Disable internet in iPhone (Prepaid Swisscom)

Tech, TV, Mobile, Internet and Geek Corner
1
Hi,

I bringed my iPhone with me and I plugged a Swisscom prepaid card. I disabled the EDGE, 3G, WiFi and Push, but still connects automatically to internet and even doing nothing it slowly consumes my money.

Is there a way to disable internet traffic?

I use 3.1.2 firmware

2
Hi,

stupid question but what is the point of having an iphone without an internet connection. Really it is designed to be connected to the internet all the time. It ́s weakess capability is as a phone.

Wouldn ́t have made more sense to get a cheaper simpler phone which is primarily for calls.

Have fun

Martin

3
Well I can use the hotspots for free with my vpn from university and wifi at home. On the way just to make calls. In my country I have a data connection, anyway that's not the question.

Solutions?

4
If you enable Airplane Mode you won't get on the internet. I'm presuming that you have turned off Data Roaming under Network settings as well? This is the one that will get you high costs if you are in a country other than where your sim card was issued.

5
Yes, data roaming is off. With my simcard from abroad it does not connect because of data roaming. But as soon as I plug swisscom simcard it connects to internet.

If I set the airplane mode I can't use the phone. My intention is to make calls and receive SMS (and use wifi when I am at home or university).

I also disabled 3G and EDGE via SBSettings.

6
Check your email settings, sounds to me like mail is running all the time in the background.

7
It's probably still using GPRS. I don't know how you can disable that.

If you need a cheap data plan, get the Optima Surf plan from Orange. It's only CHF 29 with the 3 month minimum contract. That's what I did

edit: try inserting random data in the General _> Network _> Cellular data(?) settings

8
Just at the right from the Name : Swisscom it appears the letter E. I guess it is EDGE. I disabled push.

I can't write random data in the Cellular data because with the swisscom card it does not appear this option (it has it with my foreign simcard but in swisscom it seems to be pre-configured).

It looks that I would need to change to an operator without internet connection,

9
- play music

- play videos

- play most games

- use non-network apps, including those for map cache-ing, foreign language dictionaries i.e. useful for travellers

Of course it's much better with network access, but I still find it more useful than using a second, simple phone while abroad.

10
...yes, took my shiny new N97 to France for a week and came back with a

750 CHF bill! AND I used a Wifi connection as much as possible. Amazing the per minute prices that Orange CH is charging.

fduvall

11
Hi,

which is a ipod touch + Skype. The only thing missing being the ability to phone where you are not near a hotspot.

Have fun and hopefully you will find a solution

Martin

12
actually it's price per Mb (or part of).

Why are people surprised when large bills come back after consuming data when roaming? It's like telephone calls when roaming but more eye-watering.

To the OP - your iPhone is making data connections from an app - what do you open on your device and when? Educate yourself on what 802.11 networks it will use and when.

Oh and get a plan with data included and take the handcuffs off your iPhone

13
If you use the iPhone configuration tool from apple you check a log of all activity on the iPhone. We checked a number of iPhones here in the office and all of them chatter almost continuously on the internet. Nothing large, just a few bytes here and there, but the question is what and to whom.

14
...price per minute for calls + price per Mb for data when roaming are both extremely high.

Why was I surprised...well, I had just returned from the US where I used a pre-paid plan that still beat my Orange plan by 40% (with Travel options and a data roaming plan). 2 CHF/minute to call the US from France...that is pretty high. And data...forgetaboutit!

Many criticize the US for being behind in the mobile space, but the cost of service is very competitive.

Anyway...the lesson learned is go back to buying pre-paid sims when I travel in Europe. I can check my email on my computer back at the hotel...

fduvall

15
I had someone roaming to the tune of 12 grand recently. The EU commission has improved the situation so that charges are not as bad as they used to be.

Check your plan btw; you could be paying 3-14 francs per Mb!! The wireless in the hotel is often the best bet economically.....especially if you have a VoIP softphone

16
Finally I found a fakeAPN application. Did not tested it yet.