This is odd (WAP)

[Guest mike-oh]

For the first time the other day i managed to browse wap quite succesfully without it cutting out all the time. I was a little suspicious as to why this was so to test a theory i tried to sign into msn. It told me it had to drop the current wap call and attempt a GPRS connection. "CRAP" i thought "have i just been browsing wap for the last 2hrs not using my free GPRS, will i be charged?".

My data connection settings were set to orange WAP in the WAP settings. Though on getting my bill, the call to orange wap has been classed as GPRSdata and hasn't cost me anything?!

Could someone explain whats going on?

Also i got credited with 1minute 26secs worth of lost calls. I thought you were meant to get 1min for each dropped call. So why the seconds?

Cheers

Mike

[Guest martin]

The MSN messenger uses 'Internet Connection' which I suspect you had set to 'Orange GPRS', therefore it makes that particular GPRS connection.

If your 'WAP connection' was set to 'Orange WAP' then this connection was also through the GPRS network. No need to worry.

The GPRS connections Orange GPRS and Orange WAP have different APN's (access point names) therefore it needed to drop the first session you had for WAP surfing and then create a new one for MSN messenger.

[Guest mike-oh]

If your 'WAP connection' was set to 'Orange WAP' then this connection was also through the GPRS network. No need to worry.

That's what i needed to know (i understood why it had to drop calls)! Thank you very much!

Great, so no wap charges either!

Thanks again

mike

[Guest Big Ron - No Longer a Mem]

Note than when it started, the "WAP ACCESS" packs distinguished between CSD access and GPRS. Your account would have then been flagged as EITHER CSD OR GPRS. That lasted about a month... then the two "flags" were merged - when a CSR signed you up for "the WAP access pack," they originally had to ask "which one?" - but shortly after there WAS only one. So, whether you acces WAP by CSD or GPRS (and AFAIK those are the ONLY two options in the UK!) the billing software won't distinguish between them. ...Unless things have changed again since I left! Not long after Xmas, I dealt with a tearful customer who had signed up for the GPRS pack... didn't change the settings in her phone, and ran up a massive bill by continuing to use CSD access. I think she used over £70 worth of calls. I was sympathetic, but was told "that's tough, she should have been more careful!" I imagine that cannot happen any longer.