GPRS connection on Orange SPV

[Guest arnebret]

Hi,

I read a couple of topics on the forum about this, but they all seemed to go a bit OT.

My experience with the Orange GPRS is:

- Will 'dail' in when you need data

- Will stay on for 10 minutes even if you set inactive to 'None'

- Will go offline when you checked your mail (!)

- Will go offline when you check SOME webpages

Now, a couple of things are pretty strange in my opinion:

- A GPRS connection should ALWAYS be available as it is a PACKET connection, there is no need to dail in or so, you just need to setup a node where you will get your IP-address etc. That's what it does when you request data for the first time.

- Why is it 'disconnecting'. A GPRS connection is not a connection that should be disconnected. As a said before, the advantage of GPRS is that it's always there after you got your IP.

- And most irritating of all, is that the connection will ALWAYS be lost, even if you let MSN keep the connection alive, when you check your mail.

I know all of these facts maybe debt to the network/operator as well as software.

Could anybody tell me if i have some settings wrong or does everybody experience the same 'problems'. And just to get it right: GPRS should ALWAYS be on, it will NOT kill your battery as it only needs power when a datatransfer is in/out coming. Is Orange doing this on purpose or is the SPV not tweaked and tested enough?

PS: I'm on the Dutch network, but i heard similar stories from English SPV'ers as well.

[Guest Monolithix [MVP]]

I would assume that the "dialing" message is just to let you know it's doing something (etc, aquiring an IP address), and the disconnecting conversely, it dropping its assigned IP.

You are correct in assuming this happens on UK networks too.

I ~believe~ (although i may be very wrong), that the device "disconnects" due to network limitations in the available ip scope. Presumably the operators do not want tens of thousands of devices hogging up their GPRS address space, and as such it only keeps its connection (read: address assignment) while it needs it, to allow for other connects at a later time.

Yes its dubious, misleading and not particulary clear either way, and yes i may be talking out my arse :) But from observation this seems to be the method networks use to assign and distribute connectivety.

[Guest arnebret]

Ok, i can see your point. They should change the setup procedure to a faster one if that's the problem. Maybe we are asking too much right now, but it's very misleading that one reads in documents of the UMTS forum about a certain technology (gprs) that isn't used the way it's supposed to.

But i'm prepared, for now, to keep something like msn open to keep the connection alive, but how about that ANNOYING outlook 'hangup' after email is received? Does anyone have that as well?

[Guest Monolithix [MVP]]

I can't say i have. I (used) to sign onto MSN and be connected for hours on end, that's with 15 minute email checks, and web browsing. I find if all else fails MSN will keep a connection open regardless.

[Guest James]

never heard of that mate

Posted from my SmartPhone!

[Guest arnebret]

Well, i just tested this night. I opened a gprs connection with msn, closed msn and started the Virca IRC midlet. It stayed on all the time (G icon in the top right corner). I also checked my mail and the connection stayed alive. Then I left the connection running, by accident, to discover this morning that everything was still running. Luckiliy almost no data has been transferred...

I experienced all 'problem' at day, so maybe when they are running out of connections the system will start kicking out people with the longest idle time or something... I don't know.

Still, i think it's very misleading that a GPRS connection should be dailed in. The whole selling point of GPRS was: ALWAYS ONLINE. I think the phone should establish a GPRS on startup and it should always be available..

[Guest drblow]

Dude!! The points you make are very relevant to this thread here.

We've been talking about this for a long while now. Read thru the other thread, then take your problems up with Orange 156! The more the merrier!! :)

[Guest arnebret]

Sure, but i'm on Orange Holland. The connection isn't good here either, but it doesn't seem to be as bad as over in the uk.