We'll be using Truphone in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam

snidely · 17-03-2012, 05:59

Just got back. Wifi is free and available almost everywhere from lowish end eateries to mid-level hotels. (Someone above stayed in an ultra-deluxe place that wanted $20/day extra for wifi. Much wifi was open, a little more than half you had to ask for the security code.
Only used the Truphone for incoming calls. Had calls forwarded from my U.S. number to my Tru U.S. number.
Didn't get all that many calls. All were clear. Since there was wifi everywhere could make outgoing calls for free on regular BBerry and wife's Android.
One oddity I discovered w. Blackberry phone. I subscribe to a free music service called Pandora. It is only accessible from wifi connections in the U.S. We tried connecting via computer and the Android - got msg. saying service only available to U.S. locations because of copyright issues.
My BB DID connect to Pandora. Somehow their wifi connection goes thru RIM and/or TMobile servers so that Pandora thinks I am still in U.S.
Tru worked everywhere we were in the 3 countries except the signal on the carrier(s) they use in Laos dropped when we really got way up the Mekong River. Other carriers did provide signals to the BB.

DRNewcomb · 17-03-2012, 13:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by snidely

We tried connecting via computer and the Android - got msg. saying service only available to U.S. locations because of copyright issues.
My BB DID connect to Pandora. Somehow their wifi connection goes thru RIM and/or TMobile servers so that Pandora thinks I am still in U.S.

They lookup the network based on the IP address and make a guess as to where you are. If you had connected the Android or laptop to your home using VPN they probably would have thought you were at home.

snidely · 17-03-2012, 20:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRNewcomb

They lookup the network based on the IP address and make a guess as to where you are. If you had connected the Android or laptop to your home using VPN they probably would have thought you were at home.

DRN -
I'm not very tech savy. How would I have done that? An aside - Vietnam has an unofficial ban against Facebook. While couldn't connect via hotel's wifi - could on BB. Occasionally, you can directly to Facebook via local wifi. We did on one day. I have since read there are work-arounds and programs like "hotspot shield" that get around this.

DRNewcomb · 18-03-2012, 20:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by snidely

I'm not very tech savy. How would I have done that?

Well, you need to start getting a VPN server. If you don't mind exposing a pinhole and leaving your PC running Windows implements a PPTP server. I think a better way is to use a DD-WRT home router, which implements a PPTP server in the router. Another way is to subscribe to a 3rd-party VPN service. (I don't have experience with that.) It's good if the server has either a static IP address or uses Dynamic DNS.

Once the server is available it's pretty east to set up the VPN client in Android. You just plug in the address, user ID & password in the correct spots. When you connect to the server the link between your phone/laptop will be an encrypted tunnel to the server, then all your traffic out appears to come from the server's IP address.

snidely · 24-03-2012, 07:36

DRN -
I can actually follow your clear explanation. You should go into tech support for dummies.
As Stu pointed out, above, all 3 of those countries had free wifi all over the place. Had I known about that cheap pre-paid, would have probably bought it anyway.

Side note - My BB SIM card suddenly became "invalid" half way thru the trip. When we called T-Mobiles CS from Vietnam they said we needed a new SIM and there was nothing they could do. The explanation I got upon return was that there was a 99,999 limit on connections to a network. I figured, if thats true, it must have counted each time it jumped from 2G to 3G in the 3 or so years I had it.
When I got new SIM (it was mailed to me so was in mail box on return), CS said, when I called to activate - the new SIM had no such limit.

DRNewcomb · 24-03-2012, 21:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by snidely

DRN - Side note - My BB SIM card suddenly became "invalid" half way thru the trip. When we called T-Mobiles CS from Vietnam they said we needed a new SIM and there was nothing they could do. The explanation I got upon return was that there was a 99,999 limit on connections to a network. I figured, if thats true, it must have counted each time it jumped from 2G to 3G in the 3 or so years I had it.

Note to self: Carry spare unactivated SIM when traveling abroad.

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	(#1)
snidely (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Expert Posts: 451 Join Date: 09 May 2005 Location: Berkeley, California and Miami Country:	17-03-2012, 05:59 Just got back. Wifi is free and available almost everywhere from lowish end eateries to mid-level hotels. (Someone above stayed in an ultra-deluxe place that wanted $20/day extra for wifi. Much wifi was open, a little more than half you had to ask for the security code. Only used the Truphone for incoming calls. Had calls forwarded from my U.S. number to my Tru U.S. number. Didn't get all that many calls. All were clear. Since there was wifi everywhere could make outgoing calls for free on regular BBerry and wife's Android. One oddity I discovered w. Blackberry phone. I subscribe to a free music service called Pandora. It is only accessible from wifi connections in the U.S. We tried connecting via computer and the Android - got msg. saying service only available to U.S. locations because of copyright issues. My BB DID connect to Pandora. Somehow their wifi connection goes thru RIM and/or TMobile servers so that Pandora thinks I am still in U.S. Tru worked everywhere we were in the 3 countries except the signal on the carrier(s) they use in Laos dropped when we really got way up the Mekong River. Other carriers did provide signals to the BB. Make use of T-M's UMA/wifi free calling from any place in the world with access to wifi. I use an LG G6, wife an S7) A/o Oct 20, 2013 no need for intl prepaid as T-Mobile U.S. includes voice roaming at 20¢/min (in and out)., unlimited text (in and out), and unlimited data in 140+ countries. My Plan -[6 lines] U.S. T-Mobile unlimited minutes (incoming and outgoing), unlimited text, fast data on each line. that $145/mo. total! . (In U.S. no surcharge for calling a cell.) If a line exceeds 2G of data in a month, pay $10 more for that line. [That only happens a couple times/year.

	(#5)
snidely (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Expert Posts: 451 Join Date: 09 May 2005 Location: Berkeley, California and Miami Country:	24-03-2012, 07:36 DRN - I can actually follow your clear explanation. You should go into tech support for dummies. As Stu pointed out, above, all 3 of those countries had free wifi all over the place. Had I known about that cheap pre-paid, would have probably bought it anyway. Side note - My BB SIM card suddenly became "invalid" half way thru the trip. When we called T-Mobiles CS from Vietnam they said we needed a new SIM and there was nothing they could do. The explanation I got upon return was that there was a 99,999 limit on connections to a network. I figured, if thats true, it must have counted each time it jumped from 2G to 3G in the 3 or so years I had it. When I got new SIM (it was mailed to me so was in mail box on return), CS said, when I called to activate - the new SIM had no such limit. Make use of T-M's UMA/wifi free calling from any place in the world with access to wifi. I use an LG G6, wife an S7) A/o Oct 20, 2013 no need for intl prepaid as T-Mobile U.S. includes voice roaming at 20¢/min (in and out)., unlimited text (in and out), and unlimited data in 140+ countries. My Plan -[6 lines] U.S. T-Mobile unlimited minutes (incoming and outgoing), unlimited text, fast data on each line. that $145/mo. total! . (In U.S. no surcharge for calling a cell.) If a line exceeds 2G of data in a month, pay $10 more for that line. [That only happens a couple times/year.