Posted on July 31, 2008 - by Justin Hartman
How to change Vodacom APN settings on iPhone 2 firmware
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When I upgraded my iPhone firmware from version 1.1.4 to version 2.0 I realised that I had lost the use of EDGE on the Vodacom network.
Justin from WantItAll alerted me to the iPhone Configuration Utility which allows you to create custom profiles for your iPhone.
What I didn’t realise and what became clear when I played with the iPhone Configuration Utility is that Apple created the functionality for corporates to have customised profiles on an iPhone that have pre-configured settings for their network and by using this tool you could in theory change APN and other settings thereby bypassing the default ones set by the network.
That was the theory but I just couldn’t get the Configuration Utility to work properly and it also required some technical know-how which I couldn’t really be bothered to understand so I decided to search for something simpler.
In so doing I stumbled across an APN Changer website based in New Zealand called Unlockit.
Unlockit provides a simple tool for changing your APN and other settings by creating a custom profile for your file which you can install. It’s an identical method to Apple’s utility just much simpler and easier to use. Here’s the steps I took to get my iPhone back on the Vodacom EDGE network.
Step 1:
Visit http://unlockit.co.nz in Safari on your iPhone.
Step 2:
Click on Set Custom APN.
Step 3:
In the APN text box type internet and then click on Download Custom Config.
Step 4:
Safari will close and you’ll be asked whether or not you’d like to install the custom profile file. Just click Yes and once the file has installed you’ll be back on the EDGE network.
In order to run this hack you’ll need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network. I also suggest that you read Dion’s post on how to reactivate the Cellular Data settings in the Network settings tab. Dion’s solution is a more complicated but once done you’ll be able to change the settings as and when you need to.
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August 13, 2008
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is the name ‘internet’ for every iphone and service like t-mobile useable ?
or are there different names for providers etc ?
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August 13, 2008
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is the name 'internet' for every iphone and service like t-mobile useable ?
or are there different names for providers etc ?
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August 13, 2008
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@zeno - this is not a generic thing so you’d need to contact your service provider to find out what their APN details are. Some might even require a username and password so best to check beforehand.
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August 13, 2008
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@zeno - this is not a generic thing so you'd need to contact your service provider to find out what their APN details are. Some might even require a username and password so best to check beforehand.
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August 22, 2008
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Thanks so much for this solution! I've been battling all morning trying to get my EDGE capabilities back and finally it's working thanks to your solution…
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August 22, 2008
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Thanks so much for this solution! I’ve been battling all morning trying to get my EDGE capabilities back and finally it’s working thanks to your solution…
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August 26, 2008
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Hi,
Thanks for your guidence.
However, I am not able to connect to http://unlockit.co.nz - because neither wifi nor EDGE is working in my mobile after migrating inot 2.0.1 from 1.1.4.
Pl suggest.
Thanks in advance.
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August 26, 2008
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Hi,
Thanks for your guidence.
However, I am not able to connect to http://unlockit.co.nz - because neither wifi nor EDGE is working in my mobile after migrating inot 2.0.1 from 1.1.4.
Pl suggest.
Thanks in advance.
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August 26, 2008
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I've never experienced this before so I'm not sure what to do. Maybe you should try and redo the hack?
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September 5, 2008
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please some one help me i cannot use my iphone to log onto the internet at all it says invalid gateway ip
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September 25, 2008
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Howzit.
There is a new forum for South African iPhone users. It aims to get SA iPhone users together and establish a knowledge base for current and future iPhone users. I will post on there. There is a an app called QuikPwn which enables customization. Take a look.
http://www.iphonehelp.co.za
http://www.iphoneinsa.co.za
Cool!
P.S. n? are you connecting through wi-fi or through edge? soon it will be 3g!!! cant wait…
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October 3, 2008
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[...] permalink This is the way it could be done on 2.x How to change Vodacom APN settings on iPhone 2 firmware by Justin Hartman [...]
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October 5, 2008
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I’ve also lost my Edge network.
Went to Settings > General > Network > Cellular Data Network
And changed the APN from “iphone.vodacom.za” to “internet” (and also tried “vlive”). Both didn’t work.
Went to unlockit.co.nz - the fields are exactly the same as the Cellular Data Network - but it now works.
Thanks Justin.
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November 1, 2008
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[...] you can use a great website (on the iPhone) to download new APN settings. There’s a tutorial here and you can access the iPhone site here—select ‘Next’ then ‘Set Custom [...]
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November 2, 2008
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Thank for the Link to my Website. 1000’s of people have visited the website. If you found the site useful please donate (The link is on the website).
Thanks