Has anyone tried the Lumia 900 over an MVNO (Red Pocket, Jolt, etc.) yet?

[hasasimo]

So I'm thinking of selling my Lumia 800 and getting a 900. I'm totally happy with the 800 but it doesn't have a front-facing camera (though I like its size better than the 900), and well frankly, I'm a geek when it comes to this stuff.

I currently use my 800 over Red Pocket, an MVNO that uses AT&T's network so that I can take full advantage of 3G and HSPA without paying AT&T's astronomical plan prices.

I'd like to do the same with a Lumia 900. The main problem is that Nokia took its Network Setup app off the marketplace, so there's no way I'd be able to adjust the MMS settings to work with an MVNO like I did with my 800 .

However, I do know that the Windows Phone 7.5 OS automatically detects all those settings from your sim card the first time you boot up the device. Has anyone tried this with a sim card from an MVNO? Does everything work (including MMS)? I'm afraid it won't automatically detect the settings from my Red Pocket sim card since the phone isn't unlocked (my Lumia 800 was unlocked, on the other hand). But then again Red Pocket says any locked AT&T phone should work on their network.

Anyone?

 

[CHPro]

I am waiting on my SIM card from Straight Talk, as the one I been using for ST in my iphone 4 wouldnt take in the 900. However, from what I read Nokia took the Nokia network setup app out of the marketplace that people were using to get it working on prepaid networks, so I am not sure how to set it up.

If you or anyone knows how to get it working, that would really help me out.

 

[Darthmight]

Hey yeah i just recently bought the lumia 900 off contract from att (locked). I am using it phone on their gophone plan. I can send and receive texts and calls but that's it. The data does not work nor does MMS. However i don't think the network setup app is removed its just not available for us. Because my friend who has and unbranded and sim unlocked lumia 800 was able to download the app and even "share" it with me. when i opened the link it just said unavailable to download, but I could read the reviews ect.

I think maybe our lumia 900's need to be sim-unlocked which will allow the phones to read the apn's off the simcard. Has anyone been able to do this? Do any of those unlocking websites actually work? Because they seem kinda fishy to me.

 

[Thuoudo]

Well, you don't need a SIM unlock because the phone is branded as AT&T and Red Pocket, Jolt, ST, etc all use AT&T's network.

I have an RP MMS config file...somewhere on my computer :straight:

But I had to manually configure the APN of my 4G Focus S to work on GoPhone since "4G" phones aren't supposed to get data on prepaid. I just went to look at the APN settings to post here and they're gone but data still works

 

[hasasimo]

Well, you don't need a SIM unlock because the phone is branded as AT&T and Red Pocket, Jolt, ST, etc all use AT&T's network.

I have an RP MMS config file...somewhere on my computer :straight:

But I had to manually configure the APN of my 4G Focus S to work on GoPhone since "4G" phones aren't supposed to get data on prepaid. I just went to look at the APN settings to post here and they're gone but data still works

Thanks for the info. Since the WP7 OS automatically configures APN and MMS settings to the sim card upon first boot, do you think its possible I'll be able to get MMS to work on Straight Talk by having the ST sim in there on my first boot? I can't see any other way I'd be able to get MMS to work with the Network Setup app down.

What do you think?

 

[Thuoudo]

I would try it that way first (insert the SIM, boot the phone) and see what happens. There are APN settings posted elsewhere on the web I'd have to search for, but they are definitely listed.

As far as I'm aware, there's no separate MMS setting available for us to tweak so if data works but MMSs don't, you may be out of luck...but it's too early to call it impossible

 

[Darthmight]

But I had to manually configure the APN of my 4G Focus S to work on GoPhone since "4G" phones aren't supposed to get data on prepaid. I just went to look at the APN settings to post here and they're gone but data still works

Hmm well i tried googling the apn settings and came up with quite a few sites. However the ones I tried all didnt seem to work. With my old phone the Nokia N82 I had unlimited edge (2G) data and could send MMS. If I have apn settings I can get to an att websites that says i need to buy a data pack. Without the settings I cant get anything to come up on the browser. I can not send MMS either way.

Did u buy the "smartphone" data pack or are u using the unlimited edge plan? Also if i switch to strait talk has anyone got it to work on their network so far?

THANKS

 

[hyperlexis]

Straight Talk -- Probs on MVNO

Yes this is definitely an issue that must be fixed. I signed up for the Straight Talk BYOD chip (running on ATT) after the a-holes decided to nix the LG Optimus 2x 4G handset a few months ago. So I bought a Lumia 900 for the full $450 cash price, with no contract -- now the phone was booted up with no chip in it and I put the sim chip in after. Nothing, no voice no data. I then turned the phone off and on today and now it works for voice, and data and texts and shows 4G (HSPA). BUT it will NOT send MMS texts nor will the Bing search work, nor will the apps download. It's bizarre. I CAN search on internet explorer and open different websites. For example, when I go to the Marketplace, the apps show up on screen, but when you try to download them, like the CNN app, it gives an error stating "The Windows Live ID service is unavailable right now. Try again later."

Something has to be done about this -- the Lumia is a great phone and I do want to keep it. There is no excuse for effectively keeping a phone's key features 'locked' and unusable to those who paid the full price for the phone those who's contracts expire. It's very anticompetitive and opens Nokia and AT&T and MS all to lawsuits.

I dont want to have to go to Android to use Straight Talk's service, but I do want a phone that functions.

Can one get a copy of the Nokia network setting app by email or something? Another website? That Nokia pulled it down from the MS site is more than enough evidence of an anticompetitive conspiracy that I can think of. And to think of what now has happened to Apple today vis a vis price fixing e-books! Very very bad situation for Nokia here.

Anyone have any workable fixes they can relay?

 

[hasasimo]

Yes this is definitely an issue that must be fixed. I signed up for the Straight Talk BYOD chip (running on ATT) after the a-holes decided to nix the LG Optimus 2x 4G handset a few months ago. So I bought a Lumia 900 for the full $450 cash price, with no contract -- now the phone was booted up with no chip in it and I put the sim chip in after. Nothing, no voice no data. I then turned the phone off and on today and now it works for voice, and data and texts and shows 4G (HSPA). BUT it will NOT send MMS texts nor will the Bing search work, nor will the apps download. It's bizarre. I CAN search on internet explorer and open different websites. For example, when I go to the Marketplace, the apps show up on screen, but when you try to download them, like the CNN app, it gives an error stating "The Windows Live ID service is unavailable right now. Try again later."

Something has to be done about this -- the Lumia is a great phone and I do want to keep it. There is no excuse for effectively keeping a phone's key features 'locked' and unusable to those who paid the full price for the phone those who's contracts expire. It's very anticompetitive and opens Nokia and AT&T and MS all to lawsuits.

I dont want to have to go to Android to use Straight Talk's service, but I do want a phone that functions.

Can one get a copy of the Nokia network setting app by email or something? Another website? That Nokia pulled it down from the MS site is more than enough evidence of an anticompetitive conspiracy that I can think of. And to think of what now has happened to Apple today vis a vis price fixing e-books! Very very bad situation for Nokia here.

Anyone have any workable fixes they can relay?

Not being able to search Bing or download apps is odd. You may want to hard reset your phone again. I can do those things with my MVNO but alas, the same problem we're all having... no MMS.

It's frustrating that an issue so unbelievably simple can't be fixed.

To second hyperlexis' request (though my fruitless Google searches tell me this post will be for naught), if anyone knows a way to transfer an app from one Windows Phone device to another (not re-downloading the app from the marketplace), please let us know. I have the Network Setup app on my Lumia 800 and would be ecstatic if I can somehow transfer it to my 900.

 

[hyperlexis]

Well this is f-Ing great. I did a master reset on the handset thinking it would do something helpful. Ah well, no it wrecked something. Phone acts the same except all the Nokia branded apps in the special collection are gone. Poof. Simply gone. searching on the ms marketplace is not able to bring them back. the phone has now seemingly forgot it is a Nokia. A reset should restore factory specs - so what is going on here???

 

[anon(5335877)]

Well this is f-Ing great. I did a master reset on the handset thinking it would do something helpful. Ah well, no it wrecked something. Phone acts the same except all the Nokia branded apps in the special collection are gone. Poof. Simply gone. searching on the ms marketplace is not able to bring them back. the phone has now seemingly forgot it is a Nokia. A reset should restore factory specs - so what is going on here???

Some people had this problem when they first got their 900. It took a couple hours before Nokia Apps would show up in the marketplace.

As for Bing and stuff not working, it should. I have an HTC Titan on Straight Talk and it's working fine. No MMS because Microsoft only let's you edit APN but not MMS settings. No clue why they made that decision but I'm hoping they add MMS settings in the future.

As for the Nokia network setup app, not sure why it was pulled. One forum member said he remembered reading about how there was a bug and people were accessing things they shouldn't have been allowed to so it was pulled. Another member said they chatted with Nokia support and the agent said it should be available in the next software upgrade.

 

[inteller]

Microsoft is killing us here...I was hoping Tango would solve this but it doesn't look like it. I can't believe Nokia pulled their connection setup app. Right now Samsung is the only one with their Wireless Manager app that you can edit MMS. I'd suggest getting a Focus S if you want to do MVNOs as they can't get LTE apparently anyways.

 

[moc426]

Nokia collection takes a bit to show up. You will eventually see it.

Well this is f-Ing great. I did a master reset on the handset thinking it would do something helpful. Ah well, no it wrecked something. Phone acts the same except all the Nokia branded apps in the special collection are gone. Poof. Simply gone. searching on the ms marketplace is not able to bring them back. the phone has now seemingly forgot it is a Nokia. A reset should restore factory specs - so what is going on here???

 

[hasasimo]

I hard-reset my phone a few times as well trying to get MMS to work. I noticed the Nokia and AT&T collections weren't showing up initially, but connecting to a wifi network fixed that immediately. Now they show up with or without wifi, so try that.

I did have one strange issue with not being able to download apps unless I was on wifi, but the last hard-reset seems to have fixed that for now. Got everything setup the way I want it now, so no more hard resets. Only thing missing is MMS

 

[feedmylittletroll]

I know have my 900 on straight talk and I am not having any problems besides MMS, but that will be fixed when they put the connection app back in the marketplace on april 16th. You need to leave your port settings empty if you want to use bing and other MS services. For some reason, port settings disables them.

 

[hasasimo]

I know have my 900 on straight talk and I am not having any problems besides MMS, but that will be fixed when they put the connection app back in the marketplace on april 16th. You need to leave your port settings empty if you want to use bing and other MS services. For some reason, port settings disables them.

Sweet, I deleted the Red Pocket proxy server and port settings, and just kept "att.mvno" for the APN field and got Bing services working again. Data still works like a champ overall. I wonder why Red Pocket indicates that you need to enter proxy and port settings when data works without it. Anyway, good to know Bing services won't be a problem. Thanks for that tip.

As for the Network Setup app, are you sure that'll be back up on the 16th? I really hope you're right, but the only information I've gotten about that is somebody on this forum that says they were told this by Nokia Customer Care. Have you heard anything else?

 

[hyperlexis]

OK yes -- now the Nokia Apps have magically re-appeared following the hard reset. BUT no MMS and Bing still doesn't work for searching on the data connection (only wifi). I'm on the phone right now with Nokia. The rep said it was AT&T which runs the App store for the 900 and they were the ones who refused to allow the Nokia Wireless Connection configuration app being listed.

I'm still on hold waiting for a solution from the tech....

 

[hasasimo]

OK yes -- now the Nokia Apps have magically re-appeared following the hard reset. BUT no MMS and Bing still doesn't work for searching on the data connection (only wifi). I'm on the phone right now with Nokia. The rep said it was AT&T which runs the App store for the 900 and they were the ones who refused to allow the Nokia Wireless Connection configuration app being listed.

I'm still on hold waiting for a solution from the tech....

Wow, so they shut it off for the entire region just because AT&T didn't want it there? I guess this means we aren't getting it back on the 16th after all :dry

As for Bing, try deleting your Proxy and Port information in Settings > Cellular > Edit APN. I deleted mine (and just kept "att.mvno" in the APN field) and got Bing working again. Just be sure to write the proxy and port down in case data doesn't work and you have to re-enter the information.

Let us know what happens with tech support!

 

[hyperlexis]

I know have my 900 on straight talk and I am not having any problems besides MMS, but that will be fixed when they put the connection app back in the marketplace on april 16th. You need to leave your port settings empty if you want to use bing and other MS services. For some reason, port settings disables them.

Did someone from AT&T tell you that the Wireless Connection app would be put back after the 16th?

I certainly hope it's true!

 

[Thuoudo]

Once the connection manager thing returns, you can edit the "active network" to ATT 3G...that will make Bing work over cellular data as ATT's native LTE or 4G settings don't work.