[Spektor]

I don't know where to start.  I love the 900 but this whole thing has been a small disaster.

First -- I bought the phone outright the other day for the full cash price.  I am using Straight Talk's MVNO SIM chip (runs off AT&T's system) and I input the settings for a new APN including Proxy and Port settings.  HOWEVER, the 900 does not allow manual input of the other key settings needed, namely the MMS settings.  So the phone will not send or receive MMS messages.  The phone DOES work, and does make voice calls and sends texts and connects to the internet 4G via AT&Ts HDPA system.  Internet Explorer CAN bring up web pages.  My Hotmail account does get updated and is accessable using the phone.  Also, Apps do come up and populate in the marketplace and Bing does open.  However, those same Apps will NOT download and Bing will NOT search (unless on WiFi).  The phone gives an error stating that "The Windows Live ID serice is unavailable right now. Try again later."  -- however I am signed into Hotmail and the phone allos me to receive and send emails.  So what is going on?????

Second -- and this is almost even worse -- In order to try and fix the problems, I did a master reset on the phone.  Well the phone reset ok, but the above problems are persisting still the same.  But what really happened was that all the Nokia Collection Apps have now disappeared!  Totally gone!  And searching for them on the Marketplace brings up NOTHING! No Nokia Drive, No Nokia Maps, nothing!  This is terrible.  The phone no longer seems to identify itself to the Marketplace as a Nokia Lumia product?  A master reset is supposed to re-set a device to original factory settings.  So where did all the critical Nokia apps go/access to such apps?  This is an inexcusable omission by MS/Nokia/ATT and something needs to be done.  Will I have to return a handset everytime it gets a bug in it?  Or will one just have to accept permanently losing key software as part of living with Windows Phone and Nokia and AT&T....

Nokia, please help!

[jacobsladder]

I don't have a 900, but obviously you will have seen the other reports and the admission from Nokia that there is an issue with the data connection.

I've an 800 and found that a master reset worked well, but as you say, finding the Nokia applications can sometime be a challenge and there have been reports that searching for the Nokia apps doesn't always work. It is strange though that you don't have the "nokia collection" tab in the Marketplace.

Have you tried just searching Drive, or  Highlights as that seems to work.

It may be that Nokia or Microsoft hasn't got around to adding the 900 to the marketplace as a Nokia device yet. Try giving Nokia a call, they might be able to sort you out - for example I know that it is possible to send direct links to applications via SMS even if they are hidden in the store.

[ArminG]

I cannot comment on the applications, but branded phones often don't have option to set things like MMS-settings for other operators. So if you insert a SIM different from the operator it was intended for, certain features including MMS won't work.

This is not unique to Nokia or Windows Phone. The US is however kind of strange that it sells operator branded phones, for full price through other channels (e.g. Amazon, CarToys, etc) than the operator. This gives the idea it is an unlocked phone, while it isn't.

True unlocked phone will typically detect the settings including MMS at first boot with SIM or after a reset. Windows Phone works also that way.
Operator branded models however sometimes lack this feature by design.

Nokia (and other Windows Phone sellers) solve this then typically with an application that you can download from marketplace that can set it manually.

I understood Nokia has such an application, so I can only recommend calling their support and asking for it.

Alternatively return the phone to the shop, explaining you want a real unlocked phone, not operator branded model.

[Shoey5]

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ArminG wrote:

I cannot comment on the applications, but branded phones often don't have option to set things like MMS-settings for other operators.

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Actually that's not true, I've been using cellphones for 20+ years and every phone since the invention of MMS has an option to configure MMS/APN settings. Of course, if you buy a phone from a provider, it will be pre-conigured to work on their network and that's fine but all dumb phones/smartphones I've ran into allow you to configure MMS Settings.

Yes the North American market is very different from the European market but one thing to keep in mind is that in North America you can purchase a phone outright (outside of contract) and have the cell provider (AT&T in US/Rogers in Canada to name just two) selling the phone can provide you with an unlock code. Even people who sign into a contract can get their phones unlocked after their contract expiries.

So with that said, you buy the phone from AT&T or Rogers outright, have them provide you with an unlock code, and you still can't configure MMS settings. I can't comment as to what Microsoft was thinking by not having an option to enter MMS settings in WP7, they have the ability to enter the data APN so it's almost like an oversight on their part.

Because of this oversight, I've noticed a lot of OEM's for WP7 have put the MMS configuration setting in the Diagnostic App. Something which I've seen Nokia do themselves on the Lumia 800, or provide a program on the Market Place that allows you to adjust MMS Settings. This is something Nokia really needs to do.

[Raoul_Duke]

Hi Guys,

Sometimes, the Nokia collection does not necessarily appear immediately in the marketplace, it can take up to 48 hours for it sync and be pushed thought the marketplace server. A faster way to sync up, which is acknowledged by Microsoft, is to visit the Xbox Live tile first, this will recognise the device right away.

Give this a try and let me know if this helps.

Regards

Raoul_Duke

[Shoey5]

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Sometimes, the Nokia collection does not necessarily appear immediately in the marketplace, it can take up to 48 hours for it sync and be pushed thought the marketplace server.

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Does this mean that the Network App is slated to show up in the Canadian Marketplace? I could be wrong but I believe it's not just a matter of syncing, developers also have to publish to the Canadian Market place. I don't think Nokia has done that for the Network App.

[Kosh]

Hi Shoey5,

This is currently under investigation. We hope to have more information for you shortly.

Kosh

[Shoey5]

Thanks Kosh, hope you guys will be able to get it on the Canadian Market soon. Other than MMS, LOVE THE PHONE!

[ArminG]

@Skoey5, I think you are missing my point.

I live in thw US myself but grew up in Europe, so I know both markets very well. In addition I work in the industry myself.

The issue is that unlocking a branded phone does not make it an unbranded phone. Unlocking is not the same as 'unbranding'.

There are tons of customisations made on demand of operators, that don't magically disappear when you get an unlock code. Unlock codes just make you able to use other networks.

The fact you state "buy the phone from AT&T or Rogers" kind of states it, You are buying a branded one, even if it is unlocked. And even on Amazon US, many 'unlocked' phones are still branded and may have customisations made for the original operator. I know, because I often had to set them :-)

And you may not have found phones that cannot set MMS APN, but I have many of them ranging from dump simple cheap feature phones to expensive smartphones, that have this option removed.

An example: Some operators don't want you change this, as it doesn't always just require an APN, but on some networks also a proxy. In that case, the operators remotely can (re)configure your phone. If you then unlock that phone, you won't have an option to manually change/set it.


So my main point is, if you buy a phone full price, always make sure it is an unbranded model, and not just a unlocked one. Unbranded is not the same as unlocked. You want both. (Unless you like the extra features/customisations of course. Somethimes they are usefull.)


That said, I do fully agree it is strange that the MMS settings option is not configurable - even on unbranded Windows Phone models.

[Shoey5]

ArminG: Not missing the point,  I totally agree with what you said and I know the difference between unbranded and unlocked. I prefer to buy phones outright and generally pick them up in the UK when they support the bands as the European market as you said is very different and you can pick up manufacter "unbranded" phones which aren't as easy to come by in North American markets since carriers in North America do everything in their power to keep people tied into their service. And yes you are very correct in that carriers modify phones/firmware to optimize for their networks. Take the Lumia 900 on Rogers, thankfully they didn't go overboard like AT&T by putting their logo on the phone but they obviously optimized their firmware and even branded the startup to show the Rogers logo when the phone is powered on.

With that said, as I'm sure you're on this forum for the same reason because you know your phones., I've never run into a "Noteworthy" that didn't allow you to configure MMS settings. The lack of MMS settings in this case is not phone specific but OS specific, for whatever reason, Microsoft failed to put in the settings to enter MMS. they only have APN settings. This is the case even if you get an "UNBRANDED" phone. A lot of other manufactures including Nokia with the Lumia 800 have either released applications to configure MMS since they have higher access to the OS via their cert. or have added it to the Diagnostic menu. This makes perfect sense since anyone who has an "unlocked phone" even if it's not "unbranded" can configure their settings.

[xcharles718]

For data to work(I did this on my HTC Titan)...
settings > cellular > apn
In the apn slot, put att.mvno, leave everything else empty, then hit the check.

I'm still trying to find a way to configure MMS, but it seems that this is not possible on Windows Phones

[Trapshooter1]

i have looked up all the settings online, downloaded the Network setup app and i still can't send/recieve mms messages. i can't get on the internet without being connected to wi-fi can someone please help me out?? it would be greatly appreciated.

[aleisha11]

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Trapshooter1 wrote:

i have looked up all the settings online, downloaded the Network setup app and i still can't send/recieve mms messages. i can't get on the internet without being connected to wi-fi can someone please help me out?? it would be greatly appreciated.

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Hi Trapshooter1,

After downloading the Network Setup application, did you check the configuration settings if it's all correct? To obtain the these settings, you need to contact your network provider. 

You may also check this link related to your concern: http://www.nokia.com/us-en/support/product/lumia900/userguide/?action=onlineuserguidepagechange&pFil... 

Hope this helps.