Cheapest way to run an Iphone in Libya (or at least use push e-mail)

Libyana is a far better operator than Madar, in terms of quality and price.  Just to give you an example, with Libyana you only pay for what you use, where as with Madar there is an expiry date regardless of whether you use the service or not.
The moment i got my iPhone i switched to Libyana and it is doing a better job at cheaper cost.
Perhaps your problem is with the settings of the devices that need to be adjusted for this environment.

Thanks, I thought as much. Shame I can't port my number, but I could probably setup call forwarding before moving to Libyana.

If you don't mind my asking, did you go through all of this rigmarole when setting yours up.

Cheers,

Kev

...no just changed sim card and i was connected...
cost-wise in order to stay connected here, it's very expensive :blink:compared to many other countries.
it's more of a luxury rather than a commodity.

I feel such a plonker.

The Libyana card just works without much mucking about. Stick in the APN (wap), and no user/password. Forget all about the proxy rubbish.

3G performence is noticalbly faster that the Madar Edge network and much better signal where I need it (Janzour, Ghoat Shael and Green Sq.)

I put LYD10 on yesterday and have been using it a lot today and still working like a dream.

Shame I can't setup call forwarding from the Madar number to the Libyana. *21*number# doesnt work, nor any of the phone divert functions.

Anyone know the Libyana equivalent of *111# on Madar (ie. check balance)?

Cheers

Kev.

Kev,

I'm thinking of going the Libyana route for my iPhone too. how is working out for you? i.e speed, reliability and cost.

Hi bareskillz,

So far so good with Libyana. The call quality isn't always as good as Madar but I nearly always have a 3G connection and 10D seems to last me well over a week with push mail activated.

Its .24 to call AlMadar from Libyana instead of .15 so I think I understand why the need to carry two phones for some people.

I decided to forward all calls from my old number using *21*number# and so far this is working well too.

Speed is somewhere between 100-120k so not exactly the claimed 3.6mb, but ok for the Iphone and mail access. Latency is around 290ms.

All in all not bad for the LYD5 outlay for the card.

Theres a trick to opening up 3G access, you need to send your phone ID (last part of your EMEI), to 1540 (or something like that - I'll check later).

BTW - If any of you have jailbroken your UK Iphones just to be able to use a foreign SIM card, you don't need to any more. Just ask O2 to carrier unlock it (for free on postpay and £15 on prepay). Takes 14 days, but then you can at least update your phone to IOS4 or whatever without fear of losing your unlock

Good luck.

Kev

Cheers for the quick reply!
I think that's the route I'll go then. at 0.02LYD/mb that's pretty reasonable. I think back in the UK I was using somewhere in the region of 250mb a month so it'll cost very little to run.

It'd be great if you could find out and post how to enable the 3G service.

I've applied to get my phone unlocked the legit way but I'm jailbroken anyway so I'm holding off on OS4 for the time being.

Thanks!

KevShepherd wrote:

Anyone know the Libyana equivalent of *111# on Madar (ie. check balance)?

1. dial 121
2. then press 2 (for balance inquiry)
3. press 2 again(for english version)

Thanks for that I hadn't tried this way, but *121# gives you your balance in Arabic and to 3 decimal places (ie. 20000 is LYD20).
Still very happy with the Libyana 3G but the phone network for voice calls is much worse tham Madar so it is worth keeping both going.

Cheers.

Kev.

I have both Al Madar and Libyana.

Searched a lot, experienced a lot, used both for internet.

This is the first time in my life to see that unit of pricing internet is "time". Madar calculates for how long you have been connected to the service (regardless of upload/download) What a logic... So it is 45 hours for a month for 10 LYD. Imagine that for push e-mails (always connected to the service waiting for an e-mail to be pushed)

Libyana offers two ways of connecting to internet:

1- With a 3g usb modem
2- Regular gprs

First option is a prepaid service (1 year contract for 335LYD and then 1 gig for 15LYD)

I am using the second option for push e-mails. I have a Samsung gt-b350 and it is pretty well keeping connected to the exchange server for 0.2 LYD for a 1 MB. That maybe quite expensive but very useful when you are away from office. It consumes something like 0,5~1LYD/day. Dont forget that you can always use your GSM phone as a modem to connect your laptop to internet via blueooth or usb-cable...

edit: Link for how to subscribe for internet of Libyana:

Really useful Post - Many Thanks guys

I am with Madar and if I understand you its 45 hours per month for 10 LYD regardless of whether you use the 45 hrs or not. So its essentially 10LYD per month charge for minimum use. I just can get a clear answer from Madar.

Need help on iPhone 3G that was purchased in the UK and jailbroken there. How to connect to Madar Internet? Thanks for your help.

Easy.
1) Top up at least LYD11
2) Send SMS to 8989 with text "GPRS"
3) After reply, send another text to 8990 with text "1"
4) set your apn to almadar.net in the settings>cellular data network

Sometimes a reboot is required on jailbroken phones.

It might be worth switching off push e-mail or your LYD11 will last 2 days.

It's a lot more hassle getting a Libyana SIM card (have to go in person with original Passport to a Libyana Service Center etc. etc.), but you then the benefits are;

1) You get 3G and Skype works a dream even call Intl numbers
2) It costs peanuts to run and its on data consumption
3) You don't need to keep sending those annoying 2 SMSs everytime you use up your 45 hours.

Good luck

Kev

Neil,

You may not have heard that if your phone was bought from O2 you can now get it carrier unlocked for free and then enjoy the benfits of IOS 4.01 and multitasking bu just performing a factory reset and loading the latest FW.

Actually its free if you were on contract and its £15 if you were on prepay. As Michael Cane would say... "not a lot of people know that"

...unless of course you have a lot of Cydia apps that you need and its not just for the carrier unlock.

Cheers.

Kev

hey all, I have a US iphone - anyone know how to unlock?
OS 4.0
5.12.1 firmaware

any help or advice is appreciated!

Hello all, 
I am heading back to the states for a month and am looking at getting a new BB 9800 Torch. Does anyone know if the Libyana sim card will work in it?

Thanks,
Bill

just beware all you BB users...the paranoid muzzie states are steadily banning BB services

Hi,

Blackberries work in Libya as dumb phones. No BES or BIS (or data roaming) working in Libya so I stopped using my Bold 9000 since its too big to carry around just for telephony use.
HTH.

Kev.

@ Wngnut13:
Blackberry phones will work with either Libyana or Almadar however services will be limited to basic call and sms functions.

You will not be able to get BIS/BES services as these 2 are network dependent and at the moment, both telcos here in Libya (Almadar and Libyana) does not have the capability/support to push the BB's to its limit.

On the plus side, BB's might work with Almadar for internet connectivity/email POP service.  Just tinker with the settings.

Thanks for the info.

hey guys, just wondering if anyone knows how to set up the iphone 4. i just bought one unlocked from the states, but the sim card here for Libyana and AlMaddar are quite strange. the gold chip is to long and thin. if anyone has got an iphone 4 here and has it working id love to hear about it. its quite annoying knowing i spent that much money on basically an ipod touch

thanks

Hi.

You'll need one of these Microsim adapter. With this device, you'll need to butcher your almadar or (better) libyana card to fit into the Iphone 4, then you can pop it into the adapter if you want to put it into a normal phone.

All the other info you need is in this thread for setting up the phone.

Good luck.

Have a look at the following links for a brief guide to self butchering your sim card!:

Video link

Link with Pics