Hot Spots @ Home Feature

[mskita007]

Hi, Ya'll! I've searched this forum through & through and can't find what I'm looking for.
I just bought a BB Curve & added the Hot Spots @ Home feature based on the great reviews in T-Mobile Signal. Now that I have them both, I have no idea how to use the added-on feature.
Can someone please, please, please explain to me how to use the H@H feature, especially when I'm away from home?
Does the phone automatically alert me that my phone calls are free, do I have to log on to something/somewhere, is it more technical than I expected? I'm lost and have no idea where to actually begin.:confused: any HELP is so appreciated so I can enjoy my new phone.

[clock3687]

Hi, Ya'll! I've searched this forum through & through and can't find what I'm looking for.
I just bought a BB Curve & added the Hot Spots @ Home feature based on the great reviews in T-Mobile Signal. Now that I have them both, I have no idea how to use the added-on feature.
Can someone please, please, please explain to me how to use the H@H feature, especially when I'm away from home?
Does the phone automatically alert me that my phone calls are free, do I have to log on to something/somewhere, is it more technical than I expected? I'm lost and have no idea where to actually begin.:confused: any HELP is so appreciated so I can enjoy my new phone.

Hey Mskita, welcome to t-mosignal! Anyways the add-on feature works like this: anytime you connect to wifi, be it at your home, starbucks, or a friend's house the call is free. When your connected to wifi your signal bars will change from black to pink. When that happens, your calls are free, that simple.

Im not sure how to manually connect to wifi with the curve, but anytime your at home (if you have the t-mobile wireless router), and at a starbucks ( or other t-mo hotspot) itll connect automatically.

[will4cani]

Welcome to the group.

This is actually a fairly easy process, but it takes a few steps to be able to connect to a different wifi network.

First, if you're seeing UMA in the upper right corner instead of EDGE, GPRS or GSM, then you're set up for your calls to be free. That's the easiest way to tell.

Now, if you're at home and have already set up a wifi network for the device the steps then you already know how half the process works. I you haven't done that all you need to do is go to the "Set-Up WiFI" menu off the main Blackberry home screen. Follow the steps there and that will set up your phone to use the Hotspot@Home feature.

For using that feature outside your home at Starbucks and other T-Mobile hotspots the process I believe is automatic, but I haven't tried it yet. Will do so soon I promise.

If you're going to use it at a different hotspot - hotels, cafes, friends homes, etc - you'll have to go through a bit of a process.
Here are the steps.
1. On the main Blackberry home screen, select "Manage Connections" and go into the menu for that.
2. Turn off Mobile Network but leave the WiFi on.
3. Go back to the main screen, then go to Set-Up WiFi and follow the steps to set up the network. You should see the icon in the top right for the connection showing as WiFi.
4. If there's a log on needed for the hotspot, go to the browser and use it to log onto your hotspot.
5. Once that log on you should now see the upper right icon change to UMA.
6. Then go back into "Manage Connections" and turn the mobile network back on.

That should be it. Those are the steps I have used to connect mine to a few cafes in my area as well as friends' homes. From what I have seen this same setup should be able to be used while overseas as well though there I'd recommend leaving the mobile network off so you don't switch over to roaming in the event of a signal loss on the wifi.

One other note. This service is tied to the T-Mobile SIM card, so if you remove the card to switch it for another local network it will not work.

I hope this helps.
Cheers!!!
Will

[mskita007]

You guys are sooooooo awesome! Thanks for your prompt responses. I'm such a Happy Camper. At least I can start somewhere! :)

[will4cani]

No worries.
Hope you enjoy your Curve as much as I do mine!

[Lok]

Welcome to the group.

This is actually a fairly easy process, but it takes a few steps to be able to connect to a different wifi network.

First, if you're seeing UMA in the upper right corner instead of EDGE, GPRS or GSM, then you're set up for your calls to be free. That's the easiest way to tell.

Now, if you're at home and have already set up a wifi network for the device the steps then you already know how half the process works. I you haven't done that all you need to do is go to the "Set-Up WiFI" menu off the main Blackberry home screen. Follow the steps there and that will set up your phone to use the Hotspot@Home feature.

For using that feature outside your home at Starbucks and other T-Mobile hotspots the process I believe is automatic, but I haven't tried it yet. Will do so soon I promise.

If you're going to use it at a different hotspot - hotels, cafes, friends homes, etc - you'll have to go through a bit of a process.
Here are the steps.
1. On the main Blackberry home screen, select "Manage Connections" and go into the menu for that.
2. Turn off Mobile Network but leave the WiFi on.
3. Go back to the main screen, then go to Set-Up WiFi and follow the steps to set up the network. You should see the icon in the top right for the connection showing as WiFi.
4. If there's a log on needed for the hotspot, go to the browser and use it to log onto your hotspot.
5. Once that log on you should now see the upper right icon change to UMA.
6. Then go back into "Manage Connections" and turn the mobile network back on.

That should be it. Those are the steps I have used to connect mine to a few cafes in my area as well as friends' homes. From what I have seen this same setup should be able to be used while overseas as well though there I'd recommend leaving the mobile network off so you don't switch over to roaming in the event of a signal loss on the wifi.

One other note. This service is tied to the T-Mobile SIM card, so if you remove the card to switch it for another local network it will not work.

I hope this helps.
Cheers!!!
Will

Just a quick bit of advice. Once you connect to your preferred network and it remains connected for a few hours, I highly recommend removing the battery and rebooting your Curve. Both I and my friend who just recently purchased a Curve had to do this once for it to properly hand off calls to and from our routers (both of which were NOT the T-Mobile supplied routers, but work regardless).

Once we did the reboot, both of our Curves have worked seamlessly with our routers. I really like the HS@H feature, which is one of the reasons why I took the plunge on the Curve. Hope this helps!

[pcdebb]

I have a quick question for you all. I dont yet have a Curve but I will in my future. Let's say I'm already on a call driving down the street and i'm on minutes. I walk in my house (starbucks, etc), does the call switch over to the free WIFI or would I have to disconnect the call and call back? I know it may sound stupid but I have yet to even experience any of this?

and I assume if you already have a linksys router you can use it instead of buying one from tmo? or can you use ANY wireless router?

[Lok]

I have a quick question for you all. I dont yet have a Curve but I will in my future. Let's say I'm already on a call driving down the street and i'm on minutes. I walk in my house (starbucks, etc), does the call switch over to the free WIFI or would I have to disconnect the call and call back? I know it may sound stupid but I have yet to even experience any of this?

and I assume if you already have a linksys router you can use it instead of buying one from tmo? or can you use ANY wireless router?

If your phone has previously connected to the WiFi router at (example!) Starbucks, the phone WILL switch to UMA, however, you will still be using your minutes. To use the unlimited, you would need to end the call, initiate a new one from the UMA signal, and then your call would be unlimited. I've been told that if you then leave the UMA and the phone properly hands off to the GSM/EDGE signal, the call will continue to use the HS@H unlimited minutes, but I have not tested that.

You CAN use your own router, however, getting your phone to connect may require a firmware update, administrator access to the router, and limited networking knowledge in order to configure. Using a T-Mobile branded router simplifies things immensely.

Hope this helps!

[gapboi954]

lol evryone here is great

[mskita007]

Everyone on this forum is extremely helpful. Thanks for everything. Just an update: we have a wireless router at home (not a T-Mo router). Once I connected, I got the UMA and Magenta bars immediately!!!! I'm so excited.

Now I need to test the real world by going out to public places. If I understant everything I've read correctly, I'll need to attempt to access a WiFi server and pray I can get a UMA/Magenta approval..................right? :confused:

[pcdebb]

Lok,

Thanx for the reply. I'd definitely like to hear your results on the handing off either way. It wont necessarily sway me from getting it, im more curious about that than anything. As far as my own linky router, I have no issues with that. I can config into it as admin. Right now I have it config not as a router but as an AP (with RIP turned off) and it pulls an x.x.x.02 address. I may just get a new one because it's a B router and it's run its course (have to reboot it cause it drops the lan connections alot, wireless is fine). how much is tmo selling the routers for anyway?

[mskita007]

Glad you asked. I was just in the T-Mobile Corporate store today. I noticed their routers (and they have two) are $89.99, with a $40 Instant rebate and a $50 mail-in-rebate=FREE! :D I'll let you guys know how the H@H features works OUTSIDE my home. Lok,

Thanx for the reply. I'd definitely like to hear your results on the handing off either way. It wont necessarily sway me from getting it, im more curious about that than anything. As far as my own linky router, I have no issues with that. I can config into it as admin. Right now I have it config not as a router but as an AP (with RIP turned off) and it pulls an x.x.x.02 address. I may just get a new one because it's a B router and it's run its course (have to reboot it cause it drops the lan connections alot, wireless is fine). how much is tmo selling the routers for anyway?

[pcdebb]

oh cool then it's worth it to get it from them. fifty bucks out the door is about average anyway. but i wonder how long that offer will be on, i'm looking at january before I get mine (i was told I have to wait a year after doing a plan change to get the discount)

[mskita007]

UPDATE: Hey, Guys! The H@H works! It really works! I tried it while riding around on my lunch break today. I parked in an apartment lot under a shady tree to eat my sandwich and attempted to connect to an unsecured wireless server. I connected!!! I got the UMA & Magenta bars within 2 minutes and I talked my entire lunch break. It was so awesome. As I drove away, my BB Curve switched back to EDGE, but my call was still FREE! It was seamless, you wont notice a thing, and it continued to be a FREE call! I'm so greatful to all of you for helping me with my new feature. It's on now!!!!!!!!!!:D

[pcdebb]

Sweet. Now i'm itching. Today i took my phone out the holster to make a call and had a whoops. slipped out my hand and fell on the concrete. my phone was flawless for 10 months, and now it has a few scratches on it. i broke a record. i went so long without dropping my phone :(