[FilipEkberg]

Hi,

I recently (1 day ago) got my first Blackberry, so far it's been a nightmare. Our company uses (in Sweden) Telia as a service provider and this provider does not have any Service Books or any BES.

So I am asking myself if what I got in my hands is somewhat a brick which can just make calls and send sms; Can I surf using WAP? Can I use BB / MSN Messenger? Can I use Facebook?

Those are just some of my concerns, most of all I want to use the Blackberry in my daily work, to receive and send emails, notifications, meeting requests for this I usualy use Active Sync, which it seems like Blackberry doesn't support ( I have to BUY something like NotifySync? ).

I hope someone can help me get some answers here.

Thanks

// Filip

[BB-Tech support]

Originally Posted by FilipEkberg

Hi,

I recently (1 day ago) got my first Blackberry, so far it's been a nightmare. Our company uses (in Sweden) Telia as a service provider and this provider does not have any Service Books or any BES.

So I am asking myself if what I got in my hands is somewhat a brick which can just make calls and send sms; Can I surf using WAP? Can I use BB / MSN Messenger? Can I use Facebook?

Those are just some of my concerns, most of all I want to use the Blackberry in my daily work, to receive and send emails, notifications, meeting requests for this I usualy use Active Sync, which it seems like Blackberry doesn't support ( I have to BUY something like NotifySync? ).

I hope someone can help me get some answers here.

Thanks

// Filip

U have to have data plan to use yahoo, msn, email bbm.
Because all traffic going over Blackberry Infrastructure.
U can browse internet using WAP browser. But usualy will take u to carrier web site where u can buy staff.
For full internet use u need data plan
once u have data plan u will have ur service book on BB provisioning site.
for Active sync i really dont know because we do not support 3rd party apps

BB Tech support for North America

[Sytner]

Wirelessly posted (8520 (5.0.0.411))

If you want these services it is likely you will have to change carrier.

[FilipEkberg]

I think I have a Data Plan, if we are talking about the same thing here. In my eyes a Data Plan is when I pay i.e. $20 per month for 2Mbps unlimited trafic per month. Are we talking about the same thing?

Using UMTS / Edge / 3G ( this child has many names ) that is to communicate; Shouldn't it be possible to use these services then? Even if the carrier is not a blackberry partner?

I am sorry if I ask questions that are too obvious. These Service Books that you talk about on the provisioning site, how do I access that?

Thanks

[MidnightDraven]

No.
Blackberries requires a BLACKBERRY data plan. A generic unlimited internet plan will not work.

[FilipEkberg]

Originally Posted by MidnightDraven

No.
Blackberries requires a BLACKBERRY data plan. A generic unlimited internet plan will not work.

I see, and there is no work-around what so ever? That's just stupid, buying a phone for $800 and it works like one that costs $50.

So you are saying I can't use Facebook / MSN Messenger withouth a BLACKBERRY data Plan?

[NJBlackBerry]

You didn't do your homework.
Why would ANYONE a) pay $800 for a phone, and b) not know that a BlackBerry without a suitable dataplan is nothing more than a phone.

No, the phone isn't stupid.

You can't use Facebook or MSN Messenger without a BlackBerry Data Plan.

Return the phone. Do your homework.

[FilipEkberg]

Originally Posted by NJBlackBerry

You didn't do your homework.
Why would ANYONE a) pay $800 for a phone, and b) not know that a BlackBerry without a suitable dataplan is nothing more than a phone.

No, the phone isn't stupid.

You can't use Facebook or MSN Messenger without a BlackBerry Data Plan.

Return the phone. Do your homework.

The Phone costs $800 unlocked from the Swedish manufacturer. And since when does one need to do "homework" before buying a phone?

Thanks for nothing.

[Dubdub]

Originally Posted by FilipEkberg

The Phone costs $800 unlocked from the Swedish manufacturer. And since when does one need to do "homework" before buying a phone?

Thanks for nothing.

A BB is not a consumer phone. It is first and foremost a business device and with that comes certain requirements. To get the full use of all features and to access RIM services such as email, you need a BB data plan. A little reading and online research would have told you that.

Please check out our FAQ. There are two articles there that you should read. One is how to use a BB with a generic data plan and the other on why do you need a data plan for a BB.

As for doing homework, you should always check things out before you buy. Did you look at your cell carrier's website to see if they supported the BB? That should have been the first thing you did. And when you saw they did not support it, that should have been a red flag. Did you talk to coworkers about which device they use and why and who provided the support they need?

It is obvious this device is not the one for you. You should return it and buy a phone that your carrier can support.

[FilipEkberg]

It's tend to be used as a business device, I've been using an iPhone for a long time now and there are a lot of flaws, I got a lot of friends with Blackberries that luckily had carriers that supported the Blackberry Data Plan, without actually stating that it was nessesary anywhere.

This is the first time I've encountered a problem like this and I change mobile/smartphone/pda once or twice per year, never ever have I experienced that the carrier need to SUPPORT the cellphone, it should be the other way around really. Guess it's just a way for BB to earn some extra cash. However, this is OT and doesn't help me solve my problem.

I have a blackberry with a generic data plan on a carrier that does not provide a service book for BB. Help me solve the problem instead of continuing this meaningless argument on if I did the right thing or not Before I bought the phone.

I guess this is why Sweden never really cought on using Blackberry.. We don't like to have our hands tied and have everyone else tell us what to use and when to use it.

[NJBlackBerry]

Or you didn't bother to research your purchase. Do you frequently spend $800 without knowing what the purchase can do? The fact that your carrier doesn't support the BlackBerry is very important to the discussion. You chose to ignore that before buying it.

iPhones in the US are locked to one carrier. BlackBerrys are not.

Return it. Stick to the iPhone. I have no idea why Blackberrys haven't caught on in Sweden, as they have in every other developed nation.

[FilipEkberg]

iPhone is not locked in Sweden.
BlackBerry is.

If I spend $800 occationally or not has nothing to do with it, stay OT please. And in this case, I thought I bought a great office mobile solution, which was proven from the tests I did on my friends phones ( they didn't know that their carrier provided a blackberry data plan by default ).

I am asking for an alternative solution, commenting the things I already know such as; My carrier does not support blackberry. Is just useless to me, I am looking for a work-around.

You can't simply return something if it has been used. Anyway, stay on topic instead; give me usefull tips on how to solve the problem instead of pointing out the things I already know, it's not really contributing.

If we are going OT we could aswell discuss why a cellphone provider would make it impossible to use data traffic if you do not buy their special data plan..

[NJBlackBerry]

And that would, yet again, be a discussion between you and Telia and is not a BlackBerry issue.

You can get a generic data plan, set the APN properly for Telia, download Opera Mini and do some minimal browsing. No BlackBerry Data features. No push e-mail, no Instant Messaging or BlackBerry Messaging. That's all you can do.

Check out http://www.blackberyfaq.com for information for new users, including a thread on what you can and can't do without a BlackBerry Data Plan.

What do I need a Data Plan for? - BlackBerryFAQ

[FilipEkberg]

Yeah I figured that I could set the data-things manually, but does that allow all kind of TCP-traffic then? Or does the blackberry do some other magic which disables that?

How about using it as a modem for the computer? Is that possible with a generic data plan?

One would think that there's a cracked/hacked/broken version of BB OS 5 which would by-pass this, maybe not?..

[NJBlackBerry]

You can't use the BlackBerry as a modem without a BlackBerry Data plan.
The BlackBerry is designed from the ground up to work with a BlackBerry Data Plan. That's about it. It is very limited without one.

There are no hacked/cracked/jailbroken versions of the OS. It's not an iPhone.

[FilipEkberg]

I know it's not an iPhone, if it were I wouldn't have these problems.

[NJBlackBerry]

I was referring to the fact that you can hack and crack and jailbreak and iPhone.
Once again, you missed the point.

Cut your losses. Sell the BlackBerry to someone who can use it.

Stop blaming others and the phone for the simple fact that you bought a smartphone that is not supported by your carrier.

I'm done with this nonsense. Perhaps someone else can help you.

[FilipEkberg]

BlackBerry must be the only phone that has to be supported by your carrier to be used.

I bet I am not the only one in the world with this problem and everything is possible to break/crack you just have to ask the right person.

You are not contributing to a solution so I see no problem in you leaving this discussion.

Thanks for your time.

[TheRinger]

Originally Posted by FilipEkberg

BlackBerry must be the only phone that has to be supported by your carrier to be used.

The carrier must have BIS/BES plans for FULL use yes, otherwise you get limited use as you have been told a FEW times now

Originally Posted by FilipEkberg

I bet I am not the only one in the world with this problem and everything is possible to break/crack you just have to ask the right person.

No, others have had this problem, also because they didn't do the research to see if the phone is right for them and if the carrier has the right plans for it. Again, as you've been told a few times, the phone is designed around the blackberry data plan.

Originally Posted by FilipEkberg

You are not contributing to a solution so I see no problem in you leaving this discussion.

Thanks for your time.

He has answered your questions correctly. There is no other answer. Read my lips. It will NOT work for a lot without a >BLACKBERRY< data plan. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

You can put opera mini on it for browsing WAP.
You can put IM+ on it for instant messaging.

As they have said, sell the phone, stick to your iphone. Blackberry is not for you

[FilipEkberg]

You are really quick to judge.. Had to get another carrier to try this little crap out, done done and done.

So now that I got BIS, can I get full push-email ( or something like it ) through active sync? Or do I still need an application like NotifySync for that? Also, Is it possible, with the built in / blackberry.com email settings to subscribe to all subfolders on an email account?

Cheers.