[mjsfo]

Not sure this is the right sub-forum, but this was the only one specific to "network."

I have a Pearl 8130 with BIS;my first BB. One reason I chose this combination was it seemed a much cheaper way to get data on a PDA/Smartphone, compared to the higher costs of the Treo plans (e.g. with VZW). Because the internet data is bundled with the email, I assumed that RIM was providing the gateway, and perhaps, they had some say about the pricing.

Does anyone here know if this is correct, does the carrier just connect you to RIM and they let you onto their gateway, or does the carrier just agree to let BB users with the BIS/BES handset (not tethered) plans onto the carrier's gateway? (if so, is that why the EVDO 8130's have faster web browsing than the EDGE 8100's?)

Or (likely) neither/both ?

Thanks!

[Cory Scheuer]

from my understandings, everything is done off RIMs servers as they compress the data for us to make for faster transfer speeds and lower data consumption

[ArgonNJ]

You're using your carriers infrastructure to send and receive, so the speed of that network [whether it be EDGE, EVDO, ect] will determine your data speed. The carrier then funnels the traffic into RIM's network, where email and web data are provided. Your carrier obviously provides the voice service and also SMS if I'm not mistaken.

[BBChristopher]

Anything sent to your phone uses the carriers network. RIM doesn't have a worldwide network of their own cell towers. How the data is actually routed, I don't know, but the carrier is definitely involved.

[sickchilly]

The answer is Either, Or and Both.

Data always goes through the carrier's towers as that is your mehtod of service.

From there, some apps use the BIS route while others use your carriers APN.

Finally, some apps give you the choice of which to use.

In general, the BIS route is better because of RIM's proxy formatting, filtering and compression. Not to mention security.

But in some cases, like when you need access to the 'real internet' it may be wise to use the carrier's APN, if allowed.

[Asskick]

But not everything is wonderfull with BISB.... ive found 2 limitation so far

1) They cap the max transfer of a socket to like 2megs or so (so forget bout streaming)

2) Some implementations completly block all streaming stuff at all, even for those 2 megs (not quite sure if they raised the bar with that now that 3g is out). ie I cant watch the videos from m.youtube.com which uses rtsp protocol over my carrier with bisb (telcel)

Of course using APN u might be able to to unlimited downloads, but some carriers charge the use of the APN by kbyte traffic (still some US providers give you APN access for free or for a really small fee, here they want to charge more than the BISB service for access via APN)

[mjsfo]

Thanks for everyone's thoughtful replies.

Looks like Either and Both is the answer (thanks Sickchilly). Depending on the application you use and the settings available in that app, data is routed to/from RIM or to/from the carrier's APN. And, because the BB Browser's default and many other internet apps (e.g. Viigo) default routes to BIS, if you don't change any settings, the carrier charges a lower "unlimited data" fee to BIS customers.

Carriers that use 3G or 3.5G (all but T-Mo for now) can offer faster access, but more often than not this is to/from RIM's servers.

[RogersBTSC]

All email related data has to pass through the RIM relay.

[neftv]

Wirelessly posted

I was wondering I know that BIS http is active but why isn't BIS tcp also active? I know that there is wap which. Is tcp but on BB's why not have BIS tcp available?