Telstra GPRS/MMS

Suddenly last night, GPRS/MMS stopped working on my phone. Did all the
usuals, turned it off/on, resent the settings etc, still not working.

This morning I call Telstra give them the story, tried my SIM in a different
handset and all the same problem - error saying GPRS network not available.
Given that it happened on a different handset as well, I was assuming it was
a network problem.

Telstra tech's response was:

Telstra: Did you buy the phone from a telstra shop?
Nola: No, I bought it from a Vodafone store
T: Well Telstra can't guarantee that a phone not purchased from Telstra
will work on the Telstra network
N: Are you serious?
T: Yes
N: The phone has the A tick and isn't flashed with Vodafone software - it's
a plain jane Motorola V3
T: It may not work on our network
N: It worked yesterday, and has worked on the Telstra network since October
last year
T: Well there's no problem with the network in your area, so I don't know
what else it could be.

At this point, I gave up. Amazingly, about 30 mins later, GPRS was again
available and the phone worked.

Now I reckon the "tech" was full of **** - is it likely that there was a
network problem or could it be something else?

Regards
Nola Jean McKenzie

---

› See More: Telstra GPRS/MMS

On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 15:07:00 +0930, Nola Jean McKenzie wrote:

> Now I reckon the "tech" was full of **** - is it likely that there was a
> network problem or could it be something else?

Not sure, but i've had similar experiences with Telstra's phone staff - one
even told me that the phone that I have doesnt exist (how they came to that
conclusion I'm not sure considering that I got the phone directly through
Telstra and as far as I can see they are the only one offering the A840
with the GSM/CDMA 2in1 pack).
--
aDTVinfo - http://adtvinfo.bacco007.info
Knowfirst - http://www.knowfirst.info

On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 17:19:03 +1000, bacco|007 <[email protected]>
wrote:

>> Now I reckon the "tech" was full of **** - is it likely that there was a
>> network problem or could it be something else?
>
>Not sure, but i've had similar experiences with Telstra's phone staff - one
>even told me that the phone that I have doesnt exist (how they came to that
>conclusion I'm not sure considering that I got the phone directly through
>Telstra and as far as I can see they are the only one offering the A840
>with the GSM/CDMA 2in1 pack).

One dickhead in there once told me I shouldn't store numbers in the
intentional format (like +61 2 nnnn nnnn) because the system couldn't
handle it.

Michael, get out there and train the morons!

i reckon it was a network problem. when you tried the sim in another
handset and GPRS still didn't work, it's most likely a network related
problem. quite possibly the gprs network was down in your area,
contrary to what the tech said. if it was down for a fairly short time,
it's very likely that front of house staff weren't notified of the
event by the usual means.
if the tech/CSR had checked your call patterns, etc, the question about
the handset's viability on the network wouldn't have been brought up.

On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 15:07:00 +0930, "Nola Jean McKenzie"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Suddenly last night, GPRS/MMS stopped working on my phone. Did all the
>usuals, turned it off/on, resent the settings etc, still not working.
>
>This morning I call Telstra give them the story, tried my SIM in a different
>handset and all the same problem - error saying GPRS network not available.
>Given that it happened on a different handset as well, I was assuming it was
>a network problem.
>
>Telstra tech's response was:
>
>Telstra: Did you buy the phone from a telstra shop?
>Nola: No, I bought it from a Vodafone store
>T: Well Telstra can't guarantee that a phone not purchased from Telstra
>will work on the Telstra network
>N: Are you serious?
>T: Yes
>N: The phone has the A tick and isn't flashed with Vodafone software - it's
>a plain jane Motorola V3
>T: It may not work on our network
>N: It worked yesterday, and has worked on the Telstra network since October
>last year
>T: Well there's no problem with the network in your area, so I don't know
>what else it could be.
>
>At this point, I gave up. Amazingly, about 30 mins later, GPRS was again
>available and the phone worked.
>
>Now I reckon the "tech" was full of **** - is it likely that there was a
>network problem or could it be something else?
>
>Regards
>Nola Jean McKenzie
>

Simple, get a Voda account. They are clued up and empowered.

"A User" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 15:07:00 +0930, "Nola Jean McKenzie"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Simple, get a Voda account. They are clued up and empowered.

....and closed over the Easter weekend.

DogFart <[email protected]> may have written:
> One dickhead in there once told me I shouldn't store numbers in the
> intentional format (like +61 2 nnnn nnnn) because the system couldn't
> handle it.

That's may well be valid point... for CDMA. My trusty old 2280 says
"invalid number!" if I try to dial in the standard international format.

PD

--
Paul Day
Web: http://www.enigma.id.au/

Spokes <[email protected]> may have written:
> if the tech/CSR had checked your call patterns, etc, the question
> about the handset's viability on the network wouldn't have been
> brought up.

Why would he want to do extra work when it's obvious he was looking for
a scapegoat to end the call quickly?

PD

--
Paul Day
Web: http://www.enigma.id.au/

I know what you mean. I've met CSRs who often bludge out of calls and
in the end give customer service a bad name. they're usually the ones
who get feted for a taking lots of calls with the smallest average call
time - and by chance often miss out on a good monitor who would point
out what bad service the CSR is really giving.

bacco|007 said....

> Not sure, but i've had similar experiences with Telstra's phone staff -
> one even told me that the phone that I have doesnt exist (how they came
> to that conclusion I'm not sure considering that I got the phone
> directly through Telstra and as far as I can see they are the only one
> offering the A840 with the GSM/CDMA 2in1 pack).

They run off a series of flipcards. If something's not listed on there,
then they're somewhat flummoxed.

I used to cop this all the time when I was with Bigpond ISDN. Whenever
it went arse up, it was a juggling act between Telstra and Bigpond to
sort out the problem. The latter always wanted me to insert my Windows
disc and to reinstall IP drivers, etc. If I refused to, they'd refuse to
try and "help" me. So, what I did was to say, "yeah, done that, still
not going, blah, blah, blah..."

Sometimes the problem with the connection would fix itself. Sometimes,
not. They never, ever acknowledged that there was any problem with their
end. It always was my end.

One particular instance, the ISDN service was playing up. COuldn't get a
128k connection. Went through the usual spiel with the "help" desk.
Ended up, after a coupla daze of this bull**** getting it refered to the
local techs. A fellow came out, tested all the equipment. Turned out to
be a latched up relay or whatever at the exchange. Seems that one of the
channels on the ISDN line didn't hang up after a call and was
permanently off-hook or unavailable.


Inviato da X-Privat.Org - Registrazione gratuita http://www.x-privat.org/join.php

On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 17:46:49 +1000, DogFart
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 17:19:03 +1000, bacco|007 <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>> Now I reckon the "tech" was full of **** - is it likely that there was a
>>> network problem or could it be something else?
>>
>>Not sure, but i've had similar experiences with Telstra's phone staff - one
>>even told me that the phone that I have doesnt exist (how they came to that
>>conclusion I'm not sure considering that I got the phone directly through
>>Telstra and as far as I can see they are the only one offering the A840
>>with the GSM/CDMA 2in1 pack).
>
>One dickhead in there once told me I shouldn't store numbers in the
>intentional format (like +61 2 nnnn nnnn) because the system couldn't
>handle it.

That's actually once true, but the "system" has been able to "handle
it" for over 10 years now.

IIRC, it led to billing problems.

Spokes <[email protected]> may have written:
> I know what you mean. I've met CSRs who often bludge out of calls and
> in the end give customer service a bad name.

That's why it's often easier to just ask in here - once you filter out
the flames, of course.

PD

--
Paul Day
Web: http://www.enigma.id.au/

> T: Well Telstra can't guarantee that a phone not purchased from Telstra
> will work on the Telstra network
> N: Are you serious?
> T: Yes

And he is right

> Now I reckon the "tech" was full of **** - is it likely that there was a
> network problem or could it be something else?

It was anetwork problem

"DogFart" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 17:19:03 +1000, bacco|007 <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >> Now I reckon the "tech" was full of **** - is it likely that there was
a
> >> network problem or could it be something else?
> >
> >Not sure, but i've had similar experiences with Telstra's phone staff -
one
> >even told me that the phone that I have doesnt exist (how they came to
that
> >conclusion I'm not sure considering that I got the phone directly through
> >Telstra and as far as I can see they are the only one offering the A840
> >with the GSM/CDMA 2in1 pack).
>
> One dickhead in there once told me I shouldn't store numbers in the
> intentional format (like +61 2 nnnn nnnn) because the system couldn't
> handle it.

heh.

strangely enough, Optus prepaid couldnt handle that, in 1997.

> Michael, get out there and train the morons!

<sigh>

Almost became a trainer for Telstra staff back in 2001.

> >>> Now I reckon the "tech" was full of **** - is it likely that there was
a
> >>> network problem or could it be something else?
> >>
> >>Not sure, but i've had similar experiences with Telstra's phone staff -
one
> >>even told me that the phone that I have doesnt exist (how they came to
that
> >>conclusion I'm not sure considering that I got the phone directly
through
> >>Telstra and as far as I can see they are the only one offering the A840
> >>with the GSM/CDMA 2in1 pack).
> >
> >One dickhead in there once told me I shouldn't store numbers in the
> >intentional format (like +61 2 nnnn nnnn) because the system couldn't
> >handle it.
>
> That's actually once true, but the "system" has been able to "handle
> it" for over 10 years now.
>
> IIRC, it led to billing problems.

Sometimes, yes.
But its GSM standard and Telstra gets to put up with it
>