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Red_Indian 0 Light Poster

Hi there,

Does anyone know what the APN for O2's 3G network is? We have consulted them and they said that it is mobile.o2.co.uk with the usual username and password.

However this is not working. We have a PDA that will not connect to the internet, because I believe that the APN is for GPRS and not 3G.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

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Dani AI

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For : one important point first — the APN itself is not tied to “GPRS vs 3G.” The APN just tells the carrier which gateway/profile to use; the radio (GPRS/EDGE/UMTS) is chosen by the handset and network. If the carrier-supplied APN doesn't let the PDA browse, the problem is almost always provisioning, a mis-typed field, or a device/radio compatibility issue, not the APN being “for GPRS only.”

Try this quick checklist:

  1. Test the SIM in a known-working 3G phone. If that phone connects, the account and APN are provisioned correctly and the issue is with the PDA configuration.
  2. Ask the operator to resend the handset configuration (OTA settings) and confirm the data plan is active on the SIM. Ask them specifically for the “internet/data” settings (not MMS/WAP).
  3. On the PDA, edit the APN entry exactly as given by the operator. Clear proxy and port fields unless the operator requires them. Try leaving username and password blank if connection fails with values present. Set authentication to PAP/CHAP (or automatic).
  4. Ensure the PDA supports the 3G band used by your operator and that the device is set to automatic or UMTS/3G mode. Older PDAs sometimes lack the needed band.
  5. Update handset OS and radio/baseband firmware — some older builds have known data bugs.
  6. If possible, copy the working phone’s APN settings into the PDA (or vice versa) to rule out typos.

Common gotchas: accidentally using the MMS/WAP APN instead of the internet APN, leaving a proxy/port that points at a WAP gateway, wrong auth type, or a data block on the account. On Android the APN path is Settings → Wireless & networks → Mobile networks → Access Point Names; check every field carefully.

If these steps fail, note exactly which fields you entered (leave out any shared passwords) and contact the carrier support team again asking them to verify provisioning for data on that SIM.

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