[riggers]

Does anyone have a release date for this?

[NADight]

'tis out!
I got my first one from VUK about 10 days ago.
I had problems with the first one (see below)and it has already been replaced.
The replacement has not fixed the problems!

Neither VUK or RIM appear able to fix these problems at present, but I hope they are just "teething issues".

I am a Web Client user.

If anyone is interested and has suggestions, the two problems I have (and which others will, presumably, also discover, are:-

1 The MMS fuctions do not exist on the phone. I am fairly sure this is due to the device missing the "MMS Wap Transport" service book.

Whatever I do, (HRT Register or Service Book reload from the Web Server site) that particular service book does not get sent to the phone

2 The TCP option on the advanced settings menu is NOT THERE. I have no idea why, because all the rest of the service books that are on my 8700v are also on the 8707v, so maybe this is not a service book issue

Anyway, the result is that I cannot set the access point needed for third party appps (eg Blackberry Today, VeriChat) that need it, so that software can't be used

[BBAdmin]

I've had a CMIME service book issue which I've reported to RIM (which I found also present on the Voda 7130 devices). Still running some tests so I wouldn't put money on it being a device side issue (that's my disclaimer in case Voda are watching)!!! We got some decent stock of them though (to the joy of our sales team)!!! It's a decent device - the fact it's not Intel based makes it slower than an 8700 to use though, and unless you need a 3G modem I don't think it would be a device you'd need over other models.

[drauk]

Could anyone who has an 8707V on Vodafone in the UK confirm that it does support thirdparty TCP/IP applications? In particular I am interested in using it with Idokorro. In fact, all I want it for is email and ssh, so it's really vital that it supports it.

Any evidence one way or the other would be really really useful to me.

Thanks.

[NADight]

I thought that maybe if you installed a third party application needing TCP/IP and started it, then maybe it would force the TCP option to appear on the settings/advances menu

It doesn't

Applications report that they cannot connect to access point "null"

The people at VUK's tech support, whilst they may not be able to fix this, say that none of their 8707vs have the TCP option either

We need someone else with one of these machines to report

[mrpropaganda]

I am on BES, so third-party apps are working fine (there is a RIM KB article on this) for me. No MMS however, and no MMS service book.

Have any of you gotten it to work as a tethered modem yet?

Still no luck there for me. Connects, then hangs on the "Registering computer..." screen.

[riggers]

I've received a loan unit from Vodafone and managed to get it working as GPRS/3G modem over USB.

Just a shame that it will not work over Bluetooth.
Maybe a Nokia E61 is worth loaning out to test.

[trick202]

Hi all

I'm a newbie both to this site, and the BB so please be gentle!

I've just taken delivery of a BB 8707V on the UK Vodafone network.

All I need it to do is manage my phone calls (like a normal mobile would) - which it seems more than capable of doing, AND handle two of my work email addresses (through Exchange server) and a personal Yahoo address. Can it handle both types of account?

I'm sure it can handle all this, but I'm still in the process of setting up right now. I'm not all that techy either, so I haven't been able to get a lot from the posts I've seen so far.

The one concern I have is that I initially ordered the 8700, and then changed to the 8707 when I read that it could be used as a 3G modem. This will mean I can ditch my Vodafone 3G card, great!
I have read a few posts on here which may suggest that this won't work. Is this just via BT? If so, then that's no problem, as I'd carry the cable with my lappy anyway.
Also, I don't quite understand the TCP/IP issues either. I know from bitter experience that UK Voda tend to disable certain functions of certain devices. Is this the case here? I have downloaded BBToday, but it won't display weather or stock info. Is this part of the same problem?

Sorry for the low level of knowledge, I'd appreciate any help I can get on this. Should I swap for a 8700 while I still can?

[NADight]

Apparently the TCP issue is not a Vodafone issue

RIM have posted an "informative" saying that the 8707v does not support the TCP function at present (the logic of removing a feature working perfectly will in the 8700 defeats me, so I assume there was some political reason for removing it)

It looks from reading posts here that it is the Bluetooth opearation of the modem that is not available, but I may be wrong (why so keen to ditch the data card?)

My gripe is that MMS has assuredly been disabled by Vodafone - the device refuses to receive the necessary service book

All that tech support can tell me is that it was a decision taken by Vodafone, but has no idea why - especially as they advertise MMS as a feature

[trick202]

Thanks for the very quick reply.

Can you tell me then, if the 8700 supports MMS? It's certainly not vital to me at all, but it would be interesting to know.

The 3G card thing is purely a finincial decision. I passed my card on to one of my field sales reps, with the intention of ordering another one for myself. I never got around to it, and since they cost us (the company) about £60, I saw this option as killing two birds with one stone.

While I have a willing expert (that's you that is) could you tell me if it's possible for me to synch multiple Outlook calendars to my BB? Could I monitor my staff's diaries on the BB? I do this on my lappy anyway, just interested to know if it could be handled by the BB?

Do you know if it can handle the works email AND my yahoo at the same time? I got the impression for Vodafone while ordering that I had to make the decision wether I was going to use exchange OR POP.

[NADight]

I will answer the one that I can

The 8700 supports MMS

I can't help you with Outlook syncing as I don't do it

I think (not sure) that you can receive emails as both an enterprise client and from the Blackberry internet service

However, the internet service is picky about what web based email accounts you can add. For example you can't add a standard Hotmail account

If you sign for an acceptable tariff, Voda will almost certainly send you another datacard foc

[wibbly]

Originally Posted by riggers

I've received a loan unit from Vodafone and managed to get it working as GPRS/3G modem over USB.

Done any speed tests? What kind of throughput are you seeing using the BB as a modem on 3G?

[Jeebo]

The removal of the TCP functions in the BlackBerry are actually for technical reasons. The 3G networks of most carriers does not support multiple PDP contexts, so applications using direct TCP could end up fighting with the OS over bandwidth. The earlier versions of the firmware for 8707 did have the TCP function, but they removed it in the final releases.

They have said that it might be returned later, but no timeframe as to when.

[trick202]

Interesting.
I'd like the option of only using 3g when I wanted use modem function, and to be able to use the TCP function at all other times.

As I said previously though, I'm just being picky really.

[wibbly]

Originally Posted by Jeebo

The 3G networks of most carriers does not support multiple PDP contexts, so applications using direct TCP could end up fighting with the OS over bandwidth.

This is an APN issue, right? And the 8707 CAN be used as a generic modem, right? Which means there is a generic TCP service to the big wide internet, at least in 'modem' mode?

So...

- Does use as a modem block other BB functions (such as sending/recv of BB email) for the duration of use as a modem, or

- Is all general TCP traffic somehow sent over the BB APN anyway, so all third party apps should work without a separate APN being set up in the (non-existant) TCP setup?

[Jeebo]

Originally Posted by wibbly

- Does use as a modem block other BB functions (such as sending/recv of BB email) for the duration of use as a modem, or

AFAIK the problem with the PDP context only affected the traffic going via direct TCP, eg third party applications. The removal of direct TCP does not affect the OS applications.

Originally Posted by wibbly

- Is all general TCP traffic somehow sent over the BB APN anyway, so all third party apps should work without a separate APN being set up in the (non-existant) TCP setup?

Depends on what you mean by general TCP traffic. Again, direct TCP (eg the TCP setup in the settings) is only used by third party applications. However, there are no functions to redirect traffic trying to go via the direct TCP stack. Third party applications trying to use direct TCP will get an exception when doing it.

In other words, there is no possibility for third party applications to use the direct TCP stack. They have to choose another path for their traffic, like the MDS of a BES.

[wibbly]

Originally Posted by Jeebo

AFAIK the problem with the PDP context only affected the traffic going via direct TCP, eg third party applications. The removal of direct TCP does not affect the OS applications.

I meant that when a 8700v is being used as a modem connected to a PC, that PC is presumably doing 'direct TCP' via the BB. So what APN is being used for that - and where is it set up? Or is the BB APN being used for 'direct TCP' in that case?!

[Jeebo]

Originally Posted by wibbly

I meant that when a 8700v is being used as a modem connected to a PC, that PC is presumably doing 'direct TCP' via the BB. So what APN is being used for that - and where is it set up? Or is the BB APN being used for 'direct TCP' in that case?!

Usually you set the APN in the modem settings in Windows (or an equivalent OS on your computer), by adding an extra initalization string that goes something like '+cgdcont=1,"IP","internet.vodafone.co.uk"'.

Edit:
It is highly recommended NOT to use either the Browser or any third party applications on your handheld while you are using it as a modem. Any data session initiated by those could interfere with the modem session and destabilize it. Incoming emails could probably have the same affect, but that is harder to escape ;)

[wibbly]

Interesting. If the device only supports 1 PDP context (1 APN, if that's the same thing??) at once, then presumably any data flow over the BB APN is suspended anyway whilst it's in use as a modem.... so you won't get emails anyway for the duration of a modem session...

[Jeebo]

I believe that the device itself supports more than one context, but the carrier networks do not (yet).