payg sim and android

[cptn_krace]

i recently put my payg sim into my samsung tab2 and all working fine, but i used to be able to send text when it was in the payg dongle, but is there a way to send text via sim on android yet?

[headcheese]

Hi,

I think you can do this via the default messaging client on the Tab 2. You might need to enter the SMS service center number in the settings of the messaging client ( which is +447785016005 on my handset).

All you need to do is compose a new message as you normally would, inserting the contact where relevant, and click send. If you have both an email address and a mobile number saved for a contact you might have to select the mobile number rather than the email.

If you've done / are doing all this and it's still not working then if you can tell us the following we may be able to help:

- Version of Android

- SMS client in use

- Any error messages displayed

Cheers

[cptn_krace]

android v4.04

error message 'unsent'

[headcheese]

Have you tried sending to the telephone number rather than a contact (just as a test)?

Also, did sending SMS definately work when you were using the dongle/computer setup? The reason I ask is that Vodafone usually bar outgoing SMS on PAYG sims. This is to stop people using credit value to reduce the credit amount to less than a bundle value... because if they coudl do this sending one SMS could potentially prevent a bundle being activated.

Have you tried putting the message center number in the SMS client on the Tab 2?

[cptn_krace]

tried inputting number manually inc using +44 etc.. no good

sms did work when it was in my laptop..

message centre number was already in the settings

maybe something to do with apn settings? as i had to input a new one with 'pp.internet' to make the sim work..

can the sim have the sms bar removed?

cheers for your help so far 🙂

[headcheese]

If it was Ok in the dongle it's unlikely you have an outgoing SMS bar. The pp.internet APN PAYG billing doesn't work ina bundle manner, as it's quite an old one, so I don't think you'll have an SMS bar in place, but you'd need to contact vodafone to find out if yiou have an outgoing SMS bar in place and to discuss the possibility of getting it removed.

You could put the sim in a Vodafone handset and try sending an SMS. If this works there is no bar in place, and you'd need to scrutinise the Tab 2.

It might be worth trying another SMS client, there are plentyof free ones in the google play store.

The APN in't relevant to SMS, only to data connections (used to browse the web).

[Retired-Kay]

Hi cptn_krace, 

Your dongle would have had the Vodafone Mobile Connect software built in which is why this would have worked. 

This software isn't on your Galaxy Tab which is why it doesn't work unfortunately. 

Best Wishes, 

Kay

[headcheese]

Hi,

Kay is right in the sense that you can't use a dongle with the tab 2 (as there isn't any software built in to the android OS to manage the dongle), but if you're simply taking the sim out of the dongle and putting it in the Tab 2 then you should, in theory, be able to use the SMS client built in to the android OS you're using.

Can you confirm that you're using just the sim with the Tab 2 and not the dongle as well please?

If you are using just the sim on it's own:

As a thought, it might be worth sending an SMS to (not from) the galaxy tab when it's got your PAYG sim in it (if you don't know the number put the PAYG sim in handset and call *#100# as this will display your number after a coupel of seconds). If sending an SMS to the PAYG sim when it's in the Tab 2 works, then you know the Tab 2 has a functional SMS client and the outgoing SMS bar (described in previous post) may well be the cause of your problem. If you can't receive an SMS then you'd be looking at an android/android SMS client related issue, as Vodafone definatley have incoming SMS enabled on PAYG mobile broadband SIMs as this is how they communicate roaming charging information (comminicating charging information is an EU mandate, so effectively law).

Also, can you confirm that you can browse the web OK? This will prove that the sim is functional.

It might also be worth trying the sim form your normal handset in the tab 2 as well (if you have the facility to do this) as this will prove that the SMS client on the Tab 2 is functional if sending/receiving SMS works.

So if you can recieve SMS using your PAYG mobile broadband sim, you can browse the web and you can send SMS using a different Vodafone sim you're looking at an outgoing SMS bar.

If you can't web browse, or receive SMS, both using your PAYG sim then you're possibly looking at a sim related issue. PAYG sims tedn to expire if you don't use them often enough.

If you can neither send or receive SMS using the PAYG sim, and another sim behaves in the same way then you're looking at something related to the Tab 2 (settings or SMS client, most likely).

I appreciate that this doesn't really give you a solution but it should identify where the problem lies.

Let us know how you get on.