internet

Frequently Asked Questions (Technical)

What is Mobile Broadband?

Mobile broadband is high speed internet access without the need for a wired connection. Using Mobile Broadband users can connect to internet from arbitrary locations wirelessly.

What are UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA and HSPA+?

UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System.
UMTS is one of the emerging mobile phone technologies known as third-generation, or more usually 3G. Third-generation systems are designed to include such traditional phone tasks as calls, voice mail, and paging, but also new technology tasks like internet access, video, and text messaging. The word WCDMA is interchangeably used for UMTS.

HSDPA stands for High Speed Downlink Packet Access.

HSDPA provides faster mobile broadband, this means that you can access data services at speeds that are up to 14.4 Mbps though top speeds may vary depending on the deployment.

HSUPA stands for High Speed Uplink Packet Access and is an upgrade to UMTS-HSDPA to optimize uplink performance. It increases the speed you can upload data to your favourite internet sites. Uplink speed can be as high as 5.76 Mbps but this maximum value depending on the deployment.

3G+ or HSPA+ stands for High Speed Packet Access Plus and is also known as HSPA Evolution and Evolved HSPA. It improves the peak theoretical capacity of a site to 14.4Mbps and 21.6Mbps so that when this speed is shared amongst users everyone gets a higher average download speed. Under the HSPA+ coverage users can achieve theoretical uplink speed up to 5.76 Mbps.

What is the maximum speeds can I get in Etisalat Internet?

Our network support HSPA+. If a user have HSPA+ supporting device then they can use the network up to a theoretical maximum of 21.1 Mbps Downlink and 5.76 Mbps of Uplink. Please note that these maximum speeds depend on the number of other factors as well. (Eg. Number of users attached to the network at that particular time, Congestion on the carrier internet paths, signal strength received by the customer etc.)

Why it changes from WCDMA to HSPA and to HSDPA time to time?

As you know Mobile broadband is wireless technology which uses air interface as transmission medium. If there are any changes in the transmission medium then receiving signal strength varies so that the carrier technology. For an example serving tower changes these carrier technologies according to the

  • Tower utilization,
  • Radio condition
  • Distance from the tower
What happens when I move out of 3.75G Coverage?

When you move out of 3.75G coverage, you will be transferred seamlessly to GPRS or EDGE depending on the service availability of the base station you have been locked into, subject to handset configurations.

If I move from 3.75G coverage to GPRS coverage, what will happen to my data session?
The data sessions in progress will not be broken but you may feel a slower data speed available under EDGE or GPRS.

I experience good 3.75G reception during day time, but I can see only 2G during busy hours, why is it?

When number of users is getting increased, tower drops down its coverage radius to give good QoS to users, because of that you may get out of 3G coverage during busy hours.

How can I lock my Modem to 3.75G?

In modem application (Etisalat Connect Software) go to
Tools > Options> Network Mode > Select WCDMA only

What are the system requirements of a PC in order to support HSPA+ devices?

If one of the following Operating Systems is running in your computer, your computer is capable enough to support HSPA+ devices given by Etisalat.

(Note - Hardware in the PC should meet the recommended requirements for the installed OS version)

  • Windows XP SP2/SP3, Windows Vista SP1/SP2,Windows 7
  • MAC OS X 10.5 and 10.6 with latest upgrades
  • Linux - Ubuntu 8.10/8.04/7.10, openSuse 11.0/10.3, Fedora 10/9/7, Debian 4.0, Xandros 4.2
Also your computer should support following basic requirements
  • Display resolution 800*600 or above
  • Standard USB interface ( If HSPA+ device with USB connector)

Do I need a special SIM to connect 3G?

No you can use the same SIM as you used with 2G.

Do I need any Additional Mobile settings to access 3G in my mobile?

No, you can use the same GPRS settings for 3G as well.

The data usage is calculated for Downloading or Uploading or for both?

The data usage is calculated only for downloading.

How do I setup my mobile Broadband?

Set up is simple and easy! For Windows PCs, simply plug your device into your computer and follow the simple setup wizard. After the installation icon of Etisalat Connect application will be appeared in your desktop. Just double click it.
Wait until signal shows in down left corner of the application.
Then press connect button.

When I try to browse I am getting this error “The proxy server is refusing connections� why is that?

If you are using windows 7 operating system and Windows Explorer browser

  • Please go to Tools > Options > Genaral > Select Connection Type as RAS(Modem)
    or
    Please set no proxy in your proxy settings of browser and then try.