What is the difference between Data plans?

[-MrBigster-]

Why would I get a $20 data plan over a $5.99 T-zones plan? I don't exactly see the difference?
I'm glad I can ask here...I'm sure this saves Customer Service the hassle of another annoying call.

[Nwahs]

There still seems to be some confusion about the viability of the $5.99
plan, and also about the next best alternative, the Blackberry Plan.

First let's separate ALL of the plans and explain their differences:

(1) The $5.99 plan is the most economical, of course -- however it
has some limitations. First, although you can surf the web with it,
there are "some" sites that you cannot get to. I won't try to name
them because "occasionally" they ARE accessible for SOME of you.
The main problem in using the $5.99 plan is that T-Mobile seems to
be making a serious effort to prevent using the "proxy," which means
-- as in my own case -- they will sooner or later STOP you from
surfing the web at $5.99/mo. (For me it happened in about 5 days.)

(2) The Blackberry Plan, for $19.99, is the next choice. As I
understand it, the Blackberry Plan, like the others, will let you
do all the surfing and downloading you want, for 24 hrs a day,
all month long. Because T-Mobile reps are trained to "insist"
that you need the $29.99 "Full Internet" plan -- you are better
off to get the Blackberry Plan by going to myt-mobile.com and
ordering it from there -- rather than calling Customer Service
to get it.

(3) The $29.99 "Full Internet" plan has only ONE advantage
over the Blackberry Plan: it also allows you to connect via
wi-fi at any T-Mobile "hot spot." Personally I don't think this
is worth an extra $10/mo., but it's your choice. With any of
the plans, you can connect w/o needing a hot spot, using
T-Mobile's EDGE.


I have communicated with one of our members, dt34, recently, and he
had a few interesting things to say about using the $5.99 Plan and the
Blackberry Plan with his DASH.... and was kind enough to give us step-
by-step instructions for changing to the Blackberry Plan. I have added
just a "few" things to clarify his words:



"I previously had the $5.99 T-Zones plan (2 weeks ago). I was able
to do the following with it:

1. Push Gmail
2. Pull Yahoo (2 Accounts) email
3. Use PIE (pocket IE) to surf webpages on the Dash with proxy settings
(settings on Dash)
4. Tether the Dash to my laptop with proxy settings (settings on laptop browser); some webpages would did not work (ie. myspace, some secure sites), I would also have to turn off the proxy when using home internet again...so it was proxy for everytime you want to tether, a minor inconvenience. ["Tether" means to connect a cell phone to a laptop via Bluetooth or USB, to get Internet from your laptop using the cell phone's internet capabilities.]
5. Google Maps for directions & traffic


With the Blackberry $20 plan, I was able to:
1. same as above
2. same as above
3. same as above (same settings as above)
4. same as above (didn't need change to proxy in browser, just connect
and surf)
5. same as above
6. internet streaming radio
7. Mundu IM-ing ($11 lifetime fee, Yahoo, AOL, Google, Jabber, MSN,
ICQ / use it once in awhile, works great)

Thats about what I use it for, as far as speed difference, I don't really see any change, might be slightly faster, but otherwise the same for $5.99/$20 BB plan.

I upgraded because I was essentially paying $50 (voiceplan) + $6 (T-zones)
before and T-Mo reduced the price of their 1000min +N/W plan by $10. Now
I pay $40 + $20, I really pay only $4 more for no proxy needed. So why not,
right?

As far as adding the BB plan, I'm not sure if you want to call customer service because I noticed you had the Wing. (I added the BB plan thru
myt-mobile.com.)

What you do is this:

1. Go to myt-mobile.com and LOG IN. Then go to top of new page where
it shows your phone
2. Change it to any BB phone by clicking "Not your phone?".
3. Now go to "plan & services"
4. Navigate to the middle & in pink, "add or change services"
4. Add the $20 BB plan, and go thru all the instructions of agreeing to
the terms.
5. It should take anywhere from 1hr to 48hrs for everything to work, so
don't feel frustrated at first. I know I was, it took a whole day before
everything was working right.

Proxy setting can be found on the first page of the Hofo T-Mo Forums
under the sticky. I've also heard of some who added the $20 BB plan and
cancelled a few days later to have their $5.99 T-Zones working again,
your choice.

I hope that helps, you can share and post this in the forums if you like
Thank you dt34 for this info.

[greenblood]

Why would I get a $20 data plan over a $5.99 T-zones plan? I don't exactly see the difference?
I'm glad I can ask here...I'm sure this saves Customer Service the hassle of another annoying call.

$5.99 tmoweb is intended for phones, while internet (or total internet) is for full service
with tmoweb, you get
pop3
regular http
wap
secure wap
however, with internet, you get almost any service, you name it
but some UDP based application may not work (e.g. realplayer on nokia phones)
streaming audio/video works (wmp, shoutcast, slingbox, locationfree, 3gp, youtube)
FTP works
internet based IM works (AIM, MSN, ICQ, QQ, Yahoo, Google Talk)
Google Map