Database Develop

AT&T Exchanges - Your Nightmare Stories!

Unemployed, in the middle of a job search, and my Tilt succumbs to the RLoD. Yay!
Looks like the only solution is to obtain a replacement phone from AT&T. As a flash-aholic (thanks, Dutty ), I'm really wondering about their replacement policy, as some have mentioned that they'll bill your account for the replacement phone in some cases. (I obviously refuse to pay for a replacement phone when mine is dead after only three months... much less pay full price for a refurb!)
It's been determined that this problem is NOT isolated to reflashed phones; since stock ROMs succumb to it as well, my flashing has nothing to do with the problem. Obviously, I can't flash back to the original ROM because the phone is a brick. However, because it's a brick, they won't know I've flashed a custom ROM until they repair it somehow.
So is the charge billed to my account only as long as it takes for me to return the broken phone? Is it only billed if I fail to return the broken phone? Will it show up down the road when they realize I loaded a custom ROM? (Again - unemployed, so can't afford to pay for another phone anyway.)
Finally, and most importantly - has anyone with the RLoD (or any other phone issue) returned a custom ROM-loaded phone to AT&T? If so, what was your experience?
Thanks so much - using my old Sony Ericsson Z500a for the past week has been ridiculous, and I really want to know if I can make the call to AT&T or not...

ok, well first of all pay attention to the warnings... 3 months old or not when you flashed the different spl, or cooked rom you voided the warranty.. yes the phone could be defective, but any manufacturer can refuse repairs or charge you for the repairs since it was flashed with a non htc/att rom..
As far as the return process... its an advanced type rma in 99% of the cases meaning they will ship you a refurbed unit with the materials needed to ship yours back... if they dont recieve your defective phone within so many days they will charge your account for the replacement(this is to prevent fraud, obviously). I have also heard in some rare cases where people were charged for the replacement after the repair facility notified of an unapproved rom/bootloader on the phone. and in some cases people get away with it...
so its 50/50 shot... i would do everything possible to return it to a stock bootloader and rom before sending back (which in your case you might just have to roll the dice..)

ive exchange many phones and i dont flash to stock roms and ive never had a issue

I was in the exact same position as you about a month ago. I got the RLOD about 4 days into using my tilt and it had been running the HTC stock rom for 3 days, I flashed it the day after I got it.
When the RLOD hit, I was really worried. I was in the 30 day return period, so all I had to do was take it to the store and get a new one. I knew they wouldn't be able to tell in the store, as the consumer and retail end is really non-technical. I was afraid that if they revived the phone at ATT tech or HTC that they would find out.
This said, I built a little contraption at work that hooked up to my 12v car battery and wires into the battery prongs on the tilt. I figured the tilt could handle 12v without catching on fire - it did. However, I'm completely sure they any data will be completely unrecoverable, and the only thing that will salvage is the case. I figured they have no way to call you on a total phone fry, because it could be lots of things that cause that. However, you should have heard the noise it made. I almost made a video, but it was too incriminating. 12v is devastating to a phone, it was cool! I cooked a 600 dollar piece of equipment and got a new one!
That was over a month ago, no word from anyone. Also, I saw on the RLOD post that one user said HTC replaced the whole motherboard as that was the issue - if this is the case I'm sure that all of your old data stored on the ROM in the motherboard goes in the trash as well, as they probably don't take the time to machine re-solder used boards.
Your probably fine, as all RLOD's seem non-relivable. If you want to make a 12v fryer, it's easy. I took a lot of time on mine, because it was fun, but the gist of it is to get a wire from positive to positive and negative to negative from your 12v to your phone. If you do this, please be careful, and DONT touch the wires together because it will cause and arc and melt your prongs - no good. I built a full fryer with a switch and everything, but it was overboard.
My 2 cents.

Also, to avoid this I am sticking with the ATT rom from here on out. It's too risky for something so expensive. I have my phone the exach was it was with the stock HTC minus a few small things. doing a hard reset and pulling the battery before customization works miracles. Almost everything else is available in cabs.

xconradx said:
Also, to avoid this I am sticking with the ATT rom from here on out. It's too risky for something so expensive. I have my phone the exach was it was with the stock HTC minus a few small things. doing a hard reset and pulling the battery before customization works miracles. Almost everything else is available in cabs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The AT&T ROM is by far the most boring and least productive IMO. Couldn't you flash to the HTC ROM and be fine under warranty/returns?

redsrule2500 said:
The AT&T ROM is by far the most boring and least productive IMO. Couldn't you flash to the HTC ROM and be fine under warranty/returns?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is boring, but when you get rid of bloatware and install the joys that HTC has available its pretty much the same as the stock HTC rom. You can still get the cube and today screen and everything else in cabs.
I think your voiding by hardSPL, not by having the stock HTC ROM. The egg comes before the chicken.

Just a thought...
Does anybody think that there is a correlation between phones being sent back to AT&T with HardSPL still on the device and the fact that HardSPL has not worked on the latest display driver (1.57.00, 1.81.00 and 1.82.00) equipped Kaiser's?

shogunmark said:
i would do everything possible to return it to a stock bootloader and rom before sending back (which in your case you might just have to roll the dice..)
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Click to collapse
You are correct - I'll have to roll the dice, as there's no way I can return it to stock condition. It won't start.
Thanks for your comments, everyone. So far, I've got:
someone advising that sending it back is a 50/50 chance
someone who has returned several phones with non-stock ROMs without repercussion from AT&T
someone worried enough that they fried the phone completely (awesome!)
So now I only need to hear from one last person: someone who HAS had to pay for a replacement phone from AT&T. For any reason, but specifically because you had a custom ROM on it...
Thanks again, all!

Lol...I've returned 2 tilts to at&t with flashed roms, and I haven't had a problem yet...That's right I'm working on my 3rd tilt since october ^_^ I LOVE AT&T

Maknificent said:
Lol...I've returned 2 tilts to at&t with flashed roms, and I haven't had a problem yet...That's right I'm working on my 3rd tilt since october ^_^ I LOVE AT&T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Whulp, guess I'll make the call today then!

How can i get online on my Laptop
with the help of My Phone At&t Tilt ?
is there a cab for it ? or ?
Please Help

ilordvader said:
How can i get online on my Laptop
with the help of My Phone At&t Tilt ?
is there a cab for it ? or ?
Please Help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PLease do not post this question here, this is not related to the topic... please do some more reading or post in the general subfora...

shogunmark said:
PLease do not post this question here, this is not related to the topic... please do some more reading or post in the general subfora...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sORRY

drokkon said:
Thanks. Whulp, guess I'll make the call today then!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So made the call yesterday, got the replacement phone today, less than 24 hours from TX to CO. Great customer service, but I couldn't get them to pick up the overnight shipping as some had said I could. $12 ain't bad though.
Hopefully my custom ROM-flashed brick won't do me in for $500, but I'll let y'all know if it does.

*Anxiously awaiting* =subscribed=

xconradx said:
This said, I built a little contraption at work that hooked up to my 12v car battery and wires into the battery prongs on the tilt. I figured the tilt could handle 12v without catching on fire - it did. However, I'm completely sure they any data will be completely unrecoverable, and the only thing that will salvage is the case. I figured they have no way to call you on a total phone fry, because it could be lots of things that cause that. However, you should have heard the noise it made. I almost made a video, but it was too incriminating. 12v is devastating to a phone, it was cool! I cooked a 600 dollar piece of equipment and got a new one!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard that a few seconds in the microwave can work wonders without the fireworks. Hopefully I'll never have to try that route...

arexben said:
*Anxiously awaiting* =subscribed=
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Click to collapse
Are you bricked too? Or merely curious as to the fate of us cursed few?
In other news, my replacement unit won't stay connected to the cell network. Even when it occasionally shows 4 bars, I can't make or receive calls. OS is sluggish too. Guess I'll flash the radio, maybe the ROM, then maybe send THIS one back too.
Does anyone know if my new IMEI number might affect my phone performance? Meaning, do I have to call AT&T and let them know my new handset's IMEI number?

drokkon said:
Does anyone know if my new IMEI number might affect my phone performance? Meaning, do I have to call AT&T and let them know my new handset's IMEI number?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
short answer is no...

drokkon said:
Are you bricked too? Or merely curious as to the fate of us cursed few?
In other news, my replacement unit won't stay connected to the cell network. Even when it occasionally shows 4 bars, I can't make or receive calls. OS is sluggish too. Guess I'll flash the radio, maybe the ROM, then maybe send THIS one back too.
Does anyone know if my new IMEI number might affect my phone performance? Meaning, do I have to call AT&T and let them know my new handset's IMEI number?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You and I have had identical issues! After I got my replacement, I couldn't make or receive calls even with service. It's not the ROM or radio, it's ATT. I had to call and get to a higher level tech, because everyone else told me there were zero problems with my account and that I must have bad reception at my house. I knew for a fact I have full service at home. Whenever I tried to call it would beep 3 times (beep (pause) beepbeep)... after about 2 hours he finally got it to work, but I have no idea what he did. I did have to read him my IMEI about a thousand times though, and he was digging pretty deep to find whatever he got to fix it.
Good luck. Since I had so may issues ATT gave me 25 off my next 2 bills, which was cool.

Radio Images Question

So, I am trying to find a radio image that gives me a boost in my area. So far 2.42.00.03.10 has given be the best results. I am about to flash the stock radio to see how it competes with this one.
Flipz posted an Eris Radio Image a while back with his Eris Rom dump. Is it safe to flash a Verizon Radio image on our Sprint phones? I know it seems like a silly question. I was reading a thread with some Eris people actually using Sprint Heros' radios and getting better results. Since I live in a more Verizon area I might get a better results. So, can I flash this or not?

notasimpleway said:
So, I am trying to find a radio image that gives me a boost in my area. So far 2.42.00.03.10 has given be the best results. I am about to flash the stock radio to see how it competes with this one.
Flipz posted an Eris Radio Image a while back with his Eris Rom dump. Is it safe to flash a Verizon Radio image on our Sprint phones? I know it seems like a silly question. I was reading a thread with some Eris people actually using Sprint Heros' radios and getting better results. Since I live in a more Verizon area I might get a better results. So, can I flash this or not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, you can. As long as it is a CDMA radio, it should be just fine.

HeroMeng said:
Yeah, you can. As long as it is a CDMA radio, it should be just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, Meng. That's what I thought. I just don't understand how that's possible. Maybe someone will explain one day.

So, I flashed the stock radio image and noticed a huge difference in reception(from -90ish to 82ish dbs) and especially in data. I went from 500kps to over 1Mps of data. However, it came at a price. My battery drained from 100% to 70% in less than two hours with me using my phone for two phone calls, checking and replying to one email via web browser, and sending about 5 texts. I don't need to keep flashing all these radios. But I gotta find one that is right. Do the radios power down the device as long as there is a signal? Because on another unit I got better battery, but my signal was lower as well as my data. I can deal with lower data if get longer battery life.

What kinda of number are we looking for? a higher or lower number in dbs?

mroneeyedboh said:
What kinda of number are we looking for? a higher or lower number in dbs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lower dbs is better. So if you have -60dbs I think that is a perfect signal. So, -105dbs is barely a signal.

That weird. I went from 68 to 72... wtf? and I havent moved anywhere hah

Re: Radios
funny story, not even really sure how this happened, but anyways, i was using fresh with the new radio and it worked fine... however, last night, upon going back to DC 2.08.1, i attempted to re-flash the radio and bricked my phone (major pain in the ass), this all sparked a 3 hour ordeal with sprint, who, of course, replaced it for free, but gave me a hero that had no USB capability what-so-ever, in the end, i'm really not sure what happened, but all i know is i'm just sticking with the stock one for a long time. :3

If my phone randomly shuts off/reboots, this means...?

Bad Kernel? Bad Radio? What?
I've used quite a few different ROMs. (Enom, Kang [CM], MIUI, and most recently, Rodriguezstyle's miui.)
But, the problem keeps happening, despite wiping between each ROM.
is it the radio? or the kernel? I think it might be, but I'm fairly certain I have the right kernel...and I upgraded my radio when I went to Froyo...
Gah.

I dunno about the kernel, but from what I've heard, if you have the wrong radio your n1 will be bricked. So I guess it's not the radio.

It's not a problem, I've been living with it. It's just rather annoying...
Maybe it's an app I have installed? Or things aren't...done right? Augh idk.

Change the Kernel and that will fix it, pershoot's worked the best for me.

Do you have to pull the battery when it reboots?

cmarti said:
Change the Kernel and that will fix it, pershoot's worked the best for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've changed it to many kernels. Right now i'm using this one:
2.6.35.4-950mV-BFS-SVS-AIX-720p-Monks-082710
rickytenzer said:
Do you have to pull the battery when it reboots?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. I will be chilling on the phone, and then I will randomly see the boot image.

if your nexus is still less than a year old, get a new replacement device

watch the logcat output (adb logcat), and also kernel messages http://bootloader.wikidot.com/linux:android:kmsg

khanh1289 said:
if your nexus is still less than a year old, get a new replacement device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have insurance, I don't think...idk. I bought it outright from the google store...what would I have to do? Also, its unlocked, obviously...

hollywooder said:
I don't have insurance, I don't think...idk. I bought it outright from the google store...what would I have to do? Also, its unlocked, obviously...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you overclocked?

SiNJiN76 said:
Are you overclocked?
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Click to collapse
Not that I'm aware of. I don't even have setcpu installed anymore.
So unless the roms themselves overclock, then no. I upgraded my
kernel, but it has done a random shut off once since then. But it's
not that often. Not as often as it was at least.

Do you have more than one battery to try? My phone locked up or randomly rebooted several times a day when I was using Cyanogen 6rc1, but it only did it with one battery and ran fine with the other. The problem went away after I updated CM though.
My theory is that my "bad" battery is damaged slightly enough that it conflicted with something particular in that rom (also happened with 3-4 different kernels). I don't know anything about batteries, but if that's accurate, I don't see why a battery couldn't be damaged enough to conflict with all roms.
It doesn't sound like your problem exactly, but might be one of the simpler things to try, especially if you have a spare or could borrow one or something.

Try to extract the SD-card and Power ON the phone without it. If the phone works
well in that condition, problem solved.
Something like this happens to me one time, all I do was to format the entire SD-card
in my iMac with the Disk Utility, filling all the space with zeros (0) for be sure all the
data was erased correctly. Then I make the partitions again, flash a ROM and all
is fine now.
Good luck!

I had the same problem. Phone would reboot during many tasks. This would happen with any ROM even stock. I sent the phone to htc and they changed the motherboard under warranty. I noticed it first started to happen with robo defense and then other apps such as YouTube or browsing the net. I wasn't able to use the phone while it was charging or it would reboot.

wsrider said:
I had the same problem. Phone would reboot during many tasks. This would happen with any ROM even stock. I sent the phone to htc and they changed the motherboard under warranty. I noticed it first started to happen with robo defense and then other apps such as YouTube or browsing the net. I wasn't able to use the phone while it was charging or it would reboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My phone isn't that bad, and no luck with the sd card thing.

hollywooder said:
My phone isn't that bad, and no luck with the sd card thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought my nexus one in may. It got worse over time and i had it repaired in september

If you buy it off from google store, it comes with a 1 year manufacture warranty, call HTC and get a replacement device

khanh1289 said:
If you buy it off from google store, it comes with a 1 year manufacture warranty, call HTC and get a replacement device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe I ever filled out the warranty, can I still get it replaced?

Sorry for the double post, but I'm really curious...about the warranty thing.

sergioalvarezmac said:
Try to extract the SD-card and Power ON the phone without it. If the phone works
well in that condition, problem solved.
Something like this happens to me one time, all I do was to format the entire SD-card
in my iMac with the Disk Utility, filling all the space with zeros (0) for be sure all the
data was erased correctly. Then I make the partitions again, flash a ROM and all
is fine now.
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is my suggestion as well. A friend of mine had this problem. There was a corrupt video on his sd card that caused the entire issue.

[Q] sprint phone lost, replaced, and then found...

ok - i typed in the title, read the other threads (diff. phones a/o diff. countries) and i think i approximately understand the issues involved...
given: i lost my hero a few months ago (knew it was somewhere, but after a couple days i went to sprint and asked what-to-do... they said i -could- replace it and if it was 'found' then itd be "blocked"...)
1 - i filed a claim as lost (had TEP so paid $100 and got a new/refurb phone real quick) and then went ahead and started 'using' the new one...
2 - didnt worry about anything (no fraud, alls cool)
3 - two or three months later, i find my old 'lost' phone... (crap - now what?) i eventually plug it in and charge it up and when i turn it on i immediately turn off all the radios (afaict) by putting it into airplane-mode...
4 - now, with this old phone i had root and custom-stuff - and notably some details that did not get stored in my google-contacts correctly (birthdays?)...
5 - i grabbed what i needed off the phone and now have a presumably-perfectly-good-piece-o-junk sitting here not doing anything...
ive done some reading and some googling and have figured out that 'the man' can track my phone using the meid or somesuch - and im not particularly interested in using it as a phone anyways since i already have the exact same phone working just fine...
im not interested in being charged for fraud - and/or selling the old phone to maybe some other country or whatnot... basically i am just interested in 'tinkering' with the phone and using it for whatever it might be good for...
so, like a 'totalled-car' - i want to futz around by trying new roms and maybe leaving it as a music-player or bar-code-scanner or gps-system in the car...
now, the question: what can i 'turn on' without getting into trouble ?
in particular, since nothing has been on since i powered it up - it says something really bizarre like yr-1928 or something... i just want to get a signal that will reset the clock and allow my to turn some stuff (like gps) on - without getting into trouble... heck, if i could just turn on the phone (and NOT make calls - since when i checked, it is still locked into my phone-# and acct) but to have it as an emergency-911 system in the car - thatd be great too...
when i switched-carriers a decade ago (and bought a new phone), i kept my old nokia around and used it as an alarm-clock cuz i preferred the beeping it made and did not want to 'use up' the battery on my new phone (treo 600)... i also knew that it was not 'dead' and so if i needed to make an emergency 911 call - that itd work... technically, ive still got it (and several other old phones that ive upgraded thru the years) - and most of them would still serve similar purposes...
but this is the first time ive 'worried' about turning on a phone... should i be ? can i just turn on gps ? or maybe only wifi ? or will anything that i do with this thing cause my phone to 'register'... maybe i should just call the insurance-folks and return it... i guess i could do some -playing- with my older treos, but this hero was my first android-device and im not some rich-kid that gets a new phone every 3 months to 'play with'...
any suggestions/info about what it is 'ok' to do with this lost-then-re-found android-phone would be welcomed... and thanx for reading this wall-o-text... i can be babbly...

I highly doubt there is a APB out on your phone. It sounds to me like you are struggling with the good ol' question of is it ethical or not.
I wonder if you can spoof that hero to match that of your current Hero, have both phones working sharing the same plan/minutes

yeah - a bit of ethics, but also some practicalities...
ethics: since posting, i went to insurance-site and looked thru it (no faq) and the only things that happened when i put in my info was that it said theyd already-shipped my phone... nothing about where-to-send i refound-phone back... i did not go thru the 'reopen claim' section cuz the screens it started-to-show did not have anything about replacement... my guess is that reopen is for if-you-lose web connection or cannot-pay the deductible or somesuuch... i guess i could try to find a phone number/email and try-harder... but...
practical: i dont really WANT to use it as a phone (except maybe 911), but i want to play with it as an android-computer... maybe use it as a little wireless-surfer at home - or just leave it in car as a backup... gps unit ? testing roms without having to lose my 'real' phone...
i guess i -am- just paranoid... but i dont want to piss off sprint if they happen to notice it online... i actually have not even tried to place-a-call or anything - since i assume that it is still intimately-tied to my phone-number/acct...
is there a way to set it to NO account ? maybe i will just wander into a sprint store and ask - i imagine they get this kinda question all the time and have some answer... prolly just ('leave it here since it belongs to insurance co') something non-useful tho...
thanx for the reassurance that the phone-cops wont come banging down my door tho ... lol...

PagePlus...
You could flash it over and use it on PagePlus. My hero was on Sprint and I bought i second hand with a bill owed and use it on PagePlus. PagePlus uses Verizon and Sprint+Verizon have no way of checking each other bad ESN's.. for a howto on switching to pageplus, look up my posts, I have a guide

You paid $100 for a refurbished phone that Sprint was selling for $79 on their site at couple of months ago. I don't think they will be concerned about getting your found phone back, or what you do with it, as long as it doesn't involve fraud, IMHO.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

debh945 said:
You paid $100 for a refurbished phone that Sprint was selling for $79 on their site at couple of months ago. I don't think they will be concerned about getting your found phone back, or what you do with it, as long as it doesn't involve fraud, IMHO.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point

debh945 said:
You paid $100 for a refurbished phone that Sprint was selling for $79 on their site at couple of months ago. I don't think they will be concerned about getting your found phone back, or what you do with it, as long as it doesn't involve fraud, IMHO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
theimpaler747 said:
Good point
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
excellent points !! i had not thought about it that way...
hmm - i had been reading about the xfer-process to a verizon-radio/other-phone... in fact i think (for those few days/week it was lost) i actually have some prepaid plan (altho maybe it has expired) that i got from a simple phone in walgreens... once id gotten my phone/phone-number back, like many things, the disposable-phone is just sitting there not doin anything either...
also, the idea of being able to use either-of-them on the same phone number seem much more intriguing - since that way i could play with custom-roms and if i really like it - can switch the other phone to it - and make them 'match'... but it looks like the cellular networks are pretty much designed to be one-phone=one-phone-number systems (like ipv6), rather than many-to-one (like ipv4-nat)...
hmm - maybe i could get another line (creating a family plan) on this phone - but then theyd prolly try to 'sell me' another newer phone... yeah - and my yearly-upgrade is prolly due to kick in anyways... sigh... too many choices - and i really only need one phone/number...
idk - thanx for all the great ideas/comments... i did not go into the sprint store today - but i realized that i could go in and ask the questions by not having -any- phones on me at the time... (to avoid feeling guilty and giving one back if they asked)
maybe i will just 'lose' this old phone again - and not try to worry about it too much... h.

hfelton said:
excellent points !! i had not thought about it that way...
hmm - i had been reading about the xfer-process to a verizon-radio/other-phone... in fact i think (for those few days/week it was lost) i actually have some prepaid plan (altho maybe it has expired) that i got from a simple phone in walgreens... once id gotten my phone/phone-number back, like many things, the disposable-phone is just sitting there not doin anything either...
also, the idea of being able to use either-of-them on the same phone number seem much more intriguing - since that way i could play with custom-roms and if i really like it - can switch the other phone to it - and make them 'match'... but it looks like the cellular networks are pretty much designed to be one-phone=one-phone-number systems (like ipv6), rather than many-to-one (like ipv4-nat)...
hmm - maybe i could get another line (creating a family plan) on this phone - but then theyd prolly try to 'sell me' another newer phone... yeah - and my yearly-upgrade is prolly due to kick in anyways... sigh... too many choices - and i really only need one phone/number...
idk - thanx for all the great ideas/comments... i did not go into the sprint store today - but i realized that i could go in and ask the questions by not having -any- phones on me at the time... (to avoid feeling guilty and giving one back if they asked)
maybe i will just 'lose' this old phone again - and not try to worry about it too much... h.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
making them match would involve doing something illegal (IMHO) but as far as using it for a different carrier is perfectly within your legal rights to do so. you've paid for it, its yours.

TpyoKnig said:
making them match would involve doing something illegal (IMHO) but as far as using it for a different carrier is perfectly within your legal rights to do so. you've paid for it, its yours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup - i think ive got that part (ethics) sorted out...
altho - when i went to go check on how to switch to another carrier, the sw needed (assuming i purchased it) actually might allow me to do that 'illegal' thing too (iirc)... that sw (cdma workshop) is actually pretty darn cool because it looks like it would allow me to 'play' with some of the other old phones that ive got sitting around as well (treos and nokias)... and that got me realizing that im possibly going down a rabbit-hole of possibilities...
switching to another carrier seems like the best (legal) use for it... thanx so much for the clues on how to do that... since ive already got my current-working-phone, im not in any rush to deal with it atm... assuming i do something (as opposed to just letting it sit and collect dust), ill go ahead and update this post with details/threads/whatnot...
oddly, the thing ive found most-useful ? just having it sit there as a full-battery-backup... if im in a hurry a/o have forgotten to charge my primary phone, i just swap out batteries and im good-to-go... yes, that is an expensive way to get a second-battery/charger - but just sayin...
thanx again for all the help - on ethics and practicalities...
btw - your screenname is very funny...

hfelton said:
yup - i think ive got that part (ethics) sorted out...
altho - when i went to go check on how to switch to another carrier, the sw needed (assuming i purchased it) actually might allow me to do that 'illegal' thing too (iirc)... that sw (cdma workshop) is actually pretty darn cool because it looks like it would allow me to 'play' with some of the other old phones that ive got sitting around as well (treos and nokias)... and that got me realizing that im possibly going down a rabbit-hole of possibilities...
switching to another carrier seems like the best (legal) use for it... thanx so much for the clues on how to do that... since ive already got my current-working-phone, im not in any rush to deal with it atm... assuming i do something (as opposed to just letting it sit and collect dust), ill go ahead and update this post with details/threads/whatnot...
oddly, the thing ive found most-useful ? just having it sit there as a full-battery-backup... if im in a hurry a/o have forgotten to charge my primary phone, i just swap out batteries and im good-to-go... yes, that is an expensive way to get a second-battery/charger - but just sayin...
thanx again for all the help - on ethics and practicalities...
btw - your screenname is very funny...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No software is needed except for aLogCat to get the code to edit settings for ##3283# , just your phone an a 2.1 Rom and some time to follow some directions, I can do it now in 20 min or less but at first took me few days to get it all together..
thanks, lots of people don't get it you are a one of the small percentage that does get my screen name

Wi-Fi MAC Address: Unavailable

Hello,
the problem I've with this phone is that the wi-fi wont turn on, either the bluetooth.
So I tried different roms, stock 2.3.5, and then cm10.1.2 stable, and the same issue.
The last thing I tried was a simple one-click odin installation consisting in a super wipe plus the installation of a stock 2.3.5 firmware.
And here I am, facing the same problem. Actually when I go to "about phone", status, then I see:
Wi-Fi MAC Address: Unavailable
Bluetooth Address: Unavailable
At this point it seems like this is a hardware problem, and for that reason is more than welcome an oppinion in the opposite way

dionieins said:
Hello,
the problem I've with this phone is that the wi-fi wont turn on, either the bluetooth.
So I tried different roms, stock 2.3.5, and then cm10.1.2 stable, and the same issue.
The last thing I tried was a simple one-click odin installation consisting in a super wipe plus the installation of a stock 2.3.5 firmware.
And here I am, facing the same problem. Actually when I go to "about phone", status, then I see:
Wi-Fi MAC Address: Unavailable
Bluetooth Address: Unavailable
At this point it seems like this is a hardware problem, and for that reason is more than welcome an oppinion in the opposite way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT: nvm just saw your other post.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

Yeah... they nor bluetooth nor wi-fi can't be turned on, actually the wi-fi in menu in settings looks "bold", like you can't move the switch, you know what I mean?
what if my captivate was shipped with a generic non-original battery cover and that's the thing provoking this issue? I'm saying this because battery covers shoud have some little metallic things on the back that improves the wifi, gps and bluetooth, am I right?

dionieins said:
Yeah... they nor bluetooth nor wi-fi can't be turned on, actually the wi-fi in menu in settings looks "bold", like you can't move the switch, you know what I mean?
what if my captivate was shipped with a generic non-original battery cover and that's the thing provoking this issue? I'm saying this because battery covers shoud have some little metallic things on the back that improves the wifi, gps and bluetooth, am I right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, they should work whether you have the back on or off. I never saw that problem before you and the guy mentioned it in the 4 years I've had this phone. It's quite odd.

BWolf56 said:
Actually, they should work whether you have the back on or off. I never saw that problem before you and the guy mentioned it in the 4 years I've had this phone. It's quite odd.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also I found this:
near to the screw that is close to the sd card slot, there should be a copper pin coming out from a tiny hole. Every Captivate has that tiny pin of copper, that should match with a white spot in the back of the battery cover.
Mine doesn't have that tiny pin; there is nothing but a tiny hole in that spot.
So this is what happen when youg get a refurbished Captivate on eBay these days...

dionieins said:
Also I found this:
near to the screw that is close to the sd card slot, there should be a copper pin coming out from a tiny hole. Every Captivate has that tiny pin of copper, that should match with a white spot in the back of the battery cover.
Mine doesn't have that tiny pin; there is nothing but a tiny hole in that spot.
So this is what happen when youg get a refurbished Captivate on eBay these days...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps that's your problem. There might be a way to replace it.
You can try contacting Josh @ mobiletechvideos.com on that if you can't find the necessary info.

BWolf56 said:
Perhaps that's your problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think this pin is the problem. Unable to turn on <something> usually means the system did not recognize the module during boot process. As it was mentioned already, Wifi/Blutooth on Captivate works fine with back door removed. Missing part indicates the phone was disassembled and someone attempted to repair something.

Val D. said:
I don't think this pin is the problem. Unable to turn on usually means the system did not recognize the module during boot process. As it was mentioned already, Wifi/Blutooth on Captivate works fine with back door removed. Missing part indicates the phone was disassembled and someone attempted to repair something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember reading a thread a year or so ago about a guy who replaced that pin after having problem with his cappy. He had done it by himself though.
I might be wrong but what you suggest would come from the modem and/or kernel which seems to work fine on every other phone that runs CM.
It's a shot in the dark but it's what we got for now if you check what the other guy has tried so far (in the other thread with the same problem). Could be a good idea to ask that other guy if his phone still has the metal golden pin.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

BWolf56 said:
I might be wrong but what you suggest would come from the modem and/or kernel which seems to work fine on every other phone that runs CM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure either, not very familiar with phone software specifics. I'm a computer guy and in computers missing software controls means device not initialized. Kernel/modem software is fine, but there is something wrong with the hardware. I personally don't believe restoring the pin will fix the issue. On a good Captivate, even with this connection open (back cover removed), wifi/bluetooth works fine. A good repair guy have to take a look here and check all currents/voltages from SoC through amplifiers to antenna. Shooting in the dark is asking for more trouble. On the other hand there is no point to pay for shipping/repairs on a $90 device.

Val D. said:
I'm not sure either, not very familiar with phone software specifics. I'm a computer guy and in computers missing software controls means device not initialized. Kernel/modem software is fine, but there is something wrong with the hardware. I personally don't believe restoring the pin will fix the issue. On a good Captivate, even with this connection open (back cover removed), wifi/bluetooth works fine. A good repair guy have to take a look here and check all currents/voltages from SoC through amplifiers to antenna. Shooting in the dark is asking for more trouble. On the other hand there is no point to pay for shipping/repairs on a $90 device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good call.
OP, I believe your best chance is to try with mobiletechvideos or a electronic shop in your area.
If you ever find the problem/solution, please let us know so we can help others.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

Yes, I will! actually this thread had pointed out some interest, I'm saying this due to the over 200 visits it had in just a few days lol
Back to the topic, this phone definitely was disassembled because it was a refurbished unit bought from a big store on eBay.
This piece of.. hardware, cost me $89 by the way, and the only solution I got from the seller -as I'm overseas now and I can't ship it back without expending lots of money- was to get a refund for the half of the price...
So basically I got this $45 Captivate that only works for:
calls, sms, music, storage & camera
Still, I don't think that $45 is a good price of this piece of... hardware.
And yeah, now I'm convinced that the missing pin of copper it's not related to the wi-fi issue, actually that pins only exist to improve call reception as I was told by the seller.
Therefore, and after flashing many stock and non-stock roms through Odin & cwm respectively, I must conclude that this is a hardware issue.
So I'd like to know if any of you guys would drop me a link of a DIY for disassembling and replacing wi-fi hardware on a captivate, because I've another Captivate with a different issue: usb port broken, so I can take the good parts of both and create a fully working Captivate
let me know
peace
BWolf56 said:
Good call.
OP, I believe your best chance is to try with mobiletechvideos or a electronic shop in your area.
If you ever find the problem/solution, please let us know so we can help others.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

BT/WIFI main logic in inside SoC, can't replace it. There are few external components you may check, but you need oscilloscope, good voltmeter, some special tools and advanced electronics repair knowledge. DIY repair in home conditions is not possible. I can send you the repair manual, if you want. One thing you can do is to repair the USB port on the other Captivate. It is doable, but you still need some equipment like vacuum pump, precise soldering gun, solder wick, good flux, etc.

install this app (Blade Wifi Fix)