Hmmm network locked - what's that about then?

TheBigCheese · 18 Sep 2012 at 10:01

Hi guys

Quick question from a bit of a phone dunce.

I wanted to put a sim card from an old Sony K750i into my other old HTC Hero (T-Mobile G2).

The Sony is on Orange.
The Hero is on T-Mobile.

I put the Orange sim in and it says "network locked, contact customer care".

What exactly is that telling me and is there anyway round it? I find it a bit odd as they are both the same company now.

Thanks!

Cuchulain · 18 Sep 2012 at 10:04

They're not really the same company though are they? I thought they just shared transmitters.

TheBigCheese · 18 Sep 2012 at 10:13

Yes.
They are.

But that isn't the point of the thread.

Cuchulain · 18 Sep 2012 at 10:35

TheBigCheese said:
Yes.
They are.

But that isn't the point of the thread.

Your simcard and phone doesn't know that though.

PistolPete · 18 Sep 2012 at 10:35

Orange is a brand owned by France Telecom and T-Mobile a brand owned by Deutsche Telekom, Everything Everywhere is a 3rd company, which is a 50:50 joint venture between France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom and there brand will be called EE.

So they are not the same company, and that is the point!

Orange has an MNC of 234/33 and 234/34 where T-Mobile has an MNC of 234/30.
If you have a handset locked to 234/30 and you put a SIM card of 234/33 or 234/34 in, it will reject it.

The current Orange/T-Mobile sharing agreement is nothing to do with this.

visibleman · 18 Sep 2012 at 10:40

TheBigCheese said:
What exactly is that telling me and is there anyway round it? I find it a bit odd as they are both the same company now.

It's not the same company and the phone is telling you that's locked to T-mobile and is rejecting the Orange sim.

Solution - Get an unlock code for the K750i

TheBigCheese · 18 Sep 2012 at 11:18

Damn you Wikipedia!

Ah right, thanks PistolPete and visibleman, that's really useful!

So if I ring Orange and say I would like the sim (?) unlocked but want to stay with Orange will they do something so I can put the sim into the Hero and stay with Orange and the same number or is it more complicated than that?

Or...would it be easier to port the number over to a T-Mobile PAYG... assuming you can do that?

visibleman · 18 Sep 2012 at 11:34

TheBigCheese said:
Damn you Wikipedia!

Ah right, thanks PistolPete and visibleman, that's really useful!

So if I ring Orange and say I would like the sim (?) unlocked but want to stay with Orange will they do something so I can put the sim into the Hero and stay with Orange and the same number or is it more complicated than that?

Or...would it be easier to port the number over to a T-Mobile PAYG... assuming you can do that?

It's the phone that needs to be unlocked. Most networks will charge you £15+ for the privilege and for a phone like the k750 you could probably get an unlock code off the auction site for a few quid.

leezer3 · 18 Sep 2012 at 12:34

DIY unlock if you're prepared to do a little hacking:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=559806

-Leezer-