Database Users

AT&T blocking data connection ?

I got a nice SMS on March 18th from AT&T saying "An eligible data plan is required for Laptop, Tablet or MiFi devices. Call 611 as soon as possible for details and to avoid service interruption"
We are on 20th and I have no dtaa connection anymore
I happen to be paying the most expensive plan for my device (Coming from TP2), with an extra to have Exchange emails (Yeah can you believe you are charged extra for Exchange emails) and now.... I would have to pay even more because I use my SIUM in my tablet. WTF...
Maybe it's just me but if some of you have the same issue and found a workaround... Or maybe I should just step away from AT&T... F them...
Edit: Just got an SMS "Your data service has been restricted due to SIM swapping with a data Connect device". I pay 150$ a month for my data plan, calsl, etc... How much is not enough ????

I got the same thing. AT&T is now doing the same thing T-Mobile is doing. You cannot put a T-Mobile phone SIM in a T-Mobile tab, and, now, you cannot put an AT&T phone SIM (for example one with an unlimited data plan attached to it) into an AT&T tab.
It's all robbery.
My reaction to the text I got from AT&T was to erase, wipe, and flash my AT&T Galaxy Tab to Overcome 1.3.0, and then put my T-Mobile phone SIM into my AT&T Tab. Ha! THAT at least still works, since the two companies are separate.
And now, AT&T just bought T-Mobile! HA
Looks like after all the effort, I lose.
I am SO DONE with tablets and smartphones. Back to laptops and WiFi. The monopolies here in the U.S. are unbearable. And our government does nothing. No wonder the rest of the world hates us - we hate ourselves!

I got AT&T on the phone
The guy first explained me that technically tablets and phone cannot connect teh same way, etc, etc... So I asked him to stop the Bs#it because technically it was possible for 3 months... The guy I had on the phone was polite and pretty embarrassed...
I was straight forward explaining I don't mind paying for an extra tethering plan if that's what they want but I just want to carry around only ONE device, etc, etc... In the end he was very clear: they want us to use our tablet with a different plant and different SIM card. period
Now... for me it's clear they saw the IMEI of my device was different from the one I used to have so this + the fact I used a lot of Data may have triggered the detection... Or it is in the access point we use... But anyway/anyhow there is no way we cannot make our tablets appear as a Galaxy S or whatever other phone. Aside from the screen too much of the Hardware is similar to a phone not to be able to do something about it...
Meanwhile my data plan is frozen
I am SO pissed off. I can't believe I leave these guys 150$ a month and they can't even provide a decent service...

The worst: if I take a specific plan for my tab and trim down my phone plan it will cost me less
They are just F&*%#@ dumb and a terrible pain in the ass
Now let's work to "disguise" our Tab as a phone for AT&T connection...
I still think it has a lot to do with the Acces point setup... Or just the tethering... They guy on the phone was (maybe deliberately or not...) confusing about what was allowed and what was not... he was kind of implying that even if I get a tethering plan, tethering from my phone to my Tab would still be an issue if I don't use some kind of AT&T official tethering Software... (Weird...)
I am SO pissed off

I am thinking and if I go for the tethering plan I really don't see under which stupid claim they can block me... Sue it will cost more, but whatever...
Still this is justa shame

More AT&T fun I see.
Sent from my Incredible with the XDA Premium App.

I Am Marino said:
More AT&T fun I see.
Sent from my Incredible with the XDA Premium App.
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Yes... Teh problem is since they try to avoid users going around their stuff it is not even easy to understand what is allowed or not. Initially i brought a phone from abroad and was told I could use it on an illimited data plan... Fine. But now the guy on the phoen didnt even wnated to be clear whether I could use a non AT&T phone for my plan (So we're not even talking about the tab)
I think they may be targeting heavy users that dont show the same IMEIR as the one they registered. Or soemthign else.. probably can detect by the protocols used that we are not technically ona phone (But hey technically, aside teh screen tehre is no major difference betweena Galaxy tab and a Galaxy phone...)

They are targeting unlimited data plan users who are sim swapping. If you're on the 2gb or tethering 4gb plan you shouldn't see anything. People were putting their sims into laptops/netbooks and going nuts. It breaches the agreement with AT&T and they have the right to change your plan if you don't reply to them or stop sim swapping.

waltah! said:
They are targeting unlimited data plan users who are sim swapping. If you're on the 2gb or tethering 4gb plan you shouldn't see anything. People were putting their sims into laptops/netbooks and going nuts. It breaches the agreement with AT&T and they have the right to change your plan if you don't reply to them or stop sim swapping.
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I am not using it in a laptop but in my Tab. I use my Tab as my main phone and I ma pretty pissed off that AT&T decides which phone they like and don't like. It's not EVEN about the money: I proposed them to pay for a tethering plan (which would be stealing from me but whatever) and they do not even care
I would not even mind going for the 4Gb plan but that would mean giving up on voice services on my tab, ie would have to carry around two devices which i definitely do not want
Going the 4Gb plan + stripping down my phone to the cheapest plan AT&T has, would cost me less than I pay now... So it's not even a money issue. I am completely pissed off since I a ready to pay whatever they want but they do not seem to care

Anyway it's fine. They managed to kill the GTab and all other 7" tablets to come
They nearly succeeded by originally forbidding calls on it. They succeeded with this last measure
It was for me the perfect size between a phone and an iPad. If I cannot have Voice + illimited data on it I will just go for a large 4.3" phone
Thank you AT&T for killing progress and congratulation for displeasing customers who were actually ready to pay (Because in actual facts I was ready to pay more if it is what they wanted from me)

Alcibiade said:
Anyway it's fine. They managed to kill the GTab and all other 7" tablets to come
They nearly succeeded by originally forbidding calls on it. They succeeded with this last measure
It was for me the perfect size between a phone and an iPad. If I cannot have Voice + illimited data on it I will just go for a large 4.3" phone
Thank you AT&T for killing progress and congratulation for displeasing customers who were actually ready to pay (Because in actual facts I was ready to pay more if it is what they wanted from me)
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I'm in the same boat, Alcibiade. Never tether, just like the phone and tablet in one device.
Just got off the phone with our friends at AT&T and got the same message. Unfortunately, there is no 4GB plan for data devices like the Tab, just "phones". So I'm stuck with carrying a phone and a Tab until we figure out a way around this issue.

I got the same message from at&t too. I think the only workaround to this is to get the telstra or the other canadian tab that uses the 850 band. Anyone with the telstra tab want to do a trade for a like new at&t tab?

Believe me it pisses me off too, and I work there. lol
I'm planning on getting a GTab and was going to use it for voice occasionally so it kinda throws a kink in the works. I have the 4gb tethering plan. I really just want to be able to jump right on the Tab and use it without kicking the hotspot on so I'll just end up going down to the 2gb plan for my Atrix and the 2gb plan for the Tab. I wanted to carry one device when I wanted to, but I love my Atrix so I'm not sure how often I would do it anyway.

I believe AT&T doing the same as T-mobile by look up the IMEI. The IMEI database will match the phone you use. The only workaround is change the IMEI on the tab.
You will see the TAB Icon under your att account but I did not see that months ago....

Currently on the phone with att about the same issue...thing is im using an htc desire from telus...im not swapping my simcard with anything at all. They are saying my device is coming up as a telemetry unit which is therefore making the assumption of sim swapping. On the phone for an hour now and the geniuses still cant figure out how to fix the issue.

small9 said:
I believe AT&T doing the same as T-mobile by look up the IMEI. The IMEI database will match the phone you use. The only workaround is change the IMEI on the tab.
You will see the TAB Icon under your att account but I did not see that months ago....
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Not sure it's through the IMEI. How do they do if I use a foreign phone ? If it is that simple, we all know how to find a solution...
I hope they do not make me PAY for my data plan while I they block it, I would be even more pissed off
One point I do not get: if I pay for a Tethering plan (Which I don't but am considering if it can help), why the hell would they block me from using my plan the way I want. Illimited + tethering --> I use it on my tab or anything else doesn't matter (Could be my phone tethered to my laptop it would be the same)

jstdontgiva said:
Currently on the phone with att about the same issue...thing is im using an htc desire from telus...im not swapping my simcard with anything at all. They are saying my device is coming up as a telemetry unit which is therefore making the assumption of sim swapping. On the phone for an hour now and the geniuses still cant figure out how to fix the issue.
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Funny cause it's exactly what I told them: I have a foreign phone as well (On top of my Tab) and I bet them that my foreign phone would have the same issue
MMh so they either detect what we do with the IMEI or potentially the radio (Or a combination of both)
I feel really bad trying to find a workaround while what I ma doing is perfectly legit when it is on my TP2, or I am even ready to pay for their Tethering plan........
If the issue is just the IMEI, that can be easily solved... But I dont like to have to be sneaky when again I pay honetsly my stuff every month
If you find a solution for your telus please tell us

Yeah I got that text last night around 9 pm I nearly craped my self. I was like wtf. I have the unlimited data. it shouldn't matter what device my Sim is in.. I guess I'll see what the tab does with the Sim that it came with. my Nexus still works fine though. I checked the website today and they are doing Maintenance to the data section. figures.

hybred-nexus said:
Yeah I got that text last night around 9 pm I nearly craped my self. I was like wtf. I have the unlimited data. it shouldn't matter what device my Sim is in.. I guess I'll see what the tab does with the Sim that it came with. my Nexus still works fine though. I checked the website today and they are doing Maintenance to the data section. figures.
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I am pretty sure my Tab fits ok within a 4Gb plan (I don't tether anyway). BUT I just dont wnat to carry aound 2 devices. My phone + teh Tab. And if I ahve to use their stupid plan / SIM card I will have to
I am surprised we don't see many more reactions. I thought a lot of us were doing Data + voice using their phone plans... Maybe not everybody was blocked yet. Or I just overestimate the number of US users using their tab like this. What's unbelievable is how other countries are managing the Tab vs the US (real pain here...)

Alcibiade said:
Funny cause it's exactly what I told them: I have a foreign phone as well (On top of my Tab) and I bet them that my foreign phone would have the same issue
MMh so they either detect what we do with the IMEI or potentially the radio (Or a combination of both)
I feel really bad trying to find a workaround while what I ma doing is perfectly legit when it is on my TP2, or I am even ready to pay for their Tethering plan........
If the issue is just the IMEI, that can be easily solved... But I dont like to have to be sneaky when again I pay honetsly my stuff every month
If you find a solution for your telus please tell us
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Click to collapse
After getting off the phone here was the scenario:
The guy admitted to me that he was not very familiar with what was going on, however I could tell he was still trying pretty hard to find out how to resolve the issue by calling other departments and he didnt have a bias towards me having an unlocked phone like I know ATT personel tend to have.
Basically there were 3 options
1. return the phone which I laughed in his face ( this was recommended not by him but by another person in a diff dept
2. Turn the internet back on with the risk of shutting off again ( which I did not do because he told my my account was now flagged for disuse of internet and could result in plenty of charges I wouldn't want.)
3. Wait until Tuesday for a call back from him since some1 has to manually put in my IMEI # and override the system, (which was apparently down)
I took option 3 with the hopes that this will be resolved by the time the rep gets back to me on Tues. If it doesn't go well my phone is basically useless and I will probably push for a free phone somehow. Best of luck to everybody else, I will update ASAP

If I buy a T-Mobile S4 would it work on at&t LTE ?

After unlocking it of course.
I was also wondering the same regarding the HTC One. This is due to the fact that it's cheaper to buy it outright at T-mobile and unlocking them in order to be able to use it with my at&t line

Would be best to get the ATT Version.....

bahaa3000 said:
After unlocking it of course.
I was also wondering the same regarding the HTC One. This is due to the fact that it's cheaper to buy it outright at T-mobile and unlocking them in order to be able to use it with my at&t line
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Yes, if you unlock the T-Mobile phone you can use an AT&T sim card and vice versa. The only problem would be that you couldn't get AT&T's warranty support option. It's where you can bring your phone into your local center if you have problems within the first year with your phone with or without purchasing an actual warranty. Helped me big time with the GS2, my power button wasn't working. They replaced it for free that day, and I left with a brand new (probably refurbished) GS2.

Note 3 blocked by T-Mobile, need advice

Hey guys, i've got a problem and I need some advice/options.
Long story short, as some of you may know, I bought my T-Mobile branded Note 3 on Swappa in November. Of course, Swappa says that they check IMEIs and the seller assured me that the phone was fully paid for, but a few days ago my Note 3 was blocked/blacklisted (whatever you call it) by T-Mobile for non-payment of EIP.
I have tried to resolve the issue through communicating with the seller and Swappa, but there's really nothing to be done. The seller won't refund my money, Swappa is powerless, and Paypal says the transaction is past their 45 day dispute period. The phone isn't even unlocked, so I can't even try and use it on another carrier right now.
So at this point i'm trying to minimize my losses. I am open to any suggestions as to how I can either:
1. find a way to get the phone unlocked and use it on another carrier (I know that when a T-Mobile phone is blocked or blacklisted, they share that info now with AT&T, but i'm hoping I can use it on Simple Mobile or Straight Talk or Walmart's service)
or
2. sell the phone internationally (with full disclosure of the fact that the phone is blocked on T-Mobile/AT&T of course, but it shouldn't matter if someone wants to use it outside of the US, right?)
or
3. sell the phone as a 'dev' device (at a substantial loss i'm sure), but I have no idea how to do this or even whether a dev would want a phone that is blocked (don't they need to test network stuff?).
I'm trying to find a way to make the best of a bad situation. Any one who reads this post and wants to give me some decent advice is welcome. But if you just want to start trolling PLEASE JUST GO AWAY. I have enough problems as it is right now.
In any case, i've learned my lesson. No more Craigslist, no more Negri, no more Swappa. I'm just gonna pony up the money and get my phones directly from T-Mobile. The money I thought I was saving doesn't look like such a deal anymore.

Ah damn, yeah seems a lot of people have fallen into the same trap you have unfortunately.
Well you could try another network. . However the chances are high that it'll be blocked all over the US. - yes you could sell it internationally and disclose the issue but the frequency has a different range(?) - this would probably be your best option.
If not then you'd just have to take the hit on it, toss it away or use as a media device. And put it down to a very bad lesson learnt the hard way :-/
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

radicalisto said:
Ah damn, yeah seems a lot of people have fallen into the same trap you have unfortunately.
Well you could try another network. . However the chances are high that it'll be blocked all over the US. - yes you could sell it internationally and disclose the issue but the frequency has a different range(?) - this would probably be your best option.
If not then you'd just have to take the hit on it, toss it away or use as a media device. And put it down to a very bad lesson learnt the hard way :-/
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Click to collapse
Appreciate the response, but now way I could toss $650 away. It took me a few months to save that up. That's why i'm trying to salvage whatever I can of this situation.
Perhaps there's a Canadian carrier uses the same frequencies as T-Mobile? Anyone know a site that would help me compare GSM bands/frequencies to see which countries would be the best option for reselling?

You could have a scan on gsmarena they detail frequencies on the different models.
Yeah it's definitely an expensive error for sure, assume T - Mobile aren't too keen to help at all then?
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

radicalisto said:
You could have a scan on gsmarena they detail frequencies on the different models.
Yeah it's definitely an expensive error for sure, assume T - Mobile aren't too keen to help at all then?
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Click to collapse
No, T-Mobile won't give me any info because i'm not the original account holder for the phone. T-Mobile will probably go after that person, but it's probably just a tax write off for them.

Try RegionLock away on Play store or buy an unlock code then try with a pre-paid service. GL

RMXO said:
Try RegionLock away on Play store or buy an unlock code then try with a pre-paid service. GL
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Won't help.... Phone has been blacklisted...
Unless you can get the carrier to take it off the blacklist it won't be allowed to connect to any network in that country (theoretically)...
Just a thought though - if the phone hasn't been paid for to the carrier, it's on the blacklist and you are caught trying to use it, you may find yourself charged with possession of stolen goods... Unless you have a receipt that states it was sold to you. Either way though you will loose the phone...

Techngro said:
Hey guys, i've got a problem and I need some advice/options.
Long story short, as some of you may know, I bought my T-Mobile branded Note 3 on Swappa in November. Of course, Swappa says that they check IMEIs and the seller assured me that the phone was fully paid for, but a few days ago my Note 3 was blocked/blacklisted (whatever you call it) by T-Mobile for non-payment of EIP.
I have tried to resolve the issue through communicating with the seller and Swappa, but there's really nothing to be done. The seller won't refund my money, Swappa is powerless, and Paypal says the transaction is past their 45 day dispute period. The phone isn't even unlocked, so I can't even try and use it on another carrier right now.
So at this point i'm trying to minimize my losses. I am open to any suggestions as to how I can either:
1. find a way to get the phone unlocked and use it on another carrier (I know that when a T-Mobile phone is blocked or blacklisted, they share that info now with AT&T, but i'm hoping I can use it on Simple Mobile or Straight Talk or Walmart's service)
or
2. sell the phone internationally (with full disclosure of the fact that the phone is blocked on T-Mobile/AT&T of course, but it shouldn't matter if someone wants to use it outside of the US, right?)
or
3. sell the phone as a 'dev' device (at a substantial loss i'm sure), but I have no idea how to do this or even whether a dev would want a phone that is blocked (don't they need to test network stuff?).
I'm trying to find a way to make the best of a bad situation. Any one who reads this post and wants to give me some decent advice is welcome. But if you just want to start trolling PLEASE JUST GO AWAY. I have enough problems as it is right now.
In any case, i've learned my lesson. No more Craigslist, no more Negri, no more Swappa. I'm just gonna pony up the money and get my phones directly from T-Mobile. The money I thought I was saving doesn't look like such a deal anymore.
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bad luck for you.
But i can tell you a thing or 2 about selling phone internationally.
your t-mobile fone can be used here in SEA region and for the N3 its probably multi band.so selling it internationally shouldn't be an issue for you.but you'll probably want to sell it at a huge discount.
from past experience,t-mobile's GSM frequency is the same as those in my country and i have no issues using T-mo fone here.my signature should tell you what t-mo fones i had.but i cannot say if the 4g band is the same though.so dun worry about the GSM band being compatible or not,that's the buyer's responsibility.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM_frequency_bands)
i am not sure if there is a way to sim unlock your fone without having to buy a unlock code(i noe the sensation 4g had a way to remove sim lock altogether),if you do find a way,there is no harm testing to see if you can still use the fone on other networks.
take it as a hard lesson learned bro but dun give up trying other ways to use your fone,i am pretty sure the journey is educational.like how i tried to make t-mo fones work in my country.

I might be wrong but its only blacklisted IMEI NUMBER? in UK its illegal to change it. But I think you end up selling it OK on ebay
with NO RETURNS OR REFUND!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

ultramag69 said:
Won't help.... Phone has been blacklisted...
Unless you can get the carrier to take it off the blacklist it won't be allowed to connect to any network in that country (theoretically)...
Just a thought though - if the phone hasn't been paid for to the carrier, it's on the blacklist and you are caught trying to use it, you may find yourself charged with possession of stolen goods... Unless you have a receipt that states it was sold to you. Either way though you will loose the phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I do have a receipt from both Paypal and Swappa. But I think would only work if it has been reported lost or stolen by the original owner. I don't think that's the case. T-Mobile said it was blocked for non-payment of EIP. Guess the guy just flipped the phone as soon as he signed the contract. People suck.
frostmore said:
bad luck for you.
But i can tell you a thing or 2 about selling phone internationally.
your t-mobile fone can be used here in SEA region and for the N3 its probably multi band.so selling it internationally shouldn't be an issue for you.but you'll probably want to sell it at a huge discount.
from past experience,t-mobile's GSM frequency is the same as those in my country and i have no issues using T-mo fone here.my signature should tell you what t-mo fones i had.but i cannot say if the 4g band is the same though.so dun worry about the GSM band being compatible or not,that's the buyer's responsibility.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM_frequency_bands)
i am not sure if there is a way to sim unlock your fone without having to buy a unlock code(i noe the sensation 4g had a way to remove sim lock altogether),if you do find a way,there is no harm testing to see if you can still use the fone on other networks.
take it as a hard lesson learned bro but dun give up trying other ways to use your fone,i am pretty sure the journey is educational.like how i tried to make t-mo fones work in my country.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, very educational. I used to buy my phone on Craigslist. I never once got scammed. But then Craigslist turned into Scam Central Station. So I went to Swappa because they use Paypal and I thought that would give me some protection. Turns out, the only way to ensure that you won't get a phone that will be blocked or blacklisted later is to get it directly from the source. It's turning out to be an expensive lesson. :crying:
How much of a discount do you normally get when you purchase a T-Mobile phone? I don't want to lose $200. It would make more sense to just get a cheap 4G phone and tether it to my Note 3 and use it as a little tablet.
jowett69 said:
I might be wrong but its only blacklisted IMEI NUMBER? in UK its illegal to change it. But I think you end up selling it OK on ebay
with NO RETURNS OR REFUND!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Yes, I would have to do it that way, but i'm worried now about losing too much money trying to sell it. If I sell it internationally, I don't see why I should lose that much, since the T-Mobile block only applies to the US.

Another option?
I really don't want to lose my $30 5GB plan. I've been looking on Amazon and saw that they have some cheap T-Mobile 4G phones like this Nokia Lumia 521: http://goo.gl/KgvOgR
My thought is, I can purchase that, tether my Note 3 to it and keep using it. 90% of what I do on my Note 3 is data/browsing, gaming, etc. So if I can tether to the Lumia, I guess it would work.
Any thoughts?

Was the Paypal transaction a credit card one? If so, I would contact them directly (you may have recourse for up to 3 months?). I use Paypal but always use my credit card to pay for items and never my bank account because Paypal will not stand behind the purchase if they have a way out.

FedUpx2 said:
Was the Paypal transaction a credit card one? If so, I would contact them directly (you may have recourse for up to 3 months?). I use Paypal but always use my credit card to pay for items and never my bank account because Paypal will not stand behind the purchase if they have a way out.
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No, unfortunately, it was a bank account. Sigh...

UPDATE
So here's an update on my situation.
After considering my options, I ordered a Straight Talk AT&T sim card a few days ago. It was only $7 with free shipping, so I figured I might as well give it a try. It got here today, so I got Chainfire's RegionLock Away app and followed the instructions here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2471742) to unlock my Note 3 using the Straight Talk sim card. Didn't have a single problem getting it unlocked. Total cost to unlock ~ $10.
Once it was unlocked, I signed up for the $45 Straight Talk plan (which ends up around $50 with taxes/fees), and after a couple of reboots, I have service. The service seems pretty fast, but I don't want to do a speedtest because it's just a waste of my limited data allotment. It shows as being 4G LTE, but I don't know if that's the case.
So, I pay $20 more for half the data, and I have a Note 3 that is worth considerably less than what I paid for it only a couple of months ago on Swappa. I've definitely learned a valuable lesson here. But at least I have a working phone, so there's that.
Thanks for all of the suggestions guys.

That's awesome and glad you are able to use the phone normally.

Techngro said:
So here's an update on my situation.
After considering my options, I ordered a Straight Talk AT&T sim card a few days ago. It was only $7 with free shipping, so I figured I might as well give it a try. It got here today, so I got Chainfire's RegionLock Away app and followed the instructions here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2471742) to unlock my Note 3 using the Straight Talk sim card. Didn't have a single problem getting it unlocked. Total cost to unlock ~ $10.
Once it was unlocked, I signed up for the $45 Straight Talk plan (which ends up around $50 with taxes/fees), and after a couple of reboots, I have service. The service seems pretty fast, but I don't want to do a speedtest because it's just a waste of my limited data allotment. It shows as being 4G LTE, but I don't know if that's the case.
So, I pay $20 more for half the data, and I have a Note 3 that is worth considerably less than what I paid for it only a couple of months ago on Swappa. I've definitely learned a valuable lesson here. But at least I have a working phone, so there's that.
Thanks for all of the suggestions guys.
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Click to collapse
Sorry to hear about your problems. Even though a couple people had the same issue with phones from Negri Electronics, mine purchased from Negri still says that the IMEI is not recognized when checked and it works fine on T-Mobile or AT&T (tested with sister's T-Mobile SIM and daily use with AT&T grandfathered Unlimited) with LTE. I am very happy. T-Mobile was going to make me spend $791 + at least 45 days of unwanted service before I could even request an unlock and they have 7 days to respond (52 days of unwanted service?). That's not a deal.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

CZroe said:
Sorry to hear about your problems. Even though a couple people had the same issue with phones from Negri Electronics, mine purchased from Negri still says that the IMEI is not recognized when checked and it works fine on T-Mobile or AT&T (tested with sister's T-Mobile SIM and daily use with AT&T grandfathered Unlimited) with LTE. I am very happy. T-Mobile was going to make me spend $791 + at least 45 days of unwanted service before I could even request an unlock and they have 7 days to respond (52 days of unwanted service?). That's not a deal.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Well, i'm glad that Negri made someone happy. There were plenty of people on this forum who felt they were getting scammed by them and had to cancel preorders after waiting 3 weeks for a shipment that never happened.
You might feel you're getting a deal, and maybe you are, and i'm glad for you. But for me, as I said, I learned a very expensive lesson from my experiences with both Negri and Swappa. It's only a deal when it works out the way you want it to. When you get screwed like I did, it stops being a deal. Not only did my phone get blocked, I now pay more money for less service. The extra $100 in savings isn't worth the risk for me anymore.

Leasing and Rooting/Flashing ROMS

Hey everyone,
So I currently own a S4 on Sprint and it's rooted with a custom ROM and I use the mobile hotspot for my internet at home ( can't get any decent internet in the apartment I live in ). I have been looking into finally upgrading to the S7, but it's a little too pricey to outright buy it so I am looking into leasing it.
I have never leased a phone so I am not sure how it works in regards to rooting, flashing ROMS, and most importantly for me at the moment the mobile hotspot. I have never had an issue so far with getting throttled or been warned about my data usage from Sprint so far, but I'm not sure if their policies change if I start leasing a phone from them. I figure when it comes time to turn my phone back in I could flash it back to stock. I remember though that with KNOX even if you flash back to stock the warranty would still be voided and I'm not sure if that would be a problem when I try to flash back to stock before returning the phone.
Any guidance on the issue would be appreciated.

I also upgraded from a S4. right now i have a S7 that i just got today. flashing and rooting should have no affect except that your warranty will be void. if you really care, then you can always flash stock rom via odin after you download the firmware from SamMobile. my S4 has been rooted and went through like 10 different roms.

If Knox is tripped my understanding is some features won't work. I could see this being problematic upon return. Though if you're careful and don't trip knox as long as you flash back I don't see it would be an issue.

VeriSkye said:
If Knox is tripped my understanding is some features won't work. I could see this being problematic upon return. Though if you're careful and don't trip knox as long as you flash back I don't see it would be an issue.
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Click to collapse
Is it possible to not trip Knox these days? If I remember correctly there was a time when there was no way around it.

sj7ftw said:
Is it possible to not trip Knox these days? If I remember correctly there was a time when there was no way around it.
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No, there is no known way not to trip knox unless you have a factory engineering image

Depending on your plan, Hotspot is included if you have one of the gig bucket plans. Use to have to do Hotspot tweaks too,
I went from the 1500 unlimited data, to a 3gig plan and Hotspot is included.
My plan with 2 ezpay s7 phones and 3 gigs is much less than I was paying. Plus I never use more than 3 gigs, usually way less with wifi.

sj7ftw said:
Is it possible to not trip Knox these days? If I remember correctly there was a time when there was no way around it.
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Click to collapse
I thought it was. But I've been living in the HTC world for a while so I admittedly haven't kept up like I used to.

I am also leasing my s7 edge.
I dont think there would be an issue root and roming the phone, as long as:
A; you do not call sprint for software issues.
B; if you do, put stock back on the phone before hand.
If you have hardware issues, its OK to call sprint, just dont tell them the phone is rooted. You will have to put the phone back to stock (hopefully knox resets when this happens) to return the phone for hardware replacement.
I've replaced my Samsung phones so many times. I have the monthly insurance.

Thanks for the replies... If anyone does know how to reset Knox/warranty bit when going back to stock let me know. Now to wait for a hotspot mod. I do have GalaxyTools still on my S4. Anyone know if that would work?

There is no way to reset Knox.

sj7ftw said:
Hey everyone,
So I currently own a S4 on Sprint and it's rooted with a custom ROM and I use the mobile hotspot for my internet at home ( can't get any decent internet in the apartment I live in ). I have been looking into finally upgrading to the S7, but it's a little too pricey to outright buy it so I am looking into leasing it.
I have never leased a phone so I am not sure how it works in regards to rooting, flashing ROMS, and most importantly for me at the moment the mobile hotspot. I have never had an issue so far with getting throttled or been warned about my data usage from Sprint so far, but I'm not sure if their policies change if I start leasing a phone from them. I figure when it comes time to turn my phone back in I could flash it back to stock. I remember though that with KNOX even if you flash back to stock the warranty would still be voided and I'm not sure if that would be a problem when I try to flash back to stock before returning the phone.
Any guidance on the issue would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The S7 in my op is so far above the S4 it is scary. Well worth your lease. Also if at the end of the lease terms you want to buy the phone Sprint has options. I got a loyalty discount on my lease at 50% off. With the buy option at the end leasing the phone I would save around 200$ as opposed to buying it out right.

No way to untrip Knox, and it IS against the terms of your lease, just FYI.

Right now this is all moot. Bootloader is locked. Unfortunately.

All us is locked

Instead of leasing there is the payment to own, this way you are buying it instead. I didn't there was leasing option for the S7 yet.

As far as the payment to own... i dont understand why anyone would want to do that? It seems much better to sign two years and pay $250.00 in stead of paying the full price after payments are said and done. Am i missing something? or i don't see a bigger picture everyone else does.

lost0138 said:
As far as the payment to own... i dont understand why anyone would want to do that? It seems much better to sign two years and pay $250.00 in stead of paying the full price after payments are said and done. Am i missing something? or i don't see a bigger picture everyone else does.
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The service costs more with a two-year contract, so there's that. It doesn't actually work out that you get the phone $500 cheaper. You make up for it in the cost of service.
IMO the Galaxy Forever is the way to go. New phone every 12 months, no need to worry about the battery being unreplaceable, an old Android having little resale value, etc.

lost0138 said:
As far as the payment to own... i dont understand why anyone would want to do that? It seems much better to sign two years and pay $250.00 in stead of paying the full price after payments are said and done. Am i missing something? or i don't see a bigger picture everyone else does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only reason I have considered the leasing option with the payment to own is I got a huge discount through Sprint for being with them for over 10 years. Without that discount the lease option and the payment option are about the same end cost. As far as the 2 year contract, I have not been given that option through Sprint, the only time I see that option is for new customers when I am not signed into my account on the web site.
I am right now on the Galaxy for life program because I have opted for the lease with Sprint. Unless the next Note or Galaxy is a home run and includes a removable battery cover I don't know if I will opt for the upgrade when they come out. I really dig this GS7.

Sign and pass along
https://www.change.org/p/sprint-unl...utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

Zer0C0oL said:
The only reason I have considered the leasing option with the payment to own is I got a huge discount through Sprint for being with them for over 10 years. Without that discount the lease option and the payment option are about the same end cost. As far as the 2 year contract, I have not been given that option through Sprint, the only time I see that option is for new customers when I am not signed into my account on the web site.
I am right now on the Galaxy for life program because I have opted for the lease with Sprint. Unless the next Note or Galaxy is a home run and includes a removable battery cover I don't know if I will opt for the upgrade when they come out. I really dig this GS7.
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Click to collapse
That's why I did the lease too. I got $10 off a month and I get to upgrade next year. I love to upgrade so it was a no brainer for me.

Unlocking T-Mobile locked phones, bought directly from Samsung

Hello,
I recently saw the (samsung.com) Buy One Get One (/us/mobile/phones/t-mobile-free-galaxy-s8-promotion) deal on the Samsung S8. I am really interested. The deal applies on buying the T-Mobile variants directly from samsung.com. (Not through T-Mobile)
However, I am from India, and am currently travelling to the US. I would like to buy both the phones and get them unlocked later so that I can use them back in India. I do not mind buying/activating a new T-Mobile line on one of the phones as long as I can SIM unlock the phone later for use with other SIMs. From what I read, T-Mobile does not have these phones registered in their database and it is difficult to get them to unlock the phone for me. What usually ends up happening is that Samsung people redirect to T-Mobile, who in turn redirect back to Samsung. Has anybody had any success?
Here are a couple of reddit threads dealing with the same matter (can't post links yet, sorry) :
/r/tmobile/comments/68w6ow/samsungcom_tmobile_s8_sim_unlock/
/r/tmobile/comments/6crs6v/unlocking_samsung_galaxy_purchased_from_samsungcom/
/r/GalaxyS8/comments/67a942/how_to_get_sim_unlock_code_for_phones_purchased/
Please let me know if this is possible, and how it can be done.

I have T-mo phone bought and paid in full direct from Samsung and I can confirm this nonsense, which should be totally illegal: T-mo has no record of my phone's IMEI and Samsung can't unlock the phone without T-mo. You could try paid services, but I have no idea how well and if they even work. You could also wait for root and probably unlock then, but it's risky. So far I have not been able to resolve this issue.

pete4k said:
I have T-mo phone bought and paid in full direct from Samsung and I can confirm this nonsense, which should be totally illegal: T-mo has no record of my phone's IMEI and Samsung can't unlock the phone without T-mo. You could try paid services, but I have no idea how well and if they even work. You could also wait for root and probably unlock then, but it's risky. So far I have not been able to resolve this issue.
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Click to collapse
That's sad to hear. I would have loved to get the phone using this offer. From what I gathered from the reddit threads, you basically have to grind down on customer support (either Samsung or T-Mobile) to get it unlocked from their side.