MMS Configuration for Airtel

by venukb on July 26, 2007

After switching over to HTC Touch, I did have a tough time configuring MMS on the handset. Matters were made worse by Airtel’s “amazing” customer care service.

Initially I was told that the settings would be sent to my phone and that this would avoid the pain of doing the manual configuration. The settings never came; after few more calls to the customer service, I realized that my old Sony Ericsson phone was still registered in Airtel’s database and they were trying to send the wrong setting.

I finally was able to manually configure the settings not with the help of Google but with little assistance from NowSMS.

So if you are stuck with configuring MMS for Airtel on a Windows Mobile device this is what you need to do:

Activate MMS (if you haven’t)

To Activate MMS, send a SMS with text “MMS ACTIVE” to 121.

Configure the GPRS Connection

  1. Go to Start -> Settings -> Connections
  2. Click on the Connections item
    mms1
  3. Add a new modem connection under MyISP
  4. Input a name for the connection
  5. Select the modem as “Cellular Line (GPRS)”
    mms2
  6. Click next and Input Access Point Name(APN) : airtelmms.com
    mms3

Configure MMS Options

The MMS option screen was kind of hidden and I am not sure if its the same on Windows Mobile 5 as well. Here is how you access the “hidden” MMS options

  1. Start -> Messaging -> SMS/MMS
  2. Menu -> New MMS
  3. Select a Blank Template
  4. Menu -> Options -> MMS Options
    mms4

Its kind of weird that I had to create a New MMS message to view the MMS options screen.

Select Servers tab and enter the information as shown on the below screen (This information is what I got from NowSMS)

mms5

Note that the Server name can be anything. Also the MMS connection should be pointing to the new modem connection that was created with APN airtelmms.com. This is accomplished by setting it in the “Connect via” box.

Once the configuration is done, set this new server configuration as the default.

That’s it :) You are now all set to send and receive MMS messages. Also the above steps can be used to configure MMS for any mobile operator, only the settings (Gateway,Server Address etc) would change and this data has to be got from the service provider.

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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }

1 TheAnand 07.26.07 at 2:57 pm

I am sure Broadband Services are not as dorky as the people at the mobile(yea, biased since I used to be there in landphones :-)

If it was mobile office, I usually send a sms “MO” to 2567. Since you are not using the mobile office, I could not help you out :-D Good that you were able to use it. Hows the speeds and experience?

I am equally stuck with my Hutch GPRS.I can tell they are worse than airtel….they know the stuff, but the arrogance is unbearable!

2 venukb 07.26.07 at 4:21 pm

Anand this is only the MMS configuration.

I tried to configure Airtel Online, I was told that after activating that it wouldn’t work on HTC Touch and that I had to only go for Airtel Mobile Office, its little expensive as of now and the speed is not worth the price Airtel is asking for :)

MMS activation is free and you pay 5Rs when you send a Multimedia message.

3 Nirmal 07.30.07 at 8:33 pm

I too had some experiences while configuring with Airtel’s amazing customer service. :D

4 TheAnand 07.30.07 at 9:08 pm

Here we have no Airtel online….its either live or mobile office. btw, I am landing there on the 3rd this month. . .want to meetup and grab a beer or somthing? :-)

5 kiran krishna 09.20.07 at 5:05 pm

hi venky
i wanted to configure GPRS Setting on my htc touch. the Settings which i want to configure are as follows

Name of Service: mtnl_wap
APN: gprsmtnldel
IP Address: 172.16.31.10
Port Number: 9201
Homepage: http://172.16.31.23:8181/mtnl/index.wml
Username: mtnl
Password: mtnl123

in the above settings i am confused as to where exactly the IP Address, Port No and HomePage will go.. Can you please help me on this…

6 venukb 09.23.07 at 2:02 am

Kiran,
First find out whether MTNL uses PAP or CHAP authentication. This needs to be set in the “GPRS setting”

Once this is done, you can add a new modem connection and configure the above details.

7 TheAnand 12.20.07 at 6:57 pm

hey venu,

looks like you too busy offline to blog regularly. :) happy holidays…and do you mind telling me about the airtel online there? the rental and other details….

8 venukb 12.22.07 at 12:54 pm

Anand..
yes little busy.. guys trying to get the work done before the Christmas and new year holidays :)

I haven’t subscribed to airtel online; as i mentioned earlier, airtel support told me that it wouldn’t work on my HTC. The rental was quite less, I don’t remember, probably around 150INR/month something. Will check again and confirm.

9 Vishnu Diwakar 12.27.07 at 12:02 pm

Can any one tell me the process of activating Bluetooth. Give me in steps wise if possible…

Vishnu

10 Ramesh 01.28.08 at 3:27 pm

Hi All,

How to configure HTC settings to display incoming call ID, if its from Contact list.
The Service Provider is Airtel.

Presently it shows Incoming Call and Number.
Doesn’t display caller name from contact list.

Thanx in Advance.

Ramesh.

11 richa 01.30.08 at 4:06 pm

hi,can anybody tell me the vodafone ip address and port no. for htc p3400 as the details given by the customer care ppl ie 10.10.1.100 :9201 does not allow u to access gprs.plz plz help me
richa

12 Vasu 03.15.08 at 11:16 pm

Hi, Venu venki… any one… a similar tutorial to setup GPRS on HTC would be ICING ON THE CAKE….
I guess i was able to extract only this much info from the CC guys
APN: airtelwap.com
Proxy: 100.1.200.99 Port: 8080
Authentication : PAP (I think the CC gal made a guess on this one)
I done all possible combination but my GPRS simply wont connect

Thanks in advance…

13 ayesha 03.16.08 at 9:27 am

hi actually i want to activate mms service for my cell which is sony erricson and the model no is S500i.i had tried doing it by sending mms to 121 but not gettin it properly.so can u just say me in detail how to configure my mms on my cell.thanks

14 Al 03.20.08 at 3:23 pm

It works like a charm, there is some tweaking to be done though
You need to define one of the predefined services.
I have mobile browsing capabilitiees on my phone and have a sperate Mobile office config
Adding an MMS doesnt work.
For eg.
In connect via Reconfiguring MY WORK to airtelmms.com works.
ANd setting MMS to My Work. will result in it working (Note the other settings need to be set as above)
Any help ask me
almerchant@gmail.com
AL

15 Al 03.20.08 at 3:32 pm

I use a cooked ROM so i wont know what OEM roms look like
For airtel gprs
Go to the COnnections Tab
Add new connections in the modem TAB
Name is GPRS or whatever u like
apn airtelgprs.com
next
next
finish
and u r up and running
:)
Al

16 senthil 08.07.08 at 4:28 pm

my mobile sony erission k510i i connect AIRTEL LIVE on my mobile
Q: how to send free (without buy) MMS use aitel live?
please tell me the full details and settings on my mobile phone…………….please……..

17 Gopichand Pai 08.24.08 at 1:17 pm

Hi Venukb,

I have few questions
1) Airtel online uses PAP or CHAP authentication?
2) Have you tried configuring airtel online on HTC touch? If yes, please explain the steps
3) How to make HTC touch display the location name. Almost all the phones display the mobile tower name they are connected to. I don’t know how to make it work on HTC touch.

Thanks in advance
Gopichand Pai

18 Prakash 09.30.08 at 11:58 am

Use this URl for ‘Say Caller’s Name’ Feature in HTC Touch
http://rapidshare.com/files/44098658/MSVC_1.60_WM6_8525.CAB

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