Activation without data plan?

[Stephan]

So, I'm visiting the US for a couple of weeks, and thought it would be a great time to buy a G1 (seeing as the shipping is pretty much prohibitive to anywhere else in the world). I order a Dev phone, as it is unlocked and we want to develop some apps in South Africa...

My problem are the backward GSM networks in the US! my voice roaming works ok, but the data roaming does not exist - not to mention voice mail which is a manual call... these networks still have a lot to learn ito interoperability... Europe works seamlessly (ok, most places...)

Anyway... I digressing... I get my G1 today, and of course notice that I cant activate it without a dataplan - stupid! I have access to wifi continiuously... why would I need a dataplan... BUT, as we all know, without a data plan, you can't activate the phone to set up your wifi in the first place...

So, I head off to ATT to find a prepaid card that can handle data... Oh what joy... after 30 minutes, everyone is confused and they're insisting I can't get data without a contract - I don't want a damn contract - I'm just here for 3 more weeks!!!

So I head off to the Tmobile shop... needles to say, when the assistant started off with "No sir, you cannot do that"... I turned and walked out...

In Europe and pretty much the rest of the world you can use data on most any prepaid card... sure, you pay a premium... but you dont have to sign a 24 month contract...

I JUST WANT TO ACTIVATE MY PHONE!

Note to the dev team - it might we a good feature to allow the setup of wifi right at the start... prior to the ativation process...

So, currently my options look as follows:
1. try and find a good samaritan (NOTE: not just ANY good samaritan - this one has to have a data package) who will allow me to use their SIM to activate my phone
2. Use the phone as a paperweight for 3 weeks, until I return home...

Anyone have any other suggestions?
Stephan

[jmejiaa]

Have you tried over Wi-fi? I have my sim card in my curve but I just pulled out my phone and to my surprise I can still get emails, the market, internet I can do everything except call and send sms. I guess this is because everything is data as oppsoed to using service books needed by T-mobile like the bb.

Try on Wi-fi.

[Kvizz]

He needs to activate the phone first, before being able to turn on Wi-Fi.

You out of luck, mostly. Unless you find somebody nice.

[Krak]

when i first ordered my phone, they didnt even ask me if i wanted a data plan, they were just gonna do a phone plan, and let me use my current sim..
________
Jaguar r1

[g1lol]

you really don't need the contract for Data plan as long as you have your phone. The contract in US is only for Phone Device. I have my phone with data plan and without contract.I believe you just need to convince the Rep.

[dkvitus]

- Call 611, get a data-plan activated (Not necessarily the G1 data plan).
- When it takes effect, use the sim card and activate your phone
- When done, call 611 and cancel the data (For whatever reason you plan to give them

Alternatively, the best place you can find a "good samaritan" will be at a T-mobile store... you can try talking a rep into activating your phone for you... most of them have G1s

(Tell them it's a surprise gift for someone for christmas who has a blackberry and data plan but you would like to activate it and play with the phone first... blah blah blah)

[Stephan]

turns out all pre-paid ATT cards can do EDGE by default... - so I got one of these and used the EDGE only for the activation... (on prepaid it's ridiculously expensive) - however the SIM is free, but it has to be loaded with a min balance of $25 initially...

and use APN settings as follows:
Access Point Name: wap.cingular
Username: WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM (apparently has to be uppercase)
password was blank and all other fields unchanged...

that's all... and everything works over wifi (with EDGE APN disabled (i just edited the APN)) - even the "forgot your login pattern" where you have to enter your gmail account ;-)

hope this helps someone else too...
Stephan