Network/Sim unlock via rooting phone

Banjo String

Hi.

So my one year old threw my note3 down the toilet yesterday, and I did the usual, disassembled, dried, placed in rice, but 24 hrs later it still wont even turn on:mad:

Problem is, I need the phone for business in the morning, so I'm about to pick up a 2nd hand one today. Now the guy tells me its sim unlocked, but I wan to be doubly sure (just in case).

Question is, if it came down to it, how easily can I sim unlock this myself, either via a root/custom rom method, or if I have to do it online, does anyone have any idea what that would cost as obviously I have to factor the price in to the one I'll be buying today.

Kristopherus

Banjo String wrote: »

Hi.

So my one year old threw my note3 down the toilet yesterday, and I did the usual, disassembled, dried, placed in rice, but 24 hrs later it still wont even turn on:mad:

Problem is, I need the phone for business in the morning, so I'm about to pick up a 2nd hand one today. Now the guy tells me its sim unlocked, but I wan to be doubly sure (just in case).

Question is, if it came down to it, how easily can I sim unlock this myself, either via a root/custom rom method, or if I have to do it online, does anyone have any idea what that would cost as obviously I have to factor the price in to the one I'll be buying today.

You can check if its sim unlocked by putting any other network sim into it before you part with money.

Banjo String

Kristopherus wrote: »

You can check if its sim unlocked by putting any other network sim into it before you part with money.

Yeah, I will do this no bother, but I'm planning ahead in case this deal falls through etc. If I have to resort to using adverts or done deal to purchase a network locked phone.

Anyone know if rooting and custoim ROMS will remove sim locks?

Riesen_Meal

Banjo String wrote: »

Anyone know if rooting and custoim ROMS will remove sim locks?

Nope, it should not, totally separate part of the phone....

Best way of testing it is meet your man for a coffee and have 2 sims with you, test them both for 15 mins and watch your network bar, if it drops to nowt after about 10 mins and won't receive calls, chances are its a blacklisted phone...

Sim unlock can be 20-40 depending on where you get it done...

irishpancake

You might also need this, from Chainfire:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2470551

Apparently, Sammy wants to piss off as many customers as possible, so they introduced a Region Lock for the Note....

Sammy, in their never-ending quest to make sure they've pissed off every single one of their customers at least once, have decided to region lock their latest model devices. This means for example that you cannot use a European device with an American, Middle Eastern, Asian, ... , SIM card. You'd still be able to use the European SIM all over the world, but you would not be able to use a local SIM card while travelling outside of Europe - which would of course be much cheaper.

Sammy claims you can use any SIM card in the world after you've 'activated' with a SIM card from the region the device is from (in our example, Europe), but this has been proven by various (angry) Note 3 owners to not actually be the case.

The region lock is implemented in the form of a network blacklist. Beware that this is not exactly the same thing as a SIM lock, even though they are somewhat related. This blacklist blocks a number of whole countries and carriers, while a SIM lock whitelists one specific carrier. This app clears the network blacklist (region lock), but it may or may not remove the SIM lock, if present. Some have reported it works for them (for example: T-Mobile US Note3 on AT&T network: http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2471742), but this should be considered a side-effect.

While removing the region lock does not necessarily affect the SIM lock, various users have reported that inputting a proper SIM unlock code does remove the region lock as well. You can purchase SIM unlock codes at various places on the internet for 20 bucks or so. A benefit of using such a code is that you do not need to root your device or use this app. If you are not rooting your device already for other reasons, I would personally not root it to just region unlock, and buy an unlock code instead.

You can get the apk for free in the thread, or pay for it from Play.

This ebay guy does SIM unlocking for Note 3 on Irish networks: €39.99...[Voda shown, but also other networks, just look it up.]

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/SIM-network-unlock-PIN-For-Samsung-Galaxy-NOTE-3-N9005-on-Vodafone-Ireland-Irish-/360794743083?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_205&hash=item54010ae12b

Banjo String

Fieldog wrote: »

Nope, it should not, totally separate part of the phone....

Best way of testing it is meet your man for a coffee and have 2 sims with you, test them both for 15 mins and watch your network bar, if it drops to nowt after about 10 mins and won't receive calls, chances are its a blacklisted phone...

Sim unlock can be 20-40 depending on where you get it done...

On that, something that entered my mind today. Whats to stop someone selling you a phone, then reporting phone robbed, he gets new one on insurance, you get lightened of 450 cash, and a dead phone?