Roaming With Vodafone USB 3G Stick in Kerala

I picked up a Vodafone 3G USB stick while I was in Mumbai. Worked flawlessly there.

I arrived yesterday in Kerala and cannot make the stick connect to the Internet. The stick finds the 3G network that it wants to use and registers successfully. When I then attempt to activate the connection I am told that I am roaming (which appears to be normal behaviour according to a thread that I found here on the board), then the stick responds with a simple "Connect failed" message.

I spent more time on the phone yesterday with Vodafone support than I care to remember and basically have nothing to show for all the time spent. They offered two suggestions. One: I should put the SIM in my handphone for a while so it would latch onto a roaming network. Tried that, no change in behaviour when I put the SIM back in the USB stick. Two: I should add some money to my main account as perhaps the balance was too low for roaming (although the "data" portion of my account was topped up sufficiently). Tried that, still no dice.

Nobody that I spoke to at Vodafone yesterday indicated that the 3G USB stick shouldn't work in Kerala but it's really frustrating dealing with their support people. I was transferred countless times to different departments and half the time, it seems like the support person wasn't really listening to what I was saying...

And so I ask the board, any ideas?

Prepaid ? postpaid ?

What APN settings are you using ?

Prepaid. The APN is www with the access number a standard *99#

Did you activate Data roaming ? Just a thought. I gather you need to send some SMS to a number before it allows you to connect to their servers.

By all indications, National Roaming is already activated with this prepaid package. Vodafone markets the package as something that can be used all over India. When I work up the energy for yet another round of chat with Vodafone's support people, I will ask them just to clarify the point.

Update: I visited a Vodafone store in Ernakulam late this afternnon. Staff there were very helpful. Long story made short: no problem with my Vodafone prepaid account, no problem with my Vodafone 3G USB stick, no problem with my Vodafone SIM. If the USB stick's software is set forced to only connect at 2G, it works fine. It won't connect at 3G however. The Vodafone staff made some calls and the problem seems to be that their local 3G roaming partner (Ideal) is not correctly validating Vodafone roaming connections. As of this writing the problem is not solved but it is being worked on and at least I can connect at 2G for the time being.

I am having an issue with this too!

Are IDEA still not validating the 3G??? I cant get 3g to work in Himchal Pradesh!!

Any further help here?