I have a Verizon Droid 3 that is currently activated with a standard plan through Verizon, and I live in the United States.
I'm considering moving to Straight Talk, but I'm seeing a lot of conflicting information regarding whether this is even possible, and if so, whether hacking/flashing/rooting the phone is required.
My understanding is that Straight Talk offers phones on the Verizon network, so it seems that I should be able to activate my current phone without any modifications unless Verizon has done something to the phone to explicitly prevent it.
In some of the threads, I see people trying to modify the phone to enable GSM and run on the AT&T network through Straight Talk, but I'm not sure why. Is this necessary? If not, it seems like an awful lot of work to me.
wkrick said:
I have a Verizon Droid 3 that is currently activated with a standard plan through Verizon, and I live in the United States.
I'm considering moving to Straight Talk, but I'm seeing a lot of conflicting information regarding whether this is even possible, and if so, whether hacking/flashing/rooting the phone is required.
My understanding is that Straight Talk offers phones on the Verizon network, so it seems that I should be able to activate my current phone without any modifications unless Verizon has done something to the phone to explicitly prevent it.
In some of the threads, I see people trying to modify the phone to enable GSM and run on the AT&T network through Straight Talk, but I'm not sure why. Is this necessary? If not, it seems like an awful lot of work to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the Droid 3 works on Straight Talk as long as the ESN is clean. You buy an activation code on their website and activate; Here to use Verizon's CDMA network, no phone modification required. Just choose CDMA and have your phone's MEID ready (The A0000etc number from under the battery).
If you choose to go the AT&T/T-Mobile BYOP SIM route, you have to root and change the build.prop and flash the XT883 (Chinese Milestone 3) radio to unlock US GSM networks. Verizon has an MNC ban on US GSM networks, such as AT&T and T-Mobile.
Thank you for the clear explanation and the link to the Straight Talk BYOP page.
And to add on the 883 radio, you'll have to buy a GSM unlock code. unlock4moto does pretty good.
Related
Hi my question is if I flashed the 883 radio image to my xt862 droid 3 will my phone still work on verizon as long as I do not put a gsm sim card in the phone. My phone is sim unlocked so it can work outside us with a sim but I would like for now the option of att prepaid like h2o or straight talk for $45 a month while in us and I have seen many people talking of how to flash 883 and phone works on att but nobody says if it still functions on verizon still. So I guess my main point to the question is if flash the radio image 883 will my phone still work as it does now with verizon but then if I pick up a prepaid sim card and put it in and select gsm for network it will function on the prepaid network till I remove it and then can I put the network settings back. The reason I ask it I still have 1yr and 2month till my contract is up with verizon and I would like to have the phone on att pre paid or straight talk after that to save money I love the phone but hate the cost of verizon and the data limits.
Thank you for any and all imput. Dennis
No but you can flash radios back and forth and change build.prop as needed and it seems to work.
Sent from my XT862 using XDA
883 and verizon
Thank you for the quick response and it is as I feared. Lol I guess all I can do is get all the files and info I will need and wait till my contract is up b4 I do it I am stuck on verizon for another yr and 2 months then I will flash it so I can save money. Again thank you for the clarity on this
Actually, the answer is yes, the XT883 radio can be programmed with QPST using a service programming file with VZW authentication values and PRL and it functions in Global mode with full CDMA/EvDO service and can be switched via the Mobile Networks menu to GSM.
I had my D3 setup like this although it was not activated on VZW at the time.
cellzealot said:
Actually, the answer is yes, the XT883 radio can be programmed with QPST using a service programming file with VZW authentication values and PRL and it functions in Global mode with full CDMA/EvDO service and can be switched via the Mobile Networks menu to GSM.
I had my D3 setup like this although it was not activated on VZW at the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd be very interested in doing this if you could help out with a link or something pointing that way. this is exactly what i want to do, but finding the info is proving very hard
Hi ok I can't seem to find an EXACT answer to this question, I have the Droid 3 System Version 5.7.906.XT862.Verizon.en.US with Android Version 2.3.4. I am not a VZW customer my carrier simply uses them, ergo none of the VZW apps work etc (thank god) anyways I also have no data, I am only on unlimited talk and text except when there is a glitch and I get 3G once in awhile. Anyways I am thinking about getting a NET10 sim for this phone and a separate number, I would ONLY be using it for data. In my research this phone does have the options to change to GSM/UMTS CDMA or Global, question is can I drop that sim in switch my radio to run data etc then switch back for regular phone? This phone is NOT rooted, I can't seem to root it using any number of the one click options and a few others, flashing the rom is over my head, yes I am using the original Motorola cable, yes I have the right drivers installed, yes I have tried w7 32/64 xp pro 32/64 no dice it appears I have that dang patch which makes me very hesitant to try and fiddle with command stuff and possibly brick my only phone. Any ideas? Thank You
bs963 said:
Hi ok I can't seem to find an EXACT answer to this question, I have the Droid 3 System Version 5.7.906.XT862.Verizon.en.US with Android Version 2.3.4. I am not a VZW customer my carrier simply uses them, ergo none of the VZW apps work etc (thank god) anyways I also have no data, I am only on unlimited talk and text except when there is a glitch and I get 3G once in awhile. Anyways I am thinking about getting a NET10 sim for this phone and a separate number, I would ONLY be using it for data. In my research this phone does have the options to change to GSM/UMTS CDMA or Global, question is can I drop that sim in switch my radio to run data etc then switch back for regular phone? This phone is NOT rooted, I can't seem to root it using any number of the one click options and a few others, flashing the rom is over my head, yes I am using the original Motorola cable, yes I have the right drivers installed, yes I have tried w7 32/64 xp pro 32/64 no dice it appears I have that dang patch which makes me very hesitant to try and fiddle with command stuff and possibly brick my only phone. Any ideas? Thank You
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
COMIC SAAAAAANS!!!!
Anyway, on system 906, only Motofail will root it, it's a simple one-click method (quick-search the forum for the motofail exe), as for simultaneous GSM/CDMA, that is a no-go for USA carriers. Verizon placed an MNC ban on all US GSM carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc and their partners, I think all MNCs starting with 310) This includes resellers, such as Net10/Tracfone/Straight Talk (all the same company, América Móvil, based in Mexico City, Mexico.) To use US GSM networks, you must flash the chinese XT883 radio (The XT883 is the exact same phone, just a chinese model) and thus does not have the MNC ban the stock radio has. Although, this breaks CDMA in the US, so you can't have both at once. You must swap the radio between XT862 and XT883 for CDMA and GSM respectively. If outside of the US, the stock XT862 radio works flawless with foreign GSM networks, long as you have the proper APN (for data).
This thread has all the information pertaining to flashing the XT883 radio, and you can ask me for personal advice, I use it with Straight Talk's SIM program using an AT&T compatible SIM. It works great, I pull an average of 5Mbps download, 1Mbps upload, and I get AT&T's roaming partners as well. Although on my "CDMA Side" I have a Page Plus number attached to my ESN (PP is a Verizon reseller, which is cheaper than Verizon itself), incase I find myself somewhere without AT&T coverage, I just flash the stock radio + build.prop, suddenly back on verizon.
EDIT: Forgot to mention, even with the XT883 radio, you MUST SIM unlock the phone. Either by contacting Verizon (with an account in good standing, ask a friend if needed) OR buy the code from an online dealer (I've heard good things from unlock4moto), though it's approximated ~30% of codes have been changed by Verizon so third party codes may not work. You only have to unlock once, no amount of flashing, etc will reverse that. It also increases resale value.
cool
Skreelink said:
COMIC SAAAAAANS!!!!
Anyway, on system 906, only Motofail will root it, it's a simple one-click method (quick-search the forum for the motofail exe), as for simultaneous GSM/CDMA, that is a no-go for USA carriers. Verizon placed an MNC ban on all US GSM carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc and their partners, I think all MNCs starting with 310) This includes resellers, such as Net10/Tracfone/Straight Talk (all the same company, América Móvil, based in Mexico City, Mexico.) To use US GSM networks, you must flash the chinese XT883 radio (The XT883 is the exact same phone, just a chinese model) and thus does not have the MNC ban the stock radio has. Although, this breaks CDMA in the US, so you can't have both at once. You must swap the radio between XT862 and XT883 for CDMA and GSM respectively. If outside of the US, the stock XT862 radio works flawless with foreign GSM networks, long as you have the proper APN (for data).
This thread has all the information pertaining to flashing the XT883 radio, and you can ask me for personal advice, I use it with Straight Talk's SIM program using an AT&T compatible SIM. It works great, I pull an average of 5Mbps download, 1Mbps upload, and I get AT&T's roaming partners as well. Although on my "CDMA Side" I have a Page Plus number attached to my ESN (PP is a Verizon reseller, which is cheaper than Verizon itself), incase I find myself somewhere without AT&T coverage, I just flash the stock radio + build.prop, suddenly back on verizon.
EDIT: Forgot to mention, even with the XT883 radio, you MUST SIM unlock the phone. Either by contacting Verizon (with an account in good standing, ask a friend if needed) OR buy the code from an online dealer (I've heard good things from unlock4moto), though it's approximated ~30% of codes have been changed by Verizon so third party codes may not work. You only have to unlock once, no amount of flashing, etc will reverse that. It also increases resale value.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok great I will try motofail and see where that leads. I was afraid that GSM was an issue, my unlimited talk and text is only $26.50 a month but not even pix messeging which is a pain and that I need, not so much "data" per say just would like to run emails once or so a day if I am not at the box etc. Looks like I may have to decide to dump entirely my cheap service although I am *****ing maybe that will get me somewhere some time LOL. Thanx much
bs963 said:
Ok great I will try motofail and see where that leads. I was afraid that GSM was an issue, my unlimited talk and text is only $26.50 a month but not even pix messeging which is a pain and that I need, not so much "data" per say just would like to run emails once or so a day if I am not at the box etc. Looks like I may have to decide to dump entirely my cheap service although I am *****ing maybe that will get me somewhere some time LOL. Thanx much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can try Page Plus, they allow any verizon phone and data works perfectly (from personal experience with a Droid 2, Droid X, and the Droid 3 on the service). They have (my favorite) Talk 'n' Text 1200, which is 1200 mins, 3000 SMS/MMS, and 100MBs of data (Although I got an email that after Oct. 31, they're upping the data to 250MBs) for only 29.95 per month prepaid.
This is the main website, but there are many authorized dealers (just google up a few). Glance at their plans, but keep in mind data on the TnT 1200 data is moving up from 100MB to 250MB, Unlimited TnT data is moving from 100MB to 200MB, and overages on talk/text/data are all moving down (I think leveling all three at 5 cents per minute/text/mms/MB of data).
You should try a prepaid GSM.
Skreelink said:
COMIC SAAAAAANS!!!!
Anyway, on system 906, only Motofail will root it, it's a simple one-click method (quick-search the forum for the motofail exe), as for simultaneous GSM/CDMA, that is a no-go for USA carriers. Verizon placed an MNC ban on all US GSM carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc and their partners, I think all MNCs starting with 310) This includes resellers, such as Net10/Tracfone/Straight Talk (all the same company, América Móvil, based in Mexico City, Mexico.) To use US GSM networks, you must flash the chinese XT883 radio (The XT883 is the exact same phone, just a chinese model) and thus does not have the MNC ban the stock radio has. Although, this breaks CDMA in the US, so you can't have both at once. You must swap the radio between XT862 and XT883 for CDMA and GSM respectively. If outside of the US, the stock XT862 radio works flawless with foreign GSM networks, long as you have the proper APN (for data).
This thread has all the information pertaining to flashing the XT883 radio, and you can ask me for personal advice, I use it with Straight Talk's SIM program using an AT&T compatible SIM. It works great, I pull an average of 5Mbps download, 1Mbps upload, and I get AT&T's roaming partners as well. Although on my "CDMA Side" I have a Page Plus number attached to my ESN (PP is a Verizon reseller, which is cheaper than Verizon itself), incase I find myself somewhere without AT&T coverage, I just flash the stock radio + build.prop, suddenly back on verizon.
EDIT: Forgot to mention, even with the XT883 radio, you MUST SIM unlock the phone. Either by contacting Verizon (with an account in good standing, ask a friend if needed) OR buy the code from an online dealer (I've heard good things from unlock4moto), though it's approximated ~30% of codes have been changed by Verizon so third party codes may not work. You only have to unlock once, no amount of flashing, etc will reverse that. It also increases resale value.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a problem that CDMA Mode on omh uim data not work
APN number setting not display
i flash xt 883 radio and replace two file as per xda forums
Gsm mode working all but cdma mode support only calling and sms
Data not working
In this regard plz help me
Thanks
Dharmendra05 said:
I have a problem that CDMA Mode on omh uim data not work
APN number setting not display
i flash xt 883 radio and replace two file as per xda forums
Gsm mode working all but cdma mode support only calling and sms
Data not working
In this regard plz help me
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can try getting the app "Anycut" from the market and make a shortcut to APNs. This is the only way I know of to get to the APN settings while in CDMA mode.
Hello All,
I have been thinking about traveling to Japan this coming year; I have looked at Verizon's International plan, and it seems like they are very pricey.
I have heard that the VS980 has GSM support, with no LTE, which is fine. I have looked into the h20 network, as they have exceptional prices for their international plan.
I have googled it and have gotten mixed answers, so I came here. I have a h20 sim card, and it pulls the APNs, but does not get any service. Is it that I am using a custom rom?
Thanks for the help in advance! :laugh:
aerial irrntsrt
Please someone answer this. I'm in a similar boat.
I'm on the stock verizon ROM. I have a Piranha mobile sim card. I am testing the setup in the US to verify it works. It connects to the T-mobile/Piranha voice and sms network, but data is not working.
Their setup instructions call for setting the apn to openroamer.com, but no mention on the mnc or the mcc values. If I just set the apn to openroamer.com I'm able to save and select it, but as soon as I change the mnc or mcc values to t-mobile the apn disappears after I save. Do I need to set the mnc and mcc values to something specific? I tried to track down exactly what they do, with no luck.
I see mention in another thread that Verizon locks the phones to be unable to connect to other US domestic networks. They also mention that once I'm overseas I'll be fine. I'm skeptical.
I was thinking of going to the t-mobile store to see if I could borrow a sim card to confirm it's a firmware issue. I would rather not root at this point. Any other courses of action?
Thanks for shedding any light.
buttercm said:
Please someone answer this. I'm in a similar boat.
I'm on the stock verizon ROM. I have a Piranha mobile sim card. I am testing the setup in the US to verify it works. It connects to the T-mobile/Piranha voice and sms network, but data is not working.
Their setup instructions call for setting the apn to openroamer.com, but no mention on the mnc or the mcc values. If I just set the apn to openroamer.com I'm able to save and select it, but as soon as I change the mnc or mcc values to t-mobile the apn disappears after I save. Do I need to set the mnc and mcc values to something specific? I tried to track down exactly what they do, with no luck.
I see mention in another thread that Verizon locks the phones to be unable to connect to other US domestic networks. They also mention that once I'm overseas I'll be fine. I'm skeptical.
I was thinking of going to the t-mobile store to see if I could borrow a sim card to confirm it's a firmware issue. I would rather not root at this point. Any other courses of action?
Thanks for shedding any light.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It turns out to be a activation error for me, after I correctly activated the sim, it worked! (silly me!)
For your problem, I looked on your carriers website/ help websites and there are no values except the APN.
You might need a data plan active. I would try using other carriers, because for me the h20 sim worked with data.
Verizon has no control over what network you go on either, FCC has a couple laws that prevent from Verizon doing that except exclude the hardware needed to connect to other networks.
Sorry I could not help.
I popped my Aio Wireless (AT&T) SIM from my Nexus 4 into my G2 and after a little APN tweaking I had HSPA+ working with no issues. It is my understanding if you have AT&T Band 4 LTE (limited markets) and the correct service providor, it will even connect 4G/LTE on AT&T networks. I swapped my Verizon SIM back in and removed the APN's and all was well on Verizon again. I am stock (KitKat) and rooted with only a few few Xposed modules installed, no custom ROM.
It sounds like, from reading the posts above, the Verizon LG-G2 IS a World Phone and should function straight on from stock on a UK provider like Three just by purchasing a sim and plugging it in then configuring the APN settings !
The problem is that when my Susan went just this morning to a Three store in London, the guy there told her that her Verizon LG-G2 was LOCKED to Verizon network only, and that she would have to do something like obtain an unlock code because the phone would not work on any other provider until she did that.
Verizon's International folks told us earlier that the phone would work fine, given GSM frequency issue restrictions, overseas and there was no need for any UnLock proceedure or code.
Does she just need to find a competent tech at a different Three store ?
Or is she going to be unable to play Ingress the whole two weeks she is over there in England and Scotland ?
Update...both Three and Vodaphone folks in London have now told her that the Verizon LG-G2 is carrier locked and cannot be used without Verizon unlocking it on any other network. So, Verizon was wrong and she is limited to WiFi only for the next two weeks ?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
trent999 said:
Update...both Three and Vodaphone folks in London have now told her that the Verizon LG-G2 is carrier locked and cannot be used without Verizon unlocking it on any other network. So, Verizon was wrong and she is limited to WiFi only for the next two weeks ?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No global mode Verizon phones are carrier locked.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
It is very odd. We tried it on a T-Mobile sim over here before she left, I am pretty sure, and it just worked. Still, over in London Three & Vodaphone say it is locked and useless on their networks and their sims don't work.
Maybe it is subsidy-locked ?
Maybe they just didn't set the APN and data settings right at the stores ?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
i have a us cellular moto x. and am switching to straight talk. but cannot find the apn settings it says its in mobile networks but my phone does not have it is there any way to change it?
codymcc3829 said:
i have a us cellular moto x. and am switching to straight talk. but cannot find the apn settings it says its in mobile networks but my phone does not have it is there any way to change it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A US Cellular phone is a CDMA phone. Unless you have somehow unlocked it for domestic GSM carriers (highly unlikely), then you will need to use it on Straight Talk CDMA, not GSM.
You'll want to follow the guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-x/general/guide-flash-sprint-moto-x-to-page-plus-t2732342
The steps are EXACTLY the same to flash to straight talk OR Page Plus (assuming you can get Straight Talk to add the MEID of your device to the system).
Good Luck
And as always - no guarantees that this will work. Flash at your own risk.
So, I finally talked my wife out of her LG phone and got her an identical VZW Nexus 6. So we now have identical phones. I have unlocked the bootloaders, installed TWRP, and both are running CarbonROM weeklies.
For some reason, my phone has voice over LTE, and everything works just fine. Hers drops LTE every time she makes or receives a call. I've been searching xda and google for 3 days, checking and double checking that all settings match on the phones, flashing different radios, etc. And the setting for "Enhanced LTE Service" doesn't even show up in her settings.
If I put the preferred network to "LTE", (same as mine) she can't even make a call. It acts like it's going to dial, then drops signal completely.
Any ideas?
I would check and make sure Verizon has it provisioned to use volte
How would I go about checking to see if it is provisioned for VoLTE? It is on straight talk service now. When I contacted StraightTalk support, they told me that their service doesn't support it. And they didn't have an answer after I told them that mine does it just fine. LoL
Actually, they said maybe the phone needs an update...
Clarify the following. Are both N6es on Verizon, both on Straight Talk, or one on Verizon and the other on Straight Talk?
The last time I looked into it, Straight Talk didn't support VOLTE. Has that changed?
They are both on Straight Talk, using verizon sim cards. The tech support told me the same thing. That they didn't support VOLTE. And had no explanation when I told her that my phone was using it just fine.
It doesn't function on the AT&T side of Straight Talk and AT&T definitely has VOLTE. Thus, the fact you have it is an anomaly, and your other device not having it isn't an issue with the device or its firmware. In other words, consider yourself lucky.
Well, I'm not one to give up very easily. So, after some thinking, I may have come up with an idea.
Both phones were purchased from Swappa. My phone was listed as a Verizon phone, while the other was listed as an unlocked phone (no idea what carrier it was previously used with).
I'm thinking that adm1jtg may be correct, My phone would have been provisioned for VolTE, and the other phone may have never been on their network to get provisioned...
So, I think I will switch her to Verizon prepaid which doesn't cost much more and see if that fixes it. Maybe after a month switch back to straight talk. I will update this post afterwards, and let you guys know if that does the trick.
Maybe overthinking it a bit. After I switch her to verizon prepaid, and get her phone all set up and see that VoLTE is working, I'll pop my straight talk sim in it and let you guys know the results...
Soo... I had some time to think about it, and decided to just swap sim cards between the two phones. Turns out, it isn't her phone at all. With my straight talk sim, her phone got Enhanced 4G/Lte.
With her straight talk sim, my phone did not. Put my straight talk sim back in my phone, and Enhanced 4G/Lte came back.
Turns out that Strephon Alkhalikoi is correct.
I wonder how many BYOP sim kits I would have to go through to find another anomaly... LoL