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Help Can't change APN settings after getting an Orange upgrade?!

H

horseman_uk

Newbie
Hi all, I recently got a Galaxy S2 (love it!) as an Orange upgrade. I'm really impressed with it - probably the best phone I've ever owed. However, a few days back my internet at home died and I wanted to use the handset to connect my PC to the internet using the Wi-fi hotspot. I used to use the same thing on my old HTC Wildfire and it worked like a charm.

When I first tried it it seemed to connect but the connection complained of no ability to DNS lookup. After tinkering and surfing the internet I found that the APN settings needed to be changed. If I navigate to the APN settings in my phone the are GREYED OUT?! They appear to be read-only and cannot be changed. I called Orange and one of the techy guys (very helpful, unusually!) confirmed that the APN settings needed to be changed but they're locked to stop customers from tethering their phones because 'Orange haven't added that to the mobile packages, yet.' WTF?

So, my question is actually quite simple - how can I change the APN settings even though Orange have locked them down? Any help would be greatly appreciated! :)
 
I must admit that I don't really want to root it due to the whole warranty thing - I've only just got it and I've got a two year contract. If I brick the bloody thing then that would be bad. Is there no way to do these things without rooting it?

(Admittedly, the geek in me is itching to root it for no other reason than I can...)
 
Not that I can think of I'm afraid. The restrictions are written into the Orange firmware it would seem.
 
I'm on Orange UK, bought about a month ago.
My APN settings are not greyed out at all.
Are you saying all APN's set up in there are greyed out, or is there one in particular for wi-fi hotspot?
 
All APNs are greyed out - Orange Internet, Orange MMS, Orange Broadband. :(

The techy confirmed that Orange phones have the APN locked down to stop tethering. I'm tempted to go back to the Orange shop I got it from and having a big whinge. They didn't tell me that I wouldn't be able to tether my top of the range bloody phone when I bought it!
 
Right, I've flashed a new kernel on to the device following this thread:

[17.08.2011][CF-Root v4.1] KE2/7/8, KF1/2/3/4, KG1/2/3/5/6/7, KH1/3 - su+bb+CWM4 - xda-developers

I haven't managed to get SuperOneClick to work, though, but looking through various articles it doesn't work with the S2 yet?

I guess now I have two questions:

1) Have I actually rooted the phone? I can booked into ClockworkMod via Recovery Mode so I know that it's in place but nothing seems changed once the phone is booted.

2) If I have rooted it then why are the APN settings still greyed out? Have I missed something (or many things?!)
 
To be honest, after watching the BBC |Click program, I thought I would give it a go, use my SGS2 as a hotspot and search for it with my wife's Desire, it worked a treat but I just used the 'Tethering' option which is above the VPN settings on the phone, can you not use it this way also?
BTW I am on O2 and my VPN settings are not greyed out.
 
I had the same problem, wanted to use the wi-fi hspot option. After about an hour on the phone to Orange it turns out only the talk plans taken up after Sept 2011 include the ability to use the oprion or tether ( and then on Panther plans mainly).

I managed to talk them into changing me to a plan that including the option as part of my best plan, but they were reluctant. However I can now use it, as I want, still cant change the apn settings but meh.

Worth having a chat to the billing people.
 
You can set up a new APN and use that:

Settings - Mobile Network - Access Point Names

Menu - New APN

You need these:
APN orangeinternet
Username Orange
PasswordMultimedia
Authentication CHAP

The rest can be left as default (or at least thats what worked for me!)

Menu - save

You should now be able to toggle this new APN to be the one used.


I think they're meant to charge you for tethering now, but nothing shows up on my bill:) Its probably worth checking your bill though if you use tethering a lot as the charges are something like
 
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