[Q] How is IMEI generated? - Nook Color General

How does a rooted NC (or any wifi-only android device) generate an IMEI?
I am trying to use a beta version of an app that is restricted by the developer based on IMEI. Problem is, the reported IMEI on my rooted NC seems to change once a day or so. Why is this? Where does this IMEI come from in the first place? Any way to fix it so it doesn't keep changing?

IMEI
FletchF said:
How does a rooted NC (or any wifi-only android device) generate an IMEI?
I am trying to use a beta version of an app that is restricted by the developer based on IMEI. Problem is, the reported IMEI on my rooted NC seems to change once a day or so. Why is this? Where does this IMEI come from in the first place? Any way to fix it so it doesn't keep changing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't imagine that the IMEI reported by software running on the Nook Color is valid under any circumstances.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mobile_Equipment_Identity
"The International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI is a number, usually unique, to identify GSM, WCDMA, and iDEN mobile phones, as well as some satellite phones."
Would not seem to apply here. Also, the number can only be changed with special hardware/software so the fact that the number 'changes' makes it suspect.

Actually, you're probably using a Nooter'ed Nook with my hacked framework.jar. It generates an IMEI randomly (which is enough to get a valid Android ID), but I never got around to making it save since the Market worked fine after generating it once.

This needs to be fixed, since some apps check the IMEI and act as if the app has never run before based on that info.

silivrenion said:
This needs to be fixed, since some apps check the IMEI and act as if the app has never run before based on that info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second that! I bought ExZeus from Hyperbox, and works great but needs to download the last 100K before playing the game. When I emailed support this is what they said:
Hello,
Apparently your device is maybe generating a new IMEI everytime you start, are you trying to run the game on a Nook by any chance ? This is a known issue with the Nook, B&N does not want their device to run Android market games, if not, then please be sure you have a valid IMEI ( check it from your phone setting), some applications from the market have the bad habit to crash the IMEI and it will not be reported correctly.
So you want me to proceed the refund ?
Kind Regards,
HyperDevbox Support

Well, this is not a Barnes and Noble problem.. this is kind of a problem the dev community created, and I sort of feel like we need to fix it.

Perhaps you guys could set the IMEI to 000000000000000 (which is what Android emulators typically return), or 111111111111111, or something predictable? We've already had one user contact us about a randomly changing IMEI on a rooted Nook, and it would be nice to have a predictable way to fall back to MAC address.
Drew

FWIW, this is no longer an issue for me since I switched to CM7 which reports an IMEI of (null). In my case, the randomly changing IMEI was only with rooted stock.

That doesn't exactly help the rest of us who just use the auto-nootered builds because they're easier.

Related

Has something chaned my IMEI number?

Bit of a vague question, I know!!
Yesterday, I tried to register a pay as you go sim card to my TyTN II, but the automated registration process would not accept my IMEI number. After several failed attempts, I had to get hold of another phone, and register using that IMEI number. However, when I compared the 2 IMEI numbers afterwards, my TyTN one had an extra 2 digits. So I checked it against the original box, which also has a different IMEI number, as the phone had been replaced under warranty, but that also had 2 less numbers than my actual phone.
Now I'm not really sure what I have done to my phone, but everything I have done came from here. I haven't touched it for about 3 or 4 months, as I was happy with the way it was. It was a UK Orange TyTn II, which I unlocked, hardspl'ed and upgraded to wm6.1, all from here. I think I used something from olipro, and the rom was a stock voda one, and not one of the cooked ones. I seem to remember reading that maybe the unlocking, or the hardspl'ing could do this? What, if anything, can I do about this now? I'd like to change it back if possible? Thanks.
The sticker under your battery will have a 15 digit IMEI number. If you check your IMEI in Windows by doing *#06#, you will see a 17 digit IMEI number. As long as the first 15 numbers match the sticker under the battery, then you're fine.
Thanks. Panic over? I think?
Yes, the imei number behind the battery matches what is displayed by the phone, except the phone adds 01 onto the end? Is this normal?
synet said:
Thanks. Panic over? I think?
Yes, the imei number behind the battery matches what is displayed by the phone, except the phone adds 01 onto the end? Is this normal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as long as the first fifteen numbers match
is lMEl changing possible for this PDA ? if possible how to ?
I'm pretty sure this not the appropriate place to discuss changing you IMEI number. It's illegal and unscrupulous. I'm pretty sure the moderators of this forum would deffinetly not want to see this post.
My problem is solved (thanks everyone ) so happy for this to be locked, if required.
IMEI
IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is not something easy to change
ur first 15 characters matches - so u r fine
... and just for the reference:
back in the days, when I still had my hermes, I've managed somehow to wipe it's imei through flashing roms. don't ask me how it is possible, but when I went to settings/system/device information/hardware the imei field was blank.
never had a chance to test it, but I believe that it may be the cause of my further problems with it. that device was constantly connecting for like up to 5 sec. to the network, then out of a sudden connection was dropped for some time. dunno. other thing is, that it radio could be faulty after a drop.
whatever....
imei # changes after providers customization?
I noticed after using a direct from factory (htc repair center) phone that if you stop the mobile providers freeware bloatware from running that my imei # did not match my sticker (was 17 not 15 digits long) so I ran a search found this thread. like the original poster we were both concerned with not having matching imei's, I didnt want to send my phone back to htc. I panicked and posted before reading the entire thread. I was not and am not interested in hacking my IMEI was just worried that it shipped out wrong.
I didnt want to delete my post afterward so instead pointed out that Im a putz and that Notatreofan answered the original posters concerns as well as my own.
thanks again for leaving these old threads around they do help?
HakkanR said:
is lMEl changing possible for this PDA ? if possible how to ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, changing IMEI numbers is possible - but mostly only necessary for low life thieving scum - also illegal in most countries.
No one on this forum will tell you how to do it - pursuing the question will probably get you banned - pursuing the solution might also get you jailed.
you better check on the date of the post you are replying to... silly little boy...
Bumping an old thread is just bollocks...
I'll just add that the last two digits are the SVN (Software Version Number) that's all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMEI
Ta
Dave

bought my diamond second hand off some guy 2 months ago..

and today when I was looking into unlocking my phone, I noticed that the system IMEI is different from the IMEI label on the back of the phone.
I am using a deep shining ROM. did the ROM flash over the IMEI or was my phone just messed up to begin with?
also is there a soft method of finding out whether or not my phone is already unlocked?
Sorry to say but that guy messed your over by changing the IMEI. Flashing a rom doesn't do anything to IMEI, special tools and software CAN change it, and that is what this guy did. You can't do anything to change that, as changing IMEI is downright illegal and you dont want to get caught up in that.
As for finding out if its unlocked, take another companies SIM CARD, ie if you are with ATT, go and get a Rogers, or whoever else uses a SIM CARD, and find out if it will work in the phone.
so, it is quite possible that this phone is stolen? damn... what are the potential consequences of that? if he switched the original IMEI to the current one that I have, what if someone legitamately uses the imei on the same network, am I going to be screwed?
SUBLIMINALLYINC said:
so, it is quite possible that this phone is stolen? damn... what are the potential consequences of that? if he switched the original IMEI to the current one that I have, what if someone legitamately uses the imei on the same network, am I going to be screwed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you will not get screwed. {Unless you really want to; then I'm sure we can arrange for it}
IMEI {International Mobile Electronics Identification} Numbers are uniqe to every phone, but the network does not {& I believe Cannot} read the IMEI. ESNs {Electronic Serial Numbers} are a different thing, as the CDMA networks use this # to Identify the devices network authenticity {in other words: Whether or not it's authorized to use the network}. GSM {Global SIM Management} Phones rely on the SIM card to authenticate the devices access to the network. An IMEI is never sent thru the network! That's like posting your social security # online {Mine's 420-69-840} About the only time that a false IMEI is a problem, is when you need to get it unlocked {as you are trying to}; or if you need to report it stolen/lost. If the latter is the case then you will need to provide the authorities with both IMEIs. This is in case the person that has it removes the label in the back. For unlocking the device, you need to give the # that's in the software; as this is the only # the phone knows. Oh yeah, You can't send it in to get HTC warranty service either
Have you tried asking the person you bought it from about this? I would!! I would want to know why he did it, how he did it, & where the other # came from. It is a possibility that he had replaced the Mainboard with another unit, but he should have changed the labels at the same time. I have done this with a few phones {combine a couple bad ones to make a good one}, but I always ensure the IMEI or ESN matches on the back & in the software! If you believe you were defrauded, then contact the authorities & explain it to them. If there is another phone with the same IMEI, they should be able to tell you.
It might either be that he changed the main board or the cover itself.. (hopefully he did not steal it..)
I wouldnt worry too much about it though. Just go with the IMEI that is displayed on your screen not on the back of the phone.
well i tried to get an unlock code by using the IMEI read off the system page on my diamond and the guy couldnt get aan unlock code; is there anyother way to get the correct code>?
SUBLIMINALLYINC said:
so, it is quite possible that this phone is stolen? damn... what are the potential consequences of that? if he switched the original IMEI to the current one that I have, what if someone legitamately uses the imei on the same network, am I going to be screwed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Maybe it is or it isn't (but it is possible). It depends on which country that person bought this phone and maybe he used warranty service. I had this issue myself.After 2 month My Diamond didn't recognize my simcard, i sent it for warranty and when it came back GPS didn't work. so i sent it again , when i received it, at repair center they said that they replace mainboard, so imei changes and i received written document that they replaced mainboard (my back panel imei and the imei that phone shows are different now).
for checking it , Goto this site : http://www.numberingplans.com/?page=analysis&sub=imeinr
enter both imei and check them, if both are for diamond i think your mainboard is changed before, but if the imei that phone shows is belong to another handset (for Ex : a nokia one or another htc model) i can say 99% percent your phone is stolen.
i'd probably bet he's bought an "original" housing from auction site. i've done it many of times but i usually rip the imei sticker off, bear in mind the imei on the diamond is only on a metal plate, he may have forgot to change this part, he may have damaged his old imei sticker/plate, as stated above he may have changed his main board also, there is many possibilities.
don't worry about it, if your still a bit worried try the CheckMEND online service here:
http://www.checkmend.com/uk/
It costs £1.99 per go, (which you'd want to do both imei's) but you get a certificate telling you wahts dodgy or not about your phone.
it a great service if you feel a little worried.

[Q] Why Do I Have 2 Different IMEI Numbers?

While a new member, I've been following the community a bit and have flashed my Captivate successfully several times.
It started acting weird earlier this week (lagging and shutting itself off) so I decided to re-flash it and re-apply SRE with all the goodies it brings.
Since my last flash, the phone works fine (calls, messaging, and Internet) except for one problem - the Android Market.
I can access the market but am unable to download anything. I've tried many different solutions, ROM's (JF2, JH2, and JH3), 3G/WiFi, internal settings, clearing the Market cache, Dalvik cache, etc., using Market Access and going outside of AT&T's allowed applications, all to no avail. It's the same whether I attempt to download after a fresh flash or after applying SRE. I've also tried Unleash the Beast.
Finally I decided to call AT&T to find out if there was a problem somewhere on their end.
Here's the weird thing:
The IMEI I have on the sticker under my battery is that of a Captivate and matches what they have on record. The representative I spoke to told me that the IMEI I have in my phone's menu is an iPhone IMEI.
With all that being said, I have two questions:
1) How did this happen?
2) How can I fix it?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
FrstdOne said:
While a new member, I've been following the community a bit and have flashed my Captivate successfully several times.
It started acting weird earlier this week (lagging and shutting itself off) so I decided to re-flash it and re-apply SRE with all the goodies it brings.
Since my last flash, the phone works fine (calls, messaging, and Internet) except for one problem - the Android Market.
I can access the market but am unable to download anything. I've tried many different solutions, ROM's (JF2, JH2, and JH3), 3G/WiFi, internal settings, clearing the Market cache, Dalvik cache, etc., using Market Access and going outside of AT&T's allowed applications, all to no avail. It's the same whether I attempt to download after a fresh flash or after applying SRE. I've also tried Unleash the Beast.
Finally I decided to call AT&T to find out if there was a problem somewhere on their end.
Here's the weird thing:
The IMEI I have on the sticker under my battery is that of a Captivate and matches what they have on record. The representative I spoke to told me that the IMEI I have in my phone's menu is an iPhone IMEI.
With all that being said, I have two questions:
1) How did this happen?
2) How can I fix it?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What does your imei start with?
madjsp said:
What does your imei start with?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one in the software starts with 004999
The one on the sticker starts with 351863
Iphone imei starts with 011. That rep doesnt know what hes doingp
did you ask them to update youe imei number? would likly fix it, could have just been an accident, from what i have read about 10% of imei number are not unique so somehting could have gotten messed up server side
vinunleaded182 said:
Iphone imei starts with 011. That rep doesnt know what hes doingp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
also a quick google of the 0049 imei shows that there are several iphones with that imei
The rep who I've been working with is off today but she said she'd call me tomorrow. I'll ask her to update the number and hopefully she can.
Unfortunately, while I'm pretty much a noob to all this, I've found that I still know more than most of the people on the AT&T side and the rep I've been working with is the most knowledgeable of the group.
Did you go from an iphone to the samsung if so, it could be a translation issue on atts side which means the billing system never updated the imei to the switch because it errored out on the billing side happend all the time when i use to be a switch tech for att simple to fix just need to file a ticket with a certain department but can be a pain if the rep is new.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I thought the phone read its IMEI number from its own hardware. This thread implies that something on the network is telling the phone what its IMEI Number should be.
I know there are a lot of Ebay phones with bogus stickers - the stickers have one SN/EMEI number, but the phone internally says another.
Where did you get your phone?
I've never owned an iPhone and I purchased the Captivate from a corporate store, not from an authorized reseller or ebay.
wait cant this be useful if we can change the imei to a vibrant one we can get money off of data or would most of you feel bad for doing that (one good thing about that though for 10 dollars we get unlimited data)
labbu63 said:
wait cant this be useful if we can change the imei to a vibrant one we can get money off of data or would most of you feel bad for doing that (one good thing about that though for 10 dollars we get unlimited data)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You gotta pay to play. If you don't want to pay smartphone fees, don't get a smartphone. I'm sure we'd all like a break on price, but when it comes down to it, we can't get one, so we make do.
And unless the modmyi forum was wrong, that's illegal.
yeah i know but im just saying if someone isnt scared to go to jail
If the IMEI shows as 004999010640000, you might check out this thread. Good luck.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=777288
PS: you might want to look at this specific post in that thread.....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=8060884&postcount=33
BigJayDogg3 said:
You gotta pay to play. If you don't want to pay smartphone fees, don't get a smartphone. I'm sure we'd all like a break on price, but when it comes down to it, we can't get one, so we make do.
And unless the modmyi forum was wrong, that's illegal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually i was just looking at the library of congress's recent ruling on the DMCA and their new excemptions and read this
"
(3) Computer programs, in the form of firmware or software, that enable used wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when circumvention is initiated by the owner of the copy of the computer program solely in order to connect to a wireless telecommunications network and access to the network is authorized by the operator of the network.
"
sounds like to me that changing the imei is legal as long as the only reason you are doing it is to connect to a network that you are already authorized to use
xatrekak said:
actually i was just looking at the library of congress's recent ruling on the DMCA and their new excemptions and read this
"
(3) Computer programs, in the form of firmware or software, that enable used wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when circumvention is initiated by the owner of the copy of the computer program solely in order to connect to a wireless telecommunications network and access to the network is authorized by the operator of the network.
"
sounds like to me that changing the imei is legal as long as the only reason you are doing it is to connect to a network that you are already authorized to use
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Changing The imei is illegal and has nothing to do with the DMCA. changing The imei is fraud like changing a car's vin number.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
alphadog00 i was wondering that, you wouldn't happen to be able to point out to me which law that is contained in, i have heard it was illegal like a million times but havn't seen the law yet. but i have always liked reading the actual laws that make the things i want to illegal
how do you know its illegal the DMCA was changed and said it was legal so until you find something that says its illegal we will never know
labbu63 said:
how do you know its illegal the DMCA was changed and said it was legal so until you find something that says its illegal we will never know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are confusing unlocking with changing your IMEI. It is legal to unlock and hack, it is not legal to change the phone's network id.
xatrekak said:
alphadog00 i was wondering that, you wouldn't happen to be able to point out to me which law that is contained in, i have heard it was illegal like a million times but havn't seen the law yet. but i have always liked reading the actual laws that make the things i want to illegal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't point to you an exact law, but cloning phones has been considered fraudulent for years and people have been prosecuted. In changing the IMEI number, you are in essence cloning a phone - it may not exist yet, but it could. So once a new phone is made with the new EMEI number you created, you have created fraud.
After doing some research - this is the section of federal code that is used to prosecute cell phone cloners:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00001029----000-.html
U.S. Code: TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 47 > § 1029
§ 1029. Fraud and related activity in connection with access *devices
You may not get arrested for changing your IMEI (not one person anyway) but at some point the carrier will probably just black list your device or your account.
Changing the IMEI or ESN basically makes your device a counterfeit access device. Some debate that if they own 3 phones they should be able to let them all share one IMEI if only one is active at a time.
Personally, I can see no valid reason to change your IMEI - swapping sim cards is easy enough.

[Q] Changing IMEI?

Hey, sorry, this seems like the kind of thing that's already answered, but 30 minutes of searching this site and Google turned up nothing so... Any way, my friend wants to get an AT&T phone. My other friend has a Galaxy S on T Mobile, and he apparently is getting the dumb phone unlimited data plan with the T Mobile version too. He said he changed the IMEI by deleting a certain folder after rooting. I found some tool on here for changing Samsung IMEIs, but there's not really a clear guide. So what I want to know is:
How do I change the IMEI on the Galaxy S?
Will this work on AT&T? (ie, would my friend be able to get the 10 dollar dumb phone plan on it?)
If I found some cheap one with a black listed IMEI, would changing it make it usable on AT&T again?
Thanks,
Chabos.
If I'm not wrong you wont get any reply as changing IMEI yourself is highly illegal and XDA forum is not going to help illegal stuffs.....Find a different place to get your answer.BTW there is no offence ment to you....
Before you go digging around for ways to mess with your EFS folder, you need to understand that, unlike flashing a device (which could potentially lead to bricks as well) could render your device completely useless as it will no longer be recognized by your carrier. From this point, there is no tool to allow you to recover from a mistake done in here, so proceed with extreme caution. Have fun and happy (and safe) hacking!
This is a very sensitive system folder that contains Phone-specific information such as the IMEI (encrypted in the nv_data.bin), wireless devices MAC addresses, product code (also in the nv_data.bin), and much more. Often users trying to change product codes or trying to unlock the mobile will end up corrupting data in this location.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.xda-developers.com/android/backup-and-restore-your-efs-folder-on-samsung-devices/
Nuff said
isn't legal
Moderators close this thread asap.Its illegal to change your IMEI by yourself.Only the phone manufacturer has rights to do it.

IMEI number unknown on G920AUCS4CPG1

I bought my s6 awhile back on amazon and have noticed the battery drain rapidly when the phone is off . I've done a lot of research and found out the problem is due to the fact that the IMEI number is missing. Basically without the IMEI number you can't connect to mobile data or you can't connect to anything but WiFi. This causes the phone to constantly search for a single and drain the battery rapidly even when airplane mode is on.. So my question is, am I completely screwed or is there a way to get my IMEI number back? Also take note that I flashed the stock firmware though Odin and the IMEI number is still unknown
Bluedots1918 said:
I bought my s6 awhile back on amazon and have noticed the battery drain rapidly when the phone is off . I've done a lot of research and found out the problem is due to the fact that the IMEI number is missing. Basically without the IMEI number you can't connect to mobile data or you can't connect to anything but WiFi. This causes the phone to constantly search for a single and drain the battery rapidly even when airplane mode is on.. So my question is, am I completely screwed or is there a way to get my IMEI number back? Also take note that I flashed the stock firmware though Odin and the IMEI number is still unknown
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure you'd need an EFS backup from prior to the imei loss to recover it yourself. Sounds like you received the device in this condition, so you didn't have the option to do this yourself (not even sure it's possible on ATT S6, unless you're on an older build with root). I'd say either contact the seller and hope they made a backup they'll give you, or send it to Samsung for repair.
Edit: just reread - purchased new from Amazon? Definitely send back for warranty repair if it arrived that way.
Sadly I bought it used off of amazon so I guess it was my mistake.. On a different note is there a way to root my device? As of now I haven't found a way to root this version
Bluedots1918 said:
Sadly I bought it used off of amazon so I guess it was my mistake.. On a different note is there a way to root my device? As of now I haven't found a way to root this version
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's on a REALLY old Lollipop software version, yes. If it's on a newer Lollipop version, there's a tethered root solution (which is not really a good solution if it's your daily driver device). If it's on MM or N, no root.

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