GPRS in the UK

GPRS in the UK

GPRS in the UK

Help and advice on using GPRS, including common UK GPRS / 3G access point settings for Mobile Internet access

What is GPRS?

GPRS stands for  General Packet Radio Service , and is a protocol for passing data over a mobile phone network. Here's what you need to know about GPRS:

  • GPRS replaced dial-up mobile phone Internet access, offering faster browsing of Internet content and email. It's an "always on" service".
  • GPRS on a  mobile phone  doesn't use a phone number to connect, it uses something called an APN (Access Point Name).
  • With GPRS, you don't pay for your online time per-minute, you pay for the amount of data you transfer.
  • GPRS has now been largely superseded by faster data network services known as 3G

 

UK GPRS and 3G APN settings

This section contains the GPRS Access Point and 3G settings for the UK network operators:

o2  GPRS settings:

O2 GPRS settings (WAP):
Note: Different settings for contract and PAYG (Pay as you go)

Homepage:  http://wap.o2.co.uk/
Access point (contract): wap.o2.co.uk
Access point (PAYG): payandgo.o2.co.uk
Gateway (IP) address: 193.113.200.195
Username :  o2wap (contract) / payandgo (PAYG)
Password:  password
Session type:  Continuous / permanent
Authentication:  Normal
Security:  Off
Port number:  8080

O2 GPRS settings (Mobile Web / Email):

Homepage: http://pda.o2.co.uk/
Access point:  mobile.o2.co.uk
Username:  mobileweb
Password:  password
Session type:  Continuous / permanent
Authentication:  Normal
Security:  Off

Email servers (POP):  mail.o2.co.uk
Email servers (SMTP):  smtp.o2.co.uk
DNS Servers:  193.113.200.200 and 193.113.200.201

Note: The "Mobile Web" service must be enabled for these settings to work. 
* We've also been told of an alternative username of 'faster', with a password of 'password' 

Contact  o2 Customer Services  to get this enabled.


Vodafone  GPRS settings:

Vodafone GPRS settings (WAP) / Vodafone Live!:

Homepage: http://live.vodafone.com
Access Point (Contract): wap.vodafone.co.uk
Access Point (PAYG): pp.vodafone.co.uk
Username:  wap
Password:  wap
Session type:  Continuous / permanent
Authentication:  Normal
Network type:  Ipv4
Security:  Off
Gateway (IP) address: 212.183.137.012
Port number:  8799

Vodafone GPRS settings (Email/Web):

Homepage:  http://live.vodafone.com
Access Point  (Contract) :  internet 
Access Point  (PAYG):   pp.vodafone.co.uk
Access Point  (3GB pre-payment):   ppbundle.internet
Access Point  (1GB pre-payment):   pp.internet
Username* :  web
Password*:  web
Session type:  Continuous / permanent
Authentication:  Normal
Security:  Off

Email IMAP Server:  imap.360.com
Email SMTP Server:  smtp.360.com
Email SMTP server:  send.vodafone.net
Email SMTP server:  smtp.vizzavi.co.uk
Alt email SMTP server:  mail.vizzavi.co.uk 
Alt email SMTP server:  mail.vodafone.net
Alt email SMTP server:  212.183.156.229
Alt email SMTP server:  62.213.128.092  
DNS Server:  212.183.137.012

Note: GPRS subscription must be  enabled  for "Vodafone Internet Access Service".
Contact  Vodafone  Customer Services on 191 from your Vodafone handset

 

Orange  GPRS settings:

Orange GPRS settings (WAP):

Homepage: http://orange.multimedia/
Access Point (Contract): orangewap
Access Point (PAYG):  paygwap

Gateway (IP) address : 192.168.071.35
Username:  Orange  
Password:  Multimedia
Session type:  Continuous / permanent
Authentication:  Normal
Port number:  9201 (or 8080)

Orange GPRS settings (Email/Web): 
Homepage:  http://orange.multimedia/
Access Point:  orangeinternet
Access Point (Old PAYG):  payginternet  
Access Point ( Internet Anywhere non bus): consumerbroadband
Username:  user
Password:  pass
Authentication:  Normal

Email SMTP server:  smtp.orange.net
Prim. DNS Server:  158.043.192.001
Sec. DNS Server:  158.043.128.001

 

T-Mobile  GPRS settings:

Homepage:  http://wap.t-mobile.co.uk/  or  http://www.t-zones.co.uk/
Access Point:  general.t-mobile.uk
Gateway (IP) address:  149.254.1.10 (alt: 149.254.201.132)
Username :  user (alt: wapuser)  
Password:  wap
Session type:  Continuous / permanent
Port number:  8080 (alt: 9201)
Authentication:  Normal

SMTP email server:  smtp.t-email.co.uk

 

3  GPRS Data settings:

Homepage:  http://mobile.three.co.uk/
Access Point (contract):  three.co.uk
Username :  guest
Password:  guest
Authentication:  Normal

 

Tesco-Mobile  GPRS settings:

Homepage:  http://wap.tesco-mobile.com/ 
Access Point (contract):  prepay.tesco-mobile.com
Gateway (IP) address :  193.113.200.195 
Username :  tescowap 
Password:  password 
Session type:  Continuous / permanent
Port number:  9201
Authentication:  Normal

 

Virgin Mobile  GPRS settings:

Homepage:  http://www.virgin.com/mobile/wap/
Access Point (contract):  goto.virginmobile.uk
Gateway (IP) address :  193.30.166.003
Port number:  8080
Username:  user
Password:  (leave blank)
Session type:  Continuous / permanent
Authentication:  Normal

 

GiffGaff  GPRS settings:

Access Point:  giffgaff.com
Username:  giffgaff
Password:  password
Authentication:  Normal

 

BT Mobile  GPRS settings:

Homepage:  http://wap.btmw.net
Access Point:  btmobile.bt.com
Gateway (IP) address :  212.183.137.12
Username :  bt
Password:  bt
Session type:  Continuous / permanent
Port number:  8799 or 9201
Authentication:  Normal

We also have the following settings:
Homepage:  http://wap.btmw.net
Access Point:  mobile.bt.uk
Gateway (IP) address :  149.254.201.132
Username :  user
Password:  wap

 

ASDA Mobile  GPRS settings:

ASDA GPRS settings (WAP) :

Homepage: http://www.asdamobile.com/wap
Access Point (Contract):  asdamobiles.co.uk
Username:  wap
Password:  wap
Session type:  Continuous / permanent
Normal
Security:  Off
Gateway (IP) address:  212.183.137.12
Port number:  8799

ASDA GPRS settings (Email/Web):

Homepage: http://www.asdamobile.com/wap
Access Point (Contract):  asdamobiles.co.uk
Username:  web
Password:  web
Session type:  Continuous / permanent
Authentication:  Normal
Security:  Off

 

 

Common questions:

Dialup number? GPRS is a service supplied by your mobile phone network operator. It doesn't use a dial-up number  (as GSM data calls do). Instead the APN (Access Point Name) is used to work out where to route your data requests.
Confused about APNs

For your phone to connect over GPRS, you'll need to tell the phone which APN (Access Point Name) to use. We've listed the main UK APNs above. Note that most operators have different access points for different services, and you'll need to pick the right one, or things won't work:

  • WAP Access point - To allow connection to WAP services
  • Internet Access point - For web browsing, email and instant messaging, etc
  • MMS Access point - For multimedia messages , such as picture/photo messaging
GPRS not enabled? GPRS is a service that your mobile phone network operator (e.g. o2, Vodafone, etc) needs to enable before it can be used. You'll also need to ask your Network Operator to enable this service for you (a call to Customer Services  should do the trick). In some cases, it may take up to 48 hours for your operator to enable this, so be patient.
GPRS speed

GPRS runs faster than standard mobile phone dialup (which is normally 9.6kbps). GPRS speed depends on a number of factors (all to do with how many of the 8 'timeslots' are assigned by the network operator) - the maximum possible speed is 171kbps, but you're unlikely to ever get anywhere near this speed. Our tests show average speeds of around 25 to 40 kbps (still around 3 times faster than dialup).

What do I get for a megabyte? GPRS data transfer is billed in amount of data, and not seconds. In mobile terms, one megabyte is equivalent to around one thousand WAP pages, 20 average-sized web pages, or 100 average size emails with no images/attachments.
Faster GPRS?

If you're looking to speed up your mobile Internet connection, you might want to take a look at the service from  OnSpeed .

If you are connecting using a GPRS phone, not only will you get faster Internet access with OnSpeed, there's another added benefit that, due to compression, your phone bill will be substantially lowered because of the reduction in data received. This can result in up to a 90% reduction in costs since mobile phone providers charge per Megabyte downloaded.

Note that you'll only benefit from a speed enhancement if you're using a GPRS connection via a PC, laptop or a Pocket PC- as the OnSpeed software needs to be running on Windows or a Mac to gain the speedup. More details on our  Onspeed page.

GPRS via a modem

If you're looking to use your GPRS-enabled mobile phone as a modem (to connect to the Internet from a laptop or a PDA over infrared or Bluetooth), here's what you need to know:

  • From the laptop / PDA, you need to create a dial-up connection, and enter a dialup phone number of  *99#
  • You need to enter a special modem initialisation string of: 
    +CGDCONT =1,"IP","apn.address"  - you should substitute apn.address  with the name of the GPRS APN that you wish to connect to  (see the table above)
What does 'Session mode' mean?

Session type When connecting to a WAP gateway, you normally have to specify a session mode, this is a WAP setting used by your WAP provider to identify whether it should 'remember' information about your connection.

Your WAP service provider will normally tell you which one to use, and you should set up your phone or browser accordingly. The two options are:

  • Connectionless session - Also known as Temporary. Connects to port 9200 on the Wap gateway server (or 9202 with WTLS security)
  • Connection-oriented session - Also known as Permanent or Continuous. Connects to port 9201 on the Wap gateway server (or 9203 with WTLS security)
What does 'authentication type' mean?

Authentication If configuring GPRS on a mobile, you may be prompted to specify an authentication type. This defines whether your GPRS logon password is protected when it's sent over-the-air, protecting your login credentials. Options are "Normal" (sending password as plain text, referred to as 'PAP authentication'), or "Secure" (sent using challenge-response, referred to as 'CHAP authentication').

This isn't about protecting your data, or having a secure connection - just about protecting your GPRS logon password. Most operators in the UK support both, but as GPRS logon passwords are often generic, "Normal" should be fine for most users.

For more help on getting connected with GPRS, visit  FileSaveAs  page

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