How do I use data on my Nokia Lumia 635?

[Haroon_awan]

I bought 500mb of data a few days ago when in England. I'm now in Madrid, Spain and the data doesn't seem to work for some reason.  

I'm in settings, mobile + SIM. Data connection is on, roaming is on, use mobile data is on and yet I still can't get a connection?

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi @Haroon_awan

A warm Welcome to the Uk Vodafone eforum. 

Can you clarify..

Are you using a Wifi Mobile Device such as Vodafone -r207-payg or a Vodafone Pay As You Go Sim Card. 

As well as checking in your phone that roaming is on please also check in your Myvodafone that the Abroad Bars have been lifted. 

Abroad Help Information Here.

Please Check that the Network your connecting to isn't having issues themselves. 

[63johnw]

Hi, I think you must have missed the thread title BOB as the poster states its a lumia 635.

Looks like its PAYG and I am no expert on that and how to get data overseas, @Annie_N may be more help.

[BandOfBrothers]

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@63johnw wrote:
Hi, I think you must have missed the thread title BOB as the poster states its a lumia 635.

Looks like its PAYG and I am no expert on that and how to get data overseas, @Annie_N may be more help.

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I was just edging my bets :smileywink: @63johnw As the Op posted in the 'Data On The Go' boards. 

[Annie_N]

Hmmm, "Data on the go" has a specialised Vodafone meaning, but I can't think that it is helpful in a lot of cases!

I presume that @Haroon_awan has bought an "Extra Data: Never miss a tweet or status update with 500MB UK data for just £5." The snag is that it only works in the UK.

However, if Vodafone has definitely removed the roaming bar on your account, which I presume to be the case if you are able to make and receive calls and texts, I can't think why you shouldn't be able to get a data connection at standard roaming rates, which for small quantities of data are very modest in cost.

Unless you were just aiming to use data, and haven't actually got a credit balance from which charges can be deducted? If you're aiming to use your phone a fair bit, and have UK minutes and texts on another bundle, you may be better off with EuroTraveller for PAYG, but either way you have to have credit from which the resulting charges can be deducted.

Your best bet for topping up is probably via http://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay-as-you-go/how-to-top-up/index.htm always assuming you have a UK-based card or PayPal account in order to do so.

 Annie

[Haroon_awan]

Hi ladies and gents, 

Apologies for the delay in responding, but trying to have as much fun as I can with €14.47 as my travelling card is blocked! 

So to answer some questions, I bought the big value bundle: I believe this constituted 150 minutes, unlimited texts and 500mb of data for 30 days. Apparently this cannot be used overseas? That's slightly disappointing to be honest as it didn't say that when I paid for them 😕 Unless it was in the small print somewhere, which, let us face it, no one reads! 

I have £0 actual credit on my PAYG account, so would I have to pay into my account now to have travel data or something? I really just want to make sure the maps work correctly. I have saved the map of Madrid on my iPad and phone, so that's a start! It's just checking emails that I would like to do on the go. As I said, my travel bank account is blocked, so I'd like to get this done as soon as possible. 

[63johnw]

Hi, to save money can you not just find somewhere with free WiFi to download msps and check emails.

There are plenty around now, including the likes of McDonald's etc.

[Annie_N]

Unfortunately the BVB is basically for UK use, but the minutes and texts will work in the rest of Europe if you opt in to EuroTraveller, which will trigger a £3 charge on any day in which you use it, and that will also give you 100MB of data, although not taken from your BVB.

However, if you aren't going to be making much use of minutes and texts, you'd probably do best just to use the standard roaming charges, and, as @63johnw suggests, use free wifi when you can find it, especially for maps.

A friend or relative in the UK should be able to put a top-up onto your phone from an ATM, or do a top up at a PayPoint store, as that just requires knowledge of your number.

I remain a little anxious that you may not be able to get a connection while abroad if Vodafone hasn't enabled roaming on your account. Are you getting evidence that the phone is connecting normally, like the little R roaming indicator against signal strength? You should be able to receive incoming texts without charge, so that's another way of being sure. If you have problems with that, you may well need to contact CS.

[Haroon_awan]

Not getting an R signal on my phone. Maybe because it's Microsoft Windows phone software and not Apple or Andriod software? All I have are: 1) the regular strength signal (bar graph type), 2) a triangle and 3) and three diagonal squiggly lines (like a sound wave?).

I do get an H and H+ signal when I turn all data settings on. No idea what that is.  

Although having said said all of this now, I'm doing pretty well without data so don't really need it that much. Feeling quite proud of myself having survived this far with very little money and no data connection. 

What I would like to know, however, is this please. If I buy the Euro Traveller, will I be able to make calls despite not having any actual credit on my phone? I need to call MoneyCorp to get my account unlocked. I don't really need to make any calls or texts other than this one. I'll just use WhatsApp when I get to any place with wifi. 

Hoping you you know the answer to this. In the meantime, I'm going to go to TSB's Spanish counterpart and see if they can help get me some money out as I don't know how much I will be charged if I use a regular ATM machine. Going to see the Bernabeu on my way (from the outside as I can't afford a ticket to get a tour!) haha. 

[Annie_N]

I confess I'd overlooked the possible differences between Windows and Android phones - possibly @63johnw knows a bit more about this?

I'm afraid that opting into EuroTraveller won't help you, so you should steer well clear. You have to have available credit for it to take the £3 daily charge for days on which you use minutes/texts/data, and that will almost certainly cost more than making a few calls/texts at roaming rates.

I do sympathise with your difficulties, and hope you get them sorted soon! Years ago I got stranded at Miami Airport for quite a long time, as our flight from London had been so late that we missed our onward connection to Costa Rica. I used my BT calling card (when such things were common) to alert contacts in Costa Rica to my revised ETA, and my credit card to buy a meal, and both promptly got blocked because there was so much fraud and crime at Miami Airport at the time. Fortunately the hotel in Costa Rica merely took an impression of my credit card on check-in, and I had to pay hotel calling rates to get both cards unblocked - when I checked out, the phone charges exceeded the room charges by some margin!