Problem connecting Vodafone 3G sim on 3G router

We have an Option Globesurfer III 3G router (not locked) which works
fine with simcards from T-Mobile and Orange, but I cannot get it to work
with a Vodafone sim.

The router displays Vodafone and shows the signal strength just says
'connecting' but nothing happens. The simcard works fine and will
connect ok when used in its original Huawei dongle. I don't know whether
it is relevant but the router normally is able to get the time from the
network, but not when the Vodafone sim is in.

I phoned the Vodafone tech support, and they gave me the usual blurb
about unsupported equipment and that they sold a Linksys router that
would work, but he did say that the simcard is not locked to a
particular equipment so should work.

He also said that unlike other mobile broadband networks, Vodafone use
NAT traversing. I've looked through the Option manual, but couldn't see
any setting relating to this.

Any ideas?

Although we normally prefer T-Mobile for mobile broadband which we have
found the best overall, the signal strength of T-Mobile in this
particular area is poor.

"Mark Ingle" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:1ix5evd.nueaxor8io00N%markinglenospam@nospamf astmail.fm...
> We have an Option Globesurfer III 3G router (not locked) which works
> fine with simcards from T-Mobile and Orange, but I cannot get it to work
> with a Vodafone sim.
>
> The router displays Vodafone and shows the signal strength just says
> 'connecting' but nothing happens. The simcard works fine and will
> connect ok when used in its original Huawei dongle. I don't know whether
> it is relevant but the router normally is able to get the time from the
> network, but not when the Vodafone sim is in.
[snip]

I think the time issue is a Vodafone "feature". I have a very plain Nokia
phone on a Vodafone contract, and it does not pick up the time from the
network, so I suspect Vodafone don't transmit it.

--
Graham J

Graham J <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> I think the time issue is a Vodafone "feature". I have a very plain Nokia
> phone on a Vodafone contract, and it does not pick up the time from the
> network, so I suspect Vodafone don't transmit it.

There are three ways to get the time:

1. The time as supplied by the GSM network
2. The time as supplied by NTP, which runs on top of the IP connection, which
runs on top of GSM.
3. The time from a GPS module that happens to be in the phone (unlikely for
a router) when you have a clear view of the sky

The first will depend on the time being supplied by the GSM network - I
haven't noticed it actually working in the UK. The second will depend on
the IP connection to the internet being working. The third will work even
if there's no GSM signal at all.

Without knowing exactly how it works, it's difficult to use the time
setting as a diagnostic tool.

Theo

On 25 Mar 2009 23:35:45 +0000 (GMT), Theo Markettos
<theom+(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>There are three ways to get the time:
>
>1. The time as supplied by the GSM network
>2. The time as supplied by NTP, which runs on top of the IP connection, which
>runs on top of GSM.
>3. The time from a GPS module that happens to be in the phone (unlikely for
>a router) when you have a clear view of the sky
>
>The first will depend on the time being supplied by the GSM network - I
>haven't noticed it actually working in the UK.

Perhaps the following from "(E-Mail Removed)" will
explain your experience. I've just tried two PAYG SIMs: ASDA
and T-Mobile. The time updated with ASDA but not with T-Mobile.

>Newsgroups: uk.telecom.mobile
>Subject: Re: Using ''Network operator time' in Nokia E65
>Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:20:44 -0700 (PDT)
>From: (E-Mail Removed)
>Message-ID: <eaf67165-e892-4125-be71-(E-Mail Removed)>
>
>In the UK the time only updates when your phone attatches or connects
>to the GPRS network. If the phone's packet data setting is set to
>"always online" (rather than "when needed"), and a 'G' is displayed
>the time should update.
>
>Note only Orange and Vodafone support time updating.
--
Roger

Roger <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Perhaps the following from "(E-Mail Removed)" will explain your
> experience. I've just tried two PAYG SIMs: ASDA and T-Mobile. The time
> updated with ASDA but not with T-Mobile.
>
> >Newsgroups: uk.telecom.mobile Subject: Re: Using ''Network operator time'
> >in Nokia E65 Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:20:44 -0700 (PDT) From:
> >(E-Mail Removed) Message-ID:
> ><eaf67165-e892-4125-be71-(E-Mail Removed)>
> >
> >In the UK the time only updates when your phone attatches or connects to
> >the GPRS network. If the phone's packet data setting is set to "always
> >online" (rather than "when needed"), and a 'G' is displayed the time
> >should update.
> >
> >Note only Orange and Vodafone support time updating.

Thanks for that.

If T-Mobile doesn't support time updating, I expect the router must use
an NTP server once there is a connection, since it displays the time
fine with a T-Mobile sim. This would explain why the Vodafone sim
doesn't work (since it can't seem to connect).