How to spoof IMEI because AT&T forces $25 dataplan on anysmartphone (even sans contract)

[Mel Knight]

Just note that AT$T and T-mobile have different 3G frequencies. Their
EDGE is compatible, but not 3G.

Hmmmmmmmm... What does that mean in practice?

If I get an unsubsidized unlocked smartphone from neither carrier, will
that unlocked smartphone work the same on either AT&T or T-Mobile
networks?

 

[Dr Rig]

I suggest adding the words "without attracting a penalty" to 2.

Good suggestion!

I called T-Mobile sales earlier today at 800-866-2453.

I asked about that supposed "Android exception"; it apparently is bogus
and does not exist. All smartphones, they say, are treated similarly.

If you hook up a NON-SUBSIDIZED smartphone to the T-Mobile network, they
(unlike AT&T) will NOT force you to pay for a data plan that you don't
want.

I also asked, as you suggested, about the T-Mobile cancellation fee.

Turns out you were right! There is a $200 cancellation fee if you cancel
the data plan on a SUBSIDIZED smart phone anytime within the two year
contract period.

So, it's looking more and more like the two viable options are:
a) Change the IMEI of the smart phone to look like a dumb phone to AT&T
.... or,
b) Simply switch the plan over to T-Mobile (which seems to have what we
need at better prices than AT&T anyway).

I'd still like to explore the option of changing the IMEI of the
smartphone to a dumbphone IMEI ... and need to look up some more on that
since nobody here seems to be an expert on phones.

 

[Dr Rig]

T-Mobile still allows users to select no data plan as an option for most
smartphones (Android phones are an exception- they get a forced data
plan)

I called T-Mobile sales earlier today at 800-866-2453.

I asked about that supposed "Android forced dataplan exception"; it
apparently is bogus and does not exist for T-Mobile (it exists only for
AT&T).

All smartphones, T-Mobile sales staff sais, are treated similarly.

If T-Mobile subsidizes the smartphone, then you need the data plan for
two years (or face a 200 dollar cancellation fee).

If you supply your own unlocked smartphone, then you do NOT need a data
plan on the T-Mobile network.

The only caveat, so far, on the user-supplied smartphone is someone said
they are different frequencies for AT&T versus T-Mobile (which I don't
quite understand).

Can someone explain how a user-supplied smartphone on AT&T would be any
"different" than that same user-supplied smartphone on T-Mobile?

 

[[email protected]]

Oh, and Steve says to buy one. Fanbois do what Steve tells them. Even
with the documented bugs in the iphone 4, fanbois still bought it.

Apple jumped the shark when they started to sell Apple rechargeable
batteries. They were rebadged Sanyo ENELOOPs, which are good
batteries, but can't a fanboy buy a freakin' Sanyo battery. Does
everything have to say Apple on it.

Apple is missing out on a great product: Apple toilet paper. The
fanbois will gobble it up.

We missed it Monday night. Just roll up with a van full of TP and sell it for
$1/roll (these pictures don't do it justice):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/...ers-corner-toilet-paper_n_807231.html#s222101

 

[tlvp]

I called T-Mobile sales earlier today at 800-866-2453.

I asked about that supposed "Android forced dataplan exception"; it
apparently is bogus and does not exist for T-Mobile (it exists only for
AT&T).

All smartphones, T-Mobile sales staff sais, are treated similarly.

If T-Mobile subsidizes the smartphone, then you need the data plan for
two years (or face a 200 dollar cancellation fee).

If you supply your own unlocked smartphone, then you do NOT need a data
plan on the T-Mobile network.

The only caveat, so far, on the user-supplied smartphone is someone said
they are different frequencies for AT&T versus T-Mobile (which I don't
quite understand).

Can someone explain how a user-supplied smartphone on AT&T would be any
"different" than that same user-supplied smartphone on T-Mobile?

The two networks, at&t and T-Mo, use different frequencies for their HSDPA data:
1700 MHz for T-Mo, but 1900 MHz for at&t. Handsets provided by those two companies
therefore have HSDPA data radios tuned to the part of the spectrum right for *their*
HSDPA data services (and hence wrong for the other providers HSDPA dsata services).
Most of the GSM world's HSDPA data services also run in the 1900 MHz spectrum that
at&t uses. Most HSDPA-capable handsets (or even data modems) choose only *one* of
those two radio spectra to cover, hence won't "do" HSDPA data in the other.

And *that* is why "a user-supplied smartphone" won't work the same on at&t's HSDPA
network as it will on T-Mobile's -- HSDPA data will work 100% on one network and
simply NOT work at all on the other -- UNLESS: that smartphone happens to be one
of very few sets, like the Nokia n8, that does BOTH HSDPA spectra (1700 & 1900).

HTH. And cheers, -- tlvp

 

[tlvp]

... * T-Mobile USA is currently rolling out a 3g network in the 1.7/2.1
GHz band ...

That's the key part: T-Mo USA is, with perhaps a Canadian exception or two, virtually the *only* provider with an HSDPA offering requiring the 1.7 GHz band; in *all* the rest of the world, it's the 1.9 GHz band that's used for HSDPA, and T-Mobile(USA)-targeted equipment just won't manage HSDPA there.

HTH. Cheers, -- tlvp

 

[Lorenzo Sandini]

There are plenty of reasons, the first few that come to mind would be:
Looking up an address or phone number, or store hours. Killing time in
the doctor's office.

Hahaa, well I am a doctor and I can tell you I don't have time to kill
in my office

And although I have never owned a Mac or anything else by Apple, I
decided for an iPhone4 for my 40th birthday and I'm happy as a pig in
sh*t. There might be bugs in the iPhone4, but none that I am aware of or
that bothers me anyway.

It sure is expensive, but no subscription is needed here in Finland,
home of the Angry Birds.

Lorenzo

 

[[email protected]]

However, according from my calls with AT&T Customer Service, if I plug my
AT&T SIM card into any smartphone (even if I borrow a non-AT&T unlocked
smartphone), AT&T will automatically charge me $25/month for a dataplan
(the higher of their two byte-charge dataplans, BTW).

That seems not to be true.
Someone that I might know might have had their corporate Blackberry plan
canceled. They might have been issued a new AT&T phone with no data plan.
They might have plugged that SIM into their Blackberry, and continued to
use it, including WiFi Access, but no cellular data at all.

Another person might have taken the SIM from a Blackjack with data to a
blackberry with data, and be working fine.


I have heard that the opposite is bad pizza.
A Blackberyy-plan SIM in any non-Blackberry phone hits As-You-Go rates.

 

[Dr Rig]

That's the key part: T-Mo USA is... requiring the
1.7 GHz band; in *all* the rest of the world, it's the 1.9 GHz band
that's used for HSDPA, and T-Mobile(USA)-targeted equipment just won't
manage HSDPA there.

Yikes. That's something they don't tell you when you call 'em up!

Is the point that a user, if they want to use data on either T-Mobile or
AT&T, must have a smartphone that does data at both 1.7 Ghz and 1.9 Ghz?

Do I understand it right that the spec that makes a smartphone do data on
either network is mainly whether the smartphone does either 1.7 Ghz or
1.9 Ghz or both?

 

[Dr Rig]

Someone that I might know might have had their corporate Blackberry plan
canceled. They might have been issued a new AT&T phone with no data
plan. They might have plugged that SIM into their Blackberry, and
continued to use it, including WiFi Access, but no cellular data at all.

OK. Now we get into some unfortunate details.

Yes. AT&T will allow a "smartphone exclusion" for people who had a
smartphone before their policy went into effect and who then subsequently
drop their smartphone plan (whether or not they put the SIM card into a
dumphone or a smartphone).

What that means is that OLD plans are grandfathered with AT&T; this
smartphone requirement for data only applies to NEW plans (or changes to
a newly subsidized smartphone from AT&T).

But for NEW plans, AT&T swears they will add the more expensive dataplan
(currently $25/month) if they detect an IMEI of a smartphone (and if you
don't have the grandfathered-in smartphone exclusion).

What seems criminal is that they can FORCE you to have a dataplan even if
you don't want it - and - as it seems to turn out - if you have a T-
Mobile branded unlocked phone, then you can't even use the speeds of
AT&T's network.

Yet you have to pay for a plan you don't want, don't use, and can't make
full use of.

That's why I'm STILL hoping to find a way to change the IMEI number ...
but it's looking mighty slim right now for the chance that anyone knows
how to change the IMEI number in the USA (where it's perfectly legal).

 

[[email protected]]

mobile. You will need a 3rd party browser since the blackberry browser
assumes you have BIS. The Bolt or Opera mini browser will do. I'd

Not!

A brand new Blackberry Bold 9000, from AT&T.
No SIM, no activation of any sort, was able to connect and surf via WiFi.
The little "WiFi" indicator stayed dim, didn't go bright like it normally
would with a data plan enabled SIM inserted.

 

[DevilsPGD]

In message <[email protected]> Todd Allcock

The only 1700/1900 3G smartphone I'm aware of is the Nokia N8, a Symbian-
based device.

BlackBerry 9780 supports HSPA: AWS (1700,2100), 2100 MHz
GSM: 1900/1800/900/850 MHz.

 

[DevilsPGD]

Not!

A brand new Blackberry Bold 9000, from AT&T.
No SIM, no activation of any sort, was able to connect and surf via WiFi.
The little "WiFi" indicator stayed dim, didn't go bright like it normally
would with a data plan enabled SIM inserted.

A dim "WiFi" indicator indicates that the device hasn't connected to a
BlackBerry infrastructure yet. You may have a usable wifi connection at
this point, but BIS and BES/MDS stuff won't yet be available.

This is expected when you haven't activated with a carrier or inserted a
SIM since both are required for BIS access (and you'd know if you
activated on a BES over wifi -- this seems to be possible with a valid
SIM inserted, even if the cellular radio is disabled and the SIM isn't
activated)

Any software that use direct TCP sockets (and therefore can go over wifi
without relying on BIS or BES/MDS) will work, but HTTP libraries that
rely on BIS won't.

Even the internal browser may work, if you set it to HotSpot mode.

 

[Prinzip Gavrilo]

The phone does the talking while the iPhone
3G does the data, schedule, address book, games, utilities, etc. All
of my customer and favorite locations have wi-fi so I don't really
need cellular data. Carrying two devices is not elegant or cool, but
it is cheap and works fairly well.

Interesting. An iPod would work, too, if you're not using the 'phone bit
of it. An iPad too, but they're expensive and bigger to carry around.

 

[DevilsPGD]

In message <[email protected]> Todd Allcock

Sorry if I wasn't clear- I meant the N8 had both 1700 AWS and 1900 UMTS
in the same device (as well as 850 and 2100, IIRC. The only quad-band
UMTS phone I'm aware of.)

Ahh okay, I'm with you now. Carry on.

 

[tlvp]

Hahaa, well I am a doctor and I can tell you I don't have time to kill
in my office

And although I have never owned a Mac or anything else by Apple, I
decided for an iPhone4 for my 40th birthday and I'm happy as a pig in
sh*t. There might be bugs in the iPhone4, but none that I am aware of or
that bothers me anyway.

It sure is expensive, but no subscription is needed here in Finland,
home of the Angry Birds.

Lorenzo

I find the image of a doctor "happy as a pig in sh*t" a bit septic.
I do hope you scrub before attending to patients .

Cheers, -- tlvp