Yellow Pages access on Cingular

Hello, all!

Have a quick question. I used to be able to access several yellow
pages sites off MediaNet and also YP provided by Yahoo on my
Cingular phone (SE T637). As of recently, I can no longer lookup
any phone numbers via my phone. Is it an attempt by Cingular to
drive people to their overpriced 411 service, or some
misconfiguration on my part? Can perhaps someone provide an address
of a good YP service accessible via Cingular phone with Media Basic
package, at least providing an ability to look up businesses via
zip code or city, and dial their numbers via a link in the WAP
browser? Thanks in advance for the information!

Regards,
-M-

---

› See More: Yellow Pages access on Cingular

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Wed, 24 Nov 2004 13:39:52 -0500,
Mark Meytin <[email protected]> wrote:

>Have a quick question. I used to be able to access several yellow
>pages sites off MediaNet and also YP provided by Yahoo on my
>Cingular phone (SE T637). As of recently, I can no longer lookup
>any phone numbers via my phone. Is it an attempt by Cingular to
>drive people to their overpriced 411 service, or some
>misconfiguration on my part? Can perhaps someone provide an address
>of a good YP service accessible via Cingular phone with Media Basic
>package, at least providing an ability to look up businesses via
>zip code or city, and dial their numbers via a link in the WAP
>browser? Thanks in advance for the information!

I have no problem accessing off-Cingular Yellow Pages through MEdia Works.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 13:39:52 -0500, Mark Meytin <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Hello, all!
>
>Have a quick question. I used to be able to access several yellow
>pages sites off MediaNet and also YP provided by Yahoo on my
>Cingular phone (SE T637). As of recently, I can no longer lookup
>any phone numbers via my phone. Is it an attempt by Cingular to
>drive people to their overpriced 411 service, or some
>misconfiguration on my part? Can perhaps someone provide an address
>of a good YP service accessible via Cingular phone with Media Basic
>package, at least providing an ability to look up businesses via
>zip code or city, and dial their numbers via a link in the WAP
>browser? Thanks in advance for the information!
>
>Regards,
>-M-

Cingular pisses me off.

Google.com has an SMS 411 service (text message service)
sms.google.com that with a word, and a zip code will return locall
phone numbers to you.

UPSNAP.COM is another 411 service, which is claimed to currently be
totally free. It's business sponsored. May not have as many entries
as the Google one.

But, I can't use Google's as a result of my short-sighted decision to
swith to Cinglr, from ATT.

Cnglr CS gives me the same answer, REGARDLESS who I speack to:
"I dont know".

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 06:37:46
GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:

>Cingular pisses me off.

Because ... ?

>Google.com has an SMS 411 service (text message service)
>sms.google.com that with a word, and a zip code will return locall
>phone numbers to you.
>
>UPSNAP.COM is another 411 service, which is claimed to currently be
>totally free. It's business sponsored. May not have as many entries
>as the Google one.
>
>But, I can't use Google's as a result of my short-sighted decision to
>swith to Cinglr, from ATT.

Wrong. Google SMS works just find from Cingular. Send messages to GOOGL
(46645).

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:37:21 GMT, John Navas
<[email protected]> wrote:

>[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
>In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 06:37:46
>GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:
>
>>Cingular pisses me off.
>
>Because ... ?

Because not a single cs or store person can tell me why my Google SMS
doesn't work. I know why Google says it doesnt. Google says it
doesn't because I ported my line from ATT to Cingular.

So far, that's been the end of story.

If you know something I havent investigate, please tell me.

>
>>Google.com has an SMS 411 service (text message service)
>>sms.google.com that with a word, and a zip code will return locall
>>phone numbers to you.
>>
>>UPSNAP.COM is another 411 service, which is claimed to currently be
>>totally free. It's business sponsored. May not have as many entries
>>as the Google one.
>>
>>But, I can't use Google's as a result of my short-sighted decision to
>>swith to Cinglr, from ATT.
>
>Wrong. Google SMS works just find from Cingular. Send messages to GOOGL
>(46645).

I did exactly that. I've tried that many times.

No go. And no help, thus far..
>
>--
>Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
>John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:49:33
GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:

>On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:37:21 GMT, John Navas
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 06:37:46
>>GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:

>>>Cingular pisses me off.
>>
>>Because ... ?
>
>Because not a single cs or store person can tell me why my Google SMS
>doesn't work.

Not their job -- Google's responsibility. You're blaming the wrong folks.

>I know why Google says it doesnt. Google says it
>doesn't because I ported my line from ATT to Cingular.

It's actually just that the Google SMS service is in beta, and is still flaky.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:54:00 GMT, John Navas
<[email protected]> wrote:

>[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
>In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:49:33
>GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:
>
>>On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:37:21 GMT, John Navas
>><[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 06:37:46
>>>GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:
>
>>>>Cingular pisses me off.
>>>
>>>Because ... ?
>>
>>Because not a single cs or store person can tell me why my Google SMS
>>doesn't work.
>
>Not their job -- Google's responsibility. You're blaming the wrong folks.
>
>>I know why Google says it doesnt. Google says it
>>doesn't because I ported my line from ATT to Cingular.
>
>It's actually just that the Google SMS service is in beta, and is still flaky.

OK, . But I'd expect that there's enough brain power within Cnglrs
support to at least tell me 'why' it doesn't currently work OR, it
could be this or that. I tried the swapping out of sim cards, with
active accounts, and it worked on my phone! . So, it's something with
my account, But again, what?
>
>--
>Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
>John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 08:23:44
GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:

>On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:54:00 GMT, John Navas
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:49:33
>>GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:

>>>Because not a single cs or store person can tell me why my Google SMS
>>>doesn't work.
>>
>>Not their job -- Google's responsibility. You're blaming the wrong folks.
>>
>>>I know why Google says it doesnt. Google says it
>>>doesn't because I ported my line from ATT to Cingular.
>>
>>It's actually just that the Google SMS service is in beta, and is still flaky.
>
>OK, . But I'd expect that there's enough brain power within Cnglrs
>support to at least tell me 'why' it doesn't currently work

Why? It has nothing to do with Cingular, just Google.

>OR, it
>could be this or that. I tried the swapping out of sim cards, with
>active accounts, and it worked on my phone! . So, it's something with
>my account, But again, what?

No, it's Google.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

In article <[email protected]>, John Navas
<[email protected]> wrote:

> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 08:23:44
> GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:
>
> >On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:54:00 GMT, John Navas
> ><[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >>In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:49:33
> >>GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:
>
> >>>Because not a single cs or store person can tell me why my Google SMS
> >>>doesn't work.
[...]

I suppose google can't reach your phone because their database lists it
as being with your old carrier, they probably just send an email to
att.mobile.net. there's really nothing you can do about it.

I would have low expectations from a free service anyway.

In article <[email protected]>,
h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] says...
>
> doesn't work. I know why Google says it doesnt. Google says it
> doesn't because I ported my line from ATT to Cingular.

Could be true. Google may only get the phone number via the SMS to
46645 but I bet they have to return the message to the correct gateway.
If your phone number is still associated to ATT in whatever database is
involved--or associated to BOTH--then the reply is probably being sent
to the old ATTWS gateway. Try sending an email to the old ATT email
address and see if it gets rejected correctly or if it just disappears.
Or get someone still on ATTWS to send you an SMS and see what happens.

It just worked fine on my Cingular phone. That's a new one for me--
going into the phone book.
--
Jud
Dallas TX USA

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <271120040936003842%[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 15:36:00 GMT,
steve <[email protected]> wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, John Navas
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 08:23:44
>> GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:
>>
>> >On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:54:00 GMT, John Navas
>> ><[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >>In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:49:33
>> >>GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:
>>
>> >>>Because not a single cs or store person can tell me why my Google SMS
>> >>>doesn't work.
>[...]
>
>I suppose google can't reach your phone because their database lists it
>as being with your old carrier, they probably just send an email to
>att.mobile.net. there's really nothing you can do about it.

It doesn't work that way -- Google gets a message from a cell phone number,
and simply returns the answer to that number, just like a different carrier.
Routing of that return message is handled, like inter-carrier messages, by
carriers' number portability systems.

>I would have low expectations from a free service anyway.

The recent outage in the Google SMS service was probably just a function of
the service still being in beta.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004
15:45:56 GMT, Jud Hardcastle <[email protected]>
wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>,
>h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] says...
>>
>> doesn't work. I know why Google says it doesnt. Google says it
>> doesn't because I ported my line from ATT to Cingular.
>
>Could be true. Google may only get the phone number via the SMS to
>46645 but I bet they have to return the message to the correct gateway.
>If your phone number is still associated to ATT in whatever database is
>involved--or associated to BOTH--then the reply is probably being sent
>to the old ATTWS gateway. ...

SMS messages are routed with the same system as voice calls, so it voice calls
are being routed correctly, SMS routing shouldn't be a problem.

The tricky bit is that SMS short addresses (like the one used by Google) are
carrier-specific, not global. Thus for Google's single address (GOOGL or
46645) to work, Google must either:

1. Negotiate that address with each and every carrier.

-or-

2. Use an SMS "aggregator".

The likely source of the problem is (2).

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

John Navas wrote:
> Mark Meytin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>Can perhaps someone provide an address
>>of a good YP service accessible via Cingular phone with Media Basic
>>package, at least providing an ability to look up businesses via
>>zip code or city, and dial their numbers via a link in the WAP
>>browser? Thanks in advance for the information!
>
>
> I have no problem accessing off-Cingular Yellow Pages through MEdia Works.
>

Could you provide some addresses (URLs) of the YP services you're using?
SMS-based Google is nice, but not very convinient, I prefer WAP.

Thanks,
-M-

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:49:33 GMT,
h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) said in
alt.cellular.cingular:

>On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 07:37:21 GMT, John Navas
><[email protected]> wrote:
>>[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>>In <[email protected]> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 06:37:46
>>GMT, h_arle/yNO.SPAMd_avidso/[email protected] (George) wrote:

>>>Cingular pisses me off.

>>Because ... ?

>Because not a single cs or store person can tell me why my Google SMS
>doesn't work.

Gee, I have a guy who does just that - he haunts Cingular CS until he
gets an answer for the customer. He doesn't consider "I don't know"
to be an acceptable last answer. ("I don't know, let me connect you
to ..." is acceptable.) He just spent 2 days on the phone with CS
finding out why one of two phones a customer had activated could send
pictures while the other one couldn't. (Cingular screwed up in
setting up the account for that one.)

Sounds as if you need a store with a more tenacious employee.

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 16:43:04 GMT, John Navas
<[email protected]> said in alt.cellular.cingular:

>SMS messages are routed with the same system as voice calls, so it voice calls
>are being routed correctly, SMS routing shouldn't be a problem.

>The tricky bit is that SMS short addresses (like the one used by Google) are
>carrier-specific, not global. Thus for Google's single address (GOOGL or
>46645) to work, Google must either:

>1. Negotiate that address with each and every carrier.

> -or-

>2. Use an SMS "aggregator".

>The likely source of the problem is (2).

Now why couldn't Cingular CS have told George that, John? (Rhetorical
question.)