How to fix your mobile APN connectivity problems

When you drop a new SIM into a mobile phone, tablet or laptop, what should happen is that the SIM card should hook into your mobile provider's network and pull down the settings it needs to work optimally on your carrier.

In many cases, all you need to do to enable your phone's calling, messaging and Internet features is drop in a new SIM, and possibly do a single reboot of the device to be up and running.

But what if it doesn't work? That's when you need to know the APN settings for your carrier, and how to apply them to a given device. We've listed the APN (and associated MMS and data settings) for each Australian carrier below, as well as how to apply them to a range of popular devices.

Apple iPhone/iPad users

Head to the Settings app, then to Cellular, then to Cellular Network. That's where you can enter or alter the existing APN information for your device. In some cases you may find these details blocked out by your carrier. In that case, your best bet would be to contact your carrier with your precise device type and problem, because if they're not going to let you fix the problem manually, it very much does come down to their support to do so.

Bear in mind that the ability to access mobile networks won't be present if you're using an iPad that only has Wi-Fi connectivity, because there's no facility to add a SIM card to those devices.

Android users

The exact naming varies a little by Android device type, but typically open up Settings, then Connections, then Mobile Networks and finally Access Point Names. From there you should be able to adjust the existing registered APNs as well as add new details as needed.

Australian APN settings

Like most matters relating to technology, accuracy is crucial, so correctly connecting involves adding the correct details in each case.

Telstra

Telstra's settings also apply to customers of Boost Mobile, although for other MVNOs on the Telstra Wholesale network, such as Woolworths Mobile or ALDImobile, see below.

Telstra also provides extensive support for getting mobile devices online from its own site.

Telstra MVNOs

Telstra's MVNO carriers, such as Woolworths Mobile, ALDImobile and others, use "parts" of the Telstra 3G and 4G network, and that means that different APN settings are required:

Optus

Optus advises that if you're using an iPhone or BlackBerry device you shouldn't need to adjust your APN settings as these are handled as part of the carrier setup process on any new device. For other devices, if you're having issues, check that your APN settings match the settings below:

Optus widely wholesales its network, which means that these APN settings may also apply to customers on other Optus-based services such as amaysim, although it's worth checking with your MVNO, as many advise that simply adding the APN name should be enough to enable Internet services.

Vodafone

Vodafone's APN settings vary a little depending on whether you're accessing via a smartphone or simply a feature phone.

If you're using a feature phone, your primary need for APN settings is to enable TXT/PXT features. Here are the details you need if your phone isn't working:

If your only concern is accessing PXT/MMS services, here are the details you'll need:

If you're using a Vodafone-supplied pocket Wi-Fi router device, the only setting you should need is the APN, which is live.vodafone.com.

Vodafone also provides a facility for APN settings to be automatically configured for many popular phones, which you can find here.

If you're on a Vodafone-based MVNO such as Kogan Mobile, those same APN settings will generally apply, but if you do hit trouble, it's worth checking directly with your carrier to see if there's a smaller tweak required to get your services up and running smoothly.

Still having trouble getting connected?

If you suspect the problem with your mobile connection lies with your provider, you may want to check out our guide to lodging a complaint with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

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