Datacard/phone Unlocking

[debug]

Hi all,

Are data cards from Vodacom being locked at card-level or network-level ? (I presume the latter) Are Vodacom locking all the new data card's EMEI numbers exclusively onto their network. AFAIK Vodacom has the power to unlock the card or if you know what your phones/data card unlocking code is you can unlock it by typing it from your handset. (Or via datacard dashboard software)

Secondly. Greylisting and Blacklisting. AFAIK when your phone is stolen and you report it to your SP they greylist your sim from being used. Then the robber tosses your sim and puts in a diff. sim. Then if you have proof of purchase and the EMEI number the handset can be blacklisted on network level making the phone useless. Now my question is does the EMEI number get blocked on all networks or only on the network you bought it on ?

I am no expert when it comes to cellular so please correct where needed.

Regards
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[Terencek]

Locking is at the firmware level

FYI: my quest as a cash customer for an unlocked HSDPA card finally took me after considerable correspondence and calls to Vodaworld in Midrand yesterday. The official answer I received from techies there is that the locking is at the firmware level, not the network. Voda insists it does not have the power to unlock, though I find this hard to believe as pressure mounts on them to copy MTN and unlock these cards.


Voda also confirmed what I had been told by knowledgeable dealers: that even if you wish to pay cash (around R2,700) for a new HSDPA card, it will still be locked -- there simply are NO unlocked versions. The MTN card, almost identical, is unlocked -- and cheaper.

It will be interesting to see what happens in September when the market is supposed to liberalise. I have already followed up this whole underhanded locking issue to the media, and hope to take it up with ICASA as a disgruntled consumer. We shall see what happens, if anything!

In the meantime the good news (for me) is that it pays to complain vociferously. Voda finally managed to find an unlocked (Novatel) HSDPA card for me and swopped it for my locked Huawei. The bad news (for you) is that it appears to be almost the last new unlocked card in their stock.......

 

[debug]

Yes it seems I too will have to go the MTN route (I allready have MTN contract phone - which is also unlocked btw.) The only reason is that I can get a real good deal on a Voda Hauwei card (Which I have tested and works very nicely with the native Huawei software, which for me is better and more accurate than the VMC software).

Also it seems MTN is the only SP that will supply the headset for the card at no charge too. Vodacom doesn't even seem to be aware of a headset and I spoke to a techie last week and he said that the card cannot take a headset (totally untrue because there's a socket for it on the left of the card.) and he said that voice dialing is impossible too. (which is also untrue because I tested dialing via the Huawei dashboard software and that works too.)

The MTN card is indentical - just diff branding (Spoke to Huawei in JHB about that - but you can't buy directly from them-only through a network SP..)

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[rehd]

Hi all,

Are data cards from Vodacom being locked at card-level or network-level ? (I presume the latter) Are Vodacom locking all the new data card's EMEI numbers exclusively onto their network. AFAIK Vodacom has the power to unlock the card or if you know what your phones/data card unlocking code is you can unlock it by typing it from your handset. (Or via datacard dashboard software)

Secondly. Greylisting and Blacklisting. AFAIK when your phone is stolen and you report it to your SP they greylist your sim from being used. Then the robber tosses your sim and puts in a diff. sim. Then if you have proof of purchase and the EMEI number the handset can be blacklisted on network level making the phone useless. Now my question is does the EMEI number get blocked on all networks or only on the network you bought it on ?

I am no expert when it comes to cellular so please correct where needed.

Regards
debug

Network locked phones/data cards. Vodacom used to network lock their phones but there was some legalities involved which made it technically illegal.. and now it seems they are doing it again.However the Novatel cards dont seems to be network locked whereas the Option cards seems to be. I can say for the Huawei cards as I have a MTN one...(smile)

Blackilisting and greylisting.... Vodacom issued a statement a while ago that they do not blacklist they only grey list.. (doof ) as your insurance company will only pay out if it is blacklisted...

Grey list means you can still use the phone whith another sim...blacklists the phone.. aswell as some service providers like Nashua Mobile..

Blacklisting is where they list the IMEI number on a central database (appernetly in Ireland) so that no matter where your phone is they cant use it..

So if you on Vodacom & ur phone gets stolen it can be used on MTN , but if you on MTN (CellC I am not sure about) it gets blacklisted and cant use it on any network here in SA..

V3G can check for us, I am sure....