Posting from my Nokia E61i via Aldi Talk SIM!

OK, now that I've posted from my phone, some notes on the experience.

Configuring voice mail was the thing to do. I had gotten a couple of web pages to work yesterday via E-Plus Internet and E-Plus WAP access points.

But today, out in the actual field (in a couple of museums) I couldn't get it to work.

Got back home, followed Chris' instructions for setting up voice mail. Actually, there is a link on the first screen of my Nokia that says configure voice mail and it dialed the full number (+49 and the prefix for Aldi Talk as well as 9911).

The recording by the German lady sounded like a prompt for a code so I did it and chose a number that repeated so I could hear her repeating the digits.

Then the recording went on and on so I hung up and then dialed *100# and it returned 10 Euro balance, even though I had loaded a couple of pages yesterday.

But after doing it, I could surf to this thread and do a test posting. Hmm, so the handful of pages I went through to do that test posting cost me a Euro! (I also wonder if I have a web page that reloads itself constantly and then I put the browser application in the background whether it will continue to download data)

Oh and as for the speed, it's about dialup. My signal strenght meter shows full strength.

Last night, I went to the E-Plus store and my Nokia still didn't indicate 3G (I downloaded the manual and figured out what it was suppose to show).

However, that E-Plus store has a demo of their high-speed data network card running on a laptop there so you would think there is a high-speed tower in that area.

But my Nokia apparently isn't detecting it. Anywhere in Berlin, which probably can't be the case. Not that I've been all over Berlin yet -- weather hasn't cooperated -- but I've been to very busy areas -- I'm staying maybe 1/2 mile from the Brandenburg Gate.

Thanks again to Chris.

Check your balance again after some time. Usually they reserve some of the balance when you attach GPRS and after some time show the correct amount of balance again.

Regarding 3G coverage:
http://www.gsmworld.com/cgi-bin/ni_m...5&cc=de&net=e3

the dark areas are with 3G coverage. All berlin is covered actually. Maybe you have to tell your phone to use 3G as well?

Chris

I can choose GSM, UMTS or Dual Mode. It was on GSM so when I choose one of the other options, it says it has to restart.

But when it's restarted, it's back to GSM.

This portion of the FAQ seems to be saying UMTS is not included in the prepaid but maybe the info. isn't current:


Q: Kann ich UMTS nutzen?
A: Im ersten Schritt wird für ALDI TALK kein UMTS angeboten, da es sich um ein Prepaid Angebot handelt. Ihre SIM-Karte ist jedoch bereits für die neue UMTS Technik vorbereitet.

OK you were right again, my balance went back up to 9.88.

However, then I made a call that was maybe 5 minutes at most to what is suppose to be a toll free number. Of course I realize mobiles aren't going to give you any free calls.

Anyways, it was suppose to be Delta Airlines' toll-free number throughout Germany, using an 0180 area code.

That took the balance down to 8.47 so 1.40 euro for a 5-minute call? Isn't the rate suppose to be .14 euro cents?

Are you sure you have an European E61 with 2,1GHz UMTS network capability? Or maybe you have an American one with 1,9GHz UMTS? I was in Berlin till monday and I was all the time on 3G network with both the E65 and the SE Z610 roaming with Wind and Vodafone IT. E-Plus has 3G coverage almost everywhere in the capital, as well as the other 3 operators... I was mainly on O2, as usual with Wind, and speed was good, much better than dial-up...

0800 is free call.
0180 is "service call" numbers. Expensive to call from landlines and horribly expensive from mobiles (in case of eplus prepaids its 86ct/min during the day and 35ct/min in the evening).

UMTS is available for the Aldi-SIM-cards. I guess their FAQ is quite old.

Chris

Now that I think about it, I ordered my E61i from buy.com and it turned out to be a "Made in Finland" model which Nokia stores in NY and Chicago are reportedly selling.

So maybe Nokia did make a phone for the US UMTS bands. But E61i had been widely reported to be WCDMA 2100 if I'm not mistaken.

Hmm, then Delta misled me because they told me it would be toll free. Fortunately, it switched me from Germany to the US and I got picked up right away instead of going through their wait queue.

Their France prefix is 0811, which is also probably not toll free, especially from mobiles?

Speaking of France, I'm going to NCE through CDG Sunday. I was going to try to find Carrefour or Auchan but they're way out of the way from where I'll be staying. So Virgin seems like the best choice (Tele2 Salama would be good if I could find a convenient spot).

When I went through CDG last Sunday, I checked a little Casino store which had reportedly sold SIM but they didn't carry it. There was a Relai which was out of the Virgin SIM. That seems the most likely widely available SIM, especially on a Sunday.

You are right 0811 is like the 0180 in germany. From landlines charged as a local call but from mobiles i have no clue. Also in france 0800 are freecall numbers.

Chris

>UMTS is not included in the prepaid
It is included and working fine. Looks like your phone really hasn't got the right frequency, sorry.

Yes Nokia USA confirmed via email that my unit does support WCDMA 2100.

They suggested I contact my service provider.

Oh well, my time in Berlin is finished.

Something to sort out when I'm back. Should have some credit left by the time I leave. I may burn it all in France.

To bad you didn't get it working properly! It's such a nice and inexpensive 3G service!

OK to dig up this old thread, I still have the Aldi card from last July.

Going to Italy this month and Sweden next month.

Is there a website where I can check my credits? Isn't it suppose to last 12 months? I never topped off the initial credit which came with the SIM.

I think I would be able to use it up in Italy and maybe Sweden, even at higher tariffs.

Put it in your phone in the US and check the balance by typing *100# and the dial button.
This is free of charge also in roaming.

Chris

Err, it's prompting me for a password and the sticker it came with is long gone.

Oh well, guess I will have to find an Italian SIM and get a codice fiscale.

Hope their SIMs don't ask for passwords.

All sim-cards have a PIN code, and usually it's active by default. In Italy I think it's always turned on. BTW you can disable it at any time and also change it.

exactly: for all sims:)

My vodafone de card came with a pin and while I could change it, try as I might, it would not allow me to remove the requirement for a pin (and believe me I know what I'm doing)...

I generally remove pins for prepaids...after all there's never all that much money on them and 99.9% of the time, there are no provisions to pay you back such trivial amounts if the card is lost (telcoms are only too happy to steal your credit...see Otange FR, SFR among others).....

But on post paid, you should keep the pin requirement but what you should do is make the pin one you won't forget.

Yes, Vodafone does not allow to remove the PIN from the SIM-cards.
generally i would always enable the PIN. Not because of the money - but if someone steal your phone and make some bad jokes or trigger the 911 you will be hold responsible for it.

Chris

Agreed. You can always make the PINs on all your cards the same number. You can use a birthdate or your house number or something. It's not a bank card, after all.