How to manually configure packet data (GPRS/EDGE/3G/4G) on your android phone?

Most of the time, your telecommunication service provider will run an application that can automatically push packet data settings (APNs, Proxy IP and Port, username, password, MCC, MNC, Authentication type, APN type) to your phone and this application is smart enough to know when you have changed your SIM card to a new phone and will send you new settings. But what if this doesn't happen? Well, configuring packet data on your android phone is not rocket science! And this is what you have to do:

1. Menu
2. Settings
   

   

   Settings

3. Wireless and Networks
4. Scroll down to “Mobile networks” (set options for roaming, networks, APNs).
   

   

   Select Mobile networks

5. Tick “Use packet data”
6. Select “Access Point Names”
   

   

   Select "Access Point Names"

7. Click the "Options"  button on your phone and Select “New APN”
   

   

   Android Options Button

   * Name: can be anything (for example your service provider's name! I will call mine “mtn internet”.)
   * APN: you need to know your service provider's APN (Access Point Names). You can search your service provider's website or call the customer care. Mine is “yellopix.mtn.co.ug” and I got it by searching the mtn website.
   * Proxy: usually smart phones don't need to send their traffic through proxies (WAP Proxies) so you can leave this blank.
   * Port: it's for the WAP proxy above, so leave this blank as well.
   * Username: leave this blank (most telecos don't implement authentication by this method)
   * Password: leave this blank.
   * Server: blank
   * MMSC: we don't need this for internet! It's necessary if you intend to use this APN for sending Multimedia Messages (Picture Messages from your phone.)
   * MMS Proxy: not required for internet!
   * MMS port: blank
   * MCC: This will already be automatically filled and the phone learns it from your SIM card.
   * MNC: This is also automatically filled and is learnt from your SIM card.
   * Authentication type: none
   * APN type: internet
   
   
8. Click the "Options"  button again and hit “Save”.
   

   

   Save your APN settings

9. Your new APN will appear in the APNs list with the name that you choose in bullet 7 (above).
10. Select your new APN using the radio button next to it.
    

    
11. That's it, navigate to your phone browse and test your connection.

Have fun and leave a comment if you have any questions!