Unlocking/T-mobile phones on Cingular

Hello,

I have spent the last half hour looking for what I consider general information on my specific needs. For various reasons I think I want to change from Verizon to Cingular but want to use a T-moble phone (the SDA). How's that for being confused?

I know Cingular has the 2125, but the SDA has wireless and Verizon does not appear to support either. So from what I have gathered from this site is I need to buy an unlocked SDA, sign up with Cingular and get one of their "free" 4 band SIMed phone and put this SIM in the SDA? Or am I missing something, or a lot?

Also, are there any good sites that explain what it means to "unlock" phones and what this means and does for me?

Thanks! David

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Well, the SDA would have to be configured with Cingular's MediaNet settings in order for you to access text messaging, wireless web, email etc. This can be anywhere from difficult to impossible if the SDA is not on the list of configurable phones. Some people have had success using the settings from a similar model of the same brand phone, but what would be similar to the SDA?

Cingular Configurator

Originally Posted by 99beers

Hello,

I have spent the last half hour looking for what I consider general information on my specific needs. For various reasons I think I want to change from Verizon to Cingular but want to use a T-moble phone (the SDA). How's that for being confused?

I know Cingular has the 2125, but the SDA has wireless and Verizon does not appear to support either. So from what I have gathered from this site is I need to buy an unlocked SDA, sign up with Cingular and get one of their "free" 4 band SIMed phone and put this SIM in the SDA? Or am I missing something, or a lot?

Also, are there any good sites that explain what it means to "unlock" phones and what this means and does for me?

Thanks! David

Here's a short description of what an unlocked phone can do:

Although there are several types of "locks" that can apply to a phone, the most talked-about type is a carrier lock, also known as a SIM lock or subsidy lock.

Many phones sold by carriers come "locked" to that carrier. A "locked" phone can only be used with that carrier; it cannot be used with another carrier's service. (Not counting roaming.)

This lock can usually be removed by entering a special code or numeric password. In some situations, some carriers will supply this code upon request by the customer; not all carriers will do this.

There are also third-party companies that sell such codes, or other types of unlocking services.

Another type of "lock" is a keypad lock, which prevents accidental key presses in a pocket or purse. This type of lock is usually de-activated by pressing or holding down one or two specific keys.

A third type of lock is a security lock. This lock is like a typical "password", to prevent someone other than the owner from using the phone. If activated accidentally, the user manual or carrier customer service can usually tell you the default code.

Typical default codes include the last four digits of your phone number, the last four digits of your social security number, "1234", or "0000".

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your replies, I was off-line yesterday. It appears that I would be better off waiting for a different phone already configured with Cingulars settings.

Thanks again,

David

Originally Posted by 99beers

It appears that I would be better off waiting for a different phone already configured with Cingulars settings.

Or buy any unlocked phone that is in that list of configurable phones. As long as you know the settings are available for that particular model, you'll have no problem setting it up and using data services. Glad we could help.

The hardest part of the project will be to get the phone unlocked. I think the HTC phones can be unlocked with a code. The SDA is the HTC Tornado, do a google search for unlock HTC Tornado.
As far as the settings go, there is nothing difficult about them. Cingular has them on their website, and they even have tutorials that show you how to do most things like entering the needed settings to access their web.
The closet Cingular phone is the 2125, the only difference is that it does not have wifi.