Internet Problems (Edge) on Nokia Navigator 6210 with Airtel Mobile Office in Delhi, India

I have a Nokia 6210 phone bought from an authorized Nokia Care Center in Delhi two weeks ago.  The software version on the phone is 3.08 dated 11-June 2008. It also mentions custom version as 03.08.c00.01

I am an Airtel Prepaid customer in New Delhi, India and had been using Mobile Office service on my prepaid number for some time. It worked perfectly fine for my Nokia 6233. On my current Nokia 6210 the Internet connection works fine for the first time through the built in browser or though any other application (like Google Maps, Gmail etc) which required internet and displays the sign  signifying that the edge connection is active.

 

The problem is that once I close the application the standby sign for Edge network is displayed as follows and no matter what I am unable to use the internet connection on the phone until I do the following

1. Restart the phone (which definitely isn’t a good option)
2. Wait for around 8-10 minutes after which the Edge on hold sign disappears and is replaced by  which means that the edge is available
3. I found this out accidentally, but if I press the keys *123# which I typically use for enquiring balance, the on hold sign goes away and is replaced by the Edge available sign.

 Not sure where the problem is. I really doubt it’s got to do something with Airtel as the same number worked perfectly fine with my previous Nokia phone in the same area. In addition my wife’s phone (again an Airtel prepaid number) is working great in the same area. So either this has got to do something with the handset or the compatibility of the handset with the Airtel, New Delhi.

 

I have tried various sets of setting from the following sources

1. The wizard in built in the handset
2. Getting the settings from the Nokia site
3. Getttng the settings from Airtel Customer Care

 

But with all of them I am facing the same set of problems.

 Anybody out there facing similar problems or have any suggestions for the same?

Update 22nd April 2009

This most likely looks like a problem with Airtel or compatibility issue between Airtel and this handset. The reason i say so is that recently Airtel has also launched daily plan for mobile office with the following tarrfis. You can view this menu by keying in the following *567# and pressing the dial button and choosing to activate internet (if you get an message that mobile office is already activated, deactivate it once and then activate it again)

1. Rs 10 per day for 3 MB
   
2. Rs 20 per day for 8 MB
   
3. Additional data for the above to be charged at 20 paise for 50 kb.
   

Already existing plan 30 paisa for 50 kb

Once I migrated to plan 1 or 2 above the problem ceased to exist. So this means once the internet connection is stopped and i get an update form Airtel regarding the balance in my prepaid account, that seems to be the root cause of this issue. As this thing does not occur with Plan 1 and Plan 2, the problems do not exist there. 

Any ideas anyone?