MPx200 T-mobile user: hiya!

[Guest Tugrik]

I just thought I'd say hi to the MoDaCo crew and drop a post about my experiences with the MPx200 so far. I upgraded to the MPx from the T-Mobile PocketPC Phone Edition.

I purchased mine from Fry's Electronics in Cupertino, CA. It was AT&T branded/locked and cost $375. The AT&T rep squawked at me about requiring a service contract, but I ignored him and simply walked to the checkout, paid and left with the phone. :lol:

One trip to www.unlockitnow.com, $14 and 8 hours later = an unlocked phone. Yes! I put in my T-Mobile sim and all came up just fine. The only annoyance is that the "roam" icon now always shows. Connecting to T-Mobile GPRS was as easy as setting the GPRS settings menu to "internet3.voicestream.com" (I used 3 instead of 2 because I use VPN functions); no other settings are required. I also put in my work's VPN (via a Cisco VPN Concentrator). To access web pages and such within my company I just temporarily tell Pocket-IE to use the "work" network instead of "internet". Works like a champ. I don't use WAP so I've not really set up anything for it, and I only use the open internet and not the walled-garden of T-Zones so I'm not terribly familiar with that either.

Thanks to this wonderful site and others I was able to get a registry editor into the phone and work on yanking out every last bit of AT&T's nasty presence. I changed the boot screens, operator logos and even the in-call progress logos. I wish I could change the in-BIOS Moto boot-up screen/sound, but no-can-do short of re-flashing the root BIOS with Motorola developer tools that I don't have. At least the AT&T silkscreen printing came off with careful use of a hobby-knife.

A quick study-up on XML got me into home page modifications, and so I put up a simple one, based on lessons learned on this board. The artwork is courtesy of a ladyfriend of mine who draws incredibly cute stuff:

Customizing the sounds was even easier. I yanked the 'old phone' sound from the PocketPC (I love the reactions it gets) as a basic ring and loaded up a number of others for use through the phone. So far, so good.

Currently I'm trying to get info from some of my UK-based officemates on the MMS package for the international version of the phone. If I can get a functional install package together that doesn't violate copyright I'll post info here (with moderator permission only, of course). There are other folks on the board working on the same and if it's all legal-and-sane I hope to cooperate with them. ;)

I do my email via Microsoft Exchange 2000 server. I enabled this back when I rolled PocketPC Phone Edition phones out to all our employees by installing MMIS (Microsoft Mobile Information Server). The package is a pain in the backside but functions great once installed. When we upgrade to Exchange 2003 early next year then MMIS is built in and will hopefully be easier to administrate. Doing Activesync over GPRS is a wonderful thing.

I don't play many games on the thing but the few I've tried so far have worked very well, especially the SPV-pacman and SPV-Invaders arcade clones. For now I'm more into fussing with location-based apps because I work for a AGPS (cel-phone GPS chip systems) manufacturer, and I'm currently trying to get realtime moving-map functionality together. Currently I'm in love with the Pharos SmartTraffic app, though I hope they fix some nasty UI issues their first release has. The free online services like Connected Bits' weather app are also great. Currently I have a 512mb card in the phone but I'm going to upgrade to the 1G cards when they're available in my area (around 1Q next year).

I'm hoping in the future there will be a flash-upgrade to the SP2003 OS, even though the device will still lack bluetooth. The form factor is great, the build quality is surprisingly high for a flip phone and the battery life is tolerable. Based on the successes I've had with the device I'm going to upgrade a good portion of my company's PocketPC-Phone Edition users to the MPx200. They've been watching me use mine and are terribly envious. :(

I'll keep watching the boards here for other developments (especially MMS) and if I have any successes of my own or software I can release I'll let you guys know. Thanks for listening to me blather on. :)

[Guest Bunchie]

Nice little review there :lol: I'm glad that you've had excellent experiences with this phone. I like the homescreen you've knocked up there as well very much!

[Guest veroi]

With your magic can you fix the Caller ID issue.

[Guest Tugrik]

What CallerID issue? I have the CallerID app that Motorola includes with the AT&T boxed phone and it's worked just fine... I take it sometimes callerID doesn't do so well?

[Guest yoos]

Tugrik,

My company uses Cisco VPN. I could never figure out how to get this to work on my SPV. Do you absolutely need MMIS to be able to activesync over GPRS?

Also,

If you have a hotmail account, can you actually get all the way to the MSN mobile hotmail area to where you can actually read the messages? I used to be able to with T-Mobile, but I can't anymore for some reason...

Thanks!!

[Guest Tugrik]

MMIS is definitely required for "active sync via server". My MMIS server has an SSL cert and a direct (non-vpn) link to the internet.

I've not tried syncing directly to a desktop via GPRS. I'm assuming it can be done, if the machine is either on the full net or behind a VPN you can punch through. Just set up your VPN connection info and make sure you set "my network connects through: work" in your connection settings (that's how it worked on PocketPC anyways). Downside: now *all* your traffic goes via VPN. Not optimal.

MMIS is cheap ($10 per client access license, no charge for the server itself). The problem is getting your IT department to install it for you and give it a secured port on the internet. It's a rather invasive install and must be done on a server independant of the Exchange server and with direct internet connectivity. In addition, the SSL certif from Verisign is $$$, though if you want to use a self-signed you can do some registry hacks to the Smartphone to get it to accept non-verisign certs. One good side effect, though: this enables Exchange via WAP for all the other devices out there. The few non-smartphone users at my office appreciate this (they do email-via-WAP on their Nextel phones).

Pester your IT group at your office. Get them to go to Exchange 2003 or to install MMIS. It makes using any PPC/Smartphone device so much nicer.

[Guest ranzz]

I don't get it. AT&T sells the phone without an MMS client built in?

[Guest ranzz]

Damn what a shame!!! Fry's Electronics' site is right here http://outpost.com/ but they don't seem to sell mobile phones there :? :lol: :roll:

[Guest siegerrebe]

Aplogies in advance if this is a newbie question :lol: I unlocked my phone, flashed it to an internal MS generic build (no carrier specific settings), popped in my tmobile SIM, entered the tzones settings apporiately, configured my email to synch with my exch2k3 server via MIS, and I'm off to the races. Calls go through great (duh), i can surf with impunity, sms works great. However I only seem to be able to synch my inbox w/ my MIS exch2k3 server through the pass through connection offered via activesync- I can't seem to access my mail server wirelessly through my phone (nor can I access my OWA, which shares a URL with the external mail pointer). I'm currently on the unlimted tzones pro plan. Is this a known limiation of tzones? do I need to sign up for th tmoble internet plan? Tugrik, you mention the "walled garden" of tzones above, which makes me suspicious...

[Guest Tugrik]

I suspect (but don't know for sure) that you do need the proper internet plan and not any of the T-Zones plan. However -- do you have a 'real' SSL cert on your Ex2K3 server? i.e., do when you use OWA or OMA do you have to HTTPS:// it, and with a real certif such as Verisign?

If you don't have one or if you use an unsigned certif the Smartphone won't log into it. This is a Microsoftian limitation (and, in my opinion, a $800+ yearly tax from untrustworthy souls at verisign). There is a hack out there to remove the certif requirement from the smartphone end that requires registry editing that I'm sure you can find if you google around. If I find it I'll post it here.

So tell me about this "MS Generic build", pretty please? :lol: Does it restore the phone to triband w/MMS like the fully unlocked (non-AT&T raped) versions? And, is it a flash image binary or something editable that might let us get rid of things like that gawdawful desert-flower MOTO boot-image and sound?

[Guest yoos]

Thanks for the info above Tugrik!

[Guest laotzu]

Siegerrebe

I had the same problems you describe. Changing the Access Point from Internet3 to internet2.voicestream.com fixed everything. Apparently, you will be provisioned for internet2 unless you sign up for T-Mobile VPN service. However things like surfing non-secure sites will still work for you on internet3.

Give it a try.

Also where did you get the internal build? I work for Microsoft too and would love to try it.

[Guest siegerrebe]

I suspect (but don't know for sure) that you do need the proper internet plan and not any of the T-Zones plan. However -- do you have a 'real' SSL cert on your Ex2K3 server?  i.e., do when you use OWA or OMA do you have to HTTPS:// it, and with a real certif such as Verisign?

If you don't have one or if you use an unsigned certif the Smartphone won't log into it.  This is a Microsoftian limitation (and, in my opinion, a $800+ yearly tax from untrustworthy souls at verisign).  There is a hack out there to remove the certif requirement from the smartphone end that requires registry editing that I'm sure you can find if you google around.  If I find it I'll post it here.

So tell me about this "MS Generic build", pretty please?  :lol:   Does it restore the phone to triband w/MMS like the fully unlocked (non-AT&T raped) versions?   And, is it a flash image binary or something editable that might let us get rid of things like that gawdawful desert-flower MOTO boot-image and sound?

No certs needed- strictly https:. I signed up for the unlimited VPN internet ($19.99/month) and now everything works beautifully.

On the generic build- after flashing, I can select all three bands (1900, 900/1800) although I haven't actually tested each. It also has MMS via Jataayu Software. Whether the image is editable or not, I'm afraid that's above my pay grade :D . It's an .img file, but I can tell you that the desert flower MOTO boot image/sound are present in all of their glory in this flash image.

[Guest ranzz]

Well then let's get that baby on the internet 8)

[Guest Shuflie]

Don't know why people are so bothered by the Motorola flower screen on startup, just power the phone on with the flip closed and don't open it until you want to make a call. :lol:

[Guest bhavdeeps]

On the generic build-  after flashing, I can select all three bands (1900, 900/1800) although I haven't actually tested each.  It also has MMS via Jataayu Software.  Whether the image is editable or not, I'm afraid that's above my pay grade :lol: .  It's an .img file, but I can tell you that the desert flower MOTO boot image/sound are present in all of their glory in this flash image.

Interesting when you say "I can select all three bands (1900, 900/1800)".

I would buy the phone immidiately if it works on the 900 MHz ... I need the 900 for use in India (about 2 months a year). But this is the only post I have ever seen which has mentioned that I can use the att phone in all 3 bands. All other posts say the ATT phone does not have the 900 MHz band. What kind of "flashing" have you done that makes it usable in 900 MHz band

[Guest grossygrossy]

Thanks to this wonderful site and others I was able to get a registry editor into the phone and work on yanking out every last bit of AT&T's nasty presence.  I changed the boot screens, operator logos and even the in-call progress logos.

Can you elaborate on this? I would also like to yank out every last bit of AT&T's nasty presence.

[Guest philfar]

I just thought I'd say hi to the MoDaCo crew and drop a post about my experiences with the MPx200 so far... The only annoyance is that the "roam" icon now always shows ...

As a follow-up to this wonderful article posted by Tugrik, does anyone know how to get rid of the annoying "roam" icon which always shows when an unlocked MPX200 from AT&T is used with a T-Mobile SIM? Also, if we can't get of the roaming icon, how do you know whether you are really in a roaming mode when you travel outside T-Mobile service area? And finally, although I have full access to the internet after configuring my network connection to use T-Mobile settings, I can't go to http://wap.myvoicestream.com -- Does anyone else have the same problem?

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

To disable the roaming you have to get the network to do it

as it's done their end with a sim update.

[Guest abatis]

I was in the Bay Area this last week and I noticed my MPX200 (on T-Mob) was showing the roaming icon in the area. It never does that in Denver. However the phone and GPRS worked great.