Automatic APN detection

[Theo Markettos]

I notice that Android and recent Symbian phones I've used no longer require
the dance we used to have to do with setting them up - receiving service
messages, manually setting APNs, picking the 'PAYG Internet' APN not the
'Postpay MMS' APN, all that tedium.

Does anyone know how this works? I want to do this on Linux, but setting up
a dongle still seems to require an explicit APN setting (AT+CGDCONT).
Network Manager puts a nice GUI in front of it, but I really don't want that
- I want it to Just Work with whatever SIM someone happens to put in there.
I have a couple of Huawei 3G router boxes (B220 and B683) that seem to
manage it running Linux, but are otherwise terrible.

One option I've seen is working out the APN from looking up the MNC+MCC, but
that would seem not to work if a new SIM/mobile operator comes along.

I suspect this needs support in the 3G dongle, and I'm happy to get whatever
dongle makes this easiest. (What is the most reliable and minimum hassle
dongle around?)

Thanks
Theo

[alexd]

My guess would be that they just have a DB of APNs and match that against
the GSM network ID.

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[The Real Doctor]

On 06/01/13 08:46, Theo Markettos wrote:
> I notice that Android and recent Symbian phones I've used no longer require
> the dance we used to have to do with setting them up - receiving service
> messages, manually setting APNs, picking the 'PAYG Internet' APN not the
> 'Postpay MMS' APN, all that tedium.
>
> Does anyone know how this works?

If I put a different SIM in my Android tablet, I get a setup MMS message
from the operator. I choose to apply it and everything gets adjusted.

Ian

[Theo Markettos]

In uk.telecom.mobile alexd <trof...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> My guess would be that they just have a DB of APNs and match that against
> the GSM network ID.

That's possible. Until somebody launches a new MVNO and then they don't
know about it. Ubuntu's database is in the mobile-broadband-provider-info
package, but isn't complete.

However, it doesn't answer the question of how to pick an APN once you know
the network. The MNC and MCC tell you that, but not what tariff you're on
(often there are different APNs for prepay/postpay, MMS, video calling,
mobile TV, etc). It also reminds me that my Nokia on Symbian^1 used to
configure itself (incorrectly) for O2 whenever I put in a Giffgaff SIM. So
does automatic detection actually get this right these days?

Theo