APN (Access Point Name) is the point where a mobile device can enter an IP network. Vodafone offers a public APN, letting all customers access the internet, and private APNs for direct access to a company LAN. Private APN settings can be customised to authenticate users and even to provide monitored internet access via the company’s web proxy.

A mobile device connects to Vodafone’s 3G or GPRS network by setting up a PDP (Packet Data Protocol) context. After this happens, an APN is chosen according to the settings in the mobile device and the SIM card. Next, the chosen APN is used to query Vodafone’s DNS (Domain Name Server) server. This process gives the IP address of a GGSN (GPRS Gateway Support Node), allowing the PDP connection to be activated.

All Vodafone UK SIM cards are set up to use a public access APN named ‘Internet’. This, as the name suggests, will provide an internet connection. We can supplement or replace the public APN settings with a private APN exclusively for your organisation.

If you want to know more about APNs, or you need technical support, please click on Contact Vodafone below.

Alternatively, if you’re already a Vodafone customer, you can also call your Account Manager.