Roaming on ATTWS with the Sony Ericsson GC82

Notes:
a. Sony Ericsson Wireless Manager 3.1.1.1220** (not Cingular software)
b. Tested with GC82 firmware R3B9
c. Presumably also applies to Sony Ericsson GC83 and GC85
d. Presumably also applies to roaming on Cingular by ATTWS subscribers
e. Tested in Northern California

As a Cingular subscriber I occasionally find myself in a location where the
Cingular signal is poor and the ATTWS signal is significantly better. Because
my SIM is Homed on Cingular, and because it doesn't support ENS, normally it
will only roam on ATTWS when there isn't a usable Cingular signal, even if the
ATTWS signal is much better. There's nothing to be done about this with a
handset, because Cingular programs SIMs to disable network selection.
However, it *is* possible to force roaming on ATTWS with the GC82 (when can
make a big difference in speed) using the Sony Ericsson Wireless Manager
(configured properly for Cingular):

1. Click View -> Telephony Settings
2. Select Networks -> Current Network
3. Wait until Retrieve (next to Get the available networks) becomes enabled;
click on it; and then wait until Select a network is filled in
4. Uncheck Automatically choose a network for me
5. Select desired network
6. Click Apply, and wait until the SIM is updated and the operation completed.
7. Click View -> Status
8. Check selected network and signal strength
9. Check that GPRS appears (GPRS also appears when EDGE is available),
and that connection is then made

This will have to be done each time you want to make a network selection
because the Wireless Manager defaults back to automatic selection of the Home
network.

** In Global Support on the Sony Ericsson website
<http://www.sonyericsson.com/support>:

- GC82 and GC83 have Wireless Manager 3.0.1.1026
- GC85 has Wireless Manager 3.1.1.1220 (plus a later driver)

The later Wireless Manager and driver versions posted for the GC85 also
support the GC82 (and presumably the GC83).

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

---

› See More: Roaming on ATTWS with the Sony Ericsson GC82

"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Notes:
> a. Sony Ericsson Wireless Manager 3.1.1.1220** (not Cingular software)
> b. Tested with GC82 firmware R3B9
> c. Presumably also applies to Sony Ericsson GC83 and GC85
> d. Presumably also applies to roaming on Cingular by ATTWS subscribers
> e. Tested in Northern California
>
> As a Cingular subscriber I occasionally find myself in a location where
> the
> Cingular signal is poor and the ATTWS signal is significantly better.
> Because
> my SIM is Homed on Cingular, and because it doesn't support ENS, normally
> it
> will only roam on ATTWS when there isn't a usable Cingular signal, even if
> the
> ATTWS signal is much better. There's nothing to be done about this with a
> handset, because Cingular programs SIMs to disable network selection.
> However, it *is* possible to force roaming on ATTWS with the GC82 (when
> can
> make a big difference in speed) using the Sony Ericsson Wireless Manager
> (configured properly for Cingular):
>
> 1. Click View -> Telephony Settings
> 2. Select Networks -> Current Network
> 3. Wait until Retrieve (next to Get the available networks) becomes
> enabled;
> click on it; and then wait until Select a network is filled in
> 4. Uncheck Automatically choose a network for me
> 5. Select desired network
> 6. Click Apply, and wait until the SIM is updated and the operation
> completed.
> 7. Click View -> Status
> 8. Check selected network and signal strength
> 9. Check that GPRS appears (GPRS also appears when EDGE is available),
> and that connection is then made
>
> This will have to be done each time you want to make a network selection
> because the Wireless Manager defaults back to automatic selection of the
> Home
> network.
>
> ** In Global Support on the Sony Ericsson website
> <http://www.sonyericsson.com/support>:
>
> - GC82 and GC83 have Wireless Manager 3.0.1.1026
> - GC85 has Wireless Manager 3.1.1.1220 (plus a later driver)
>
> The later Wireless Manager and driver versions posted for the GC85 also
> support the GC82 (and presumably the GC83).
>
> --
> Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
> John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

Thanx John.

Now if you could figure out some way to do this with a V400. <sigh>

bamp

Gave the proceedure a test run today in here in New Orleans:

> a. Sony Ericsson Wireless Manager 3.1.1.1220** (not Cingular software)

Couldn't find WM1220 for GC85, used WM1026 for GC82/83. SE site says only
difference in an '83 and '85 is that the GC85 is for Europe, thus may I
assume no USA performance benefit in WM1220 vs 1026?.

Sony Ericsson Wireless Manager seems a bit 'snappier' and appears to connect
quicker than Cingular Connection Manager 3.0.71.0, but CCM is able to
display signal strength in dBm -- a nifty benefit for this gearhead. I am
able to easily switch between both programs.

> b. Tested with GC82 firmware R3B9

Sony Ericsson says "it is recommended that all modem users not running R4B9
install this (firmware) update". OK, if you put it that way... so I updated
to R4B9. No difference noted. Nothing exploded.

> c. Presumably also applies to Sony Ericsson GC83 and GC85

Test shows that it applies to a GC83 (mine).

> 3. Wait until Retrieve (next to Get the available networks) becomes
enabled; click on it; and then wait until Select a network is filled in

I noticed that the only available alternate networks were "Cingular Extend".
Do I understand correctly that this is a function of my having a 32K SIM in
the GC83? Would obtaining a 64K SIM open any other doors? I was able to
switch and connect to both alternate networks (alas, with poorer signal...
NOLA was an early BellSouth Mobility market).

I use my card to listen to streaming audio while driving across the Gulf
South. So far I've been able carry a 32kb/s stream continuously, without
significant dropout, from east of Lake Charles to the middle of Houston. I'm
guessing that's a mostly seamless semi_high_speed data handoff between,
what, 10-20 cell towers? For this old AM broadcast engineer, that's not bad
network engineering.

Thanks for your tips Mr. Navas.

Paul E. Burt
pburt can be found on provider bellsouth and it's net not com

John,

Here is what I have found with my GC83, originally bought from AT&T
back in September:

Notes:
a. latest Sony Ericsson Wireless Manager(not AT&T software)
b. Tested with GC83 firmware R3B9
c. Tested in Connecticut and Boston, MA

I can manually choose my network also. Most of the time, it will of
course prefer the AT&T network, but I can manually switch whenever
needed to Cingular. I've always been able to do this. I really like
this modem -- it's the best I've had for data connectivity.

Fortunately, all the towers that my GC83 has locked onto here in the
northeast, have been EDGE-capable, and it really flies! I tried it out
in New York City, and it found the AT&T network with no problems.

The one trick to making this card work well, which I notice you have
found also, is to use the Sony-Ericsson software, instead of the
software supplied by the carrier company. The AT&T customer care rep I
spoke to told me about this, and ever since I switched the program, I
get solid, reliable internet.

Robert Thoelen
http://www.rtcubed.com
RTCubed Consulting, LLC - "A High-Tech Company that Helps Businesses
and
Churches Achieve Superior Results and On-Time Delivery of Their
Projects, by Applying Creative Analytical and Engineering Answers to
Problems"



John Navas wrote:
> Notes:
> a. Sony Ericsson Wireless Manager 3.1.1.1220** (not Cingular
software)
> b. Tested with GC82 firmware R3B9
> c. Presumably also applies to Sony Ericsson GC83 and GC85
> d. Presumably also applies to roaming on Cingular by ATTWS
subscribers
> e. Tested in Northern California
>
> As a Cingular subscriber I occasionally find myself in a location
where the
> Cingular signal is poor and the ATTWS signal is significantly better.
Because
> my SIM is Homed on Cingular, and because it doesn't support ENS,
normally it
> will only roam on ATTWS when there isn't a usable Cingular signal,
even if the
> ATTWS signal is much better. There's nothing to be done about this
with a
> handset, because Cingular programs SIMs to disable network selection.
> However, it *is* possible to force roaming on ATTWS with the GC82
(when can
> make a big difference in speed) using the Sony Ericsson Wireless
Manager
> (configured properly for Cingular):
>
> 1. Click View -> Telephony Settings
> 2. Select Networks -> Current Network
> 3. Wait until Retrieve (next to Get the available networks) becomes
enabled;
> click on it; and then wait until Select a network is filled in
> 4. Uncheck Automatically choose a network for me
> 5. Select desired network
> 6. Click Apply, and wait until the SIM is updated and the operation
completed.
> 7. Click View -> Status
> 8. Check selected network and signal strength
> 9. Check that GPRS appears (GPRS also appears when EDGE is
available),
> and that connection is then made
>
> This will have to be done each time you want to make a network
selection
> because the Wireless Manager defaults back to automatic selection of
the Home
> network.
>
> ** In Global Support on the Sony Ericsson website
> <http://www.sonyericsson.com/support>:
>
> - GC82 and GC83 have Wireless Manager 3.0.1.1026
> - GC85 has Wireless Manager 3.1.1.1220 (plus a later driver)
>
> The later Wireless Manager and driver versions posted for the GC85
also
> support the GC82 (and presumably the GC83).
>
> --
> Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
> John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

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

In <[email protected]> on 30 Dec 2004
06:29:36 -0800, "Bob" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Here is what I have found with my GC83, originally bought from AT&T
>back in September:
>...
>I can manually choose my network also. Most of the time, it will of
>course prefer the AT&T network, but I can manually switch whenever
>needed to Cingular. I've always been able to do this. I really like
>this modem -- it's the best I've had for data connectivity.

Agreed.

>Fortunately, all the towers that my GC83 has locked onto here in the
>northeast, have been EDGE-capable, and it really flies! ...

EDGE throughput is much better than I expected, both on downlink (typically
18+ KBytes/sec) and uplink (typically 12+ KBytes/sec); i.e., better than ISDN,
good enough to be my typical means of Internet access.

>The one trick to making this card work well, which I notice you have
>found also, is to use the Sony-Ericsson software, instead of the
>software supplied by the carrier company. ...

Indeed. Sony Ericsson Wireless Manager can even send and received SMS
messages during an EDGE connection.

--
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 Wed, 29 Dec 2004 21:50:58
-0600, "Paul E. Burt" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Gave the proceedure a test run today in here in New Orleans:
>
>> a. Sony Ericsson Wireless Manager 3.1.1.1220** (not Cingular software)
>
>Couldn't find WM1220 for GC85, used WM1026 for GC82/83.

WM1220 posted for GC85 works fine for GC82/83.

>SE site says only
>difference in an '83 and '85 is that the GC85 is for Europe, thus may I
>assume no USA performance benefit in WM1220 vs 1026?.

Can't say for sure (either way), but I personally think it generally makes
sense to use the latest version.

>Sony Ericsson Wireless Manager seems a bit 'snappier' and appears to connect
>quicker than Cingular Connection Manager 3.0.71.0, but CCM is able to
>display signal strength in dBm -- a nifty benefit for this gearhead. ...

As always, YMMV -- I personally don't see any real benefit to that over the
signal strength indicator. I'd much rather have robust operation free from
any carrier interference.

>> b. Tested with GC82 firmware R3B9
>
>Sony Ericsson says "it is recommended that all modem users not running R4B9
>install this (firmware) update". OK, if you put it that way... so I updated
>to R4B9. No difference noted. Nothing exploded.

Where did you find that? It's not on the website now, and I've never seen
R4B9 for the GC82.

>> 3. Wait until Retrieve (next to Get the available networks) becomes
>enabled; click on it; and then wait until Select a network is filled in
>
>I noticed that the only available alternate networks were "Cingular Extend".
>Do I understand correctly that this is a function of my having a 32K SIM in
>the GC83?

My own SIM is 32K. I suspect this is just a matter of SIM programming and/or
local networks; e.g., roaming partner other than ATTWS.

>Would obtaining a 64K SIM open any other doors?

I don't think so.

>I use my card to listen to streaming audio while driving across the Gulf
>South. So far I've been able carry a 32kb/s stream continuously, without
>significant dropout, from east of Lake Charles to the middle of Houston. I'm
>guessing that's a mostly seamless semi_high_speed data handoff between,
>what, 10-20 cell towers? For this old AM broadcast engineer, that's not bad
>network engineering.

Agreed.

>Thanks for your tips Mr. Navas.

Thanks for your additional insights.

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

"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Where did you find that? It's not on the website now, and I've never seen
> R4B9 for the GC82.

Hmmm, I followed the link from your post and drilled down to SonyEricsson[US
English] | Product Support | GC83 Support | Software | Drivers and Scripts.

WARNING - as John observed, the SE site only has this listed for the GC83,
_NOT_ for the GC82.

Again, GC83 only...

http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp?...s1_1&pid=10153

Happy New Year to all

Paul E. Burt
New Orleans