Palm Treo 680 communication error, can't download

[gkouril]

Until a week ago, I was able to check my gmail, use google and other bookmarks from my phone.  All of a sudden, I get the message "Communication error" "Page download could not be completed. Please try again later"  It hasn't worked since.  Funny that facebook, messaging, phone all still work.  What has changed?  Is it AT&T? is it the phone?  I hotsynch with my work pc from outlook, and have had problems with it erasing my contacts and calendar since July or so, but it is usually corrected when I do have a successful hotsynch.  Anyone have a solution for this?  I've checked the boards and don't find anything, altho there are a lot of people out there having calendar and contact synching problems. Thanks!

[shenanigans]

Have you tried a simple power cycle? Just removing and replacing the battery? That can fix a massive number of issues.

[deratristar]

This happened to me more than once on my Treo 680. Either the battery removal trick, or bringing up the MediaNet web page would usually cause it to start behaving again. I never had to do a hard reset to get it to go away.

[ZX14]

I'm having the EXACT SAME ISSUE.  I've done the battery removal thing and a ton of other stuff and I can't get it fixed.

Something must have changed on the AT&T side.

Someone from AT&T please help!!! 

[mokume]

I've also been having this problem for about a week now. Anybody figure out a fix?

[mokume]

I just spent far too long on the phone with ATT. My rep, at least, has zero idea what's going on with this and ultimately told me to do a "master reboot" which at the moment I'm not willing to do.

For the record, I can connect and get online. All apps that utilize the internet work fine. It's only when I try to load a page in blazer do I get the error the OP mentions.  I've had the happen occasionally over the years but would try again later and it would work fine. I've not been able to access webpages for a solid week now so there is something bigger going on.

Message Edited by mokume on 12-24-2009 10:01:09 AM

[ZX14]

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mokume wrote:

. . .For the record, I can connect and get online. All apps that utilize the internet work fine. It's only when I try to load a page in blazer do I get the error the OP mentions.  I've had the happen occasionally over the years but would try again later and it would work fine. I've not been able to access webpages for a solid week now so there is something bigger going on.

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mokume's description of the problem is the EXACT description of the issues that I'm having.

I've had a "Treo" since the old Handspring Visor Phone, on T-Mobile and AT&T/Cingular over the years and I have to say that unless you can get to a 2nd level support person at AT&T, their support is worthless when it comes to DATA.

But, since we have multiple people with the same problem, I dare say in different parts of the AT&T network, there must be a widespread issue on that network.

So, AT&T, if you're monitoring these boards, please address the issue. 

I have 3 lines with AT&T; an iPhone, the line that this Treo is on with a smartphone plan, and a non-smartphone line. 

I'm about to the point where I'm going to drop the smartphone plan on that line and just use a standard phone on that number.

There's no need to pay that additional $30 a month for a service that doesn't work.

Oh, and a "Hard Reset" is not going to resolve this issue, so don't waste your time doing one and then having to reinstall all of your apps that don't backup properly, etc.  I've tried it and it had ZERO effect on the issue.  This seems clearly to be an AT&T issue that they need to fix ASAP.

Message Edited by ZX14 on 12-24-2009 12:21:44 PM

[ZX14]

Here's a new wrinkle.  I can access yahoo.com, it works fine.  But I can't access any other website.

Why would I be able to access Yahoo! but nothing else?

Can you guys access yahoo.com?

[gkouril]

I figured out a way to get to my gmail and other sites that give me the same message "page download..." I back up to the url and add an "s" to the "http://"  or https:// and then send it again, and that seems to get me where I want to go, but it is a real pain, and I can't bookmark the https url and reuse it.  The other problem that started around the same time is trouble synchronizing my calendar using outlook...it erases my calendar and contacts ont my treo. I have to re-synch several times. One day i spend 90 minutes until I gave up, and then the next day when I tried again, my calendar and contacts were perfectly reinstalled and sychronized.  What gives?  Anyway, maybe adding an "s" will help some of you.

[mokume]

@ZX14: Yahoo.com does work for me. Unfortunately, I have no need to go there. And about the hard reset... yeah I had no intention of complying with that request from the rep. I'm surprised I entertained any of her attempts at fixing the problem when they revolved around my phone itself... which I know isn't the problem. I told her several times there were others having the same problem and it's def on the ATT side of things... not on my phone. That didn't stop her from rattling off everything from her flip chart..

@gkouril: Adding the secure designation onto the http does indeed allow me to get to the few sites I just tested. Trouble is once I try to login anywhere... the login script usually shoots you to another page and if it's a standard http page.... I get the error we've been talking about at that point.

[jackh17]

Having same problem with browser as noted by others. Was able to get to yahoo.com, but none of my normal pages. Went through all network setting with tech support and stopped short of hard reset - would prefer to avoid that.

My wife has the same phone with the same problem - two diffeent accounts.

On the phone now with support again today.... insisting that I do a master reset, or call palm support.

[jackh17]

Good news. Got it working by installing a software update from palm. ATT support sent me the link below. Since my phone had an older version of software, I went ahead with the update and the browser seems to be working fine. See www.palm.com/680criticalupate

[jackh17]

sorry for the typo - www.palm.com/680criticalupdate

[ZX14]

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jackh17 wrote:
sorry for the typo - www.palm.com/680criticalupdate

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That's great if you have an AT&T/Cingular branded phone, but I have an UNLOCKED, Palm branded phone that uses the ROW (Rest of World) firmware.

I thought about trying the AT&T update but the installation notes for the AT&T firmware says not to install it on a ROW phone and I have the latest ROW firmware.

So, I'm still screwed.

Has anyone tried installing the AT&T firmware on a ROW phone?

Message Edited by ZX14 on 12-28-2009 11:23:52 AM

[mokume]

Anybody else try the update mentioned?

I was really trying not to do a hard reset... which this update requires. I have so many 3rd party apps it's a major pain to get them all re-activated/registered and whatnot.

[alingelb]

I was able to work around this problem by using the Opera browser - not quite the same experience as Blazer, it's bigger & slower, but web access is once again working.  I don't think any of the following downloads have been blessed by Treo or AT&T.  What I did:

1. Download Java Virtual Machine (JVM) from http://downloads.palmone.com/WEME571.zip to my computer.  (Thanks to http://tamspalm.tamoggemon.com/2008/01/07/hope-youve-got-your-jvm for the link).
2. Unpackage this zip archive and sync the following files to the Treo:
        WEME571JVM\JVM\ARM4T\J9JavaVMMidp20.prc
        WEME571JVM\JVM\ARM4T\JavaVMCheck_enUS.prc
3. Download the Opera browser package from http://mini.opera.com/global/opera-mini-4.2.14912-advanced-en-us.prc?no_lang_redirect=1 to my computer.  (Found via google -> http://www.tecnodir.com/Buscar/java-jblend--motorola-q.html).
4. Sync the file to the Treo.
5. Click on the new Opera icon.  It should launch the browser.

For all I know, one could do the downloads all at once and sync once, but this is what I did and it worked for me.

In my (so far brief) acclimation to Opera, it seems that one must exit it explicitly, as opposed to just clicking on another button (e.g. home, calendar) to navigate away from it.  Once I did navigate away by starting a file download, and the phone eventually crashed and required a soft reboot (remove/replace battery).  So, it doesn't seem to be an ideal replacement for Blazer, but it does act as a basic work-around to Blazer.

PS - My hardware is an unlocked GSM Treo 680, running Firmware: R01.92 & Software: Treo680-1.12-ROW (from phone->Options->Phone info)

Message Edited by alingelb on 01-01-2010 03:10:37 PM

[peegeenyc]

same problem here, and have been trying everything till I can, till I found people on this forum with same exact issue.

mine is also an unlocked Palm ROW phone, so I cant use the ATT critical update patch either.

its definitely something that ATT have changed that we are all suddenly unable to use the blazer browser.

I CAN get my email and Google Maps, so the web connection is fine, but something is denying Blazer the right to download pages - some security fix at ATT or ? 

very frustrating.

am going to try re-installing the ROW patch that Palm released for 680 in 2008. will see what that does. 

Message Edited by peegeenyc on 01-01-2010 04:52:52 PM

[peegeenyc]

nope re-installing the ROW patch did nothing.

its very odd - like others have noticed I can access https sites (secure sites) like google voice or whatever.

it seems just regular HTTP web pages cannot be called up.

hold on:

OH DANG I just fixed it!

yes like someone suggests above (duh) go into Blazer>Preferences>Advanced>Set Proxy> uncheck both (only one was checked in mine)

now it works just like it used to

what did ATT do to their proxy settings that made us all have this issue?! 

Message Edited by peegeenyc on 01-01-2010 05:15:10 PM

[mokume]

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go into Blazer>Preferences>Advanced>Set Proxy> uncheck both (only one was checked in mine)

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This just worked for me!

Thank you!

[gkouril · Accepted solution]

go into Blazer>Preferences>Advanced>Set Proxy> uncheck both (only one was checked in mine)

Worked for me too. Thanks for the collective knowledge leading to a fix!  

[peegeenyc]

yeah, but what did ATT do that triggered all of us having this problem suddenly in the last 2 weeks, after years of reliable service?

I doubt we'll ever be told, but they definitely switched some setting. 

[bonneydos]

I had the same experience; I've had my 680 for several years and on 12/31, I began getting the same mesage when trying to open a web page.  Email and texting were working great.  I spent 45 minutes with ATT tech support on 1/4, and nothing helped.  the tech said he didn't have any idea what else to do and strongly urged me to do a hard reset, which I wasn't willing to do.  I registered for this forum just tonight and in less than 5 minutes problem solved.  Thanks so much! 

[swieder]

Thanks for the tip. I have an unlocked 680 running on AT&T.  Had the same problem for weeks.  Thanks for the tip on unchecking the PROXY box.  That fixed it for me.

[santod]

You guys are the best. I just lost almost 4 hours trying to solve this. AT&T store: clueless. Palm tech support: clueless. They almost charged me money!. I'm doing a reverse sync now to try to re-establish my things back on to my phone because I had to try a hard reset previously. How could AT&T be so clueless. They tried to sell me an iPhone!

[rounds1000]

I too started having this problem back in here in the Midwest in Nov 2009 after years of reliable service.  Like others, I have three lines and use an UNLOCKED Treo 680... tried all the reset recommendations and was even told that I might need a replacement SIM card.  Spent several days and hours on the phone w/AT&T (as well as Palm) technicians without success.  I "stumbled" on the fix myself by unchecking the proxy boxes... and all worked well.  I was curious one day to see if AT&T may have fixed their proxy setting and I went back and checked the "Use default carrier proxy" box and it's been working fine since mid Dec 2009.  Now the problem started all over again this week.  Waiting to see how long it takes for AT&T to tweek their proxy setting.  

[syklein13]

Thank you very much!!! This was driving me crazy. I wish ATT could have notified us through a text message or something that there was a change to the network (proxy) settings. Thanks everyone who figured this out.

[rdlc87]

Thanks so much!!! Those AT&t trolls don't know a single way in order to help you! This fixed  it! Prreeesh!!!

[trwichman]

Solved the internet connect issue on my Treo680.  Thanks.  Still no Media Net connect to default home page however using http://home.

[steure]

Just got a new unlocked 680 from ebay - had the above problem.... you are the greatest.  THANKS!!!!!!!!!

[rwoot]

I realize this is an older post, however, I went back to using a Palm Treo 680 as my second phone. Your advice totally got me up and running again. Thank You so much! Rhett 02/19/2012 I unchecked both proxy boxes. Thank You (peegeenyc)