be just a matter of needing the phone's settings tweaked.

Edit: Just occurred to me, did you really mean True Move, or True Move H?

Edited May 4, 2012 by bobl

[Gaccha]

Here is the info from my phone: HTC explorer A310e with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n. It uses android 2.3.5 and HTC Sense 3.5. And is "mobile network type: edge ". It is signal of -75DBM and 19 asu. The operator is "True ". Does this give all the info? Thanks.

[lomatopo]

As best as I can determine your phone supports 900/2100 Mhz 3G so would work here in Thailand on AIS/One-2-Call's 3G network, and/or TOT's 2100 Mhz 3G network.

Additionally it should work on any/all service providers 2G (GSM data: GPRS/EDGE, max. speed 236.8 Kbps down) networks, including TrueMove.

It sounds like you have a TrueMove SIM? (TrueMove H is a totally different brand.) If so, you could use the TrueMove 2G, and affiliated WiFi network in most places in Thailand.

You could subscribe to a mobile data plan which includes 2G + WiFi: http://www.truemove.com/th/wifi-edge-gprs-package.htm

I would recommend a volume-based plan. The 399 baht plan gives you 1.25 GB of data and 10 hours of WiFi, per month, for example.

Again, with more detail (budget, usage, location, applications, etc.) better recommendations, and perhaps less confusion, may follow? And we'll try not to lie.

[Gaccha]

Thanks for the great info. I think I have determined the first stumbling block... The phone's APN are probably set up wrong. I used up 4hours yesterday trying to set them right but to no avail. My phone has 3 APN configured. An internet, a Wap and a mms. Please could somebody list the settings on their HTC... Before I lose my marbles.

Thank-you to everyone. Once I connect I will read up on the data plan.

[lomatopo]

This has worked for me: (Again, I am guessing that you have TrueMove? Verification would help, obviously.)

Setting up GPRS / EDGE of Truemove.

Access Number: * 99 *** 1 #.

APN: internet.

User Name: true.

Password: true.

[Gaccha]

Tried out every variation of the APN settings.... To no avail, so off I went to the shop. And it was tough. 2 hours and 40 minutes later got 2g working.

They had to upgrade true software, literally clean the sim card, check the data plan, format the phone ( I.e. metaphorically clean the phone)...

Turns out that after buying pre paid at 7-11 you have to convert some of the credit to data by sms to a true number. I did not know that.

Thanks for help.

**posted quickly from phone**