I want to access the internet

[Eliz7212]

Hi. I have an LG D415 Optimus L90 Graphite Gray Phone. At least this is what it says on the Invoice. I bought the phone, paid for minutes (no monthly contract or plan) because my husband is in the hospital and I must have a phone to reach doctors, etc. It's a lovely phone with a touchscreen and I'm lucky at my age that I know what I'm doing. It has all these apps but because I'm not on any $40 a month plan, it won't let me access the internet. I do know how to use a computer, tablet, etc. etc. One of you guys must know a way to unlock this or put in some code so that I can access the internet. I love learning things but I'm broke due to my husband's co-pays and meds. Is there a way I can get this phone to unlock it's secrets so that when I tap the Chrome app, it will automatically bring me to the internet. That would be lovely. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help this 67 year old lady. much appreciated. Elizabeth

 

[hallux]

First off, sorry to hear of your husband's health troubles and welcome to the forums.

Sadly, no amount of hacking is going to fix the fact that you haven't paid for a data plan. Whatever service you have bought is just not provisioned (or set up) to allow for anything other than text (maybe) or voice service.

 

[Rukbat]

Without a data plan, the only way to get on the internet is wifi. Check with a nurse to see if the hospital has wifi for patient use. If it does, you can use it when you're with your husband. (If it needs a login and password, they'll give it to you, since he's an inpatient, which is why it's password protected - for inpatient use only.)

At home, if you have wifi, you can use that too. Also, McDonalds, Starbucks, Sams Club, most malls - any place there's public wifi.

Just pull the notification bar down and make sure the wifi symbol (the concentric arcs) is lit. If it isn't, tap it.

It can't be done by putting in a code or unlocking anything, because it's (your lack of internet connection directly from the phone) done at the carrier's computer, and doing anything to that will make your husband's medical bills look like pocket change (not to mention the prison sentence).

If you still have problems, just hit a Reply in the thread and post gain.

 

[Eliz7212]

Hi. I have wi fi in my home. I have wi fi in my local Dunkin. Everyone goes on their FB pages and checks the internet using their phones. The guy at the place where I bought the phone told me "you can't use this to go on the internet unless you pay for a data plan". But...I just read one of the replies saying that if I am near a wi fi hotspot, all I have to do is tap the wi fi option on this phone and it will prompt me to sign in. I just did that. It prompted me to either sign in with a google account name and password or to create a new account. I chose 'create a new account". I chose a name and for the past 10 minutes it's indicating "Checking availablility". It's still doing that. I shall update you if anything happens. And thanks much. Oh I want to tell you all something interesting about my background. Over 35 years ago when I was at work, computers (desktops) were just coming into being. IBM was THE company and of all the employees, guess who they chose to go to IBM computer school and take classes? ME!!! lol. They gave me an IBM desktop with a 20 megabyte hard drive. That's right. 20 megabytes. Monocrome screen. Dot Matrix printer (noisy, SO noisy). They put a cover over it to mask the noise. The software was called MultiMate Advantage. There was NO internet, no tablets, no cell phones, and I was the only one in the whole company with an IBM Desktop computer.

I had to quit that job to stay at home to raise a child. I chose to type for lawyers and do legal work. I had to BUY my own IBM desktop. Would you like to guess how much I paid? (Or my husband I should say). $3700.00 for a 20 megabyte computer. Can you believe this? Just thought you might find this interesting. And thanks much. Elizabeth

 

[Eliz7212]

Here's an update. Nothing worked. I tried using an existing google account and I knew my pw. But it kept saying "Please wait, blah blah", taking FOREVER, and finally it said "cannot connect ". So even though I have wi fi in my house, this phone (undoubtedly because I did not purchase a data plan) will, at least for now, not allow me to use my phone to go on the internet. I really thought I had a shot once I read "if you go to a place where it has wi fi". I said "Well I already have wi fi so I'll give it a shot".
Alas, it's a no go. But I do thank you for allowing me to try. Elizabeth

 

[hallux]

Connecting on WiFi shouldn't be impacted in any way by not having a cellular data plan. Try rebooting the modem and router (the router is what the phone connects to, the modem connects the router to the internet) and see if you can get connected that way.

 

[Eliz7212]

I was just going to post an update but since you wrote, I can just hit the reply button so here is what happened. I went to the place where I bought the phone and the minutes. I asked them. Can I get wi fi in my house or anyplace that there is wi fi available. They said "sure". I said 'WHAT???' They took the phone, they pressed some buttons, and there I was on the internet (in their store). I said thank you, went back to my house, an Optimum ID and PW login option came up on the phone and BINGO I am able to get on the internet. Never thought I could do this. Oh, I asked the girl at the store "Will this use up any minutes on my phone?" She said "no, only when you make calls and do texting, WI FI is free"

Really??? I have a hard time believing this but hey, if this is so, than this is absolutely great.

So you see, I may be an old lady but I'm a young thinker. I am also memorizing as many numbers in Pi as I can remember. I'm up to 17 numbers. I ask my friends who are my age "do you know what Pi is" and they all say "Apple Pie?" rofl. Thanks to you all