OTA Types to use with different manufacturers/handsets

OTA Types to use with different manufacturers/handsets SearchSearch
Author Message
Keeran Janin
New member
Username: Keeranj

Post Number: 2
Registered: 03-2006
Posted on Monday, April 03, 2006 - 07:37 am:   

Hi,

I'm trying to set up an OTA configuration utility which allows a user to have their WAP settings sent to them.

However I'm overwhelemed with the different types, OMA, SyncML, Wireless Village, etc. and who is to know which one to use for any particular handset or manufacturer. Let alone how to format the .OTA files for the particular settings on my network.

Is there any online resource available which indexes for each manufacturer and handset model which OTA method is compatible with that handset.

Also does anyone know of any program which can help me generate the .OTA files for each format (OMA, SynvML, etc).

The settings I'm trying to code are:

provider: bwap
data bearer: packet data
acesspoint: bmobilewap
gateway ip: 129.9.10.20:6500
web add: http://3g.com.bn
connection security: off
phone IP: automatic
network type: ipV4
DNS: automatic
username: (none)
password: (none)
authentication: secure

Any help would be greatly appreciated
Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Bryce

Post Number: 5767
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Monday, April 03, 2006 - 04:55 pm:   

Hi,

I can help with some of your confusion.

SyncML and Wireless Village are applications on the mobile phone. You would send SyncML or Wireless Village settings to a phone, only if you wanted to configure those applications.

So the question is ... what application are you trying to configure?

The most common types of settings are for configuring the phone's browser and MMS client.

For sending browser and MMS configuration settings, NowSMS supports two different settings protocols.

What we call "WAP OTA" is the SonyEricsson/Nokia OTA settings protocol. This is an older protocol, and you would use it primarily with older SonyEricsson/Ericsson/Nokia phones. (Nokia models older than approximately 2 years, SonyEricsson models older than 1 year.)

What we call "OMA OTA" is the OMA Provisioning Content specification. This is the OMA standard which all of the manufacturers are switching over to. And this is what you would use to provision most current phones.

If you are having trouble creating ".OTA" files, then my advice would be to start by looking at the XML that NowSMS generates from its web forms, and use that as a starting point if you need to make any edits. (I say if, because you may not need to make any edits.) To see this XML, use the "View XML" button on the NowSMS 2006 web forms.

We do have any lists of what phone models are compatible with the OMA Provisioning Content specification. You would need to check the phone manufacturer's specifications to determine this compatibility.

Please note that some phones do require that provisioning messages be signed with a "PIN". This is one of the most confusing parts about OTA. In most cases, when a PIN is required, you can use a short PIN like "1234" (this is not related to any PIN that the user may be using on their phone), but you have to tell the user that they need to enter this PIN when they open the OTA message. It is a security feature to help prevent users from accidentally applying rogue settings, but it can make life more difficult.

-bn
Keeran Janin
New member
Username: Keeranj

Post Number: 3
Registered: 03-2006
Posted on Tuesday, April 04, 2006 - 04:42 am:   

Thanks for the information. That does clear up some of the confusion for how to start. You ar correct I wish to set up browser and mms settings. I've tried using NowSMS to send OMA OTA settings and WAP OTA to a LG U8150 handset with every possible combination and the configuration does not show up (phone seems to be discardng incompatible messages however sending the same message to a nokia n70 does show up). This I assume measn that LG handsets are not compatible with these specifications.

What really puzzles me is that the website of one of the mobile networks in the USA has an option to send OTA messages to this handset and almost every other handset available. I suppose each manufacturer may have their own proprietary method of OTA but hours of searches online have yielded next to nothing regarding how to use them.
Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Bryce

Post Number: 5781
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Tuesday, April 04, 2006 - 10:08 pm:   

Hi,

I don't have any information about the LG U8150. (LG, as a manufacturer, does not seem to release much information to the developer community.)

But here are a few thoughts ...

1.) Move the SIM card from the phone into a modem, and have the operator web site send an OTA to the modem, thinking that the modem is an LG U8150. Let's take a look at the raw message that NowSMS receives over the GSM modem, and maybe we can identify it. (Please note, I'm going to have limited time for participating here on the discussion board from now until April 17, so it may take some time before I can analyse any data that you post as a result of this test.)

2.) The phone might require that OTA settings include a PIN ... try sending out the settings with a USERPIN and a simple 4 digit code.

3.) The phone might require that OTA settings use the NETWPIN option. If this is required, it is generally not practical for anyone other than the operator to be able to send out provisioning messages. (See our notes in the NowSMS 2006 manual about how you can determine the IMSI associated with a SIM and use that to send out an OTA message signed with a NETWPIN.)

4.) The phone might be locked to only accept provisioning messages from trusted proxies. In this case, the phones are preloaded to with a trusted proxy list, and it can be next to impossible to add to this list. You might want to try sending some regular WAP Push messages as a test ... does the phone accept them?

-bn