T-Mobile MDA Vario II

[Guest autotim]

Hi there,

I have just bought a T-Mobile MDA Vario II and I have problems with various things -

1) Scrolling is very difficult as making contact with the screen results in the cirlce of dots coming up with sub-menu. Equally selecting a hyperlink or even a close menu x-box is very difficult for the same reason. It happens all over the screen.

2) I cannot connect to wifi - I am writing this message on a laptop that's connected to a Belkin ADSL Modem with Wireless-G Router (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=187046). I use encryption as everyone on my road seems to have wireless. However, when I punch the Wireless Lan settings into the Vario II it does nothing but "scan the network".

3) What is the average battery time people get? I am not making many calls, but doing a bit of web-surfing on 3G and I seem to get only 4 hours?

4) How do I delete an email account?

5) I am clumsy fingered & I seem to push the camera button everytime I use the phone. Can I stop the camera from coming on?

6) Which is the best GPRS navigation software package for this phone - UK based.

7) Are there any great games for this phone ?

Thanks for your help

[Guest nforsans]

Hi there,

I have just bought a T-Mobile MDA Vario II and I have problems with various things -

1) Scrolling is very difficult as making contact with the screen results in the cirlce of dots coming up with sub-menu. Equally selecting a hyperlink or even a close menu x-box is very difficult for the same reason. It happens all over the screen.

2) I cannot connect to wifi - I am writing this message on a laptop that's connected to a Belkin ADSL Modem with Wireless-G Router (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=187046). I use encryption as everyone on my road seems to have wireless. However, when I punch the Wireless Lan settings into the Vario II it does nothing but "scan the network".

3) What is the average battery time people get? I am not making many calls, but doing a bit of web-surfing on 3G and I seem to get only 4 hours?

4) How do I delete an email account?

5) I am clumsy fingered & I seem to push the camera button everytime I use the phone. Can I stop the camera from coming on?

6) Which is the best GPRS navigation software package for this phone - UK based.

7) Are there any great games for this phone ?

Thanks for your help

There is a dedicated forum on this site for the Vario II aka the hermes.

Go back to the forum list and select "Hermes" under PocketPC. You will find most answers to your questions there.

[Guest Dr Who]

Ach, I'm in a good mood and I'm sure the mod squad will move it.

1) Stop pressing so heavily! Really, just tap it.

2) Are you using WPA-AES encryption? The Hermes does not support AES, you will have to change to TKIP. Or have you turned the SSID broadcast off?

3) That is wrong. Unless you have wifi and bluetooth turned on as well and going hammer and tongs and even then you should get longer than that. I get about two days with light phone and 3G use (maybe about 30 minutes to an hour of each both days).

4) Can you expand on this?

5) You can remap the camera button I think. Sure you can do that in the registry at least.

6) Tom Tom, CoPilot or that one Paul is always touting seem favourite, with occasional shouts for route 66.

7) Worms World Party?

[Guest AlanJC]

6) Tom Tom, CoPilot or that one Paul is always touting seem favourite, with occasional shouts for route 66.

I haven't tried CoPilot yet, but have used TomTom 3 to 5, and just trying out 6, Destinator, and Route 66, but I have to say I am VERY impressed with iGO. Doesn't do traffic yet, and it's fiddly to avoid parts of a route when you are already underway, but those are my only issues with it.

Route 66 is nice because the traffic is free rather than a monthly add-on, but I am not at all impressed with it's routing compared to TomTom or iGO.

[Guest The Doctor]

6) Tom Tom, CoPilot or that one Paul is always touting seem favourite, with occasional shouts for route 66.

You mean iGo? It looks good.... just there isn't a distrubutor in the UK yet.

Phil

[Guest autotim]

Dr Who - Many thanks.

In response:

1) really, I am not pressing heavily at all. Does this have anything to do with the much mentioned screen alignment issues?

2) I am using TKIP and SSID broadcast is turned on at my router

3) This is very interesting to hear. I was surprised to read somewhere else that the battery needed a 12 hour charge before first use. I used the battery as soon as the battery light when green and the device showed a full charge .... which was after around 5 hours. Maybe that's the problem.

4) I want to delete a Pop3 email account, but cannot find a way to do this. There seems to be no central management console that allows you to delete email accounts - just create them.

Separately, the cover that protects the camera lense fell out yesterday. I need to call T-Mobile to get a replacement. Beware.

Ach, I'm in a good mood and I'm sure the mod squad will move it.

1) Stop pressing so heavily! Really, just tap it.

2) Are you using WPA-AES encryption? The Hermes does not support AES, you will have to change to TKIP. Or have you turned the SSID broadcast off?

3) That is wrong. Unless you have wifi and bluetooth turned on as well and going hammer and tongs and even then you should get longer than that. I get about two days with light phone and 3G use (maybe about 30 minutes to an hour of each both days).

4) Can you expand on this?

5) You can remap the camera button I think. Sure you can do that in the registry at least.

6) Tom Tom, CoPilot or that one Paul is always touting seem favourite, with occasional shouts for route 66.

7) Worms World Party?

[Guest autotim]

One more thing - does the phone disable when explorer or webnwalk are activated? Callers complain my phone goes straight to messages?

[Guest Dr Who]

1) really, I am not pressing heavily at all. Does this have anything to do with the much mentioned screen alignment issues?

2) I am using TKIP and SSID broadcast is turned on at my router

3) This is very interesting to hear. I was surprised to read somewhere else that the battery needed a 12 hour charge before first use. I used the battery as soon as the battery light when green and the device showed a full charge .... which was after around 5 hours. Maybe that's the problem.

4) I want to delete a Pop3 email account, but cannot find a way to do this. There seems to be no central management console that allows you to delete email accounts - just create them.

Separately, the cover that protects the camera lense fell out yesterday. I need to call T-Mobile to get a replacement. Beware.

The screen alignment issue relates to the screen not reading a tap in the right place, you definitely sound like you have a different problem. You could try realigning the screen which is under settings.

Your wifi SHOULD work. So, if you turn on wifi in Comms manager do you see ANY networks at all? I found that manually adding my connection did odd things but it could always see it as long as the SSID broadcast was on. In fact my home router and the Vario II don't like each other and if I connect from my Vario my router crashes.

Your battery problem sounds serious. This could be caused by an internal fault I guess, hence your phones odd behaviour.

OK. Go into the messages app, doesn't matter if its email, MMS, SMS, etc. Go to Menu-Tools-Options. Where it says tap an account to change settings tap and hold (the green circle thing) on the account you want to delete and you get given the chance to delete it.

The phone should NOT disable when you are surfing, rather the other way round. It can only support one connection at a time so when you get a call the web automatically turns off and connects the call. When you want to surf again it has to reconnect. This may be a setting somewhere I guess but the default is the way I describe.

Have you tried hard resetting your phone (clear storage)? This removes all your personal info, everything you have installed, etc and returns it to factory default condition. Given your problems I would do this. If you still have the problems you describe, particularly the battery fault I would definitely say you have a faulty handset and need a replacement.

[Guest seangp]

One more thing - does the phone disable when explorer or webnwalk are activated? Callers complain my phone goes straight to messages?

I've just bought a MDA Vario II from T-Mobile and although the phone is great in almost every respect it does not always pick up incoming calls when my phone is on - so not much use to me then. I took my first phone back thinking it was a faulty unit. I got a new one and it's doing the exact same thing! Yesterday I missed every single call despite my phone being on. I took it back to T-mobile today and they said it's probably because I'm using an old SIM card. I get a new SIM card and it seems to be working. I call my phone several times and it rings every time. I try later again in the evening - straight to voice mail despite it being on. Has anyone experienced this issue? I cannot miss calls like this. My battery is charged, my signal is full and it doesn't matter if the phone is on or 'sleeping' - it happens in both states. It sometimes rings, it sometimes doesn't.

Can anyone help? Thanks in advance!

[Guest xeno1]

I've just bought a MDA Vario II from T-Mobile and although the phone is great in almost every respect it does not always pick up incoming calls when my phone is on - so not much use to me then. I took my first phone back thinking it was a faulty unit. I got a new one and it's doing the exact same thing! Yesterday I missed every single call despite my phone being on. I took it back to T-mobile today and they said it's probably because I'm using an old SIM card. I get a new SIM card and it seems to be working. I call my phone several times and it rings every time. I try later again in the evening - straight to voice mail despite it being on. Has anyone experienced this issue? I cannot miss calls like this. My battery is charged, my signal is full and it doesn't matter if the phone is on or 'sleeping' - it happens in both states. It sometimes rings, it sometimes doesn't.

Can anyone help? Thanks in advance!

Your problem, more than likely, isn't the same problem as Autotim's. If your signal strenght is full and your still not getting calls, it might be that the radio version that your phone is using just isn't right for your area. You might try changing it to a different version and see if that solves your problem. It's a simple process to do, but if you want to try it and need help just let me know. I have almost every radio version so if you need me to supply one for you I can do that too.

[Guest firemarshall]

Your problem, more than likely, isn't the same problem as Autotim's. If your signal strenght is full and your still not getting calls, it might be that the radio version that your phone is using just isn't right for your area. You might try changing it to a different version and see if that solves your problem. It's a simple process to do, but if you want to try it and need help just let me know. I have almost every radio version so if you need me to supply one for you I can do that too.

hi please could you help me with radio versions and how to upgrade them for my tmobile vario II, im having problems making and receving calls even with the reception bars full.

Thanks a million

[Guest jimbouk]

Re wifi - make sure the power slider is the whole way across to performance and also ensure that your router isnt set to filter mac addresses. If that doesnt resolve it, then turn off encryption to test it. If that works then try 128 bit wep which will be fine for 95% of users.

Re Battery - heavy 3g use can run the battery down in four hours - but its got to be heavy use. My device will last 24 hours just with next to no use and about 12 hours with my normal usage.

[Guest mitch1974]

Age of Empires and/or Machines at War if you like RTS games.

[Guest Kausor]

Hello,

I seem to have an error on my Vario II - whereby two of my previous alarm settings keep recurring.

Slightly annoying as one was when I had to make an early start to the day 5:15am - and despite changing the alarm times, activating or deactivating the sounds/notifications and simply turning the alarm off (by either unchecking the box or unhighlighting the days) I still get the "Notification/Reminder" message.

Is there a way I can resolve this without having to perform a hard reset?

KAA

[Guest christhedon]

One more thing - does the phone disable when explorer or webnwalk are activated? Callers complain my phone goes straight to messages?

I get exactly the same problem. I tested it and the results seem consisten, whenever data transfer is going on my phone will divert to voicemail (MDA Vario 2 on WM6) Does anyone know how to fix this?

Also T-mobile support told me that turning off 3G sorts out other dropping call, and diverting to voicemail issues....

[Guest Happy Dave]

I get exactly the same problem. I tested it and the results seem consisten, whenever data transfer is going on my phone will divert to voicemail (MDA Vario 2 on WM6) Does anyone know how to fix this?

Also T-mobile support told me that turning off 3G sorts out other dropping call, and diverting to voicemail issues....

your calls will go to voicemail if you have an active data connection in a 'GPRS', i.e 2G area, you can use data and voice together when you are in a 3G area

[Guest christhedon]

your calls will go to voicemail if you have an active data connection in a 'GPRS', i.e 2G area, you can use data and voice together when you are in a 3G area

Strange I never noticed this with my MDA vario 1. Ironically if I turn 3G on then I get much more diverts to voicemail and dropping of calls. Is there anyway to make gprs go on the back burner when receiving calls in 2G mode? I think calls should interupt browsing a website :(

[Guest christhedon]

Strange I never noticed this with my MDA vario 1. Ironically if I turn 3G on then I get much more diverts to voicemail and dropping of calls. Is there anyway to make gprs go on the back burner when receiving calls in 2G mode? I think calls should interupt browsing a website :(

Anyone know how to change the behaviour: I.e. when using the internet you can still receive calls? (Doesn't this concern anyone else, especially if you have it set to automatically download email...?)

[Guest Monolithix]

This has *always* been the behaviour of Windows Mobile, it won't interrupt an active data connection for a call. Personally i'd say its likely to be a limitation of the network rather than the handset software but i don't know for certain. There is no way to change this behaviour...

As for auto email download, unless you have large emails coming through *regularly* you'd have to be very unlucky to received calls regularly at the exact second your phone is connected to the server... :(

[Guest PayableOnDeath]

your calls will go to voicemail if you have an active data connection in a 'GPRS', i.e 2G area, you can use data and voice together when you are in a 3G area

really? in all my time of having WM phones i have it checking my emails every x mins on a few accounts and MSN connected and the GPRS is all ways connected, and i allways get phone calls with out this going to voicemail stuff, am on 2G as 3G drains the battery to much

[Guest Monolithix]

The GPRS connection is paused while the call is in progress and reinstated afterwards. 99% of the time its pretty seamless.

[Guest christhedon]

really? in all my time of having WM phones i have it checking my emails every x mins on a few accounts and MSN connected and the GPRS is all ways connected, and i allways get phone calls with out this going to voicemail stuff, am on 2G as 3G drains the battery to much

Yeah I thought that used to be my experience as well... Oh well.

Does anyone have WM6 and use both wireless and GPRS? I can't find the option to connect to wireless if available if not use GPRS. Yet another simple feature that doesn't appear to be there or am I missing something???

Thanks in advance,

Chris

[Guest Monolithix]

If there is no wifi it should drop back to GPRS automatically...

[Guest elDeeJay]

I get exactly the same problem. I tested it and the results seem consisten, whenever data transfer is going on my phone will divert to voicemail (MDA Vario 2 on WM6) Does anyone know how to fix this?

Also T-mobile support told me that turning off 3G sorts out other dropping call, and diverting to voicemail issues....

Im having the same problem too and it is really concerning for me. What if im browsing the web or on googlemaps or any other data usage. Whats the point in having unlimited data tariff if you cannot take full advantage of it?

is it worth giving tmobile a ring?

[Guest Monolithix]

Right just to clear a few things up.

Your mobiles are basically 2 phones in one, a GSM (2G) one and a UMTS (3/3.5G) one. The networks broadcast both simultaneously and the device will connect to whatever is going, giving preference to 3G.

GSM is not capable of keeping a data connection open when connected via voice, the normal behaviour of WM devices (and presumably all GSM devices) is to pause the data connection if idle and receive an incoming call, or to keep an active data connection and redirect a call (its assumed you wouldn't want an email to cut out downloading half way).

UMTS is capable of keeping both a voice and data connection open simultaniously.

Another issue is in areas of poor 3G signal, if you handset loses connection and is unable to reconnect to the 3G network it will connect to the 2G network, if available. This means if you're on the phone its possible a call can be dropped if it can't switch to 2G quickly enough. Furthermore from what i have seen the device will hang on to whatever 3G signal there is available, eg 1 bar or less of 3G takes preference over 4 bars of 2G, if the signal is *really* weak it won't be able to connect the call, even though it thinks its connected to the network, and the network will automatically redirect the call to your VM by default.

NB: The signal indicator is notoriously inaccurate :(

So yeah, you could try changing to 3G only if you want to make full use of wnw, just bear in mind 3G coverage across all networks is only about 70-80% of the population at best...