[underskybb]

Hi My Fellow BB Gurus
After doing an hour of search online, I have the following questions. Please help answering, thanks

1. I am using ATT. Can I still have data service (mail, browser, app) abroad via wifi, when I turn data roaming off?
Currently, data service via wifi simply does NOT work if I just turn data off even in my home country. I can't really test its behavior when I switch to "off when roaming," since I am not abroad.

2. I am able to use the browser, and browser only, if I turn off the mobile network, and turn on wifi. I just need to go to options/advanced options/browser, then change the default browser to "hotspot" browser.
However, all other apps using internet won't work, including BB messenger, Google Map, and email.
Is there a way for me to use data service when mobile network is off, via wifi?

[rambo47]

2. Email (through the default email client) and BB Messenger will only work over the basic data connection, not over WiFi. If you're using WiFi only, you can surf the net via a browser like Hot Spot or maybe Opera Mini, and you can check GMail through the stand-alone GMail app if you have it, but that's about it.

[makedonce]

Even when my wireless service is off and wi-fi on I can get emails and use BBM. I discovered this by accident because every night I turn my wireless off, but my wi-fi is on. In the morning I find bunch of messages waithing for me. This has been working when traveling as well. Even with my wireless off, if I pick up a hotel wi-fi the email gets pushed and I can use BBM and the other messenger clients. I think it might have to do with "wi-fi preffered" for data under the mobile network setting.
Hope this helps

[rambo47]

Originally Posted by makedonce

Even when my wireless service is off and wi-fi on I can get emails and use BBM. I discovered this by accident because every night I turn my wireless off, but my wi-fi is on. In the morning I find bunch of messages waithing for me. This has been working when traveling as well. Even with my wireless off, if I pick up a hotel wi-fi the email gets pushed and I can use BBM and the other messenger clients. I think it might have to do with "wi-fi preffered" for data under the mobile network setting.
Hope this helps

I always thought this was impossible. I was never able to use BBM over WiFi only. But if you can..............Cool!

[TG7]

I thought you could use all normal programs with wi-fi?

[merlenmeyer]

I am able to send email and browse the web with the mobile network connection off (using wifi). I can not make calls or send SMS/MMS messages.

[prepbgg]

Originally Posted by rambo47

If you're using WiFi only, you can ... check GMail through the stand-alone GMail app if you have it, but that's about it.

Can you tell me how you've got GMail to work through WiFi, please? I'm using a 3 PAYG SIM and, after entering 3's APN details in the TCP/IP Settings, the GMail app works over the phone network. However, if I switch off the "Mobile Network" connection the GMail app reports that it "requires a working data connection" whenever it needs to connect to the internet.

[rambo47]

Check out this discussion for info on GMail over WiFi: http://www.blackberryforums.com/wifi...ck-emails.html

[prepbgg]

Thanks.

I've had a look at that thread. I can see advice about downloading and installing the GMail App, but no advice about how to get it to work without a mobile phone data connection.

I've got it installed and working over the phone network, but when I don't have a phone network connection it complains that it requires a working data connection.

Do you have any thoughts about what I need to do to get it to use WiFi, please?

[rambo47]

Seems like having had a data plan when setting it up was necessary. Apparently you can then cancel the data plan and it will still have the services to operate over WiFi alone.

[prepbgg]

Thanks for your reply.

If I got a data plan for a month (or so) to set it up properly would the GMail app then integrate with other parts of the phone ... for example, would I thereafter be able to pick a contact from Contacts and send a Gmail to that person, and would I be able to pick a photo from Media and email the photo (via GMail)? At present the GMail app seems to be totally unintegrated. There doesn't even seem to be a way to add an attachment either in the GMail app or by web access through the Browser.

[rambo47]

That should get you going, but if you reboot your BlackBerry you're likely to lose that connectivity. You'd then need to get a data plan again.

[prepbgg]

Thanks.

After using the GMail App for 24 hours (and seeing how modest the flow of kilobytes is) I realise that the more important issue for us is not getting it to work over WiFi but getting it to work in a more integrated way. We'll try signing up to a BB connection, and it'll be interesting to see how many of the limitations with our current setup will be addressed (and what the situation will be if we go back to working without a BB contract). The limitations I see are:
- there is no 'send GMail' option in Contacts
- there is no 'send by GMail' option in the photo album
- GMail messages are not shown in Messages along with SMS messages
- it is not possible to attach files (photos or whatever) to messages composed in the GMail app; (nor is it possible in GMail within the Browser when in the default Mobile display mode; luckily you can attach files when you switch, within the Browser, to HTML mode but using this on a mobile phone is not particularly friendly!)

[prepbgg]

In the previous post I originally wrote that links shown in messages displayed in the GMail app are not active. However I deleted that because I realised that it's not quite that simple. It seems that if a link (a web URL, for example) is included in an HTML format email the GMail app just displays it as plain text and it doesn't work as a link, but if it is written in plain text in a non-HTML email then the GMail app shows that as a link and it works ... it directs you to that page displayed in the Browser. If you then press the Back button you go back, not to Gmail, but to whatever was the last page displayed in the Browser. I think the phone's user is going to find this somewhat confusing!