Author Topic: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection  (Read 8916 times)

Mother Fussbudget

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I took the plunge, and updated my trusty (paid for) iPhone 5 to the latest iOS v9.  Before this, I've never had a problem with connectivity.  But either as a result of iOS 9 update, or coincidental timing, the earlier methods of setting your iPhone to connect to AT&T's cellular data network (i.e. programming the phone) no longer work. 
Calls to Airvoice Wireless' support confirmed this is a widespread problem for Airvoice iPhone users.

Wi-fi connectivity still works great, but previously it was possible to use the AT&T cellular data network (4G/LTE) @ 6.6¢/Mb.  BUT... after the update, the phone can't connect to the cellular data network at all. 

If anyone has any ideas short of jail-breaking the phone... I'm all ears.   AND if I find a solution, I'll edit THIS post to show that.

The "classic" methods to program the phone (for reference):
Airvoice:  iPhone support Data Network procedure

Airvoice:  iPhone support MMS (photos in text messages) procedure
« Last Edit: September 17, 2015, 05:48:46 PM by Mother Fussbudget »

asahopkins

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2015, 10:27:02 AM »
I spoke with Airvoice customer service last night and she said it was the iOS 9 upgrade that did it. They're working on a solution, but she couldn't give me any details or a timeline.

biddy4me

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2015, 11:13:25 AM »
I spoke with Airvoice customer service last night and she said it was the iOS 9 upgrade that did it. They're working on a solution, but she couldn't give me any details or a timeline.

The Airvoice website instructions for iPhone that Mother Fussbudget posted haven't changed in years.
I think Airvoice customer service is great for issues they can handle (SIM activation/number transfer, errors with credit remaining) - they are very polite and usually the wait times are very short.
However, they don't have much control over technical issues like this.

As far as the phone is concerned, the SIM is an AT&T SIM, but Airvoice needs different settings for data/MMS.
I love Apple, but they collude with carriers much more than Android in hiding settings like these from the user.
You can be sure AT&T aren't going to fall over themselves helping to push out these settings automatically to help a bottom-feeder reseller (from their point-of-view) when their plans cost like 3 times more and most people don't know how to stop getting ripped off.

I've already solved this problem on my phone this morning in the same way I've solved it for the past two years or more.
Instructions above. Use that website from your iPhone (unlockit.co.nz), but delete the existing profile first.
« Last Edit: September 18, 2015, 04:06:52 PM by biddy4me »

FuriousE

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #3 on: September 18, 2015, 11:46:04 AM »
I had the data issue when I installed iOS 9, as well. I deleted my APN and reinstalled it from unlockit.co.nz yesterday, to no avail.

I did the same thing at about noon today, and it worked. So they must have fixed the issue.

One question - without jailbreaking, is there a way to enable MMS? The sim card swap trick hasn't worked since iOS 7, to the best of my knowledge.

biddy4me

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2015, 12:22:09 PM »
Yeah, I guess something must have changed in iOS 9, the site owner has messages up today about the changes he had to make for various carriers, which prompted me to delete the old profile first.

TBH, I can't remember having any problems at all when iOS 8 came out - or whether I even had to visit unlockit for a new profile.
Then again a year is more than long enough to forget doing that, so I probably did.

Regarding MMS, I'm afraid it's something I never got into the habit of using "back in the day" (gobbled credit on prepaid plans) and then iMessage, Viber, Hangouts etc made using it redundant anyway.

So you're saying the APN settings from unlockit don't enable MMS? Annoying.

Maybe it's worth trying that Apple Configurator thing from my first post. I might take a look at it myself out of curiosity.
An archived Windows version is mentioned here, if that's what you use:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6992566

« Last Edit: September 18, 2015, 12:33:03 PM by biddy4me »

FuriousE

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2015, 01:04:24 PM »
I am on Windows, so that does not look too promising. From the reading I've done on the Mac version, it doesn't appear to let you add the MMS settings anyway.

If anyone knows different, or knows of a different (non-jailbreak way) please post!!

biddy4me

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2015, 03:17:53 PM »
I removed my first post, which basically reiterated what the OP's links pointed to (unlockit on Airvoice's site). Apologies.
When I first started using unlockit, Airvoice didn't know anything about it and I rarely look at their terrible website.

I think this thread exists because removing the old profile first is was necessary on iOS 9, and/or the unlockit dev was making changes in the past couple of days (as mentioned on his site).
Do we really think the issue was fixed by Airvoice? Hmmm.

It's amazing that unlockit is the "official" way Airvoice recommend to get data going (do they pay that dev anything?!)... and the SIM card swap is mentioned on the Airvoice site as well for iOS 7 and below <cringe>
This stuff really makes them seem like a two-bit outfit (thankfully cheap, by US standards). I guess MVNO's are hamstrung by AT&T on purpose?

For the record, I just tried the old T-mobile SIM swap trick on iOS 9 (wastin' time on a Friday :). It's a total no-go, even with multiple reboots etc etc.

I agree with FuriousE that Apple Configurator won't do MMS, it allows you to deal out configuration profiles to phones (just like unlockit is doing):
https://help.apple.com/profilemanager/mac/4.2/#/apd5BD57F16-A2BF-43B9-AB4B-24948FB52C1E
and there is zero mention of MMS in the configuration profile specs:
https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/featuredarticles/iPhoneConfigurationProfileRef/iPhoneConfigurationProfileRef.pdf


The unlockit dev also mentions that he is unable to add MMS to his profiles in several places, e.g. here:
https://www.unlockit.co.nz/unlockit/?p=679
... and here:
https://www.unlockit.co.nz/unlockit/?p=788
... which links to a petition (FuriousE take note - did you sign this yet? ;) here:
https://www.change.org/p/apple-the-ability-for-third-parties-to-set-mms-settings-via-mobileconfig-files


Airvoice basically admit there is no way to get MMS working on an iPhone in their FAQ (in a roundabout way of course), here:
https://www.airvoicewireless.com/FAQ.aspx
Quote:
"Talk, Text and Web are supported features with our service when using an iPhone. MMS is NOT a guaranteed feature when using an iPhone with Airvoice. If you would like to use this feature, the device will need to be fully UNLOCKED. Airvoice still does not guarantee that MMS will work with an iPhone even if the device is unlocked."


One last point is that this Apple support post (only 7 months since last edit, so definitely post-iOS 7) indicates you can access the ol' Cellular Data Settings "if your carrier allows it":
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201699

That might indicate there are SIM cards from other carriers around that would work in place of the T-mobile ones originally recommended in the SIM swap method. Maybe.
Just a thought.


 
« Last Edit: September 18, 2015, 03:26:36 PM by biddy4me »

Brilliantine

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2015, 03:44:02 PM »
I'd noticed something was off with imessaging my wife yesterday but didn't pay attention to it. Reading this, I disabled WIFI on my iphone5 and lo and behold, does not have a data connection.

Removed the profile and installed a fresh one from unlockit.co.nz. It seems to have helped. I can imessage the wife and I was able to browse some web sites.

Mother Fussbudget

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2015, 04:37:29 PM »
Great news!  Unlockit.co.nz must have fixed this in the past 24 hours.  Their website now includes the suggestion to remove the old profile, and install a new one.  I did that yesterday, but it wasn't working for me until today.

Simple Abundant Living

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #9 on: October 14, 2015, 03:21:46 PM »
Help! I bought a iphone 6 from my neighbor who was upgrading to the 6S. He must have already put ios9 on the phone, and unlockit.co.nz doesn't work. There is no "Profile" in the Settings>General>??? to remove. Other ideas, please?

geekette

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #10 on: October 14, 2015, 03:27:55 PM »
Just to add an odd data point.  I have an iPhone 6, with 9.0.2, and have had no glitches using cellular data at all.

If the group includes non-iPhone users, I don't get group messages, for which I'm thankful.  Some people go on and on and on...

Brilliantine

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2015, 01:57:18 PM »
Help! I bought a iphone 6 from my neighbor who was upgrading to the 6S. He must have already put ios9 on the phone, and unlockit.co.nz doesn't work. There is no "Profile" in the Settings>General>??? to remove. Other ideas, please?
Settings->General->About has the version info for the operating system. Mine says 9.0.2, for instance.

On my iphone 5, Settings->General->Profile has one item called Cellular Profile, from unlockit.co.nz.

Even if you don't have this profile, you can still go to unlockit.co.nz and specify your carrier, in my case Airvoice Wireless. Then it pushes the profile to your phone which changes the APN to "att.mvno".
« Last Edit: October 21, 2015, 11:50:27 AM by Brilliantine »

Simple Abundant Living

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #12 on: October 21, 2015, 08:02:59 AM »
Thanks for the help, I was finally able to get the APN from unlockit. DH is still having trouble with the phone. He's not receiving all his texts, or not in a timely way. His data is on. I did get him going on an unused ATT SIM card instead of an Airvoice one to begin with. Airvoice rep was the one who said I could do that. But his phone says "AT&T" in the upper left corner instead of "Airvoice Wireless". Is that the problem?

Brilliantine

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #13 on: October 21, 2015, 11:57:42 AM »
I've never used an ATT SIM card while on the Airvoice plan; so I don't know.

In your husband's case, can he send/receive SMS? Is imessage the issue? If so,

1. Verify that iMEssage is on: go to Settings->Messages->iMessage

2. Go to Settings->Messages->Send & Receive and see if it lists his Apple ID at the top. If so, tap on the apple id, and sign out. My phone only shows my phone number on this page and I am happily imessaging my wife and others all day.

alinajetly

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Re: FYI: Airvoice iPhone users - iOS9 update breaks cellular data connection
« Reply #14 on: August 03, 2017, 02:36:22 AM »
I have fetching problem on my iPhone cellular data(Mobile Data) not working. Because I moved to another network  before a week. I found a online guide about the cellular data not working and it worked for me.
Source: https://www.howtoisolve.com/fix-iphone-cellular-data-not-working/