iPad 4 (WiFi + Cellular) Carrier Settings Updates Message

[Over-Dose]

I acquired a very good 2nd hand deal for an iPad 4 64GB WiFi + Cellular, which was bought part of the whole FNB thing, according to the previous owner. I checked it out at an iStore and everything was all in order.

I believe the previous owner was using a Vodacom microSIM in the device, and when I got it, I had a spare MTN microSIM from a prepaid phone I had to buy. However, I predominantly use WiFi to get access to the internet on the device.

The thing that is puzzling me (and it only happens on my iPad and not my iPhone) is that every time I:

a) Connect device to PC (Windows 7 64bit) and iTunes opens, it tells me there are carrier settings updates available, to which I always click "Update".

b). When I am logged onto my WiFi at home (or anywhere) and navigate to "Settings/General/About" the same pop up message comes up, asking me to update my carrier settings.

No matter how many times I do this, the message always appears when I do the above. I have even tried restoring the iPad with the latest iOS version, and restored from a backup, and stlll, the message is there.

I couldn't find a concise solution as to why the settings keep needing to be updated, even after I click "update" on the pop-up message.

Anyone have some ideas?

 

[sand_man]

Yeah, happens to me too! Currently on Carrier version 15.0 and using a MTN sim! Slightly annoying but I've learnt to ignore it...

 

[Over-Dose]

Yeah, happens to me too! Currently on Carrier version 15.0 and using a MTN sim! Slightly annoying but I've learnt to ignore it...

Good to know I'm not alone. However, my Carrier version says 15.5 on my iPad.

So I figured I'd send myself on what I suspected would be a wild goose chase, and called MTN 1555 (Prepaid Data Support) from a different no. and spoke to a guy that I described everything to. He admitted to not ever having heard of this and concluded that it could be the iPad itself and that I must take it back to Apple to get checked. But he did have a light bulb moment when he asked if a different SIM (on another network) does the same thing. So I said I'd try that and check.

However, before I did, I called iStore's support, and spoke to a guy who ALSO hadn't ever heard of such thing. But with him, I ended mentioning the one last troubleshoot attempt advised by MTN. So I swapped out the SIMs from iPhone to iPad & vice versa, and when I turned the iPad on with my Vodacom SIM in it, and went settings again, there was no request to update carrier settings. So it evidently is an issue with MTN.

So I call MTN with the SIM in the iPhone and explain the conclusion to them, that their SIM makes the iPad want to do carrier updates, then the lady said "I must have turned on to make it want to do that update". Although I explained to her that the SIM was only ever used in the iPad, and was always wanting a carrier update.

So she said she'd do a reset on the SIM and I must have it switched off and not inside a phone for 15min. and then try it in the iPad again. Which I did gladly.

15min passes, I put in my MTN SIM into the iPad, I turn it and go to settings, what do I see? "Update Carrier Settings". Again.

:erm:

 

[sand_man]

Yeah, sounds about right!! MTN are clueless about most things if it doesn't entail a debit order...

It is an odd issue though and probably not that wide spread...

 

[Over-Dose]

Yeah, sounds about right!! MTN are clueless about most things if it doesn't entail a debit order...

It is an odd issue though and probably not that wide spread...

It is really odd, and to top it off, I explained to the 2nd MTN "specialist support consultant" that for some reason, when the MTN SIM is in the iPad, something else also doesn't quite make sense. In the "About" section next to a heading that says: "Cellular Data number, it says "Unknown" instead of showing me the SIM's number. With my Vodacom number, it shows the inserted SIM's number in that section.

But Google did show results (of sorts) for this issue, but no clear, final resolution.

https://discussions.apple.com/message/22599965#22599965

Still not a solution solution.

 

[sajunky]

when the MTN SIM is in the iPad, something else also doesn't quite make sense. In the "About" section next to a heading that says: "Cellular Data number, it says "Unknown" instead of showing me the SIM's number. With my Vodacom number, it shows the inserted SIM's number in that section.

This is normal, not related, don't need to worry about. Some SIM's are programmed with your own phone number, some other do not. Some phones allow you can fill it up, it will stay forever.

 

[iEverything]

Hi,

Used Voda data sims in all my iOS devices and got a new iPad Mini retina, popped in a MTN LTE data sim and also getting the 'update carrier settings' message on iTunes (Mac) each time the iPad connects to iTunes, even over Wifi as well, it must definitely be a MTN issue because I never experienced this on Voda except when a new carrier settings update was released.

Don't even bother with the call centres, after hearing them tell one of my colleagues to take out her battery on her iPhone to reboot it......ja

 

[sajunky]

Don't even bother with the call centres, after hearing them tell one of my colleagues to take out her battery on her iPhone to reboot it......ja

Do you think support staff can afford iPhone?

 

[sand_man]

Do you think support staff can afford iPhone?

Probably not but training should be free.

 

[sajunky]

You keep to blame support staff, but it seems that support staff has more common sense than Apple designers. Actually in two areas:
a) battery easy replacement,
b) Carrier definition in GSM networks is stored on SIM. Simply like that. There is no need for Apple approval for each device - so called "carrier update".

Besides, support staff is trained for GSM networks. They don't need to be trained for Apple specific 'curiosities' and Apple will not give such training for free, oh, no! Forget it - not for free.

 

[Over-Dose]

So I tried the MTN support via e-mail (too lazy to take out micro SIM & insert it into my iPhone), and got responses a few days later.
One telling me query will be attended to. The following one telling me to head into any MTN store/branch for additional support.

So I thought I'm keen to see if anyone ACTUALLY can resolve this issue, as my Vodacom micro SIM doesn't do this when inserted into the same device.

Went to MTN Canal Walk and was assisted by two staff (the 1st one wasn't too sure of why the problem occurred), where I was shown to change my APN setting on the iPad and just enter "myMTN" and that is it. :wtf:

I could have been told that via the very first call I made to the call centre, or the subsequent e-mail sent to their support centre. But I had to go into a store to get a simple line type into my APN settings. (which I am still sure is NOT the correct way to resolve this issue).

Anyway, I am done with this. I'll keep the micro SIM in the ipad and connect via LTE when I need to (just pray I can load data on it0 and use it mostly with Wi-Fi.

So much for customer support MTN. Rather shoddy.

Now I just have to figure out how to get iMessage to work from the iPad, using my one Apple ID on a different device.

 

[sand_man]

As already stated, they generally quite clueless... Very frustrating having to deal with them...

 

[Chilternburt]

Did anyone ever get to the bottom of this? I've tried everything else, but it still happens on my iPad 3, also on MTN...

 

[iEverything]

Nope....sold my iPad mini retina recently and still had the issue on it.

It's across ISP's supplied by MTN because I had a sim direct and via Internet Solutions and same issue.

 

[$m@Rt@$$]

I'm on MTN with my iPhone and I don't have that problem and it hasn't done that in my iPad either when I used afrihost's APN on there.

Are you running 'myMTN' as an APN or 'internet'? I had issues when my iPhone was switched to myMTN. It would never switch over to LTE when it's set to that.