You must make a chargeable call with your Virgin Mobile SIM in order to activate WAP and MMS.
WAP Settings:
Profile name: virgin_internet
Home URL:
http://www.virginmobile.co.za/
Primary IP/DNS address: 196.31.116.241
Primary Port: 8080
Secondary IP/DNS address: 196.31.116.241
Secondary Port: 9201
APN name: vdata
Login ID: blank
Login Pass: blank
MMS Settings:
Profile name: virgin_mms
Home URL:
http://mms.virginmobile.co.za/
Primary IP/DNS address: 196.31.116.242
Primary Port: 8080
Secondary IP/DNS address: 196.31.116.242
Secondary Port: 9201
APN name: vmms
Login ID: blank
Login Pass: blank
Mail Server Settings:
Use WAP settings posted above.
SMTP for outgoing mail (change in e-mail client): mail.cmobile.co.za
Data Card/Phone Modem Settings:
Dial String: *99#
OR *99***X# where X is the digit corresponding to the numerical position of the Virgin Mobile WAP settings on your phone/data card. (e.g. if the settings are listed 4th, the dial string must be *99***4# )
APN name: vdata
Login ID: blank
Login Pass: blank
Initialization String (if required): at+cgdcont=1,"ip","vdata"
Data Card/Phone Modem Troubleshooting:
● If you are unable to dial a connection ("734 PPP link protocol terminated" or similar), try using the modem initialization string (or replace the existing one with)
at+cgdcont=1,"ip","vdata". To enter this on a Windows XP computer, go to Start> Control Panel (and switch to "Classic View" in the left-hand pane if you have not already done so)> Double-click "Phone and Modem Options"> "Modems" Tab> Double-click the modem you are using (e.g. CDMA1X USB Modem #2)> "Advanced" Tab. Enter the initialization string given in blue italics above in the "Extra initialization commands" text area. Click OK and then OK again to apply the changes and close the dialog boxes.
● If you are able to dial a connection, but can not send or receive any data (and have reconnected and reset your hardware to make sure that the problem persists), make sure that you did not enable a proxy server in your web browser. Also open Internet Explorer (even if you never use it to browse the web) and go to Tools> Internet Options> "Connections" Tab> Select your default connection and click on "Settings". Disable the "Automatically detect settings", "Use automatic configuration script" and "Use a proxy server for this connection" check boxes.
● If you are using a
Samsung cellphone as a modem, and get an error message stating "734 PPP link protocol terminated" or similar when attempting to dial, try using the bundled dialer instead or download suitable software
here.
● If you are unable to connect using a
Nokia cellphone as a modem and are running
Nokia PC Suite, using manual connection configuration, remember to change the APN to
vdata or, if this does not work, try disabling Nokia PC Suite.
● If you would like to establish a GPRS/EDGE connection using a
Windows Mobile/Pocket PC cellular device as a modem, but did not receive a bundled version of WModem or a driver for it, you can find it
here. After installing WModem as per the instructions in the link, make the Virgin Mobile settings the default settings on your phone. Then run WModem on your device and go to Tools>Options. Tick the "Preset GPRS connections" check box and enter the APN
vdata. Start WModem and connect your device to your computer. Your operating system should detect new hardware and ask for a driver. Point your Operating System to the driver you have downloaded or to the CD bundled with your device, if you have received one. After installation, you should use your system's dialer to establish a connection rather than using the one bundled with WModem (create a new dial-up connection which dials *99# on the newly installed modem).
● If you are unable to connect using a
Windows Mobile/Pocket PC (WM 2003SE or earlier) cellular device as a modem because your device is engaged by
ActiveSync on connection, disable ActiveSync by double-clicking the ActiveSync icon in your system tray, going to File> Connection Settings and disabling the appropriate check box (e.g. disable "Allow USB connection with this computer" if you are using USB to connect the device). If all else fails, disable all the check boxes.
● If you are unable to connect using a
Windows Mobile/Pocket PC (WM 5 or later) cellular device which supports internet sharing, enable this option on the device. Ensure that you have installed all bundled software on your computer before connecting it to your computer. On connection, drivers should automatically install and the setup should complete itself. The internet connection is then ready to use.
● If you are unable to connect or are experiencing slow speeds or frequent disconnects using a
data card and you are
absolutely certain that your data card is not network-locked, you may be suffering from an incompatibility issue between your Virgin Mobile SIM and your data card. If you are using a 64k SIM, you should contact Virgin Mobile and ask for a new 128k SIM. If you are already using a 128k SIM or if this upgrade does not solve your problem, there is unfortunately no known solution for your problem. Similar difficulties have been documented
here.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Data adapted from
http://www.virginmobile.co.za/virgin-portal-customer/userGuide.do. The troubleshooting section and some of the settings were compiled from suggestions by various forum users, including:
dablakmark8; Terencek.
DISCLAIMER: The information in this post was compiled by an independent party (i.e. not affiliated with Virgin Mobile in any way), mostly from information provided by Virgin Mobile and from other independent Virgin Mobile customers. Neither Virgin Mobile nor the author of this post will be liable for any damages or inconveniences resulting from the application of any knowledge herein. Any amendments, suggestions, comments or questions sent to me via PM, will be greatly appreciated.
