So Vodafone supply the Nokia N900 without the ability to perform MMS messaging... Check out the Vodafone docs on the subject here. That's right, one of the most advanced phones on the market today and it doesn't support MMS capabilities; or does it...
I've put together a step by step guide to getting up and running with MMS on the N900 as there doesn't seem to be a one stop shop for all this information on the Internet. It's all out there but takes an hour or two to collate and make sense of so I've distilled it down to a single set of instructions...
How to get things up and running
The first thing that you need to do on the Vodafone install of the N900 is add in the repository settings for the maemo.org extras repository to get all the extra goodies that you'll need to install MMS functionality on your phone. You do this by navigating through to the Application Manager and selecting Application Catalogues.
In the Application Catalogues manager you can enable the maemo.org catalogue for starters and then click on the "New" button to add another catalogue into the phone, the settings for which are:
Catalogue name: maemo.org extras
Web Address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-devel/
Distribution: <leave blank>
Components: free non-free
Installing the apps for MMS
Once you have the Catalogues configured and enabled let Application Manager refresh itself and then hit the "Download" icon.Choose the "Search" option and "fAPN". Download and install it.
Choose the "Search" option again and this time search for "fMMS". Download and install it.
Configuring the N900 for MMS
Now we have the fAPN and fMMS application installed, we need to configure the settings for Vodafone.Firstly, open the "fAPN" application and create the following APN profiles by clicking on the "Add new APN" button.
Create "Vodafone MMS" and "Vodafone Internet" and then using the fAPN "Internet Connections" button, modify the two newly created APN profiles to suit.
Vodafone MMS APN settings
Enter the following settings for the Vodafone MMS APN profile you've created:Access point name: wap.vodafone.co.uk
Username: wap
Password: wap
Prompt password at every login: off
Hit "Next" and then "Advanced".
Check the "Use Proxy" tick box and then enter the following details into the HTTP proxy:
HTTP Proxy: 212.183.137.12
Port: 8799
Hit "Save" and "Finish"
Vodafone Internet APN settings
Enter the following settings for the "Vodafone Internet" APN profile:Access point name: internet
User name: web
Password: web
Prompt password at every login: off
Hit "Next" and "Finish".
Configuring fMMS
Launch fMMS and choose the "Configuration" option.Choose "Vodafone MMS" for the APN.
Set the rest of the settings as follows:
MMSC: http://mms.vodafone.co.uk/servlets/mms
Resize image width: 300
Your phone number: <your phone number>
Hit "Save".
Sending an MMS
Click on the widget where your battery life is displayed and choose "Internet Connection". Select "Vodafone MMS". It's important that you do this when you use fMMS to both send and receive MMS messages otherwise, it won't work.Hit "New MMS" and compose your message, then hit the send icon.
If all the settings are present and correct and the mobile gods are smiling upon you, you should see "Message Sent" shortly thereafter. If not, review your settings and try again. I had a problem where I mis-typed a URL and kept receiving the 403 Access Denied page when testing. Fixing the typo sorted it.
Anyway I hope this helps other new N900 users out there. Happy picture messaging!
