GPRS in the UK

Help and advice on using GPRS, including common UK GPRS / 3G access point settings for Mobile Internet access

What is GPRS?

GPRS stands for General Packet Radio Service, and is a protocol for passing data over a mobile phone network. Here's what you need to know about GPRS:

GPRS replaced dial-up mobile phone Internet access, offering faster browsing of Internet content and email. It's an "always on" service".
GPRS on a mobile phone doesn't use a phone number to connect, it uses something called an APN (Access Point Name).
With GPRS, you don't pay for your online time per-minute, you pay for the amount of data you transfer.
GPRS has now been largely superseded by faster data network services known as 3G

UK GPRS and 3G APN settings

This section contains the GPRS Access Point and 3G settings for the UK network operators:

o2 GPRS settings:

O2 GPRS settings (WAP):
Note: Different settings for contract and PAYG (Pay as you go)

Homepage: http://wap.o2.co.uk/
Access point (contract): wap.o2.co.uk
Access point (PAYG): payandgo.o2.co.uk
Gateway (IP) address: 193.113.200.195
Username : o2wap (contract) / payandgo (PAYG)
Password: password
Session type: Continuous / permanent
Authentication: Normal
Security: Off
Port number: 8080

O2 GPRS settings (Mobile Web / Email):

Homepage:http://pda.o2.co.uk/
Access point: mobile.o2.co.uk
Username: mobileweb
Password: password
Session type: Continuous / permanent
Authentication: Normal
Security: Off

Email servers (POP): mail.o2.co.uk
Email servers (SMTP): smtp.o2.co.uk
DNS Servers: 193.113.200.200 and 193.113.200.201

Note: The "Mobile Web" service must be enabled for these settings to work.
* We've also been told of an alternative username of 'faster', with a password of 'password'

Contact o2 Customer Services to get this enabled.

For more details on o2, see our o2 info page, or our o2 WAP setup page.

Vodafone GPRS settings:

Vodafone GPRS settings (WAP) / Vodafone Live!:

Homepage: http://live.vodafone.com
Access Point (Contract): wap.vodafone.co.uk
Access Point (PAYG):pp.vodafone.co.uk
Username: wap
Password: wap
Session type: Continuous / permanent
Authentication: Normal
Network type: Ipv4
Security: Off
Gateway (IP) address: 212.183.137.012
Port number: 8799

Vodafone GPRS settings (Email/Web):

Homepage: http://live.vodafone.com
Access Point (Contract): internet
Access Point (PAYG): pp.vodafone.co.uk
Access Point (3GB pre-payment): ppbundle.internet
Access Point (1GB pre-payment): pp.internet
Username* : web
Password*: web
Session type: Continuous / permanent
Authentication: Normal
Security: Off

Email IMAP Server: imap.360.com
Email SMTP Server: smtp.360.com
Email SMTP server: send.vodafone.net
Email SMTP server: smtp.vizzavi.co.uk
Alt email SMTP server: mail.vizzavi.co.uk
Alt email SMTP server: mail.vodafone.net
Alt email SMTP server: 212.183.156.229
Alt email SMTP server: 62.213.128.092
DNS Server: 212.183.137.012

Note: GPRS subscription must be enabled for "Vodafone Internet Access Service".
Contact Vodafone Customer Services on 191 from your Vodafone handset

Orange GPRS settings:

Orange GPRS settings (WAP):

Homepage: http://orange.multimedia/
Access Point (Contract): orangewap
Access Point (PAYG): paygwap

Gateway (IP) address : 192.168.071.35
Username: Orange
Password: Multimedia
Session type: Continuous / permanent
Authentication: Normal
Port number: 9201 (or 8080)

Orange GPRS settings (Email/Web):
Homepage: http://orange.multimedia/
Access Point: orangeinternet
Access Point (Old PAYG): payginternet
Access Point ( Internet Anywhere non bus): consumerbroadband
Username: user
Password: pass
Authentication: Normal

Email SMTP server: smtp.orange.net
Prim. DNS Server: 158.043.192.001
Sec. DNS Server: 158.043.128.001

T-Mobile GPRS settings:

Homepage: http://wap.t-mobile.co.uk/ or http://www.t-zones.co.uk/
Access Point: general.t-mobile.uk
Gateway (IP) address: 149.254.1.10 (alt: 149.254.201.132)
Username : user (alt: wapuser)
Password: wap
Session type: Continuous / permanent
Port number: 8080 (alt: 9201)
Authentication: Normal

SMTP email server: smtp.t-email.co.uk

3 GPRS Data settings:

Homepage: http://mobile.three.co.uk/
Access Point (contract): three.co.uk
Username : guest
Password: guest
Authentication: Normal

Tesco-Mobile GPRS settings:

Homepage: http://wap.tesco-mobile.com/
Access Point (contract): prepay.tesco-mobile.com
Gateway (IP) address : 193.113.200.195
Username : tescowap
Password: password
Session type: Continuous / permanent
Port number: 9201
Authentication: Normal

Virgin Mobile GPRS settings:

Homepage: http://www.virgin.com/mobile/wap/
Access Point (contract): goto.virginmobile.uk
Gateway (IP) address : 193.30.166.003
Port number: 8080
Username: user
Password: (leave blank)
Session type: Continuous / permanent
Authentication: Normal

GiffGaff GPRS settings:

Access Point: giffgaff.com
Username: giffgaff
Password: password
Authentication: Normal

BT Mobile GPRS settings:

Homepage: http://wap.btmw.net
Access Point: btmobile.bt.com
Gateway (IP) address : 212.183.137.12
Username : bt
Password: bt
Session type: Continuous / permanent
Port number: 8799 or 9201
Authentication: Normal

We also have the following settings:
Homepage: http://wap.btmw.net
Access Point: mobile.bt.uk
Gateway (IP) address : 149.254.201.132
Username : user
Password: wap

ASDA Mobile GPRS settings:

ASDA GPRS settings (WAP) :

Homepage: http://www.asdamobile.com/wap
Access Point (Contract): asdamobiles.co.uk
Username: wap
Password: wap
Session type: Continuous / permanent
Normal
Security: Off
Gateway (IP) address: 212.183.137.12
Port number: 8799

ASDA GPRS settings (Email/Web):

Homepage: http://www.asdamobile.com/wap
Access Point (Contract): asdamobiles.co.uk
Username: web
Password: web
Session type: Continuous / permanent
Authentication: Normal
Security: Off

Common questions:

Dialup number?	GPRS is a service supplied by your mobile phone network operator. It doesn't use a dial-up number (as GSM data calls do). Instead the APN (Access Point Name) is used to work out where to route your data requests.
Confused about APNs	For your phone to connect over GPRS, you'll need to tell the phone which APN (Access Point Name) to use. We've listed the main UK APNs above. Note that most operators have different access points for different services, and you'll need to pick the right one, or things won't work: WAP Access point - To allow connection to WAP services Internet Access point - For web browsing, email and instant messaging, etc MMS Access point - For multimedia messages, such as picture/photo messaging
GPRS not enabled?	GPRS is a service that your mobile phone network operator (e.g. o2, Vodafone, etc) needs to enable before it can be used. You'll also need to ask your Network Operator to enable this service for you (a call to Customer Services should do the trick). In some cases, it may take up to 48 hours for your operator to enable this, so be patient.
GPRS speed	GPRS runs faster than standard mobile phone dialup (which is normally 9.6kbps). GPRS speed depends on a number of factors (all to do with how many of the 8 'timeslots' are assigned by the network operator) - the maximum possible speed is 171kbps, but you're unlikely to ever get anywhere near this speed. Our tests show average speeds of around 25 to 40 kbps (still around 3 times faster than dialup). See below for details of speeding up browsing over GPRS.
What do I get for a megabyte?	GPRS data transfer is billed in amount of data, and not seconds. In mobile terms, one megabyte is equivalent to around one thousand WAP pages, 20 average-sized web pages, or 100 average size emails with no images/attachments.
Faster GPRS?	If you're looking to speed up your mobile Internet connection, you might want to take a look at the service from OnSpeed. If you are connecting using a GPRS phone, not only will you get faster Internet access with OnSpeed, there's another added benefit that, due to compression, your phone bill will be substantially lowered because of the reduction in data received. This can result in up to a 90% reduction in costs since mobile phone providers charge per Megabyte downloaded. Note that you'll only benefit from a speed enhancement if you're using a GPRS connection via a PC, laptop or a Pocket PC- as the OnSpeed software needs to be running on Windows or a Mac to gain the speedup. More details on our Onspeed page.
Email over GPRS	Email over GPRS is supported, but you'll need to use an "Internet" not a "WAP" access point (you may need to ask your network operator to enable this). If your smartphone has an email application and you have a POP email account, then you should be able to access email over GPRS. If you're looking for a free POP email account that can be accessed on your mobile, consider BT Yahoo. Our BT Yahoo page contains links to setup instructions for using the service on many handsets and PDAs.
Can't send e-mail over GPRS	When sending email from a smartphone over GPRS, you'll need to have specified an outgoing email server address (known as an SMTP server). Many Internet Service Providers only allow you to use their SMTP server if you've established a connection to them using their dial-up service (this helps fight spam attacks). If you're trying to send email from your handset over GPRS, you'll probably be connecting using the GPRS service of your network operator, and will need to use their SMTP server, not your ISPs SMTP server. As an example, if you use BT Yahoo as your email provider, and o2 as your network operator, you won't be able to send using mail.btinternet.com, you'd need to use smtp.o2.co.uk Thanks to site visitor semyon for suggesting smtp.com - a service offering SMTP access regardless of your provider. We've also been contacted by SMTP2Go letting us know about their SMTP service.
Problems web surfing over GPRS	This is a common question. If your handset has a web browser, you may find that you can't surf web pages, even though the handset shows that you're connected. On a Pocket PC, this may show up as "page not found". On a Symbian OS smartphone, you may see this as "GPRS: Invalid GPRS access point". This is almost certainly because you are using the wrong GPRS Access point. Most GPRS handsets are set with access to the network operator's WAP gateway, and this will only allow you to browse dedicated WAP content, and not standard Internet web pages. You'll need to set up your handset for Internet-over-GPRS, using the network operator's Internet APN, not the WAP APN (You'll find the information you need listed above). You'll also need to ask your Network Operator to enable this service for you (a call to Customer Services should do the trick). In some cases, it may take up to 48 hours for your operator to enable this, so be patient.
Looking for GPRS hardware	If you're looking for GPRS hardware, such as a PCMCIA GPRS card for your laptop, or a GPRS CF card for your Palm or Pocket PC handheld, we recommend Dabs.com for low prices and prompt delivery.
Mobile Web on o2 PAYG?	o2 Mobile Web is not available on the o2 Pay-as-you-go tariff, only for customers on a pay-monthly tariff. According to various emails we've seen, this is o2's policy as opposed to any kind of technical limitation.
Low cost GPRS in the UK	If you're paying too much for mobile Internet access, we're currently recommending T-Mobile
Problems with a Nokia 6600	Many site visitors have reported difficulty with setting up GPRS on the Nokia 6600. This is because Nokia has moved some of the settings options to an "Advanced" page, and changed a few field names. See our Nokia 6600 WAP setup page for a step-by-step guide on setting up WAP over GPRS on a 6600.
GPRS via a modem	If you're looking to use your GPRS-enabled mobile phone as a modem (to connect to the Internet from a laptop or a PDA over infrared or Bluetooth), here's what you need to know: From the laptop / PDA, you need to create a dial-up connection, and enter a dialup phone number of 99# You need to enter a special modem initialisation string of: +CGDCONT =1,"IP","apn.address"* - you should substitute apn.address with the name of the GPRS APN that you wish to connect to (see the table above) For some examples, see the following pages: GPRS from a Laptop GPRS from a Pocket PC
GPRS from a laptop	If you're looking to connect to the Internet from a laptop, and you can't plug into a landline, here are some common methods of getting onto the Internet: Connect your laptop to a GPRS-enabled mobile phone, and use the mobile as a data modem - We offer setup help on this here Go "3G" for faster connection. Get yourself a USB dongle that plugs into your laptop's USB socket. These provide you with high-speed Internet access. There are two we recommend: T-Mobile Mobile Broadband with their £15 a month service (3GB a month download limit), or 3 Broadband to Go , with prices starting from £10 a month. A pay-as-you-surf option also available - handy for those not interested in a contract. If you happen to be in range of a Wi-fi hotspot, or have a friendly neighbour that will let you share their wi-fi broadband access, consider wi-fi as an alternative. Wi-fi Explained You could also consider a PDA or smartphone with GPRS or wi-fi access, if you're only after occasional use. More on mobile GPRS Note that if you're using GPRS, you'll probably want to be signed up to your network operator's full-Internet service (as opposed to basic WAP over GPRS). Ask your Network Operator to enable Full Internet on your GPRS account (on o2, this is called "Mobile Web"). Also note that using GPRS for long periods of Internet access can be expensive - check your network operator's site for tariff information
Problems with o2 GPRS	On our Nokia Series 60 phone, we used to see experienced a "GPRS: Invalid GPRS access point" error when attempting to connect to, say, BT Yahoo, over o2 via their mobile.o2.co.uk APN. If you get the same, this is likely to be caused by one of two reasons - either you have not entered the correct o2 Mobile Web APN settings, or o2 has not enabled "Mobile Web" on your account (in which case, contact o2). For general information on o2's data services, see our o2 information and o2 WAP pages.
What does 'Session mode' mean?	When connecting to a WAP gateway, you normally have to specify a session mode, this is a WAP setting used by your WAP provider to identify whether it should 'remember' information about your connection. Your WAP service provider will normally tell you which one to use, and you should set up your phone or browser accordingly. The two options are: Connectionless session - Also known as Temporary. Connects to port 9200 on the Wap gateway server (or 9202 with WTLS security) Connection-oriented session - Also known as Permanent or Continuous. Connects to port 9201 on the Wap gateway server (or 9203 with WTLS security)
What does 'authentication type' mean?	If configuring GPRS on a mobile, you may be prompted to specify an authentication type. This defines whether your GPRS logon password is protected when it's sent over-the-air, protecting your login credentials. Options are "Normal" (sending password as plain text, referred to as 'PAP authentication'), or "Secure" (sent using challenge-response, referred to as 'CHAP authentication'). This isn't about protecting your data, or having a secure connection - just about protecting your GPRS logon password. Most operators in the UK support both, but as GPRS logon passwords are often generic, "Normal" should be fine for most users.