Airtel GPRS/EDGE internet on Apple Macintosh (MAC) OSX 10.5

TiX

Setting up Internet connectoin with Airtel GPRS/EDGE and Macinstosh OSX 10.5

With OSX 10.5 Leopard it has now become a lot easier to get connected to the net with your Mac, provided you manage to find the required settings, which of course, are nowhere to be found without professional help. Not even service centres ("airtel galleries") or telefone "customer care" at Airtel have the slightest clue about Macintosh OS. After several weeks of chasing after this bit of information I decided to visit the Airtel main office in Mumbai's Lower Parel by myself to meet one of their senior engineers and fix he problem for good.

this little tutorial is meant to save my fellow mac-users this ordeal.

Requirements:

Macintosh Computer, running on OSX 10.5
Mobile phone (in this case Nokia 3500 but should apply other devices as well)
Airtel mobile SIM, with GPRS/EDGE activated

ATTENTION: mobile office must already be set up on your phone for this to work. This tutorial describes only how to connect your mac to the net via Airtels GPRS network not how to set up the service on the phone itself!!! Press and hold "0" on your phone to see if you get GPRS network access. If not, please subscribe to the service first and set up your phone correctly.

Procedure:

on your mobile phone:

find the settings for packet data (on Nokia 3500 it is: Menu->Settings -> Connectivity -> Packet data)

set "packet data connection" to "When needed",

then, in Menu->Settings -> Connectivity -> Packet data -> Packet Data Settings -> Edit active access point -> Packet data access point , type:

airtelgprs.com


On your Mac

connection via bluetooth

find the command "Set up Bluetooth Device..." most likely to be located in the menu bar.
Select Device type: choose the option "Mobile phone"
Bluetooth Mobile Phone Set Up: choose your phone

click "continue" till you reach the page with Phone Vendor, Phone Model ... enter according to your device.

In the field APN, type: airtelgprs.com (see screenshot 1)


open System Preferences -> Network

activate the the COM1-1 port that has been created during the bluetooth device setup.
under telephone Number, enter: *99#

click "Advanced"

in the "modem" tab, under APN, enter: airtelgprs.com (see screenshot 2)

in the "PPP" tab, choose "configuration" and disable "Send PPP echo packets"

click "ok", click "apply", click "connect", done! have fun


Thorsten

Attached Thumbnails

 

mkrishna

Hi - I have just bought a macbook and planning to set it up for internet.

Now, i have a very basic question. Can i connect to the internet without using a mobile phone ? Can we not use data cars/usb devices like we do for other laptops ?

Best
Murali

TiX

yes you can,

tata indicom has such a service, they give you wireless telephone which you connect via USB. Reliance gives you a USB stick (but i don't know anyone using it with mac) or a PCMCIA card which will not fit in your macbook nor macbook pro. before you sign up for any service you should make sure you have a qualified techie at your disposal.
you should keep in mind that mac's are not very common here yet, so you might have difficulties finding someone to configure it for you, even though the salespeople will all tell you "it's no problem sir/madam".
don't expect any useful support from the call centers, they can only deal with basic PC problems and will only give you standard phrases, apoligies and promises of call backs by their technical people, which never come. "Airtel" is especially famous for this type of incompetence.
you might have a better chance in one of the big cities' main offices to get your system set up correctly, but don't waste your time with outlets, franchises, mobile galleries and telephone customer service. they are utterly useless with macs and can operate only by outdated step-by-step manuals written for windows PCs.
if you are based in a city, your best bet is to go for broadband landline with a private provider (ie. youtele...) they are relatively quick to connect you and provide decent support. otherwise there is still BSNL broadband slowly coming to even rural areas, but expect waiting times of several weeks and don't count on them if you need technical help. also expect a sloppy attitude towards customers.

mobile phones work only if they are capable of handling the gprs protocol. 3G is supposed to come by the end of this year, provided by vodaphone and airtel and will have relatively good speeds as compared to regular GPRS/EDGE service. if you have such a phone you might as well take advantage of that. however, you will still need a postpayed telephone contract with most of these companies to access their GPRS/edge facilities fully.

best of luck

TiX

mira4bai4

Vodafone have a Mac compatible USB modem that looks like a mouse and there is also a USB Stick also have a PCMCIA card available.

mkrishna

Tix and Mira - Thanks for the inputs. i will explore both the options,tata indicom and vodafone.

Any other options,in the meanwhile,are welcome.

Best
Murali