The GPRS software that comes with mobile telephones does not always seem to work very well.
A general solution for connecting to the internet using your laptop and GPRS phone is given below. This works for Windows 98 and other operating systems. Connect the phone to the computer using the supplied cable (RS 232) or via the infrared function.
Modem settings Windows 98
Modem settings XP /infrared
If you e-mail or surf the internet using GPRS then you have an open internet connection and risk unwanted and unnoticed traffic or even hacking. Use software which protects your connection. With GPRS you pay for all data traffic that you send and receive, including unwanted and unnoticed traffic.
If you use GPRS with a laptop there are various protection software packages for sale or to download via internet, for example from Symantec. Symantec is one of the major suppliers of anti-virus software and firewalls.
A firewall is a programme which protects your computer against hackers.
Installation of this software depends on the operating system and the software itself.
Follow the instructions for installation. In addition Lebara advises you not to leave your GPRS connection unnecessarily open.
GPRS is used to wap (connect to the internet via your mobile phone).
Previously you could wap via a dial-up connection (WAP via GSM).
It is now also possible to wap via GPRS. The main difference between wap via GSM and using wap via GPRS is that with GSM you pay for the time that you are connected. Using WAP via GPRS uses data packets which are sent backwards and forwards rather than a continuous connection. To wap using GPRS you only pay for the packets that you receive and send. If you are on a wap site and doing nothing then you pay nothing, whereas if you wap using dial-up GSM you do pay as the connection remains open. In addition, it is five times faster to wap using GPRS than it is to wap using GSM.
As the existing GSM network includes a GPRS functionality there are many faster data connections possible.
The GSM network is still used for making and receiving calls but the GPRS functionality in the GSM network is used for specific data connections.
By connecting the network to internet you can use GPRS to open web pages and WAP pages, e-mail and download.
The most important difference between GSM and GPRS is the way in which information is sent.
GSM is 'circuit switched'
Circuit switched means that a separate channel (an amount of network capacity) is reserved for each conversation.
That channel remains available until the end of the conversation.
The charge structure is the same as that for a conversation, per minute.
GPRS is 'packet switched'
With GPRS information is split into packets that are sent individually over the network.
At the receiving end these packets are again combined to form a meaningful piece of information.
Because packets of different conversations are all sent together there is better use of network capacity. When using WAP via GPRS you pay per MB. For a black and white telephone one web page is about 1 kb in size and for a colour telephone 2 kb.
You can open web pages and WAP pages, e-mail and download using GPRS.
GPRS is quite a bit faster than GSM and you don't need to dial-up.
The charges for using GPRS abroad are € 14.00 per MB, charged per 1 kb.
Using WAP you can get information on, for example, news, sport and traffic.
You can also chat, e-mail and play games.
A WAP address usually begins with the letters WAP or mmm, whereas a normal internet page usually begins with www.
Check in the instruction booklet for your phone whether you have a WAP telephone.
The Lebara WAP settings are:
In the first place you need a telephone that is suitable for internet.
You can check in your phone specification whether your handset is suitable for internet.
If you do have a suitable telephone you need the correct settings for using internet over the Lebara network.
In the first place you need a telephone that is suitable for WAP. You can check in your phone specification whether your handset is suitable for WAP. If you do have a suitable telephone you need the correct settings for using WAP over the Lebara network. Click here for the correct settings.
With Lebara prepaid you can also use data applications such as mobile internet or MMS abroad. You can send and receive data with over 20 foreign network service providers. This is what we call GPRS roaming. Often there is only one GPRS service provider in a country, sometimes there are more.
Note that you need to manually select a network provider with which Lebara has a GPRS roaming agreement if you want to use GPRS services.
The way in which you can see if the telephone actually has a GPRS connection varies according to the type of telephone. Please read your instruction booklet.
Click here for more information regarding sending and receiving data abroad.
Please note: some foreign network providers do not provide complete coverage in their country.
In some countries you need a phone which supports GSM 1900 MHZ (e.g. in the US).
If you e-mail or surf the internet using GPRS then you have an open internet connection and risk unwanted and unnoticed traffic or even hacking. Use software which protects your connection. With GPRS you pay for all data traffic that you send and receive, including unwanted and unnoticed traffic.
If you use GPRS with a laptop there are various protection software packages for sale or to download via internet, for example from Symantec. Symantec is one of the major suppliers of anti-virus software and firewalls.
A firewall is a programme which protects your computer against hackers.
Installation of this software depends on the operating system and the software itself.
| Bookmark | An internet site address or WAP site address, stored in a browser or an appliance. |
| Favourite | An internet site address or WAP site address, stored in a browser or an appliance. |
| Gateway | A server which provides internet access. |
| GPRS | General Packet Radio Services. An addition to the GSM network for data which makes faster data transfer possible. |
| GSM | Global System for Mobile communications. The mobile network. |
| HTML | Hyper Text Markup Language. Language in which internet pages are made. |
| HTTP | Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. The protocol for sending files via internet. |
| Direct dial number | The telephone number you call using your WAP telephone to gain access to the WAP portal. |
| IP connection | This is a code which shows which security level is used to send the information to the internet. This is almost always '9201'. |
| IP address | Internet Protocol address. The unique number code for an internet site. |
| Internet address | The unique name for an internet site, for example http://www.google.nl. Also called a URL. |
| Lingertime | The time that a telephone uses before automatically closing the connection. |
| Password | Password |
| Portal | Internet site or WAP site which serves as the starting point for information request. |
| SMS | Short Message Service. Method of sending messages via the GSM network. |
| URL | This is the internet address for a page. You need to enter this if you want to visit a page. On the PC this usually begins with 'http://www' and on a telephone often with 'http://mmm'. Examples are http://www.google.com and http://mmm.google.nl. Note: enter the address precisely. Forgetting a comma or a full stop can mean that the connection will not work. |
| Connection type | There are two types of connection: analogue and ISDN (digital). |
| WAP | Wireless Application Protocol. |
| WML | Wireless Markup Language. Language in which WAP pages are made. |
| WWW | World Wide Web. Often shortened to web and also called internet. |
WAP stands for 'Wireless Application Protocol'.
This protocol includes a collection of specifications for mobile use of internet services, therefore a WAP application looks similar to the way in which information is shown on internet.
You can use WAP to look at internet pages which have been made suitable for WAP using your WAP telephone or WAP-compatible organiser. Using WAP is similar to the way in which you open internet pages with a computer.
You cannot open standard internet pages using your WAP telephone as WAP pages have their own format: WML.
There are however similarities.
Just as you can type internet page addresses (so-called URL's) into your browser, you can type WAP page addresses into your WAP telephone. An example is WAP.google.nl.
A WAP address usually, though not always, begins with the letters mmm, whereas a normal internet page begins with the letters www.
A WAP address without the letters mmm is also possible.
Whereas a normal internet file normally has the file extension .html or .htm, you can recognise a WAP file by the file extension .wml.
When you start a WAP session your telephone contacts the so-called 'gateway'; the system that ensures that your mobile connects to the internet. Below is explained how a WAP session generally works.
Here are some services you can use with your WAP telephone.
E-mail via your mobile telephone
Mobile chatting, on the train for example
The latest games on your telephone
Request all information (weather-sport-traffic etc.)
Keep mobile agenda and address book up to date
Order ringtones and logos
Order Java Games
News reports
Sport news
Traffic information
TV programming
Cultural information
Tourist information and travel information
Hobbies and relaxation
Stock market services
Banking services
E-commerce applications
Chat
Horoscopes
Jokes
Recipes
and much more
Most WAP services are free and accessible to everyone. However, you always pay for the connection to the WAP portal. If you use WAP via a telephone you pay call charges per minute. If you use GPRS you pay per MB of data.
In addition there are a number of commercial WAP services which the user pays for per session or per download, such as ringtones and games.
Yes, it is up to you which WAP services you choose to use. It may however be possible that you have to pay for use of WAP services.
