Trick for cheap 3G Internet from Claro

Blackberry social (*111#) prepaid, per day RD$25

Open APN in BB (Options-Advanced-TCP/IP)
or Accesspoint in Nokia
with:

APN/accesspoint name: internet.ideasclaro.com.do
in BB::: Use APN Authentication (enabled); username; blank, password:blank
in Nokia::: Password prompt: No, authentication: normal, username: blank, password: blank

Now tether your smartphone with your laptop or desktop PC via USB cable for fastest connection (Blackberry desktop manager for BB; or Nokia OviSuite or PCSuite for Nokia). You can now use your smartphone/BB as modem and get 3G speeds for RD$25 per day, all taxes included.

You can also use this 3G internet within your smartphone (chat, email, browsing, even VOIP). With APN/Accesspoint enabled, you will be able to use all services and Internet apps on Nokia (and other smartphones), including OviMaps or Google Maps (with GPS), Gmail App, etc., and you will be able to use Facebook, Opera Mini, BB PIN and BB Mail on Blackberrys. You will NOT be able to use BB Maps or GoogleMaps on BB (require BIS Full) or Gmail App (BIS full required again). on BB you will NOT be able to use native BB Internet browser, but you can download Opera Mini and use it via APN enabled service. Btw I like Opera Mini much more for browsing on BB than BB native browser.

On Nokia and other smartphones (Iphone, Android) you can use ALL apps, because they go via open APN (internet access point). On BB, many apps go via BIS service (RIM) and work only with FULL BIS service (not BIS Social) and some apps can go via all of APN/BIS/WIFI (either access type will work). Rule of thumb for BB - if you can use your app with Wifi, you can use it with APN open on Claro BIS Social. If your BB app does not work on Wifi, you will not be able to use it with BIS Social with Open APN.

Enjoy 3G prepaid internet for just RD$25 per day!

(and for those whose spouses/friends/family work at Claro, PLEASE DO NOT tell them of this; just let the community enjoy this inexpensive 3G internet service)

My thanks to Esato Forums, Network operators : Caribbean, Latin and South America for bringing up this valuable information.

Yes, it will work on Iphone, DROID system phones like Samsung or Motorola, etc. I wrote about Nokia because I know how to setup Nokia access points, but do not know much about other systems. But it will work even in a cheap Huawei phone if it has internet access capabilities.

It will also work with EDGE (2G) because EDGE has same access mode/form/type as 3G - packet data - it's only the carrier's back end that changes (transmission systems) rather than your front end (mobile phone). HOWEVER, 3G on Claro suck$ big. 3G on Claro is OK (though I have seen some speed issues since they started pushing a lot of prepaid, but it's still acceptable). Orange is very good on EDGE (best of all GSM carriers in the DR) and you can constantly achieve 200 kbps speeds ... also, their 3G network is good (but much smaller compared to Claro) but growing at a steady pace.

This trick will NOT work on Orange 100% because they do not have APN open on 3G on prepaid plans, they only open it up on post-paid plans and only after its SMS activation (but yes it can work on Orange on Postpaid, but than the beauty of cheap, prepaid, pay-by-day mobile Internet is gone).

And to conclude with GSM operators, it will NOT work on BlckBerry VIVA plan neither on prepaid or postpaid. It would require Viva mobile Internet plan, prepaid or postpaid, paid monthly at about 1100 pesos. Also, VIVA has EDGE only (no 3G and they are not yet even building 3G), and VIVA's EDGE is also slow and data platform over-saturated.

@ Mark Lloyd - What you describe is using 3G Internet on Claro in a pay-as-you-go form, meaning without any active data plan on your phone. What I describe is activating a limited-version-Blackberry-data plan (Blackberry BIS Social) on Claro, so when you browse it will NOT deduct money from your balance on pay-as-you-go basis, but rtahe ron a flat daily/weekly/monthly fee. This Blackberry prepaid thingy on Claro is quite new (released around February or March), and BB Social prepaid is even newer (I think it was released in mid-May). I also recommend paying BB BIS Social daily (or on days when you need it) because daily it's RD$25 pesos with taxes, and monthly it's RD$750 pesos with taxes, so it's the same thing cost-wise, and paying daily you do not have to pay on days you won't be using any data. Just try it, and if it is working for you, activate it when you need to use data on your Iphone (e.g. when waiting in a looong bank queue).

You can try to activate BB social Internet and try it out.
1) Dial *111# SEND
2) Select option 2 BlackBerry Prepaid
3) Select option 1 to Buy package
4) Select option 2 for Blackberry Social
5) Select option 1 for 1 day prepaid
6) RD$ 25 is deducted from your balance for 1 day Internet
7) You SHOULD (sometimes not) receive a confirmation message on Display and SMS message.

Afterward, make sure your APN (accesspoint) settings on your Iphone are as described above (only then will it work). Again the settings are: Accesspoint name (APN, etc.): internet.ideasclaro.com.do --- Username: blank --- Password: blank.

Then, check your prepaid balance by dialing *122# SEND and write it down (you will need it later for comparison purposes. Alternatively, if your memory is very good, you can memorize it.)

It's also a good idea to restart your phone (I always do).

Then go back to check service status (after about 10 minutes, to give the Claro system some time to refresh and update)
1) Dial *111# SEND
2) Select Option 2 Blackberry prepaid
3) Select Option 2 Consult service
4) It should tell you "Actualmente tiene servicio Blackberry Social activo"

After that, open up your Iphone browser, navigate to Google and Yahoo, then let the phone sit for 10 minutes (enough time to update prepaid balance in case browsing is being deducted from there).

To check your balance dial again *122# SEND. You should still have the same balance as before. If so, happy unlimited 3G browsing for RD$25 per day.

0.27 mbps seems like you are on EDGE not on 3G. verify your cell coverage, what it says on the display. Doe sit indicate 3G?