[Q] Locking android to a SIM. - General Questions and Answers

I'm working on a project for work, one of the stipulations is being able to lock a single SIM card to a device - ie; if the phone is started up without the SIM it was provided with, it will refuse to start up unless the correct security (not SIM) code is entered, or the correct sim is put back in the phone.
We are currently doing this with nokia handsets with great success, but we're also looking for more customisable phones.
Soooo.... Is this possible with android? All i've found on my handset is weather or not my phone prompts me for the SIM PIN.
The reason for this is a large number of handsets we're being "lost" and we were a little suspect of how often some employees were "losing" their phones. After we started locking phones to SIMs, far (far far far) less devices were being lost...
If anyone could point me in the right direction, I'll gladly give you an internet high-five!

Related

[Q] DTMF problem when dialing D2G GSM

I have a D2G that I'm using an AT&T SIM in for GSM use only. The phone stays in GSM mode all the time.
I'm having an interesting issue with the way the phone detects that it has completed a call.
On a normal CDMA phone (my DX) after you dial a number and hit send, the "call timer" starts counting up as soon as the phone has connected to the network and the call starts ringing. If you want (though there would be little reason to do so) you can bring the dialpad back up and start sending DTMF tones even while the other end is still ringing (hasn't answered yet).
On the D2G in GSM mode (don't know about CDMA mode because I've not used this phone in CDMA mode) when you dial a call, the call timer doesn't start counting up until the phone senses that the other end has actually answered (receives a connect signal). While the line is ringing (before anybody answers) you can bring up the dialpad, but pressing keys does not send any tones. Once the called party answers, pressing keys then sends tones.
The problem comes when trying to dial into a conference bridge where you have to enter the bridgeline passcode, or while trying to use a calling card. Both these systems appear to not send the "connected" signal when they first answer. They wait until you get connected to the desired conference call, or until you've entered all the calling card information and are rung through to your ultimate target before sending the connected signal.
Since the D2G in GSM mode is actually waiting for this "connected" signal before starting the call timer, and since it won't allow you to send DTMF tones until the call timer starts, it is basically impossible to use a conference bridge or calling card.
I have tried numerous add-on dialers, but all hand off to the OEM phone/dialer app after initial dialing. I've tried add-on DTMF generators, but of course they just generate the tones locally (speaker) and not onto the ongoing call. I've been all through build.prop, etc. looking for a setting that would tell it not to wait for a connect signal to enable the "connected" behavior and not found anything.
Putting pauses or waits in the dial string doesn't work either because the phone doesn't even start "pausing" or "waiting" until it senses that it has connected (which doesn't happen before the other end gives up waiting for me to enter the code).
That's the really irritating part. When the conference bridge or calling card system gives up waiting and connects me to the thing that tells me my time to enter the codes has expired and it is going to hang up on me, then it sends the "connected" signal and I can enter all the tones I want on top of the "please call back when you can figure out how to use a phone" message.
I've had someone running a newer firmware test to see if they have this same behavior and they do. If anyone wants to see if they have the issue, they could call the Sprint calling card access number (800-366-2255) and you should find you can't enter any tones once it has answered. Again, this is on a D2G in GSM mode. I'd expect in CDMA mode it would work fine.
Possible avenues of resolution:
Make the phone treat the call as connected immediately instead of waiting for the other end to answer
Have an external app that can send DTMF tones on an active call (Google says that is a common desire that is generally not possible)
Somehow make the built-in dialer allow number presses to generate tones even if it doesn't think the other end has answered yet
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Are you trying to say you use the phone on AT&T in USA?
Try switching phone to GSM/UMTS in settings instead of 'global' I remember having some issues with ring back tone while in global mode using GSM network which went away once I switched to GSM/UMTS only.
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL
leobg said:
Are you trying to say you use the phone on AT&T in USA?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. Other than the undesirable behavior of the call progress timer, it works perfect. Although the data works great, I keep data disabled because on AT&T prepaid data costs like 1 cent per kilobyte. That doesn't seem like much until you think about 1024 kilobytes in a megabyte which means you're paying $10.24 per megabyte which is insane. Fortunately I can bring up 3G Mobile Hotspot on my DX (which has unlimited data) and tether my D2G through my DX and have full Internet. It sounds retarded, but the only time I use this setup is when I need my DX to do mobile VPN for work, and then use my D2G for voice calls. AT&T prepaid is only like $1.99 a day for unlimited voice and text, and you only pay on the days you use it (which is almost never for me).
leobg said:
Try switching phone to GSM/UMTS in settings instead of 'global' I remember having some issues with ring back tone while in global mode using GSM network which went away once I switched to GSM/UMTS only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion. Actually I was already in GSM/UMTS mode but tried switching it to "Global" mode. Unfortunately the behavior was the same.
Somehow I imagine if I trot down to the Verizon store to ask them about it they won't really be super inclined to help. I have considered trotting down to the AT&T store where I bought the prepaid SIM and seeing what they think. But I don't imagine it would be good for much other than the amusement of their confusion.
Droid 2 Global is configured so it doesn't get service with any GSM/UMTS provider located on the teritory of the United States of America. How is yours working on AT&T is really a huge surprise to me and many other members of this and other online forums.
This so called "band lock" (google for Droid 2 global band lock) can reportedly be circumvented, but there is no publicly available method to do it. Unless you got yours 'band unlocked', it is not supposed to get any service from neither AT&T nor T-Mobile. Or maybe you bought it from someone who was working on this 'band lock'
Could you share more info with us?
leobg said:
Droid 2 Global is configured so it doesn't get service with any GSM/UMTS provider located on the teritory of the United States of America. How is yours working on AT&T is really a huge surprise to me and many other members of this and other online forums.
This so called "band lock" (google for Droid 2 global band lock) can reportedly be circumvented, but there is no publicly available method to do it. Unless you got yours 'band unlocked', it is not supposed to get any service from neither AT&T nor T-Mobile. Or maybe you bought it from someone who was working on this 'band lock'
Could you share more info with us?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone has been unlocked with the TBH/DBU unlock. It is running 2.4.29 firmware and has to stay on 2.4.29 for the unlock to be preserved. The unwanted call progress behavior (the purpose of my original post) has been tested and confirmed on another phone running 2.4.330 so it's not a 2.4.29 issue. I'd bet that all of the Blur dialers probably do the same thing (disable tones after Send and until the call progress timer starts running). Just in CDMA mode the call progress timer starts running as soon as the call starts ringing and in GSM it waits for an actual connect signal. The D2G is truly like two complete phones in one, so seeing this type of disparity in behavior between the two different modes (I assume when in CDMA mode it would work just like all other CDMA models and not have the issue) isn't really surprising at all. I would expect that anybody who is using the GSM mode of their D2G would have this issue when dialing into a conference bridge or calling card provider where the "connect" signal is not given until after all of the secondary dialing has been completed. It would seem however that this issue would have come up before since I can't be the only person that works for a huge company and spends most of his day dialed into conference bridges for meetings (and might just want to dial into those meetings from his spiffy GSM phone).
I've been though the AOSP source for the phone/dialer before (when troubleshooting something else), so when I get a chance, I'll go through again and find the section where it enables and disables the tone sending. I'd guess it would be trivial to remove the part that disables tones during the period between Send and call-progress-timer-start, compile it, and just replace the dialer on the phone. I've been through all the build.prop and everything else hoping a setting would jump out at me, but no luck.
About the TBH/DBU unlock -- after the unlock there's nothing special about sticking an AT&T, TMobile, etc. SIM in there, but I only have first hand experience with the AT&T. I just went into the local AT&T store and told them I wanted to buy a prepaid SIM. They asked what kind of phone and I think I told them I had a Samsung Captivate (not that it really matters). The SIM was basically free and I put $25 on it. Stuck it in the phone, changed to GSM/UMTS mode, phone blurred while it was changing modes, and now has AT&T banner on the lock screen. Pretty much a non-event.
I didn't get a chance to go down to the AT&T store yet, but I plan to. If nothing else I'd like to test calling into the same Sprint calling card number from another GSM phone -- especially an Android phone if they have a working model there -- and see if it too has a problem.
Sorry for rambling. I hope I addressed your questions.
My friend MotoCache1 is the "other" member of TBH, just an FYI!
We haven't discussed the status of the band unlock on XDA out of respect for the rules here regarding paid services.
Well, that explains the things
Btw- mine is on Rogers Canada, i can use comma to add pause to dial extensions conference bridges without issues.
However, when I try my Telus Canada sim in, when I dial number, dialer says hang up, 00:00, then connects the outgoing call, sort of like a call back service, but without ringing back - hang up, then the very next second call connects and phone issues ring back tone. But this "hangup" on the middle prevents me from dialing extensions or conference bridges bu using pause in the number dialed. Everything else is fine (data, messaging/etc). So it is kind of crippled on Telus. Wonder if it is the same thing you get on AT&T.
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL
Hmmm. Interesting. Forgive the ignorance, when using Rogers is that CDMA? Or are you using GSM for both carriers?
I tried the same scheme, using commas in the dial string, but unfortunately the phone doesn't ever get to the part after the commas because it waits for connect before continuing the dial string. I don't get the hang up behavior you describe though. I'm a complete newb to GSM, so what I'm about to suggest may be stupid, but I wonder if the carriers have any sort of call handling parameters that are stored on the SIM?
I happened to be in a VZW store to get an extended battery for my DX and asked them if they had a demonstrator D2G in GSM mode so I "could test a bug I read about on the Internet". Moments after the question left my mouth I realized I was stupid for asking it, and he confirmed that by saying "no, we can't use the phones in GSM mode because GSM on that phone doesn't work in the US". Oops, duh.
He asked what the bug was and I told him. He said that he hadn't heard of that, but it sounded like something that would be fixed in a software release. He looked to see if any such releases were listed for the D2G, but found none. Surprisingly (to me anyway) there is a recent release listed for the D1 to fix an "unwanted recipients" problem (for messages), and some other thing (I don't recall).
I'm at Bike Week right now (sitting in the bath tub typing this on my DX -- yay Swype) but will give the AT&T store a shot when I get back. I'll also borrow a buddy's Tmobile SIM and see if it behaves any differently. He has an actual Tmobile branded android phone, (a Samsung, but I don't remember which one right off) so I can do the conference bridge test on his phone too.
Both Rogers and Telus now sport GSM/UMTS (Telus only UMTS) networks. Gone are the days when Rogers had CDMA network, almost 10 years now. Telus still has CDMA alive, but they are phasing that out. My CDMA radio is sleeping, until I get to the States next time I guess (my D2G is active on a pay-go plan) I will be doing some travelling in May/Jun across Europe, so I will try with european sims too.
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL
leobg said:
Both Rogers and Telus now sport GSM/UMTS (Telus only UMTS) networks. Gone are the days when Rogers had CDMA network, almost 10 years now. Telus still has CDMA alive, but they are phasing that out. My CDMA radio is sleeping, until I get to the States next time I guess (my D2G is active on a pay-go plan) I will be doing some travelling in May/Jun across Europe, so I will try with european sims
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the details. Interesting that you see two completely different behaviors just by changing the SIM. That leaves the question of whether the difference is due to the way each network is handling the call progress, or if it is some sort of information on the SIM itself that makes the difference.
I looked into SIM editors to see what sorts of things the various editors claimed to be able to read/edit on the SIM. I haven't seen anything along the lines of call processing characteristic parameters, etc., so I'm leaning toward the difference being in the signaling received from the network. I'll be able to get a better idea of what's going on when I get back home and can experiment with a Tmobile SIM, and/or put my AT&T SIM in another phone and see what it does.
OK, back from Bike Week (last week actually) and grabbed a T-Mobile SIM. Really odd results. The very first call I dialed on the T-Mobile SIM, the call timer started immediately, and I could send DTMF tones immediately. Every call since then has exhibited the same behavior I was seeing with the AT&T SIM -- the call timer doesn't start until a formal connect happens (which the calling card and conference bridge sites don't send upon initial connect -- thereby preventing sending the tones to access the service).
I spent just a little time going through the source code of: [platform/packages/apps/Phone.git]/src/com/android/phone/CallTime.java and found the spot where the call gets switched to "active":
Code:
/**
* Sets the call timer to "active call" mode, where the timer will
* periodically update the UI to show how long the specified call
* has been active.
*
* After calling this you should also call reset() and
* periodicUpdateTimer() to get the timer started.
*/
/* package */ void setActiveCallMode(Call call) {
if (DBG) log("setActiveCallMode(" + call + ")...");
mCall = call;
// How frequently should we update the UI?
mInterval = 1000; // once per second
}
I started looking around to see "who" all calls that and right off I only see CallCard.java calling it. I was expecting to see it called somewhere in PhoneApp.java (after observing a connect or something), but it's not called there.
There's lots of hunting yet to do, but I wanted to post progress in case anybody out there cares.
In some hunting I happened to stumble on a pretty detailed page outlining the exact same problem on an iPhone. It's understandable that this type of problem might exist and persist on a closed source device like an iPhone. Fortunately, something like this should be very solvable on an open source device.
I haven't had my buddy with a T-Mobile issued Android phone (Samsung Vibrant) test this yet. That's on the "to do" list.
More updates as I have them.
So what I've figured out on this is that you pretty much just can't use conference bridges or calling cards on a GSM phone. I've used my Tmobile and AT&T SIMs in a bunch of phones now:
1. Droid 2 Global
2. Droid Pro Global
3. Motorola Napoleon
They all do the same thing. Heck, the Napoleon isn't even Android - it's Windows Mobile. I also tried with my friend's Samsung Vibrant (which he has on Tmobile) and it does the same thing -- call timer never starts running and if the call timer isn't running you can't generate tones to put in your access code for the conference bridge, etc. Apparently the AT&T iPhones do the same thing, so again, this is a GSM thing.
Which begs the question again -- doesn't anybody with a GSM phone need to call into conference calls? I was under the impression that most big companies used conference bridges for most of their meetings.
Anyway, when I get some time I'll get back to taking a stab at hacking on the dialer -- just no free cycles to tackle it right now.
It must be something with that conference bridge you are trying it on. I know many phone switches do not connect the call while you are in the IVR/menu trees - it is usually done in order to avoid inaccurate call metrics on the receiving end. We are running a contact centre in our company and I know how important this is (and we do it to - we don't connect the call until operator answers the call). Billing is not supposed to start until call is connected on the receiving end. Apparently GSM operators like T-Mobile and AT&T care about call connect parametter and Verizon is simply ignoring it, I guess.

[Q] How to use phone without a sim card.

Hello,
Apparently I can't store contacts without a sim card in my D2G... Is there another reason that I need a sim??
How can I use the phone without the sim chip? Because my old provider was a GSM but now I'm using CDMA. I figured that I didn't need the chip but then I tried to store a contact... bummer.
So... is there a "dummy" chip I can get or do I even need one? If I absolutely need a chip then how do I get another one?
Thanks!
You don't need a SIM card to store contacts. Default contact storage can be chosen, and from what I gather you're on Froyo firmware as Gingerbread doesn't offer the SIM as a contact storage option.
Make sure you have a Google account configured on the phone. If you do, consider doing a factory reset.
Yup. I'm running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).
So now what??
Thanks btw!
Have you configured a Google account at all?
I have often wondered why we even have sim cards in our phones(I understand gsm needs them yadda yadda yadda). When I unboxed my phone, a long LONG time ago on froyo, I was playing with all the "features" and could never access the sim card. I thought it would be a great feature for backing up contacts etc.
I think I read somewhere though that sims, at least for the bionic, are tied to ONE device ONLY and could not be swapped between phones. Obviously this would defeat th entire purpose of the card. No?
I am on verizon in the USA only (no overseas travel, no need for gsm) with a D2G. I just kinda seemed odd...
Droid2 Global CM4D2G-GB-20120105 ***CM7 RevNumbers Kang***
That's plainly wrong.
A USIM card, or rather, an UICC (USIM is a sub-species of UICC, just like CDMA's RUIM cards) contains a small CPU that runs the USIM (for GSM) or RUIM (for CDMA) program. That program is responsible for encryption, key generation, and such.
Unlike Verizon CDMA phones, GSM phones, and CDMA devices using RUIM cards do not need to be flashed to a carrier. All identification data is stored on the UICC.
UICC can be bound to a phone, but it can only be done on the carrier's side (binding UICC's ID to the device's ID — IMEI for GSM or MEID for CDMA). A phone can be programmed to only accept UICC cards of a certain carrier (that's what carrier-locked phones are).
Verizon's CDMA/LTE devices like the Bionic have to use USIM cards because LTE is basically 4G GSM, and you need USIM for GSM codecs, encryption, security, etc. Verizon's LTE USIM cards will not work in non-VZW phones (well, maybe they can provide data connectivity for GSM/LTE phones that support VZW's band; and once VZW moves voice and text to LTE… you get the idea).
Vice versa, GSM USIM cards will (probably) not work with VZW LTE phones as they're most probably locked to VZW USIMs.
DROID2 GLOBAL (and DROID3 as well), however, has a GSM/CDMA transceiver which, once unlocked, will accept any GSM USIM card (extremely old plain SIM cards — which you probably won't find anywhere anymore — won't work well since 3G-capable phones require USIM explicitly).
As for contacts backup, it's a bad idea. USIM contacts storage is extremely limited. You can only store something like 16 characters for contact names, and one single phone number for each contact. SIM memory is also limited; usually you can fit up to 250 contacts with 150 being the average limit.
Note that SIM contact storage can be disabled on the SIM card itself. I wouldn't be surprised if VZW's Vodafone NL USIM cards come with on-SIM storage disabled.
I hope this answers most of your questions.
No it doesn't really help...
See, I accidentally threw away/misplaced my SIM chip. Now when I simply even click on contacts it just doesn't work... literally nothing happens.
I do have a Google account configured but if I choose to import contacts or save them to Google it seems that EVERY single email address I've replied to, or written to shows up in the contacts list.
How can I configure Google to simply store ONLY phone numbers and not every single email address/phone number that I've emailed or texted?
Seriously it's sick that when I sync contacts my list is filled with like thousands of addresses and numbers.
Perhaps I'm doing it wrong??
Thanks!
Well, you don't really need to import anything.
Open https://google.com/contacts in any browser you like (f.ex. on your desktop PC) and check My Contacts there. That's what Android syncs.

Changing SIMs DOES NOT Require Logging Back into Google

My prior GSM phone (used only occasionally for travelling) was an unlocked Tmobile LG L9. With that phone, every time I replaced the SIM I had to log back into Google - a particular pain for me as I use two-factor authentication. I researched and read that was how it was supposed to work.
On the Nexus 5, it seems I can swap SIMs all I want and I never have to log back in.
Anyone know if this is a characteristic of Kit Kat or the Nexus 5, or is there some other reason I am not being required to log back in each time? As someone who travels and swaps SIMs a bunch, this is the best new feature.

Set "my phone number" for my SIM

I'm using a new SIM on my OnePlus 6 whith Android Pie.
When I first used the SIM with the phone, it had a certain (temporary) phone number associated to it; after requesting a phone number portability to my carrier, I managed to get my "hystorical" phone number (the one I had with my previous carrier) on my new SIM.
I have this issue: my phone still thinks that my phone number (the one appearing in settings/SIM data) is the old (temporary) one, and apparently I cannot edit that data.
As a consequence certain apps (such as WhatsApp) think that I'm currently roaming (using mobile data from my former temporary phone number) and prevent me from doing certain operations (WhatsApp won't let me backup my chats on Google drive, for instance).
I tried removing the SIM card and inserting it again in the phone, but with no use.
Any solution that doesn't involve rooting?
Thanks
Good question... My number for my sim is "unknown" I think it's carrier related? I would like to fix mine too... Anyone know how?
Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk

Need help determining if the carrier is being untruthful

Hi there, I need help determining if I was screwed by the carrier. Here's the story (keep in mind I'm in a third-world country where law is more of a concept than a reality):
A few days ago my carrier started calling me incessantly and leaving messages. Being a disabled person, I was not able to answer the calls or listen to the messages. A few days passed and suddenly, the phone service has stopped. This is a dual-sim card phone (OnePlusX) and the second sim card/phone service still functions. The phone also detects the sim card and able to read info from it (such as the phone number associated with the non-functional sim card). The web site still lists my service as active but towers refuse to provide network. When I contacted the phone company, they insist the problem is with the sim card, that it suddenly has stopped working - or the phone did. In either case, they demand that me, blind, immobile disabled person show up at their office to get a sim card replacement.
I feel that the company has illegally disabled the sim card access to their network - that's exactly what the phone say, when I enable the sim-card, that the network is inaccessible. I did try the sim card with another phone with the same results (no tower access and yet the second phone can see the phone number on the sim card) although there's a caveat - law in my country requires registering phone IMEI with the sim card, i.e. that sim card can't be used in any other phone (or even the different slot in the same phone, tried that too, btw).
Anyways, I strongly suspect that the company representatives that tried to contact me shortly before the service was cut were trying to sell me something and when I was not able to answer, they took it as a personal affront and retaliated by disabling my service by refusing access to the network to make me walk back to the office. Either that, or they decided that I'm dead since I'm registered as a disabled person with them to qualify for a special service plan that I barely use anyways. Either way, they probably broken a law or two and now, when I try to make them re-enable my service, they refuse to do so without forcing me to walk into the office and pay for sim card replacement.
My question is: are my suspicions have any real foundations? The problem is, if the sim card was indeed faulty, why would they start calling me prior to it dying, and why would it still communicate the information such as phone number to the phone if it was faulty? I can't even listen to those messages now since the access to them is gone with the service. Any suggestion or additional hints on what I can do to prove or disprove my theory are welcome.

Categories

Resources