What is wrong with my S3

D

dazzazzad

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On Friday I tried to check my prepaid balance and was met with a "phone not registered" message. Couldn't make calls either. Went to the network page and when selecting Vodacom got an immediate "could not connect" error. After reboots and removing and replacing sim, no change.

Went to Vodacom on the weekend. They tried my sim in another phone. That worked. They tried another sim in my phone. That also worked. Still, the sim looked a little dodgy so the feeling was a sim issue. Paid 20 bucks for a sim swap. This morning put in the new sim and...same story.

Anyone seen this before? Not sure why the techie's sim worked on my phone if it is a phone issue. They also checked my sim and their system, did a reset there and apparently everything looks fine.
 
Sounds like everything is fixed now, so the answer is, NOTHING is wrong with your S3.
 
Then clearly I did a poor job explaining. With the new sim (from the sim swap) that I put in this morning I have the same no connection to Vodacom network as before.

So the combo of my sim (both old and new) and my phone is the issue. My sim on another phone works and another sim on my phone works.
 
Weird... could be a compatibility issue with that particular SIM model if it's the only one doing it. Or it could be the network has a problem where you live.
 
Can't be compatibility because it's been working fine for over a year. And the error messages occur at home at work in town everywhere. Just stopped working on Friday.
 
Install an app like llama for instance, that can identify and keep a record of the cells where this problem happens...
it wont solve your problem, but it will identify the areas where it occurs and you might be able to deduce if it is location related.
 
Demon7 said:
Install an app like llama for instance, that can identify and keep a record of the cells where this problem happens...
it wont solve your problem, but it will identify the areas where it occurs and you might be able to deduce if it is location related.
Click to expand...

It's definitely not location related. It spots Vodacom but when selecting it it pops up an error immediately. Will head back into vodashop tomorrow morning.
 
A colleague has the same problem but with her S3 mini, she has done a simswap and even reset the phone but no luck.
 
Went back and this time when they tried another sim in my phone it also didn't work. So why it worked the one time with a different sim I don't know, but I guess the issue has to be with the phone.

Going to have to send it away...my question is, should I be protecting my personal data on there? Have never sent a phone in for repairs and don't want some dude going through my photos, notes and emails etc.
 
backup and delete personal or sensitive data...
They may just wipe the device in any case, during a repair process.

Let us know how it goes and what the actual problem was.
 
Alright, cool. Do you know of any Samsung repair places in Cape Town? I should still be under warranty.
 
Close to Canal Walk.. google or search for CRT number and ask them for samsung address, they are part of the same company.
 
Been communicating with a repair company (who would pick up my phone but are doing due diligence before going that route) and they reckon my phone might be blacklisted. They can't check as I didn't buy it through Vodacom but rather a store called Mobile Gear who had the S3 on special. The website for the shop is no longer working, which makes me think there might be something to this blacklisting.

Buying another sim might be a good idea.
 
dazzazzad said:
Been communicating with a repair company (who would pick up my phone but are doing due diligence before going that route) and they reckon my phone might be blacklisted. They can't check as I didn't buy it through Vodacom but rather a store called Mobile Gear who had the S3 on special. The website for the shop is no longer working, which makes me think there might be something to this blacklisting.

Buying another sim might be a good idea.
Click to expand...

Just so that you know... I am seeing increasing cases of mobile devices being blacklisted erroneously. I suspect that someone has hacked into that part of the networks, or we have some real special children behind the computers who cannot type numbers in.
We use a lot of modems at work, i.e. embedded stuff. Three brand-new modems that have never been used, are blacklisted, and neither Vodacom or MTN want to sort it out, this despite the manufacturer being able to provide auditing info on those IMEIs
 
Koosi said:
Just so that you know... I am seeing increasing cases of mobile devices being blacklisted erroneously. I suspect that someone has hacked into that part of the networks, or we have some real special children behind the computers who cannot type numbers in.
We use a lot of modems at work, i.e. embedded stuff. Three brand-new modems that have never been used, are blacklisted, and neither Vodacom or MTN want to sort it out, this despite the manufacturer being able to provide auditing info on those IMEIs
Click to expand...

Jeez, really hope that's not the case. If Vodacom don't want to sort it out then it's basically a brick. Can't even sell it.

My phone was sent in to the repair place today so will see what happens.
 
I have rooted my S3 to go to Jelly Bean 4.2.2, now with the pending official upgrade to 4.3 I would like to go back to the official software and wait my time to upgrade to 4.3 (officially). Where can I find the original software surely it must be somewhere on the web. The unofficial software is all over.
 
Yup, phone has been blacklisted according to Cell Clinic. So going to call the place I got it from and try and work out whats going on. Will probably have to get an affidavit from police and go back to vodashop. Same vodashop who told me the phone was not blacklisted when I asked them. Any chance when this is all done I can get them to pay me back for the sim swap and (non) repair costs of the phone? I'm pretty pissed off.
 
Was blacklisted via Telkom Mobile, who I've never used. Called them and they said that they would sort it out but the system to remove the blacklist was down and they were going to do it later. So we'll see how that goes. Need to get my phone back first.
 
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