iPhone 3G - tethered internet on etisalat!

[gierran]

Yaw! I finally got it working. So here's the thing. OS 3 supports tethered internet both over USB and bluetooth. BUT Apple has given the power to enable it to the carriers through a carrier settings update. Now, etisalat are very happy for you to use your mobile as a modem, but it might take them a bit of time to release a settings update. So I'm pretty impatient, and with the help of 9to5 and Cruchgear, and a bit of trial and error, I managed to make and install a modified etisalat carrier settings file and install it on my iphone 3G.

I've attached a zip containing the original, unmodified etisalat .ipcc file, and the modified I created with tethering to this post, and in case anyone would like to try this here's a quick walkthrough:

WARNING
This should not damage your phone in any way, but if you mess it up you may have to revert your data settings to the original file i supplied or worst case call 101 and ask them to send you the data settings file by sms. Remember the APN is etisalat.ae! Anyway you can easily reverse any changes you do. But don't blame me - you have been warned!

1. Update to iPhone OS 3.0. Doh!
2. Download the "Etisalat settings.zip" file I attached to this post. When you open it you will have a folder containing the original and the modified .ipcc files.
3. The latest version of iTunes will no longer allow you to upload a carrier settings file manually. So first you will have to re-enable "Carrier testing" mode in iTunes by quiting iTunes, opening Terminal and copypasting the following line into terminal:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes carrier-testing -bool TRUE
then press return, and open iTunes.
4. Plug in your iPhone. Cancel or complete iPhone sync. Hold down the Option key and click on "Check for Update." Locate "Etisalat_ae.ipcc" from the zip file you downloaded and install it. Restart your phone. (Not sure if it's necessary to restart, but might as well)

That's it! Now you have to open bluetooth on your mac and pair it with your iPhone. This will add a couple of services to Network control panel for bluetooth and USB tethering. You should be up and running.

If you want to open my modded file or the original I supplied you can use PlistEdit Pro from Apple. You will have to change the filetype of the .ipcc to .zip, and open the zip in order to access the plist files, and then change the filetype back to .ipcc afterwards. To do this:

1. Add .zip to the end of the filename. Confirm you want to change the filetype to .zip. Open the zip file. You will see a folder called "Payload" containing "Etisalat_ae.bundle".
2. Right-click and select "Show package contents." Now you can edit all the .plist files using PlistEdit.
3. When you are done, save and close the files, and right click "Payload" and select "Compress Payload".
4. Select the "Payload.zip" file and press command-I (get info) change the filetype from .zip to .ipcc.
5. Congratulations! Use Option-click "Check for Update" in iTunes to install your modified carrier settings file.

If you mess things up don't panic, just install the original unmodified file i included here.

Since I started writing this up I found a website help.BenM.at If you visit this site on your iPhone they can email you the carrier settings file to your iPhone email account directly. I've submitted the etisalat settings to them and hopefully they will have a file for us very soon!

If you use du, and you want to set up tethering please let me know. I will need some help from you to make a du settings file.

And oh, if anyone has any suggestions I'm glad to hear them.

Update by admin: On gierran's request I've replaced the carrier update file with a more recent version.

[Magnus]

Wow, looking forward to trying that

[bushako]

Hey congrats, im glad you were able to work things out, im still updating the fimware.

[ksabek]

thnx man it works perfectly!!!
im wondering about something, i travel a lot mainly to Bahrain and I was wondering if i could fix the tethering over there, but i need to update my carrier settings, u think is there a way?!
thank u once again

[bushako]

Yaw! I finally got it working. So here's the thing. OS 3 supports tethered internet both over USB and bluetooth. BUT Apple has given the power to enable it to the carriers through a carrier settings update. Now, etisalat are very happy for you to use your mobile as a modem, but it might take them a bit of time to release a settings update. So I'm pretty impatient, and with the help of 9to5 and Cruchgear, and a bit of trial and error, I managed to make and install a modified etisalat carrier settings file and install it on my iphone 3G.

I've attached a zip containing the original, unmodified etisalat .ipcc file, and the modified I created with tethering to this post, and in case anyone would like to try this here's a quick walkthrough:

WARNING
This should not damage your phone in any way, but if you mess it up you may have to revert your data settings to the original file i supplied or worst case call 101 and ask them to send you the data settings file by sms. Remember the APN is etisalat.ae! Anyway you can easily reverse any changes you do. But don't blame me - you have been warned!

1. Update to iPhone OS 3.0. Doh!
2. Download the "Etisalat settings.zip" file I attached to this post. When you open it you will have a folder containing the original and the modified .ipcc files.
3. The latest version of iTunes will no longer allow you to upload a carrier settings file manually. So first you will have to re-enable "Carrier testing" mode in iTunes by quiting iTunes, opening Terminal and copypasting the following line into terminal:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes carrier-testing -bool TRUE
then press return, and open iTunes.
4. Plug in your iPhone. Cancel or complete iPhone sync. Hold down the Option key and click on "Check for Update." Locate "Etisalat_ae.ipcc" from the zip file you downloaded and install it. Restart your phone. (Not sure if it's necessary to restart, but might as well)

That's it! Now you have to open bluetooth on your mac and pair it with your iPhone. This will add a couple of services to Network control panel for bluetooth and USB tethering. You should be up and running.

If you want to open my modded file or the original I supplied you can use PlistEdit Pro from Apple. You will have to change the filetype of the .ipcc to .zip, and open the zip in order to access the plist files, and then change the filetype back to .ipcc afterwards. To do this:

1. Add .zip to the end of the filename. Confirm you want to change the filetype to .zip. Open the zip file. You will see a folder called "Payload" containing "Etisalat_ae.bundle".
2. Right-click and select "Show package contents." Now you can edit all the .plist files using PlistEdit.
3. When you are done, save and close the files, and right click "Payload" and select "Compress Payload".
4. Select the "Payload.zip" file and press command-I (get info) change the filetype from .zip to .ipcc.
5. Congratulations! Use Option-click "Check for Update" in iTunes to install your modified carrier settings file.

If you mess things up don't panic, just install the original unmodified file i included here.

Since I started writing this up I found a website help.BenM.at If you visit this site on your iPhone they can email you the carrier settings file to your iPhone email account directly. I've submitted the etisalat settings to them and hopefully they will have a file for us very soon!

If you use du, and you want to set up tethering please let me know. I will need some help from you to make a du settings file.

And oh, if anyone has any suggestions I'm glad to hear them.

Do you have a tutorial for PC users? i dont have mac so no can do with terminal. Maybe manually modify the itune files?

[Magnus]

Updated, followed your instructions, got it to work. Not over Bluetooth though (yet) but with USB. Will get back to fiddling with Bluetooth later.

This is on an Etisalat iPhone 3G. Pretty cool.

[gierran]

@ksabek The .ipcc file comes from your carrier and contains a lot of settings for your phone, incl emergency numbers, MMS, and a services menu. I noticed it even has space for a gif file when your carrier can put their own logo (the etisalat gif is empty, but I may try and put my own pic in there) I just found WinX Blog has updated his app last night to include the terminal hack. You can try his app to see if he already has your bahrain carrier. Or visit help.BenM.at using safari on your iPhone and see if they have your settings. Otherwise you will have to find an .ipcc file and either edit it yourself, or send it to me and I'll be glad to modify it - you'll have to give me your carrier MMS and APN details tho.

@bushako Sorry no idea about how to activate "carrier testing" mode on the latest PC iTunes. I can only suggest you downgrade to iTunes 8.2 Beta10 which has it enabled by default. Or just borrow someone's mac for a few mins! I'm sure someone will release a crack for PC iTunes in the coming days, too.

@Magnus Yeah Bluetooth on os 3.0 seems sketchy tbh, half the time I can't even get it to pair properly. Maybe this will be fixed with Snow Leper... Other than the cool factor not much point in bluetooth tethering anyway - must chew the battery like chewbacca. Not even sure if it charges when tethered via USB yet - haven't wanted to blow my money on 3g when i have perfectly good wireless at home.

Oh also, I think the tethering also works for wireless networks as well as 3g. I switched off 3g on my phone and it still shows the wireless icon, rather than the E for Edge, and I can still use tethering. Pretty cool. Anyone going to the meet 4pm fri? Thought I might come along and see if someone can help me get a du .ipcc to mod.

[Magnus]

Oh also, I think the tethering also works for wireless networks as well as 3g. I switched off 3g on my phone and it still shows the wireless icon, rather than the E for Edge, and I can still use tethering. Pretty cool. Anyone going to the meet 4pm fri? Thought I might come along and see if someone can help me get a du .ipcc to mod.

Sure, I know a few that'll be there. I'll send out email later today reminding people

[fangpyre]

I noticed it even has space for a gif file when your carrier can put their own logo (the etisalat gif is empty, but I may try and put my own pic in there)

Dicer999 posted Etisalat logos.
I'm not sure he made them.
You can use those.

[fangpyre]

I have added the logo to gierran's attachment.
@gierran, Can you please update this file at help.BenM.at

Note: I didn't try this file, as I have the original iPhone.