Can One Have Sim Provider Lock Out Internet/Data By Account?

[BuckarooBanzai]

Phones are pretty much all becoming internet/data capable. My wife does not have a clue about either the internet or data. Having just bought her a phone with these capibilities I would like to lock them out.

The big problem is she has an account and not prepaid. We have all read the horror stories of those who inadvertantly connected to data and have run up astronomical bills. I want to avoid this. She absolutly refuses to change her number to a prepaid.

Any help how to positivly lock out a specific accounts access to data?

P.S. - I seem to have lost my spell checker so sorry about any errors.

[NHJ]

it is locked by default as far as i know, to activate gprs/edge on my phone i had to send a command to my provider( DTAC) to activate 3G i had to call the call center.

just give a try to activate data on her phone and see if it's working or not, on the other side she can also go back to a prepaid and keep the same phone number.

[khunron13]

Does she even have a plan with data? If so, why? If you don't want her using data, then get her a plan without data. Problem solved!

[2unique]

And deny her the wonderful world of Line, Whatsapp and mobile Facebook - you fiend!

Do it!

My wife always insisted on not having a smartphone as they would be wasted on her, finally she entered my modern world and bought an iPhone now she's up in the early hours pok pok pok on Facebook, sleep is interrupted by the arrival of push messages and every car journey is accompanied by the sound of whatsapp messages tringing in every 2 seconds. I told her find the mute button or I'll mute her permanently - peace has returned to the village

Sent from Android, please excuse errors in type or judgement.

[lomatopo]

What make/model phone did you buy for her? Which service provider does she use?

On most phones you can disable GSM and/or 3G data from within the menu system. Note that this may not be the default setting, and settings may revert upon reboot.

AIS (GSM Advance) and DTAC both offer "buffet" style post-paid offers with which one can build an individualized plan to include just voice, or add text and even data.

I think it is best if the individual consumer makes the decision on package customization to avoid surprises. I wouldn't count on, nor expect, the service provider to lock out data on a specific account.

http://www.ais.co.th/gsmadvance/en/mix-and-match.aspx

http://dtac.co.th/package/save-save.php

[Gary A]

If you have an Android phone, go to the Google Play Store and download one of the many APN applications. This will allow you to shut off the data transfer but the phone and messaging still works normally. You will see an icon on the top of your screen that will show if you are connected to the Internet. When you want the Internet it is as simple as toggling on and off. By using this application, I get four or five days of battery life.

ADDED link - https://play.google.com/store/search?q=apn&c=apps

Edited July 24, 2012 by Gary A

[Pib]

My wife's the same...she really don't care about the internet/SMSing/etc., type stuff....just calling within Thailand,taking pictures, and listening to music using the phone. So, since we have Android-based phones we just Deactivate the Data Network Mode on the phone which kills the 3G/Edge usage. You can still send/receive SMS..it's just not via data mode. Can still use Wifi no problem as Wifi is controlled separately from the mobile data (3G/Edge). And when and if she does decides to get into internet-type usage on the phone, she can first practice via our home Wifi to her hearts desire and that home Wifi usage may be all she will want/need.

Edited July 24, 2012 by Pib

[bobl]

On DTAC you can switch it off and on yourself.

I don't have the phone handy I'll try to remember to look up the sms when I get to it. I *think* it was *137*01# to switch it either on or off. Once it's off you won't even see "edge" on your display (assuming your display tells you what you're connected to) it'll just say "GSM". If you need to use data you can switch it back on just as easily.

Even easier on a smartphone. Just toggle "data" off - 100% effective on Android and iOS.

[h90]

For my phone, it went once online on itself.

Playing internet radio over Wifi, it than than the wifi connection failed, it was silent for 2 hours than it went online with GPRS on itself.

That is a bug that I know....but you don't know what you don't know and may stay online 1 month....

DTAC sends SMS: Your internet usage is 20 Baht 50 Baht 200 Baht etc and I have a limit of 2000 Baht.

That gives some safety....

[bangkockney]

Why not just get unlimited data bundled? It's cheap as chips. That way it's the best of both worlds.

And most of the big bill horror stories involve roaming. Thai providers disable this by default.

[BuckarooBanzai]

I appreciate all the feedback. My big fear is that with just a series of keystokes on the keypad one can activate the data and internet connection. Fully understand that if one does not want it one simply does not activate it. Trouble is, my wife has the potential of randomly activating it as she really does not know what she is doing and likes to press a lot of keys.

Apparently the problem solved itself as the smart phone proved to smart for my wife and so she wants to go back to her old phone. The only thing I have to worry about now are SMS's which I can live with.

Thanks again for the replies.

Edited July 25, 2012 by BuckarooBanzai

[Pib]

Apparently the problem solved itself as the smart phone proved to smart for my wife and so she wants to go back to her old phone.

Nothing wrong wilth doing that...many people want a phone simply to be able to make/receive calls ..what a novel use of a phone....add in a camera capability and maybe a little bit of SMSing and that's all many people need/want. Plus such a phone is low cost as compared to a smartphone. That's why 2G phones (non-smartphones) are still huge, huge sellers in Thailand (and many parts of the world) based on all the stores/shops/stands which sell a wide variety of 2G models right along side a wide variety of smartphones.

[hullupullo]

AIS

Turn off data *129*1#

Turn on data *129*2#

Check status *129#