Just a quick question for a HTC desire novice! What settings do I need to have to stop me getting roaming charges if I use the internet when I'm out and about?
At home I use my wireless connection but it if I use the internet outside of that range I seem to be incurring charges which never happened with my old phone.which settings do I use so that I just use my allowance (unlimited internet) rather than getting charged?
Thanks

Settings > Wireless and Networks > Mobile Networks > Data Roaming

One thing I have also found useful is a widget called "stats", it will tell you the usage of calls and texts but more crucially how much data you have used on both 3g and WiFi, you can also set it to warn you about usage so say you have a 500MB plan in place you can set it to warn you at say 450MB (this is how I have it) so you know when you are nearly running out and you know where you are up to. Not sure if this is exaclty what you are after but it is worth having IMO.

I have got a meter widget telling me of my use but having checked my usage online at my 3 I have incurred extra charges. Now I know what some of it (texting my friend in Australia) but not the rest. All I can think it is is roaming charges which I never had on my old phone and i could access the internet at anytime on that!
What I don't get is what IS data roaming - and do I need it on and why when switching it off do I still have a 'R' at the top right of the screen when I thought it stood for roaming? And why am I getting charged even though I am no where near my limit?
The charges are not much btw but I don't want to have extra costs each month when all that is wrong is that I'm a thickie who has her settings wrong!

The R above the signal meter indicates roaming i.e. you're not on your network. It will still show that even when you disable data roaming as long as your account supports phine call roaming. I'd also guess that you'd still get roaming charges for phone calls and texts etc on the bill

Are you actually away from home as it were? If you have a UK phone contract and are in the UK, you should not be seeing the R at all. I get it when I'm working in Dublin or Mumbai

I see the 'R' symbol on mine from time to time when I pull the phone out of my pocket, but as far as I know it just means that it is outside a 3G signal area and it is using a different network for 2G calls. I'm on 3, and I believe it roams to Orange for 2G if required.

Regarding the OP's question, the 'unlimited internet' allowance of (say) 500 MB applies to the data you use when not conncted via WiFi, i.e. the over-the-air data. Not really 'roaming charges'. If you are being charged for exceeding that then the earlier advice about installing one of the metering apps is good. I use one called 3G Watchdog, which shows that I've used about 7% of the nominal 500MB I set it to, over nearly a full month.

What does it actually say on your bill ?

I'm at home in the UK when the 'R' is on (and its on now even though I have turned off data roaming). Only had the phone a week and never got any additional charges when using my old phone.
I haven't had the bill yet. All I have done is check my useage on 'my 3' and it indicates there are extra charges. I have sent only one text to Australia so not sure what the rest is for. I will have to wait for the bill to see what these charges are for but I can only think that they are for roaming??

I'm sorry for being so thick but what exactly is roaming/data roaming and how does it incurr extra charges?

As I keep saying - my old phone was always 'internet ready' and I suppose used to 'roam' to an available network but I never got any of these charges......help!!

Roaming is connecting to another network than yours, to make or receive calls, data roaming is the same thing just for the internet, news feeds, email etc.


Ah this could explain the difference, I'm with vodafone so both my 3G & 2G will come from the same network. This might explain why i only see roaming when out of the country

Simplest thing would be to give your service provider customer supprt a call to find out.