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Ultra Dissapointment with T39/iStream

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Helio

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Sep 28, 2001, 5:58:19 PM9/28/01
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Well, I've given up on the T39...
I do have iStream working and I can access webpages. However it seems
that the browser that comes with the T39 isn't very compatible with
much of anything. It also seems like the GPRS AP for iStream is really
slow. In summary, I can only read about 20% of the WAP pages out
there, otherwise the error message is 'Malformed content' which
basically means, 'I don't know how to read the stuff that was sent to
me'. I don't know if the iStream Gateway 'Wap.myvoicestream.com' is
very reliable either. When GPRS gets rolling it isn't bad, but for the
most part it takes forever, at least now.

Alan Westenbroek

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Sep 28, 2001, 6:25:18 PM9/28/01
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It isn't a problem with the T39, or the gateway necessarily. It's the
content.

All of the other US carriers have rolled out wireless web services on the
Openwave platform, which supports HDML. Some are using gateways from other
manufacturers, but their handsets all have HDML-capable browsers in them.
Thus, most of the US-developed content is HDML-based. In fact, Sprint PCS'
style guide *requires* you to write HDML if you want to be on their network.

True WAP phones like the Ericsson and Nokia don't know anything about HDML.
These are largely what has been deployed in the rest of the world. I would
LOVE to be able to access stuff like citysearch, Expedia, etc., but it only
works with an Openwave phone.

-alan

"Helio" <heli...@excite.com> wrote in message
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bones boy

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Sep 28, 2001, 6:18:47 PM9/28/01
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I used to be able to get to wap.yahoo.com with different wap gateways
(Genie, WapHQ, etc.), but can't access it with the voicestream
gateway. Same ol' problem. I am going to experiment with different WAP
gateways to see if I can find a way around this.

Alan Westenbroek

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Sep 28, 2001, 6:51:59 PM9/28/01
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OK, I'm going to eat my own words. I just got it working, following Robb's
instructions. GPRS works with the VS WAP gateway, but I'm getting malformed
content errors from stuff that works great with our own gateway. When I
switch to our gateway (The Infinite/Captaris WAP Gateway), I get 1791 bytes
data sent and the request never gets to the gateway. Switching to the
internet2 APN gives me the same old "wrong apn name" error.

I'm not sure if this is a problem with our gateway or if VS is blocking
traffic on 9201 past their own gateway. Hopefully not the latter. I'll post
more as I figure it out.

"Alan Westenbroek" <alan@global-image_nospam.com> wrote in message
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ArtL

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Sep 28, 2001, 7:13:42 PM9/28/01
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I just got off the phone with a lady at VS who really sounded like she
knew what she was talking about:
*you will be able to sign up for iStream on the web site in about a
week.
*They are not sopposed to add the iStream feature without selling the
mot phone. This will change in a week

--
ArtL
The Marine Art Information Center
<http://www.marineart.com>

Tim Henrion

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Sep 28, 2001, 10:48:02 PM9/28/01
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"ArtL" <NoSpam...@mac.com> wrote in message news:NoSpam__ArtL-CF0C...@news1.panix.com...

>
> I just got off the phone with a lady at VS who really sounded like she
> knew what she was talking about:
> *you will be able to sign up for iStream on the web site in about a
> week.
> *They are not sopposed to add the iStream feature without selling the
> mot phone. This will change in a week
>
As the VS CSR who enabled iStream on my account said:

"The customers usually know more about this stuff than
we do. I'll turn it on for you 'cause you sound like you know
what you're doing."

This is fine customer service as far as I am concerned. At least
if they don't know what they're doing, they'll do what you ask
them to do.

GPRS is working fine on my T-39. I don't see what everyone
else is complaining about. Just use the WapHQ gateway instead
of wap.voicestream.com.

--
Tim Henrion
Boston, MA USA

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Helio

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Sep 29, 2001, 8:53:05 AM9/29/01
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Alan, I agree with you , I thought about it some last night, and I
guessed that it was an Openwave related issue, much like the OPERA
browser on a computer abides by the standards but then when it gets
IE5 tags it doesn't respond correctly. The bummer for all of us is
that we bought a nice phone that unfortunately does not operate with
80% of the cool American wap/hdml sites.


Alan Westenbroek" <alan@global-image_nospam.com> wrote in message news:<tr9u3vb...@corp.supernews.com>...

Alan Westenbroek

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Oct 1, 2001, 3:02:17 PM10/1/01
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I tracked some of this down, especially with respect to to the "Malformed
Content" errors. Here's what I've been able to determine:

VS is using Nokia's carrier-class gateway, which rejects *anything* having
to do with phone.com/Openwave. There are two types of content running on the
wireless Web in the US: WML ("WAP") and HDML. Other carriers in the US
support HDML, which is Openwave's older non-standard, because their handsets
have Openwave browsers. None of the "real" WAP handsets (Nokia/Ericsson/a
few others) will support HDML content at all. HDML sites will cause the
Malformed Content error. I'm not sure which sites still use HDML, but I know
that MSN and Amazon used to.

In addition, there are two flavors of WML. The WAP Forum has a codified
standard for the elements (tags), attributes, and structure for WML
documents. Openwave has authored their own extensions to this in order to
support special features of their browser. Both organizations have their own
DTDs, and WAP gateways and handsets from all manufacturers (including Nokia)
work fine with documents based on either DTD (as long as you don't try to
actually use the Openwave features in a document aimed at a Nokia or
Ericsson phone). For some reason, the Nokia gateway yarfs up a hairball when
there is a perfectly valid WML document, containing no Openwave code, but
based on the Openwave DTD.

What this means is if a document is based on this DTD, it will work with the
VS gateway:
<!DOCTYPE wml PUBLIC "-//WAPFORUM//DTD WML 1.1//EN"
"http://www.wapforum.org/DTD/wml_1.1.xml">

If an identical document is based on this one, it won't:
<!DOCTYPE wml PUBLIC "-//PHONE.COM//DTD WML 1.1//EN"
"http://www.phone.com/dtd/wml11.dtd">

This is ridiculous, by the way.

It gets better though. In between the WAP gateway and the Internet, VS is
using an Inktomi proxy server, running on a nonstandard Web port (8080).
This prevents the WAP gateway from accessing content on ports other than the
default (80). Example: my company runs a wireless groupware application on
port 8080 (there are security reasons for doing this; I won't go into them
here, you'll have to trust me). The VS gateway can't access this
application. This is also ridiculous.

Finally, VS is preventing access from the GPRS network to any WAP gateway
other than theirs. My company uses its own gateway, which works with our
applications and handsets (including the VS handsets using a CSD
connection). Can't get to it using GPRS.

I sincerely hope that someone turns up at VS who understands these issues
and can help fix them. I'm not holding my breath though. Sorry there aren't
many answers here but at least we're closer to understanding why this stuff
doesn't work.

-alan

"Alan Westenbroek" <alan@global-image_nospam.com> wrote in message

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Vlado

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Oct 1, 2001, 9:36:14 PM10/1/01
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I can not access my site neither. I coded using WAP 1.2.1 spec
http://www.wapforum.org/DTD/wml12.dtd and VS support only 1.1.

I was hoping that their Nokia Artus 2.2 server will support WAP 1.2.1
because Nokia in their
http://www.nokia.com/networks/wapgateway/specifications.html
Technical specifications stated "Wireless Application Protocol, June 2000
Conformance"
http://www.wapforum.org/what/technical_1_2_1.htm
The June 2000 (WAP 1.2.1) conformance release

In addition, access to non-anonymous (basic authentication) site is lottery:
sometimes it will give me User ID prompt but most of the times it will just
state " downloading" and than time out.
:(

"Alan Westenbroek" <alan@global-image_nospam.com> wrote in message

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robb

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Oct 2, 2001, 7:12:18 AM10/2/01
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This is very good info,not the typical crybaby I cant get it to work
stuff, my suggestion is to foward it to gp...@voicestream.com I will
do the same

"Vlado" <x...@home.com> wrote in message news:<iS8u7.26132$c8.33...@news1.rdc1.nj.home.com>...

robb

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Oct 2, 2001, 7:12:20 AM10/2/01
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This is very good info,not the typical crybaby I cant get it to work
stuff, my suggestion is to foward it to gp...@voicestream.com I will
do the same

"Vlado" <x...@home.com> wrote in message news:<iS8u7.26132$c8.33...@news1.rdc1.nj.home.com>...

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