HTC Hero - Orange UK

[Guest Illmatic-]

Hi guys, hope all is well! I have a bad problem, now i'm sure most know about the no signal issue with the Hero, but mine's pretty stange, I've bought the Hero off some guy which is locked to orange, but with an orange sim card i'm getting NO signal. The phone isn't unlocked but I have a rebel sim card, I use the rebel sim card with a tmobile sim and I get service? Trying to use the rebel sim card with a 3 sim card and I get no service too..

So, Hero with Orange sim card - No service.

Hero with Rebel Sim + 3 Sim - No service

Hero with Rebel + Tmobile sim - Service

With the sims that I get no service on I receive the message "your sim does not allow connection to this network" etc.

Do I need to update the firmware or software? I'm so confused on how it doesn't even work with an Orange sim..

I'm not fussed if it doesn't work with the orange sim but I need it to work with the 3 sim, can anyone give any assistance? Help is appreciated! Thank you

Firmware - 1.5

Baseband - 63.18.55.06EU_6.35.06.18

Kernel- - 2.6.27-8dd6deee htc-kernel@and18-2

Build - 2.73.61.5 146733 CL#61267

Software - 1.0.0.A6288

[Guest Illmatic-]

No one has any ideas? :)

[Guest volatile_ink]

No one has any ideas? :)

Can you make calls with the T-Mobile sim? If not, perhaps the IMEI is blocked.

[Guest Illmatic-]

Called up orange, blacklisted handset, lmao!

[Guest hp1]

So will it make any difference if you get it unlocked? Surely its only the IMEI that blacklisted with Orange which you said you dont care about. I used the website pinned at the top of the forum. Worked a treat for me on my Orange Hero, i'm now on O2 sim only with a far superior signal.

[Guest volatile_ink]

So will it make any difference if you get it unlocked? Surely its only the IMEI that blacklisted with Orange which you said you dont care about. I used the website pinned at the top of the forum. Worked a treat for me on my Orange Hero, i'm now on O2 sim only with a far superior signal.

Once an IMEI is blocked that's it. It cannot be used. It's an anti-theft mechanism to prevent stolen handsets from being used. The blacklisted IMEI is stored on a database accessed by all operators when the device is switched on. Can't remember if it's National (UK only) or International (UK and Europe).

Only way to get it unblocked is to prove ownership of the device (easier said than done), to get the original owner to unblock it or just sell it to someone outside the EU where the block does not apply i.e. Australia, USA, Russia etc...

[Guest Paul]

I suggest you go find 'some guy' and ask for your money back. :)

P

[Guest pulser]

I suggest you go find 'some guy' and ask for your money back. :)

P

Agreed. Sounds iffy to me. Maybe orange have barred it from their network due to an outstanding debt on the original account that hasn't been settled? Do they still do that in the UK anyway? Reason i ask is I'm sure a friend had this years ago, settled the bill and they said the phone would work again.

I know that this is done in the usa, but not sure. Something's not right though!

[Guest byakkotai]

Agreed. Sounds iffy to me. Maybe orange have barred it from their network due to an outstanding debt on the original account that hasn't been settled? Do they still do that in the UK anyway? Reason i ask is I'm sure a friend had this years ago, settled the bill and they said the phone would work again.

I know that this is done in the usa, but not sure. Something's not right though!

Blacklisted handsets are usually blacklisted due to theft or fraud. When I worked at Orange, the most usual was idiots who thought that if they bought a phone from the websales team got a mate to sign for it upon delivery with a fake name, that they could then get another sent out and have two phones. Despite this master plan, every handset that fell victim to this fraud was blacklisted with Blacklist UK (IIRC). You can appeal I believe but I would assume that the amount of proof they require to unblacklist it would be greater than you have access to.