topic Re: Please explain: Profiles & Access Point Names in Archived Posts

Please explain: Profiles & Access Point Names

mobicycle — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 15:53:52 GMT

Please explain possible use cases for profiles on the 4GEE Router.

Who tends to use the Profile Management tool?
Who tends to use Access Point Names?
What are the pros and cons?

Per the user manual on page 23:

Profile Management

Profile Management allows you to set up a new APN profile or edit/delete existing profiles that have been created.

Re: Please explain: Profiles & Access Point Names

XRaySpeX — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 16:00:08 GMT

They're really the same thing. It just that:

Mobile phones tend to call them APNs.
Mobile routers tend to call them Profiles.

Re: Please explain: Profiles & Access Point Names

mobicycle — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 16:04:55 GMT

Why should anyone create a Profile /APN?

Re: Please explain: Profiles & Access Point Names

XRaySpeX — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 16:35:30 GMT

A Profile/APN is always present. Its main purpose is to auto set the parameters needed to connect to your chosen mobile network.

The most popular change to it I've seen is to choose or override the setting for IPv4, IPv6 or both.

Re: Please explain: Profiles & Access Point Names

EssexBoyEE — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 19:24:38 GMT

You would need to change or create a new APN if you were to change your Mobile Network Provider or sometimes if your change your SIM Plan on the same Network.

EE tend to use the same APN for all there SIM Plan types "everywhere" but for example Vodafone use different APNs for PAYG, Contract and Mobile Broadband.

APNs are part of a International Data Gateway Address which were developed within GSM 2G era for 2.5G GPRS, idea then was to introduce an Always On (Always Connected) Data connection to a Packet Switched Network rather than send Fax or Data over a Voice Network, so effectively ISDN for the Mobile Network. APN is also used as an Identifier which was important part of using Data whilst Roaming Abroad on different Networks.

In the early days, GPRS Mobile Data was designed to connect to all sorts of Stuff, other ISDNs, Different Data Networks, Banks, Finiancial, Secure Servers etc or just another GPRS Mobile on the other side of the Planet, but as it's mainly used for normal Internet Access now, most Phone Manafactures just put Global Settings in the Phones Firmware now which should in theory Auto configure your APN Settings for you when you insert your Network SIM.

Probably also worth pointing out that whilst you shouldn't need to change your APN Settings or a Routers Profile that contains the APN Settings you probably won't be able to if the Device is Network Locked or Network Firmware Restricted.

Re: Please explain: Profiles & Access Point Names

XRaySpeX — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 21:35:41 GMT

@EssexBoyEE wrote:

You would need to change or create a new APN if you were to change your Mobile Network Provider

Usually you don't need to as it is auto populated upon 1st connecting to a fresh network.