Help Questions About MMS (Sending & Receiving)

[rozel]

Hi

I have read a few things about MMS on the SGS2 but try as I can, I don't seem able to send or receive MMS messages.

In the past I have been used to sending pictures with a message and the device automatically resizes them to comply with the Network's limitations. Receiving was automatic. If I try to send a picture the program doesn't attempt to resize - either the Stock message app or GoSmsPro either.

It seems that to send or receive MMS messages on the SGS2, you need to activate Data Network Mode - is that correct? If so I can understand that for sending but receiving? - do they just get lost in the system somewhere, if for example, someone sends you a MMS and Data Network Mode is turned off?

I tend to keep mine switched off to conserve the battery and also because I have only a limited monthly allowance data-wise. So what happens in that scenario please?

Finally I need to check my settings. My phone is a Sim-free (CPW) phone running ICS 4.0.3 I am on Vodafone UK. Could some kind person let me know the settings please and try to answer my questions - I would be more than grateful

Cheers

 

[ironass]

Here are the Vodafone settings for the UK that I use. Password = web. Please enter these details exactly.

You need data enabled to send and receive MMS messages. Max: MMS size on Vodafone is 300kb.

If I am out of signal and an MMS message is sent to me, I am notified the next time I connect. I believe there is a 72 hour time limit to this though.

After entering the above APN don't forget to Save it and select it and reboot your phone.

 

[Russell Ng]

1) Don't think the stock message app does automatic resizing of picture size. Not like IPhone I hear. But I use watsapp for sending pics, so doesn't bother me.

2) You don't need 3G on but need 2G for MMS transmission. Not sure whether you can set 2G in stock, but I have widgetsoid and I have toggle to do that if I want to.

3) For data conservation, suggest you get 3G watchdog Pro to monitor usage.

Cheers

 

[rozel]

Thanks guys - I have changed my settings to those above and will try later this evening to see if it works Just a couple of points - my APN protocol is set to IPv4 and Bearer is unspecified. Authentication type is set to None and not "not specified" as this option isn't there. Are these settings correct also?

The previous settings sent to me via Vodafone were wap related. Again could this have been adding to my problem?

In my area we do not have 3g unless I go into town. So I have Network mode set to GSM only rather than "auto" thus to preserve battery useage by the phone constantly scanning. I am using GoSmsPro these days almost entirely - there do seem to be some settings for MMS in there but they seem complicated and I don't understand them. I have left them alone and are set to their default ones when the app was installed. Does it matter about this?

Thing is many of my family use SGS2's and they are all having difficulties too. So this is why I am asking.

I have set the limitation in GoSmsPro to 300k file size but god knows whether it will automatically resize - it was set to 200k and it didn't then.

Finally - should I uninstall the stock messaging app (if it is possible to do so) - would things work better then?

TAIA

 

[rozel]

Sorry to have to say this but unfortunately the above settings have nuked the ability to "activate data". With a long press of the power key I can actually activate the data network but nothing connects. The ability to view an internet web page for example brings up a message asking me to make a network connection as currently there isn't one.

I will go back to Vodafone and see what they say and I will post back either today or tomorrow. Hopefully they will restore things by sending me a message file.

roz

 

[rozel]

Just been talked through the settings with vodacrap - still not working! Sheesh!!!

Will speak to them later this evening after I get back from work - My wife's SGS2 settings are different too! But whilst she cannot receive or send MMS's she can at least access the internet via 2G. What a mess - but at least this problem is nothing to do with ICS lol!

Just a question - is there any way to restore my older settings? Were they saved somewhere? Although my phone is no longer rooted, would Titanium Backup be able to restore them? If so which app do I need to restore?

TAIA

 

[ironass]

You may be attacking your problem from the wrong angle rozel!

The settings, that I posted to you earlier, work 100%. Not only for me, in the last 2 years, but for countless of others on the forum who have used them.

Those settings, providing that they are entered and saved, exactly as posted, do work.

Try re-activating Packet data and network mode to GSM/WCDMA (Auto mode)... this does not use any more battery as such since it will lock on to the strongest of the two signals.

You could also install, free from the Play Store, Network Signal Info to monitor your signal. You may also wish to enquire with Vodafone about a data bolt-on for your phone.

From what you have said, you live in a very marginal signal area and may benefit from Vodafone's, "Sure Signal". See here.

Since both you and your wife are experiencing the same problems, I'm ruling out a faulty antenna on your handset.

Also, as you have ICS, you will no doubt be using the BULP6 modem which works very well.

A nandroid backup would contain your APN settings but, as far as I am aware, a Titanium Backup would not unless you had used an app such as APN Backup & Restore, free from the Play Store.

You may find these two websites of interest with regards to your signal coverage. The first is the Vodafone signal coverage map and the second is one produced by the BBC from 44,600 users who downloaded their app and which reported on real coverage.

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vodafone-uk/personal-coverage/index.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14582499

 

[rozel]

Thank you Ironass - I do appreciate your input.

I did not say I was in a marginal signal area, you may have misunderstood me. The area where we live is not covered by 3g signals - one has to travel into town, appx 4 miles, in order to get the benefit of 3g.

However we receive 2g coverage very well indeed and so my problem is not signal strength related. Before I upgraded to ICS, but more importantly when using my old settings, I was able to connect to the Vodafone data network. I have a 500mb monthly allowance and regularly connect to the internet whilst at work for example, again another area where we only receive 2g coverage - oh the joys of living in rural North Yorkshire!

Now after putting in your settings, I can no longer get connected to the internet and still cannot manage to send or receive MMS's. I went to Vodafone for the settings and they still do not work. My wife's phone has even different settings but at least she can connect to the data network so I am going to copy her settings into mine and I will report back.

I have read somewhere too that when you change contracts (we are long standing vodafone monthly contract holders) you need to be re-activated for sending and receiving MMS's by Vodafone's second tier staff - not sure if this is still the case but I read a post in November on another forum about this.

I was always told, that to conserve battery power it was better to avoid an Automatic setting for network reception as by adopting GSM/WCDMA (Auto mode) makes the phone constantly scan for the best signal reception and so I set it to GSM, only switching to WCDMA when I know I am in a 3g area.

I will play about again but I do feel Ironass, that the settings you gave me were for 3g reception (gprs) which is why they will not work in our 2g (wap) area. In order that I could post my settings, could you tell me how I save a screen shot from my phone - I have forgotten the button presses for this.

TAIA

 

[ironass]

Thanks for the explanation rozel.

Screenshot's are HOME + POWER on Gingerbread.

Here are the Vodafone WAP settings (password is wap):-

Hope they help.

 

[rozel]

You beat me to it! Yes these seem to be the settings that I have inputted from my wife's phone. Just rebooted up my phone after taking the battery out for a few minutes and changed the network mode to "Automatic" - lets see.....................

No, I still cannot connect to the data network. This seems crazy but my wife's Authentication type is set to Pap and in ICS there is an additional setting APN Protocol - should this be IPv4, IPv6 or IPv4/IPv6 ?

Driving me nuts this! I still cannot connect to the Data network! When set to activated and open a web page in my browser it says No Network Connection!

This was working before I messed up

Can I just check though - I can call the APN Acess Point anything I like as long as the settings below it are correct? It seems when I get this thing to work, I will have to have two sets each with a different name - one for 2g and one for 3g correct?

 

[rozel]

OK I am attaching a screenshot showing some of the new options that ICS have inserted into the APN settings.

I really need to know what these should be and why the APN Enable/Disable box is Greyed Out, even though it is ticked.

I will give it another hour before I go back to Vodafone. Ironass even if you cannot answer this ICS query, could you answer my previous post please?

TAIA

 

[rozel]

Well well well bugger me!!!

Tinkering around as you do in these instances I noticed there was a "Reset to default" option when pressing the menu button once you had gotten into Access Point Names (see second screen shot below). I had several APN's saved by that time and pressing this option cleared them all, but more importantly, loaded the default one. Quickly becoming excited by this I activated data network and hey-presto I had a MMS which was sent to me a couple of days ago - my Son and Daughter-in-law are expecting their first child and it was a MMS of the scan they had last Thursday Then I had confirmation a few moments later that a MMS I sent well over a month ago had been received by youngest daughter woo hoo!!!!! If that excitement wasn't enough, I could access the internet too without activating my wifi!!!

So not only have I got internet back but I can now send and receive MMS's - thank god for that lol!

BTW it does seem that ICS has changed things. In the first screen shot below you will see what I mean - APN Type: - "default,mms,supl" - this is not an option, it has to be typed in to change it. During all this latter messing about, I have Mobile Networks set to Auto. I will retain this setting for now and see how things go.