AT&T Wireless MEdia Configuration
for Sony Ericsson (and other) Devices

Copyright 2004-2005 John Navas, All Rights Reserved.
Permission is granted to copy for private non-commercial use only.

Posted as <http://attwireless.navasgroup.com/media.htm>. 

NOTE: This information is provided as a public service. The author has no connection to AT&T Wireless or Sony Ericsson except as a customer. The author is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any consequential problems that might result. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

This is a setup guide for AT&T Wireless MEdia packages (as distinct from Data Connect) for Sony Ericsson devices. This guide can also be adapted to other GSM devices capable of GPRS and EGPRS/EDGE connections to the Internet. 

Important Notes:

• AT&T Wireless now prohibits "tethered" use of MEdia -- see MEdia Legal Notices.
• All items not covered here should be left at default values unless you really know what you are doing.

Contents:

• Differences between MEdia and Data Connect
• Handset configuration
  • Configuring Windows to use the Handset GPRS/EGPRS Modem
• PC Card configuration
• Troubleshooting
  • Email
  • Speed
  • WAP

See also:

• GSM Codes (set call options from your phone)
• Newsgroup: alt.cellular.cingular

Email comments and suggestions to John Navas.

Differences between MEdia and Data Connect

MEdia packages use the AT&T Wireless WAP profile (settings) to support most types of Internet access (e.g., HTTP [Web browsing], SMTP/POP3/IMAP [Email], FTP, Telnet, SSH, SSL). However, not all protocols seem to be fully supported, so problems may be seen with such things as VPN, and Data Acceleration is not available. Note that MEdia will not work with AT&T Wireless Data Connect profiles. For large amounts of data, MEdia is less expensive than Data Connect (as of this writing).

Data Connect uses AT&T Wireless Data Connect profiles (settings) to provide standard Internet connections with AT&T Wireless as the ISP (Internet Service Provider). Connections can be configured with or without Data Acceleration (which significantly boosts throughput by means of compression [which reduces image quality], caching, and transport optimization). For large amounts of data, Wireless Internet Express is more expensive than MEdia (as of this writing).

Handset configuration (e.g., Z600)

If WAP isn't already working on the handset, the handset and SIM must first be configured for AT&T Wireless WAP:

• This is best accomplished by asking AT&T Wireless Support (611) to "push" WAP settings to the handset (normally done automatically by SMS when a WAP package [e.g., MEdia] is added to the account).
   

• As an alternative (untested), use the Configurator on the Sony Ericsson website. Select Configurators, Phone model, WAP Read more, and then follow the prompts. (Email and MMS can also be configured this way.) 

This configuration is sufficient for WAP and/or Web browsing with the handset alone It's also sufficient for Email given an Email client in the handset that has been properly configured (including selection of the WAP profile for connections).

Configuring Windows to use the Handset GPRS/EGPRS Modem

1. Create a handset modem entry. If your handset connection (cable, IrDA, Bluetooth) created a modem entry for your handset (e.g., Standard Modem over Bluetooth link), then you can skip to Step 2; otherwise:

   1. Download the handset modem driver from the Global support area of the Sony Ericsson website. Select Location, Enter product name and click on the appropriate Matching products link, Software, Drivers and scripts, Download here, and Download. Save the .ZIP file, and then extract the contents into a temporary folder. 

   2. Make sure your handset connection (cable, IrDA, Bluetooth) is installed properly, and note the COM port assigned. Make sure the handset is connected and powered on.

   3. Use Control Panel => Modem to Add the handset modem. Windows should detect the modem, and then search for the best driver. When it does, give Windows the location of the temporary folder with the downloaded modem driver, and complete the installation. (If auto-detection fails, try to Add the modem manually using the appropriate COM port with the downloaded driver.)
       

2. Create a new Windows Dial-Up networking Connection:

   Item	Value	Comments
   Name	AT&T Wireless MEdia	or whatever name you prefer
   Phone number	*99#	selects the default GPRS profile
   User name	WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM	must be all uppercase
   Password	CINGULAR1	must be all uppercase

3. Set the port speed. (Important with EGPRS/EDGE!)

   1. Right-click on the Dial-Up Connection and select Properties.

   2. Make sure the correct modem (e.g., Sony Ericsson Z600 Bluetooth Modem, or Standard Modem over Bluetooth link) is selected, and click Configure.

   3. Set Maximum speed. Recommended values (if available):
      GRPS: 230400
      EGPRS/EDGE: 460800

   4. Click OK to close windows. 

Use this Dial-Up Connection to connect your computer to the Internet.

PC Card configuration (e.g., GC82)

1. Install the Sony Ericsson Wireless Manager:

• This is best accomplished by downloading the latest version from  the Global support area of the Sony Ericsson website. Select Location, Enter product name and click on the appropriate Matching products link, Software, Applications, Wireless Manager, Download here, and Download.
   

• Or use the CD that comes with the PC Card.

2. When the Wireless Manager is run for the first time, the Connection Wizard will start automatically. Enter the following settings:

   Item	Value	Comments
   Create a new connection	AT&T Wireless MEdia	or whatever name you prefer
   Type of Connection	GPRS	selects the default GPRS profile
   Choose network	<Other>
   Primary APN	wap.cingular	must be all lowercase
   User ID	WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM	must be all uppercase
   Password	CINGULAR1	must be all uppercase; check Save password

Use the Wireless Manager to connect your computer to the Internet.
 

Troubleshooting

• Email
  • The usual problem when sending email from a handset with SMTP capability is the outgoing SMTP server. Thanks to spammers, outgoing SMTP servers now generally require some form of authentication when you're off the provider's network. You should be able to find out what kind(s) of authentication are supported by contacting the email provider (e.g., your ISP). Finding out what your handset supports may be a bigger challenge -- documentation is often woefully inadequate in this area.
  • If the email provider supports POP3 before SMTP authentication, then you need to find a way to have the handset do a POP3 check or download before sending mail.
  • Some handsets (e.g., Sony Ericsson Z600) now have support for SMTP-AUTH (Authenticated SMTP, different from POP3 before SMTP). For this to work, you usually need to configure the handset with a valid mailbox id and password for the email provider.
  • On the AT&T Wireless network you can use cwmx.com (preferred, no footer added) or photo.mycingular.com (adds a photo messaging footer) as an outgoing SMTP server. Since you're authenticated by being on the AT&T Wireless network, no further authentication is required.
• Speed
  • Handsets and PC Cards do not all have the same data performance -- maximum speeds are limited by GPRS/EGPRS/EDGE Class (and the carrier). In general, all reasonably recent GPRS/EGPRS/EDGE-capable devices from Ericsson and Sony Ericsson support Class 8 (4+1) and Class 10 (4+2, max of 5), whereas most Nokia devices (as of this writing) are limited to slower Class 4 (3+1) and Class 6 (3+2, max 4). Motorola has both Class 4 and Class 8 devices. (The first number is the maximum number of downlink slots, and the number after the "+" is the maximum number of uplink slots.) This can translate into a substantial difference in throughput -- if supported by the carrier, Class 8 is 33% faster on downlink than Class 4.
  • Connections between handsets and "tethered" devices (e.g., notebook computer, PDA) are typically implemented as a serial port, either real or virtual, and port speed usually defaults to 115 Kbps. (Bluetooth is typically implemented on a computer as a virtual serial port that will go as fast as 921.6 Kbps, but which runs at only 115.2 Kbps by default.) While 115 Kbps is generally fast enough for GPRS (and CDMA 1X), it can be a bottleneck for EGPRS/EDGE (as well as UMTS and CDMA EV-DO). In general, port speed should be at least 230 Kbps for GPRS (and CDMA 1X) and 460 Kbps for EGPRS/EDGE (920 Kbps for UMTS and CMDA EV-DO).
• WAP
  • WAP as built into many handsets is much more limited than standard HTTP -- much of the Internet (World Wide Web) cannot be accessed through WAP.

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