Roaming in italy (Puglia) not working on - Iphone5

[StuartJSR]

Hi, I am a recent O2 customer and using an IPhone5 - just plain "5".
I have a data allowance but was never able to utilise it in Italy.
I am now back in England, but whilst in Italy and when NOT using wifi connections my Internet connectivity never worked (I wanted it specifically for Safari, Google Maps and the Translate applications).
I did try to do a "Network Reset" as a final hope as was suggested in some posts I read, but this did not change anything.
I am a novice but just wanted it all to work seemlessly but it did not.
The message I got back when trying these functions via "roaming", with mobile data enabled  and having seelected a 3G option for voice and data was -"roughly" - "not connected to a data network"
Txt and calls worked ok, but never the internet connectivity required..
The functions did work via wifi options in my hotels.
ANY IDEAS PLEASE 

[Cleoriff]

Hi @StuartJSR 

You probably have the wrong data bolt on for abroad as you have an iPhone.

Before you go abroad again you need to call customer services and ask them to enable data for iPhone.
Whilst abroad, you can change your apn to "mobile.o2.co.uk" which will enable data abroad but will be wrong for the UK.... so with the correct data tariff and an APN of "idata.o2.co.uk" it should work correctly everywhere. 

[StuartJSR]

thanks, I will give O2 cust services a call, but I did notice that the Mobile data setting was "idata.o2.co.uk" as it is now whilst back in the UK.

[Cleoriff]

@StuartJSR 

It would have worked had you changed it to "mobile.o2.co.uk". then. Annoying this only happens with iPhones.

[StuartJSR]

Many Thanks ... I called O2 and they enabled the necessary (free) IPhone "bolt on". However they did not explain this needed me to "re-boot" the phone to enable, so I lost Internet access even over wifi!!, this was resolved after another O2 call ..
This should all be so simple and seems not ... maybe an age issue (don't answer!)..

When using "mobile data" is their a universal appn setting with the iphone "enabled" that works in the UK or EU and if so which one (idata.o2.co.uk or mobile.o2.co.uk) ? 

PS - Have also now learned that simply to send txts with photos, without special apps like "whatsapp" does not work without having "data" enabled and of course then uses your data allowance, BUT is also seperately chargeable as it constitutes an MMS,  (Multimedia Messaging Service), requirement, wherea apps like "whatsapp" still need "data" enabled, and use your "data" allowance, but are NOT additionally chargeable by O2!!
Learning I think ... but slowly !!!!! - thanks again. Please feel free to add any other observations, especially if I have this incorrect.

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

@StuartJSR 

As long as you have the idata bolt on you just use the idata apn everywhere. 
For help on MMS see thread here Guide: Accidental MMS Sending and How to Avoid it 

[Cleoriff]

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@MI5 wrote:

@StuartJSR 

As long as you have the idata bolt on you just use the idata apn everywhere. 
For help on MMS see thread here Guide: Accidental MMS Sending and How to Avoid it 

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Though the op clearly stated he DID have iData apn and it did NOT work when he was in Italy.

Hence my reponse had he changed it to "mobile.o2.co.uk" his phone would have worked?

[MI5]

The OP may well of had the apn set to idata but that wouldn’t work without the bolt on outside of the UK.
mobile.o2.co.uk should then work abroad but you will be changing apn again when back in UK so best just to have idata bolt on and use idata apn everywhere.