Dtac & Android: Getting An Internet Connection Is Driving Me Nuts

[AbeSurd]

Warning! It's Android-for-Dummies-in-Thailand time.....

I bought my first ever smartphone, a Samsung Galaxy Ace, in the UK about six months ago. Ever since I have been trying to use it in Thailand, mostly here in the Pattaya area, with my DTAC SIM card.

Getting an internet connection has been driving me nuts.

Getting a wi-fi connection (assuming one is available wherever I happen to be) is no problem. I've learned to go to Settings/Wi-fi settings and put a tick in 'Wi-fi'. That all happens okay (usually).

It's getting a mobile network connection that has been a miserable experience. I've been going along to the DTAC shop and buying 20 hours monthly access for about 100 baht. Then I've been going to Settings/mobile networks and putting a tick in 'Use Packet Data'. But then I find I can virtually never connect.

I asked DTAC about it today. They told me I cannot have the phone set to access wi-fi networks and mobile networks at the same time. In other words, if I want to access the DTAC mobile network I must not only put a tick in 'Use Packet Data' but also remove the tick from 'Wi-fi'.

They only told me this an hour or two ago but, yes, this seems to work. But there is nothing in the Samsing manual about this! DOH!

So my questions are...

Does this sound correct for an Android phone in Thailand?

If my SIM card is DTAC, do I have to use the DTAC mobile network? Or can I subscribe to another mobile network instead?

And cheeky non-Thailand question: I'm with Orange pay-as-you-go in the UK. Should I expect it all to work in the same way in the UK?

Thank you for your help.

[THAIPHUKET]

ALL I can say, my Android HTC works perfectly well with a 1.2.call card, internet and cheap intern calls,

[TommoPhysicist]

It's <deleted>

My DTAC internet SIM works perfectly using wifi or packets.

(69bht for the SIM, 50Mb of data a month free, facebook packets totally free for 2 months)

I have both working, if I have wifi, it doesn't use packet.

If I have no wifi, it uses packet.

Using Samsung Tabs 10.1 & 7

Edited February 9, 2013 by TommoPhysicist

[jbrain]

My Galaxy Note will switch off mobile data usage when connected through wifi.

[lomatopo]

I'm guessing that your Samsung Galaxy Ace supports 900/2100 Mhz, so it would not work on DTAC/Happy's 850 MHz 3G network. It will work on DTAC/Happy for GSM data (low speed: EDGE/GPRS).

Have you properly configured the APN?

You may be better off with AIS/One-2-Call, which offers 3G on 900 MHz.

If my SIM card is DTAC, do I have to use the DTAC mobile network?

Yes.

Or can I subscribe to another mobile network instead?

No. Edited February 9, 2013 by lomatopo

[AbeSurd]

Remember with me it's Android-for-Dummies-in-Thailand time....

It's <deleted>

<deleted> I understand. Unless it's really <deleted>. In which case I obviously won't

My DTAC internet SIM works perfectly using wifi or packets.

I note your subtle use of the phrase "DTAC Internet SIM". As far as I know I have a "DTAC SIM". Is there a difference?

I have both working, if I have wifi, it doesn't use packet.

If I have no wifi, it uses packet.

Well, yes, that's intuitively how I thought it would all work. Except my mobile network connection apparently won't work - except very very intermittently - until I switch off the wi-fi. Like DTAC just told me to do.

Using Samsung Tabs 10.1 & 7

Cool. But I have no idea what you mean

But thank you!

[AbeSurd]

I'm guessing that your Samsung Galaxy Ace supports 900/2100 Mhz, so it would not work on DTAC/Happy's 850 MHz 3G network. It will work on DTAC/Happy for GSM data (low speed: EDGE/GPRS).

What I will say is ... I thought Thailand didn't have 3G so I have put a tick in 'Use only 2G networks'. This also seems to save the battery.

Have you properly configured the APN?

You may be better off with AIS/One-2-Call, which offers 3G on 900 MHz

At the moment my usage is not intensive at all. Mostly exploratory. And I changed my phone number recently so I really don't want to change it again in the near future.

But thank you!

[Satcommlee]

The Wifi should normally override DTAC.

So you could have "use packet data" selected but if your phone connects to a WiFi network (this could be automatic) then the WiFi connection would overide the DTAC network.

[AbeSurd]

The Wifi should normally override DTAC.

So you could have "use packet data" selected but if your phone connects to a WiFi network (this could be automatic) then the WiFi connection would overide the DTAC network.

Thanks....

Because I only buy a limited 20 hours mobile network access each month, on my phone I try to keep 'Use packet data' unticked - until I actually want to access the internet. Then, when I'm finished, I remove the tick.

Whereas historically, at the same time, I've always had a tick in 'wi-fi' - since around town wi-fi access is usually free.

From what everyone is saying on this thread, this all should've worked.

However, for some strange reason, in the case of my phone / SIM card, it doesn't - and DTAC are telling me to do things differently.

I not understand!

[TommoPhysicist]

However, for some strange reason, in the case of my phone / SIM card, it doesn't - and DTAC are telling me to do things differently.

I not understand!

Your mistake is in believing that the Thais working at DTAC know anything about the products they sell.

Usually they just say the first thing they think of to make you go away.

You must be a nOOb to Thailand.

Edited February 9, 2013 by TommoPhysicist

[AbeSurd]

Your mistake is in believing that the Thais working at DTAC know anything about the products they sell.

Usually they just say the first thing they think of to make you go away.

You must be a nOOb to Thailand.

Well, at least DTAC seem to have given me a workaround for the problem, which is more than can be said for your arrogant remarks.

[monty]

You can have wifi and data active at the same time, but as long as your phone sees and is connected to a wifi access point it will not activate the mobile data connection.

When there is no wifi your phone can connect to (either non present or none for which you have the password), it should automatically use mobile data. Might take a minute or so to connect.

You are using your phone slightly different then how it is designed to be used.

You'd normally take a volume based package, where data is counted rather then time.

With dtac 99 Baht would give you 75 MB/month, but you can be online 24/7.

So you can leave both wifi and data active. When no wifi is available, your phone will switch to mobile data but when wifi is available, mobile data is shut of immediately.

This is to avoid using the precious amount of MB available on your mobile data (dtac) package.

You can additionally set your phone to only do data intensive things such as updating applications when on wifi....

[lomatopo]

if I want to access the DTAC mobile network I must not only put a tick in 'Use Packet Data' but also remove the tick from 'Wi-fi'.

They only told me this an hour or two ago but, yes, this seems to work. But there is nothing in the Samsing manual about this! DOH!

OK, I re-read the OP a few times, shame on me for missing it. I see now that selecting Mobile data, and de-selecting WiFi allows the OP to connect to the DTAC 2G mobile data network. So this work-around seems to keep the OP from going nuts?

My best guesses are that this is due to some anomaly in the existing kernel/baseband, which does not allow a mobile data connection while WiFi is selected, or because there are so many open WiFi access points nearby the device is connecting, or trying to connect to, those so that it never ever switches over to mobile data?

Personally, I always turn WiFi off and turn mobile data on in those situations where I am away from trusted WiFi access points and want to sue my DTAC 3G connection. I honestly don't find this overly challenging, and obviously it saves a bit on battery life as the device is not scanning for WiFi networks every 5 seconds.

What I will say is ... I thought Thailand didn't have 3G so I have put a tick in 'Use only 2G networks'. This also seems to save the battery.

Nope, you thought wrong. We have 3G here, and putting a tick in "use only 2G networks" is unnecessary as your phone does not support DTAC 3G so it cannot be saving the battery.

Again, I am fairly certain your model supports 900 MHz 3G so would work better on AIS/One-2-Call, even with a time-based plan, where you could get speeds up to 384 Kbps. But if you are happy with EDGE speeds go for it.

[bobl]

I'm not sure I'm understanding the problem correctly, but it all sounds to me like normal behaviour for an Android phone.

If you have both wifi and mobile data enabled, wifi (assuming one of your preferred AP's is available) will always take priority over mobile. If you want to force it to mobile then yes, you have to switch off wifi.

I have both enabled - and as soon as I leave the house and wifi is no longer available it switches to 3g. When I reach where I'm going it switches back to the wifi setup there. That's pretty much as I expect it / it should be.

If you're using your phone this way and find it's connecting to wifi ap's you don't want (e.g. 'open' AP's that you can connect to, but that don't give you internet access) you need to go one by one and hit "forget" for these 'remembered' AP's. Your 'remembered' AP list should contain only AP's that you know work / want to use.

Edited February 10, 2013 by bobl

[innerspace]

No reason for android to need you to turn off wifi for mobile data to work... unless you are connected to wifi thay doesnt work.

If wifi is connected it wont use mobile data even if the wifi has no internet connection.

My guess is you have once tried to connect to one of the widely available wifi netorks (dtac, true, cat, tot, lots around) that you have no allowance to use hence no internet.

Check if wifi is saying you are connected to a network. If so forget that one.

[lomatopo]

My best guesses are that this is due to some anomaly in the existing kernel/baseband, which does not allow a mobile data connection while WiFi is selected,

A quick search/review in the 5830 forum on XDA indicates that this is a known bug in stock 5830 2.3.x ROMs.

[AbeSurd]

Might take a minute or so to connect.

Aha! True, I maybe being impatient. I will check this out.

You are using your phone slightly different then how it is designed to be used.

You'd normally take a volume based package, where data is counted rather then time.

With dtac 99 Baht would give you 75 MB/month, but you can be online 24/7.

Aha again! I will check this out too.

Many thanks.

[AbeSurd]

So this work-around seems to keep the OP from going nuts?

Ha ha. Yes, hopefully as I get a chance to try this workaround out in various different locations over the coming week or two I'll feel less frustrated. And then maybe I'll start to feel I'm finally getting somewhere useful with this upgrade-to-a-smartphone malarky.

My best guesses are that this is due to some anomaly in the existing kernel/baseband, which does not allow a mobile data connection while WiFi is selected, or because there are so many open WiFi access points nearby the device is connecting, or trying to connect to, those so that it never ever switches over to mobile data?

Do you mean you think there is a fault with the phone?

Nope, you thought wrong. We have 3G here, and putting a tick in "use only 2G networks" is unnecessary as your phone does not support DTAC 3G so it cannot be saving the battery.

A question half in jest: you're sure that trying to do the impossible doesn't use up battery power?

Again, I am fairly certain your model supports 900 MHz 3G so would work better on AIS/One-2-Call, even with a time-based plan, where you could get speeds up to 384 Kbps. But if you are happy with EDGE speeds go for it.

I'll certainly bear this in mind if I change SIM cards again - or if and when I get frustrated by the slow connection.

[AbeSurd]

A quick search/review in the 5830 forum on XDA indicates that this is a known bug in stock 5830 2.3.x ROMs.

My Samsung Galaxy Ace is model number GT-S5830i.

Kernel version: 2.6.35.7 dpi@DELL150#1 ... in case you're interested!

So are you saying my phone could in fact have a bug that, under certain conditions, may cause what I'm describing?

And is there any chance a firmware upgrade would fix it? (I know my Samsung Kies software is wants to install a firmware upgrade for the phone.)

[lomatopo]

I think you asked four questions:

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

No.

[AbeSurd]

I think you asked four questions:

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

No.

Thank you for indulging me.

[AbeSurd]

I'm not sure I'm understanding the problem correctly, but it all sounds to me like normal behaviour for an Android phone.

If you have both wifi and mobile data enabled, wifi (assuming one of your preferred AP's is available) will always take priority over mobile. If you want to force it to mobile then yes, you have to switch off wifi.

I have both enabled - and as soon as I leave the house and wifi is no longer available it switches to 3g. When I reach where I'm going it switches back to the wifi setup there. That's pretty much as I expect it / it should be.

If you're using your phone this way and find it's connecting to wifi ap's you don't want (e.g. 'open' AP's that you can connect to, but that don't give you internet access) you need to go one by one and hit "forget" for these 'remembered' AP's. Your 'remembered' AP list should contain only AP's that you know work / want to use.

Thanks to the DTAC shop yesterday, and thanks to much of the advice on this thread, I'm learning how to understand what's going on on with my phone's internet connections much more.

So .... Bobl, while I'm not sure what you mean by an "AP", I think you might be correctly describing what goes on on my phone a lot of the time.

If I have wi-fi enabled and I'm out and about in town and I open the phone's browser (the default one, so Chrome I guess) I am frequently presented with a True log-in page. This is useless to me as I have no subscription to True.

So typically what I've done in the past is then enable 'Use packet data' (without disabling wi-fi). But this has never done the job. I'm still stuck with the True log-in page, no internet, and I can see that on the phone's screen taskbar there is no E icon with an up and a down arrow. (As I understand it, the E icon with an up and a down arrow is the sign that the phone is connecting to a mobile network.) So, yes, no E icon = no mobile internet connection.

I tested all this a short while ago while in a shoppping mall where I have no passwords for local wi-fi networks. On my phone I had both wi-fi and mobile networks enabled. The browser just gave me the True log-in page, and there was no E icon in the taskbar. The wi-fi section of the phone told me I was connected to True.

As soon as I disabled wi-fi, the E icon appeared and I could get to the Google homepage on Chrome.

Thank you for the tip about the 'forget' function. That's what I need to do with True. And at the same time get rid of the other unused network names.

[Chicog]

Android default behaviour is to use Wifi where available because it generally does not incur charges.

If there is no Wifi signal, 3G or 2G/2.5G will take up the strain.

HOWEVER -

For your phone to connect via 3G etc. it needs an Access Point Name (APN) configured for your operator. These dorks at DTAC don't have a clue.

You'll find it under Settings, More, Mobile Networks, Access Point Names.

Look on the DTAC website or ring their English helpline to ask them what the settings should be.

This is the number one reason in my experience why people have trouble switching between Mobile Operators - and it's easily fixed.

[monty]

I'm not sure I'm understanding the problem correctly, but it all sounds to me like normal behaviour for an Android phone.

If you have both wifi and mobile data enabled, wifi (assuming one of your preferred AP's is available) will always take priority over mobile. If you want to force it to mobile then yes, you have to switch off wifi.

I have both enabled - and as soon as I leave the house and wifi is no longer available it switches to 3g. When I reach where I'm going it switches back to the wifi setup there. That's pretty much as I expect it / it should be.

If you're using your phone this way and find it's connecting to wifi ap's you don't want (e.g. 'open' AP's that you can connect to, but that don't give you internet access) you need to go one by one and hit "forget" for these 'remembered' AP's. Your 'remembered' AP list should contain only AP's that you know work / want to use.

Thanks to the DTAC shop yesterday, and thanks to much of the advice on this thread, I'm learning how to understand what's going on on with my phone's internet connections much more.

So .... Bobl, while I'm not sure what you mean by an "AP", I think you might be correctly describing what goes on on my phone a lot of the time.

If I have wi-fi enabled and I'm out and about in town and I open the phone's browser (the default one, so Chrome I guess) I am frequently presented with a True log-in page. This is useless to me as I have no subscription to True.

So typically what I've done in the past is then enable 'Use packet data' (without disabling wi-fi). But this has never done the job. I'm still stuck with the True log-in page, no internet, and I can see that on the phone's screen taskbar there is no E icon with an up and a down arrow. (As I understand it, the E icon with an up and a down arrow is the sign that the phone is connecting to a mobile network.) So, yes, no E icon = no mobile internet connection.

I tested all this a short while ago while in a shoppping mall where I have no passwords for local wi-fi networks. On my phone I had both wi-fi and mobile networks enabled. The browser just gave me the True log-in page, and there was no E icon in the taskbar. The wi-fi section of the phone told me I was connected to True.

As soon as I disabled wi-fi, the E icon appeared and I could get to the Google homepage on Chrome.

Thank you for the tip about the 'forget' function. That's what I need to do with True. And at the same time get rid of the other unused network names.

Ok

So basically there is nothing wrong with your phone.

It detects a wifi network (True) and connects to it. As long as it is connected you will not get mobile data.

It's not your phone's fault that True needs extra log on details to give internet access

Another observation, your phone is indeed not capable of 3G with dtac, shown by the "E" indicator.

When 3G works you'll either se "3G" or "H"...

[AbeSurd]

Another observation, your phone is indeed not capable of 3G with dtac, shown by the "E" indicator.

When 3G works you'll either se "3G" or "H"...

The E indicator may be displaying because, up until a minute ago, despite Iomatopo's advice, I still had a tick in 'Use only 2G networks'! I've now removed the tick and will see what happens over the next day or two as I'm out and about in town.

Right now I'm at home. And with wi-fi disabled I'm still only getting the E indicator - as Iomatopo predicted. But I guess it may be different elsewhere in town - worth a try!

I put the tick in there last July when I first bought the phone and was still in the UK. I did so because I was dismayed at how quickly the battery was getting used up.

Again - thanks everyone. Yes, it looks like my phone may be working correctly. I just need to learn how to use it properly!

[monty]

Not sure if you have already graduated to the use of Google playstore

If yes, when you change to a volume based package, go and download "my data manager".

This nifty little program keeps track of how much MB's have been used through your mobile data connection.

Also handy to check on which application is using the most. You can set many programs to only use internet when connected through wifi, so you save your precious mobile MB's !

[lomatopo]

For your phone to connect via 3G etc. it needs an Access Point Name (APN) configured for your operator. These dorks at DTAC don't have a clue.

I think the OP has the APN properly configured as he is getting GSM data. Further, APN settings are now baked in to SIMs so usually (not always) these are automagically configured. There is no need to manually configure an APN, except perhaps in the case of TrueMove H, who mis-spelled their baked-in APN settings on a large-ish batch of SIMs.

Right now I'm at home. And with wi-fi disabled I'm still only getting the E indicator - as Iomatopo predicted. But I guess it may be different elsewhere in town - worth a try!

Your phone supports 900/2100 MHz 3G only so you would need either AIS/One-2-Call, or TOT/MVNOs (re-sellers like Virgin Mobile) in order to get 3G service. With DTAC/Happy and TrueMove H, which offer 3G on 850 MHz, you are limited to GSM data, so GPRS/EDGE where speeds might top out at 180 Kbps. As you currently have DTAC/Happy then ticking "Use 2G networks only" does nothing. I'd submit that constantly scanning for WiFi networks (12 WiFi channels, every 5 seconds) is far more demanding on the battery than having Mobile data enabled, but your mileage may vary.

Even with a time-based plan on AIS/One-2-Call you could get data rates up to 384 Kbps, assuming 3G coverage.

Perhaps as early as May of this year, or certainly by September, there will be 3G service on 2100 MHz from TrueMove, DTAC and AIS as a result of the recent 3G auction. You may be able to use this 2100 MHz service via DTAC, but it is not clear now if that will be offered as a different, perhaps premium brand (even post-paid?), or requiring porting.

Edited February 11, 2013 by lomatopo