Help Setting Up Nokia E71 with Fonic for Data
 

Inquisitor, I hope you are out there! I now have my Nokia E71 and a Fonic SIM card. What do I need to do re: entering the necessary settings so that I can access interenet and e-mail. When I went into settings to connection to packet data it said three.co.uk in the box under Access Point. So confused! Help. Thanks, Lizzie

APN: pinternet.interkom.de

I did that. Is there anything else I need to do?

No






.

Actually with Fonic data works no matter what APN you have entered - just make sure there is an APN configured. O2 Germany have made their network last year to connect in any case so you could leave "three.co.uk" as APN or enter "MickeyMouse" or some expletive.
Except for a random APN you don't need to configure anything else on your Nokia E71 in order to get online.
But be aware, that with a regular Fonic SIM (in contrast to a data SIM, that comes with their 3g stick) data is billed by the volume transfered with € 0.24/MB (in 100KB-increments). If you prefer the dayflat, which gives unlimited data for € 2.50/calendar day send a text containing "START TAGESFLAT" to 36642. Probably you will be asked by SMS to confirm this change by answering "JA" to 36642. Also note, that the dayflat is billed by calendar day and NOT by 24 hours - e.g. if you start using data at 11:59 pm you will be charged € 2.50 allthough the day ends in one minute and so does the dayflat.

I am going to activate the daily flat rate or monthly flat rate but assumed I needed to wait until I get to Germany to do so. True?

You could send that SMS even from abroad if your phone is registered on some (roaming) network.
Actually there's no monthly flatrate with Fonic. They just stop charging for the dayflat as soon as you have had 10 dayflats within a month. Practically that's like a monthly flatrate, but in fact you just use dayflats.

Inquisitor, This is the monthly data plan that I though existed for Fonic. Am I not translating properly? Thanks, Lizzie

AUF WUNSCH: Handy-Internet-Paket
Ideal für Smartphone-Nutzer
UMTS / HSDPA Datenflatrate
Voraussetzung: Sie besitzen bereits eine aktivierte FONIC SIM-Karte

EINFACH UND GÜNSTIG
(Alle Preise inkl. MwSt. und Versand)
Monatliche Kosten
9,95 €
Abrechnungszeitraum
ab Aktivierungstag
Aktivierungs-/Deaktivierungskosten
kostenlose SMS
Vertragsbindung
keine
Datenvolumen
unlimitiert
Datenverbindung
(Drosselung auf GPRS ab 200MB/Kalendermonat)
GPRS / UMTS / HSDPA

You are right. This is a flatrate, allthough speed is throttled after reaching 200MB of data volume (which is rather unlikely by mere handset use) and it is officially limited to handset-use (which is not enforced afaik).
To activate this flatrate send a text with "START HANDYINTERNET" to 36642.
If you have already switched to the dayflat, you need to disable the dayflat before you can activate the "Handy-Internet-Paket" by sending "STOP TAGESFLAT" to 36642.
Remember that after each of these text messages Fonic will ask you to confirm the activation/deactivation by sending a "JA" to 36642.

I'm only going to be in Germany for 4 days this trip so 200MB on a handset should do it for me. Than you again for all of your help!

You're welcome. If you have more than € 9.95 of credit left when you leave, make sure you disable the flatrate as otherwise your subscription will recur automatically after 30 days (you remember what happened with your blau SIM ;-)). To stop the flatrate text "STOP HANDYINTERNET" to 36642 and confirm the following SMS with "JA". But in contrast to blau texting this SMS from abroad should work while roaming, too.

The guy on eBay that I bought the Fonic SIM from sent me a LIDL SIM. He said it is exactly the same thing. Is this true?

No, they are not the same. Lidl do not have any data options but only the volume-based tariff (€ 0.24/MB billed in 100KB-increments). In return however Lidl have a monthly cap of EUR 40 for domestic calls and SMS-messaging, but that's of no use for you, as your priority presumably is data and international calls. Lidl said they may add some data options in the future, but I don't expect this to happen in the short-term.

I thought so. He sent me this card saying they were the same but I checked both websites and could clearly see the differences. I have to say this is the first time,I've gotten "taken" on eBay.

I've still got an active Vodafone card with some about 10€ on it. Might as well top it up and use it. I'm going to try to combine their international plan with web sessions. I hope I can get it to work.

Just when I thought I was all set :(

I hope you haven't given any feedback for this transaction. Ask the seller to deliver a Fonic SIM card or to refund your money and if he wants his Lidl SIM sent back to add costs for return shipping + PayPal fees + currency conversion fees. Otherwise leave him a negative feedback and file a complain with PayPal.
If you drop me your eMail address by private message (click my username on the left for this) I think I could help you with this.
Since Vodafone is even more complicated when it comes to switching to their international tariff (and switching back to avoid the monthly fee for the international tariff) and getting the WebSessions activated, you could still try to get a Fonic SIM after arrival. Among other retailers Fonic SIMs are actually sold at Lidl supermarkets like Lidl mobile.

Seller said to send back card and he would refund or send a Fonic card. Claimed he ran out of Fonics and didn't know I needed data...

Same thing has happened to me on eBay. The seller sent me a Lidl SIM card. The interesting part is that the plastic cover says LIDL while the actual SIM card says FONIC on it.....

I have emailed the seller asking for clarification.... I guess I will sent this card back and buy a FONIC SIM on arrival in Frankfurt :mad:

Lidl mobile is actually a derivate from Fonic. It's based on the same billing platform and there are a lot of similarities except for the data tariffs.
You could try activating the SIM through FONIC's website instead of Lidl's. Perhaps the SIMs are generic and get tied to a tariff only by activation.

Thanks for the reply. This card is already activated. The seller sent me instructions. One of the things he says is and I quote:
Sounds like I can top it off with "Fonic" vouchers too.... I will post the reply from the seller once I get it.

I expect he's right with Fonic vouchers working for Lidl SIMs (and vice versa), as both use the same billing system. The same applies for O2 and Tchibo whose vouchers are interchangeable due to the common billing platform. But you can't use O2 and Tchibo vouchers for Fonic and Lidl SIMs or vice versa.

Thank you inquisitor. You are right - as usual based on what I have read in your posts.

Lidl-Mobile have a contract with Fonic. One gets the Euro 40 cap with Lidl-Mobile but no data options.

It's a shame I got the wrong SIM card. I wanted to have an activated SIM card so that I would not have to call the 0800 number to activate - I am not planning on taking my laptop and only take my unlocked iPhone.

Silly question - when I get a top-up card do I call the number as in use the phone or text it? I know that there is a number starting with * and ending with # followed by the top-up card number. So - call or text?

Thanks for being such a wonderful resource inquisitor!!

You need to enter those so-called USSD-codes and pick up as if you would call a phone number. Then, however, you won't get connected but a message will appear in your display either returning your current credit or confirming your recharge.

check credit: *101# [pick up]
top up credit: *103*top up code# [pick up]

Enfield, Sounds like you and I dealt with the same eBay seller. He has now updated his listings to show photo of the Lidl card too.

I sent him back the Lidl card and he has already processed my refund.

Yeah - sounds like it. I am off in a couple of days and hence I will have to pick up at FONIC SIM in Frankfurt. Not a big problem I guess. The tricky part will be calling the 0800 number to activate the card! I don't plan on taking my laptop. I may use the LIDL-MOBILE card to activate my FONIC card on line using my iPhone :D - I am not bothering to return the LIDL card. I just gave him a poor rating on eBay for sending me the wrong card. When I ordered there was only FONIC as the sole option.

I was looking at the LIDL site and it turns out that they have a 2 for 1 special. I think that is why he decided to got to LIDL to maximize profit :rolleyes:

Is the actual SIM card (not the plastic cover) blue or yellow? If the card is blue it [U]may[U] actually be a Fonic card. That said, I can't imagine why he would send a Fonic card with a Lidl cover:???:

Here's the pic. Notice FONIC on the SIM card and LIDL on the plastic cover. God only knows!!

I think the smallprint next to the chip is rather some technical information and may indicate, that the SIM uses the HLR of Fonic or is issued by Fonic GmbH (GmbH = German limited company).
Lidl is not only technically based on Fonic, but also in legal terms the service is run by Fonic (just check Lidl's imprint: FONIC -- Impressum). "Lidl" is just the brand for the new tariff.