Unlocking mobiles

I just take any mobile phone I need unlocked down to the local indoor market to a "gentleman" of asian decent who for the princely sum of £5 unlocks them for me and either gives me any passwords or strips the passwords off. It is not worth the hassle of DIYing it IMHO.
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"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
 
There is a difference between unlocking, which is what you need to do to a phone to allow you to use it on another network and "flashing" or flash resetting which allows you to completely reset a phone to its factory supplied state. I have had a factory reset on a 3 phone which allowed me to select 2g and 3g connections. All this is legal but might contravene the terms of your contract. Flashing software and hardware are on ebay. Look at web page
 
Nokia is easy...

Unlocking the Nokia is easy, you can get an unlock code emailed to you for £3, just enter the code and the phone's unlocked. I've used EZ Mobile. Unlock codes don't work with T630 - if you don't have a local unlocker, send it off somewhere, lots of postal unlockers, just Google.
 
Re: Nokia is easy...Webcraft

Hi Nick
Unlock your nokia for free.Just google for "nokia unlock" , go into the site of that name, open your phone to get its own code number and punch this in, along with model no. in the spaces provided. Site will come up with about five choices of a string of numbers plus various # or *or letters. Follow directions for getting letters IMPLICITELY, they`re not the same as text. Work from the top listed number down, one of them will unlock the phone, the first being most likely. Again be careful punching in the numbers, you only get a few ( five ?) shots and then you`re locked out !
How`s the boat coming along. Most impressed with your good wife`s diligence in scraping off the hull !
Regars,
Pete
 
Re: Unlocking mobiles in the Lounge

[ QUOTE ]
Would this not be more appropriate in the Lounge?

[/ QUOTE ] Why?

If it was a VHF-related discussion you would not say so. As the GMS mobile phone is now one of the primary modes of communication for a cruising yacht I feel that SB is an entirely appropriate place for this discussion. I need our phones unlocked so I can use Spanish and Portuguese SIM cards while cruising those waters.

PBO might be more appropriate as this is a technical question, but it is entirely boaty.

- Nick
 
Re: Nokia is easy...Webcraft

HI Pete,

I did the EZMobile thing and the Nokia is now unlocked for £2.99, but the Ericsson is a tougher nut to crack. I either need to post it to someone (not keen) or get both a cable and some software, which will come to about £20.

Hull is scraped and ready for gelshield and antifoul . . . other jobs to do before going in the water are mast rewiring, windvane mounting and finish wiring/plumbing the engine (nearly done - trouble getting a couple of fuel hose connectors locally though). Everything else can hopefully be done afloat.

- Nick
 
I take it the phones are "out of contract" ie have run the required time before unlocking ?

Reason I ask - is that all phones transmit a unique ID code. I have innocently bought second-hand unlocked phones in the past. To then find after a short period of use - they are refused access to networks. Didn't matter that they were not even in UK anymore. The networks had info that they were unlocked phones still inside contract time with UK provider. ZAP.

It's also worth noting that you can extract the ID code from the phone and make a note of it - then if it gets stolen - you can notify your provider of that code and the phone is ZAPPED - no matter where in the world it is ....

Just thought I'd pass it on ....
 
Out of contract?

Handset IMEI's can only be barred due to being reported lost or stolen, not because of any contractual issues.

That is not to say some numpty has flogged his contract handset, then reported it stolen to try and wriggle out of a contractual obligation.

Orange and T-mobile in the UK operate an 'active' IMEI register, though not always effectively. Problem is if someone registers a handset, than changes it for a second one, they don't always pick up the replacement. If this second one then gets lost and the user reports it, the network mistakenly bars the first one, which of course was sold 'down the pub' months earlier.

Buyer beware!
 
Re: Out of contract?

as to how the set came on s/hand market - most are not aware ... but we all know that they are targets of thieves.

As to barring only as stolen / lost - I still have idea based on past that contract time is a valid reason for barring. OK - it's going to be a rats-nest to sort out all still contracted sets that are unlocked !! and I think most co's wont bother ...

Another point that is worth noting - a set in one country may have trouble logging onto a network abroad - UK sets are notorious .... WERE notorious for it ... Latvian Mobile system would make it difficult to dial out on UK phones ... due to the large influx of s/hand phones in early days when we had to pay full price for mobiles ... I can remember having to dial 4, 5, 6 times and still having bad connections ... such that we gave up and bought phones out here .... I know it still happens - as I meet various who visit out here and get literally cut off !! Orange is part. bad out here !!
 
Re: Out of contract?

Out of contract is not a valid reason. That is not to say a network may not apply a bar for that reason, but the register was originally designed for stolen handsets. This was extended to lost handsets as the two can be easily confused.

Non-payment of a bill is a civil matter, and the network can quite rightly bar a SIM card to prevent further potential loss, but should not bar a handset.
 
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