I bought a phone the other day off trademe and tried to put my sim in but get no network coverage ? im guessing it was stolen or something and has been blocked. just wondering if theres any way i can unblock the imei ??
If you truly believe the device is stolen or has otherwise been acquired through illegitimate means, we can't help you - you should contact the authorities and have the seller investigated. Stealing is a crime and stolen IMEIs are blocked for that very reason.
If not, first check that the phone supports the network frequencies that your carrier uses wherever you are - not all phones support all bands, and not all carriers support all bands either.
If you can tell us the make and model of the phone, we can point you to a device-specific forum in case it's a general problem or issue with that phone model.
Beyond that, you can try to take up with the manufacturer of the phone or the carrier if it's a carrier-branded phone.
I once had to make numerous called to my carrier's support line because my new imported phone was somehow registered in my carrier's database as a completely different kind of device, so the system kept kicking me off the data plan.
Related
I do a lot of HTC device hacking and unlocking, but have never done a CDMA device. Is it possible to unlock the XV6700 and use it on another USA CDMA Carrier? Also, I presume there are other ROM's to install on this device? Any guidance would help a lot.
Albatros
CDMA devices aren't actually locked per se, the device itself will work great with any CDMA network u tell it to work with as long as the service provider agrees to register your device in their ESN database. In other words all phones released by verizon have ESNs specific to verizon and all sprint phones have ESNs from sprint's database. The providers share the ESN data and know when a phone you're trying to register with them is not one of theirs. So it really comes down to your service provider agreeing to register your phone in their database (which is most likely not going to happen unless you have connections). The other and not so legal way of doing this is to clone the ESN of your old phone (which you can just throw away) and download a new prl (preffered roaming list: tells the phone which towers to prioritize) to your new phone. So it IS possible but illegal due to the ability to copy somebody's esn and charge up their bill. Hope this helps!
this might not be for cricket but its a start
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=20090
Yes, CDMA Devices aren't locked like GSM Devices. You will need to have Cricket register the ESN (Electronic Serial Number) in their database. I have family who has done it and have worked with a guy who got a 6700 ESN changed over to Cricket.
Need to go from Cricket BACK to Verizon
I have the opposite problem - bought a used VX6700 that is already on the Cricket network, but I am on a Verizon plan (yes I was a doofuss and get my old Verizon phone wet, but it was locked LG crap anyway with no option for customizing - so GLAD to be coming back to the HTC world!)
Whenever I dial *228 to get it programmed, it says "welcome to Cricket". The Verizon 800# tech people had no clue how to get it back, even after they had me try a few unusual settings in the phone. Then they sent me to the Verizon store - they said they could not do anything, no real explanation why not. The used store I bought it from thinks they could try to reflash it - but I'm not so sure that is really necessary.
I have successfully flashed my old HTC Wizard for practice - so I know sort of what I am doing if flashing IS needed. Just hard to find information even after doing a lot of searching. There are a few threads on going from Verizon to Cricket -- but none for how to get BACK.
Thanks in advance.
Update
The phone guru guy at the Phone Smart store I bought the used phone from was able to get it back onto Verizon for me. He said something about modifying the PRN Provide Roaming Number - or at least I think that was the one - so that Verizon's towers would know to look for this phone now. So all good for now. I need to get WM6 on it soon though! Currently it is on a slightly enhanced build of WM5.
Hi Guys,
I lost my phone one night. I am not in hope of finding it, but I do not want thief to profit from the occasion.
I have the IMEI number still at hand. Is there anything that can be done?
(NB: I did not have a phone/sim lock on the phone and the thief deleted the findmyphone function WP7 has)
Many thanks in advance,
Jason
jasonchiu said:
Hi Guys,
I lost my phone one night. I am not in hope of finding it, but I do not want thief to profit from the occasion.
I have the IMEI number still at hand. Is there anything that can be done?
(NB: I did not have a phone/sim lock on the phone and the thief deleted the findmyphone function WP7 has)
Many thanks in advance,
Jason
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you really want to pursue it, you can ask your cell phone company to try and give you a rough location of where it is through cell triangulation, although that may be difficult to get them to do. Otherwise, you can tell them to Blacklist the IMEI number so that it can't be used on any networks.
Product F(RED) said:
If you really want to pursue it, you can ask your cell phone company to try and give you a rough location of where it is through cell triangulation, although that may be difficult to get them to do. Otherwise, you can tell them to Blacklist the IMEI number so that it can't be used on any networks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tips.
I tried to block the IMEI in Hong Kong, but my service providor (Smartone Vodafone) said they dont provide such service.
When I went back to the UK, I called up T-Mobile and someone from an India call centre said they blocked it for me, but the "reassuringly" told me it can be easily unlocked by someone who knows mobiles well...
Are there any sites or places I can submit the IMEI number to?
Many thanks,
Jason
jasonchiu said:
Thanks for the tips.
I tried to block the IMEI in Hong Kong, but my service providor (Smartone Vodafone) said they dont provide such service.
When I went back to the UK, I called up T-Mobile and someone from an India call centre said they blocked it for me, but the "reassuringly" told me it can be easily unlocked by someone who knows mobiles well...
Are there any sites or places I can submit the IMEI number to?
Many thanks,
Jason
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can't be "unlocked". The person would have to spoof or change the IMEI number, something which I've been able to ever do on 1 phone (original iPhone). But the reason I did it is not because it was stolen, but because I didn't want a data plan that AT&T was forcing on its customers, so I made the phone appear as another phone. I don't think it can be done easily on most phones.
I don't think there are any websites you can submit the IMEI number to. I believe there's a global IMEI blacklist database that most responsible carriers choose to enforce.
Cheers for the details.
I too was shocked that Smartone Vodafone did not offer IMEI blocking.
I hope t-mobile really did block the IMEI number.
I was a bit sceptic as all the CS Agent did was take note it and that was it. She didnt ask for any details about me either.
Product F(RED) said:
It can't be "unlocked". The person would have to spoof or change the IMEI number, something which I've been able to ever do on 1 phone (original iPhone). But the reason I did it is not because it was stolen, but because I didn't want a data plan that AT&T was forcing on its customers, so I made the phone appear as another phone. I don't think it can be done easily on most phones.
I don't think there are any websites you can submit the IMEI number to. I believe there's a global IMEI blacklist database that most responsible carriers choose to enforce.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In response toF(RED) in a previous thread.
Hmmm, jurisdiction is the key word here.
From my research the IMEI is purchased by the manufacturer for each phone they produce.
In this case Samsung purchases it from the Brits. So the jurisdiction lies in the British jurisdiction.
That being the case, the carriers in the U.S. have no jurisdiction to affect Samsungs' IMEI numbers. Samsung (which is based in Korea) paid for it, NOT the U.S. carriers.
In light of that, anyone in the U.S. owning a Samsung device should not fall in the jurisdiction of the Brits with respect to what they do with a device they purchase in the U.S., as in purchasing the device in the U.S. basically YOU are in effect purchasing the rights to that IMEI from the moment the carrier sells a Samsung phone to you, at which point the carrier no longer has the right to dictate anything with respect to the IMEI, and as such the carrier can't legally TOUCH your IMEI (barring it having been reported by the owner as lost or stolen of course, which is what the intents and purposes of an IMEI is all about and why it has been been implemented on a device in the first place) nor would it be illegal for you to change the IMEI of a device that you purchased the rights to through transfer of ownership (once you pay for the phone the carrier in effect will be transferring the rights of that IMEI to you) since it's YOUR phone.
So basically if you can produce a receipt for the purchase of the device, no law is broken with respect to the IMEI by the owner but I would tend to think if your IMEI is not rightfully blocked by a carrier (if you did not report your phone to the carrier that it was stolen) Then it would be illegal for the CARRIER to block your phones IMEI...,and if they did then you would in turn have a right to change it because in the carrier doing so, they illegally blocked a phones IMEI that is your property and there would be no other recourse than to change it so that it can be used on their network because your IMEI purchased with the phone is legally and rightfully free to use their network.
If you have a receipt for your purchase and you have issues with your IMEI, then you go back to your Carrier for clarification and or resolution.
Jurisdiction is not the key word:
What is IMEI?
Mobile phones, except the serial number have also IMEI number. IMEI — International Mobile Equipment Identity. IMEI — a common standard for all mobile devices, which is assigned to the phone at the time of manufacture it in the factory. It's the unique number, which is broadcasting to the carrier to authorize phone in the network. Structure of the IMEI is the same for all phones regardless of manufacturer. IMEI number is also used to track and block lost or stolen phones by the carrier, which further prevents to use of such devices. However, blocking IMEI in one carrier network have no effect in others networks.
Thank You and Thread Closed.
Just curious, my question is
Code:
Why is IMEI modification illegal in USA?
How is it illegal? Who prohibits it: FCC, Congress bill, Federal law....?
NOTE: I am NOT asking how to modify IMEI
That's against xda TOS. I'm asking why it is illegal. There's a difference.
Been trying to find an answer to this. From this previous thread, no one can give me a straight answer. Can't find any answer relating to US laws
I can find answers relating to UK laws:
example: In UK, it is illegal due to this Mobile Telephones (Re-programming) Act 2002 passed in 2002.. but then there's a loophole (i can modify IMEI if I created the device, or the manufacture allowed me to)... (I havent read any of the amendments to see if those loopholes are changed)
Currently, there is no specific law the prohibits the reprogramming of IMEI's explicitly. However, because IMEI's are used by wireless carriers as a unique ID, by reprogramming your IMEI, if that new IMEI shares an IMEI with someone else, you would be "impersonating" that person digitally, and therefore you would still be in violation of the law. Also note that wireless carriers use a blacklist by request of the government to blacklist stolen phones by IMEI, so if you have a blacklisted phone, and you reprogram the IMEI, you would be facing stiffer penalties than by just being in possession of a stolen mobile device.
syung said:
Currently, there is no specific law the prohibits the reprogramming of IMEI's explicitly. However, because IMEI's are used by wireless carriers as a unique ID, by reprogramming your IMEI, if that new IMEI shares an IMEI with someone else, you would be "impersonating" that person digitally, and therefore you would still be in violation of the law.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For GSM phones, IMEI is the device identifier, IMSI is the identifier for the sim card/subscriber. carriers should be using IMSI to identify users, not IMEI.
(for CDMA networks, the MEID/ESN identifies both the device and the subscriber .
but of course, carriers might be using IMEI + IMSI (google "Samsung lost IMEI" - IMEI set to 0 or blank when you flash custom roms. Some people can't use the phones, some people can)
Also note that wireless carriers use a blacklist by request of the government to blacklist stolen phones by IMEI, so if you have a blacklisted phone, and you reprogram the IMEI, you would be facing stiffer penalties than by just being in possession of a stolen mobile device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A) T-mobile and At&t only began to share their blacklist recently... verizon will join them shortly this year. don't think there's a unified national list yet)
B) there's always a trade off between good and bad....
(i don't like using this analogy, but can't think of another one. let's stick to phones)
guns = bad guys can kill innocent people = bad
guns = good guys can use to protect themselves = good
weight bad v. good
The reason it is illegal is due to cell phone cloning. As I stated in the last thread. Yet you decide to open another? Well here is a little bit more detail
What is Cell Phone Cloning Fraud?
Every cell phone is supposed to have a unique factory-set electronic serial number (ESN/IMEI) and telephone number (MIN). A cloned cell phone is one that has been reprogrammed to transmit the ESN/IMEI and MIN belonging to another (legitimate) cell phone. Unscrupulous people can obtain valid ESN/MIN combinations by illegally monitoring the radio wave transmissions from the cell phones of legitimate subscribers. After cloning, both the legitimate and the fraudulent cell phones have the same ESN/MIN combination and cellular systems cannot distinguish the cloned cell phone from the legitimate one. The legitimate phone user then gets billed for the cloned phone’s calls. Call your carrier if you think you have been a victim of cloning fraud.
As changing the IMEI is cloning a device it falls under this FCC law.
Now after having one thread closed and you open another on this same topic that you know is not to be talked about on XDA, I will leave it as this. If you have any more issues concerning this contact the FCC about it.
Thread closed
I've come across this recently and am curious ( I'm not listing the online selling company) - if a company is selling a new phone that says is tmobile unlocked (unlocked by tmobile not factory), and they are saying is for international use only, BUT the phone has the right bands for AT&T LTE - why would there be a chance of the IMEI being blocked? Because they are saying due to recent unlocking laws in the U.S. the phone's IMEI could be blocked in the future (they say they clear it when they have it but can't guarantee future). From what I'm reading an IMEI is only blocked because the phone was stolen or payment is owed on it - so how can unlocking laws affect this??