Roaming?

Dr.EVO

Member
May 18, 2010
11
0
0
Visit site
So youll have to excuse me I'm new to the whole smartphone world. Love my evo so far :cool: I see there are settings about data roaming in the wireless networks settings on my evo.. Should I leave the data roaming stuff checked? Is it a good idea to uncheck so i dont get any crazy bills? Thanks for any input evoholics..
 

DirkBelig

Well-known member
May 17, 2010
1,296
35
0
Visit site
(To save a new thread, I'm hopping on here.)

I'm going to Toronto this weekend. In case I need to make a call, I add the Canadian Roaming option onto my service the day before and canceling it the day after my trip. Last year, with my Pre, I had a couple of weird instances where my phone suddenly showed as being on Sprint's network though they have no coverage there that I know of. I'd thought I'd turned off roaming, but when I got my bill there was about three dollars worth of data roaming charges though I thought I was offline other than hopping on open wifi hotspots. I got Sprint to take off the charges, but I'd like to prevent going thru the hassle this time.

What do I need to shut off to prevent a repeat with my EVO? I know that all the location-based goodies like Google Maps or Sprint Nav will go bye-bye (have a free-standing GPS for that), but I'd like to be able to ride open wifi points. I'm still puzzled over what happened last year with the sporadic Sprint network hits. I would know when I was on their networks because I'd suddenly get Gmail pushes. Very odd.
 

Jerry Hildenbrand

Space Cowboy
Staff member
Oct 11, 2009
5,569
2,797
113
Visit site
Does anyone know what is Data Roam Guard?

You get a pop up every time you use data that is considered roaming. Sprint roaming is free. There's no need for this inside the US.

(To save a new thread, I'm hopping on here.)

I'm going to Toronto this weekend. In case I need to make a call, I add the Canadian Roaming option onto my service the day before and canceling it the day after my trip. Last year, with my Pre, I had a couple of weird instances where my phone suddenly showed as being on Sprint's network though they have no coverage there that I know of. I'd thought I'd turned off roaming, but when I got my bill there was about three dollars worth of data roaming charges though I thought I was offline other than hopping on open wifi hotspots. I got Sprint to take off the charges, but I'd like to prevent going thru the hassle this time.

What do I need to shut off to prevent a repeat with my EVO? I know that all the location-based goodies like Google Maps or Sprint Nav will go bye-bye (have a free-standing GPS for that), but I'd like to be able to ride open wifi points. I'm still puzzled over what happened last year with the sporadic Sprint network hits. I would know when I was on their networks because I'd suddenly get Gmail pushes. Very odd.

menu>>settings>>wireless & networks>> uncheck mobile network
 

Mikey47

Well-known member
Jun 8, 2010
2,007
122
0
Visit site
You might if you're not in the US. Free inside though.

Wait a minute there -- it is not necessarily free within the U.S.

Sprint limits your data roaming to a certain amount (can't find that amount right now), if you go over that amount you will be billed.

Also for voice, Sprint limits what you can roam as well. If your minutes usage is more than 50% on roaming you are apt to get charge (or in extreme cases I think Sprint could cancel your contract).
 

DirkBelig

Well-known member
May 17, 2010
1,296
35
0
Visit site
Yep. Shuts down mobile data completely.
Just an update that I made my trip and checked my stats at Sprint.com and other than the 4 minutes of calls I received, nothing more turned up on my bill. I was texting a local and peeps back home and no extra charge for those popped up either, though MMSes didn't work; only straight SMS. No biggie. Thanks again for the tip. Locked me down tight against stray data charges.

Biggest problem was the lack of open wifi points. A manager of a band from London, UK and a local were griping about it. I had much more success last year. Wonder why the lock down? Sucked.
 

willsurg#AC

Active member
Jun 11, 2010
43
0
0
Visit site
I have had sprint for a year and had a hack on my phone which forced roam at work, due to the crappy sprint signal at work and it running down my battery. I have never been charged extra or had a problem with sprint for my 5x a week 8 hours a day roaming.
 

ihbsbA

Well-known member
May 16, 2010
1,417
5
0
Visit site
Mike, I could be wrong but it sounds like you're quoting an old plan...

Sent from my rockin' Evo using Tapatalk.
 

digmys

Well-known member
Jun 7, 2010
345
71
0
Visit site
Mike, I could be wrong but it sounds like you're quoting an old plan...

Sent from my rockin' Evo using Tapatalk.

Agreed. From all that I have read, on current plans you will not be charged no matter how much you use. HOWEVER, if you do use excessive roaming minutes (and data) they have the right to cancel your service without notice and it has happened to some people over at sprintusers.com

Some people even set their phone to roaming only a few years ago to have sprint kick them to the curb to break their contract without an ETF so they could get an iphone (back when sprint had NOTHING but lame flip phones it seemed) and that was right around the time that the roam only option disappeared from all new sprint phones for obvious reasons.
 

digmys

Well-known member
Jun 7, 2010
345
71
0
Visit site

be careful, it was originally stated by the OP in that topic that he did not think sprint could not see that it was roaming. Now everyone at the end of that topic is reporting data roaming and all minutes coming out of their anytime minutes (no night and weekend and no mobile to mobile) when using that PRL. I can confirm I now have data roaming showing up on my account after using that PRL even though my phone never once showed me as roaming so I switched back to the stock Sprint PRL.