Orange SIM and unlocking

[Guest geezerone]

Hi

I know of someone who has purchased a SF and used the Orange SIM in with the credit purchased and was working fine. Tried an O2 SIM -after unlocking it (contract still running) but wouldn't work with O2 contract SIm saying it would recognize number as I understand and wouldn't allow internet etc. They decided to put The Orange Sim back in (after O2 wouldn't recognize number) and use the phone for email ,internet and android apps etc. and the other 02 Sim in my old phone for talk and text. BUT now they click on to mail or internet it doesnt recognise the original number (0range) in the same way it didnt recognise the 02 number. Click say, email and it says -error validating phone number?

As a side note, I didn't use my £10 voucher or activate with Orange and wondered is there any problem doing this, e.g. is the phone never going to work with orange or my top-up on any other orange sim for example?

TIA

Edited March 11, 2011 by geezerone

[Guest oh!dougal]

Slightly confused by your different problems, however, hopefully these insights may be helpful.

'Activation' - if you have used the phone, on Orange, to make a call or send a text, then it has been Orange-activated. If you had the phone sent to you and can't make calls with your Orange sim, then it hasn't been activated. Stick the Orange sim in and leave the phone switched on for 12 hours or so - you'll probably be sent a series of texts, the last of which asks to be deleted and the phone switched off and then on again. Failing that, contact Orange and ask for instructions.

Until its activated, the phone cannot be used on Orange UK. (Its the phone, not the sim, that needs 'activating'.)

Even if you don't currently intend using Orange, I reckon its worth activating, because nobody knows what the future might hold.

Email - Orange's own email app only works when the phone is on the Orange network (so needs an Orange phone number).

Internet access (for everything, including email) - on Orange with the stock rom, it should set itself up properly. However, the stock rom wouldn't be expected to setup automatically for other networks.

So, when you put in a sim from a different network (with the stock Orange rom), you have to enter the APN details manually.

There is a thread with lots of APN details for various UK networks. (Most of the custom roms have a big library of APNs, and will autosetup on most networks.) Practice using the forum search - look for APN o2 if you want the various possibilities for using the o2 network.

If you don't have a working internet connection, then your email can't possibly work, and its just about possible that the error message you'd get, might (wrongly) indicate that the non-connection problem was due to not being on Orange ...

[Guest sambartle]

It sounds like you have an Orange and O2 SIM.. you tried both and both worked.

Then you unlocked it? (Why? If the O2 SIM worked it was already unlocked so no need to do it again)

What is the exact error message you are getting about the number being recognized? and at what point does it appear?

The description you have provided isn't great.. if you can provide some more clear details someone can probably help you.

[Guest geezerone]

Sorry was a bit late so change a few things around :( There are two problems if you read it again - one for someone I know and the second query was about my issue regarding activating it with top-up voucher.

Edited March 11, 2011 by geezerone

[Guest geezerone]

Slightly confused by your different problems, however, hopefully these insights may be helpful.

'Activation' - if you have used the phone, on Orange, to make a call or send a text, then it has been Orange-activated. If you had the phone sent to you and can't make calls with your Orange sim, then it hasn't been activated. Stick the Orange sim in and leave the phone switched on for 12 hours or so - you'll probably be sent a series of texts, the last of which asks to be deleted and the phone switched off and then on again. Failing that, contact Orange and ask for instructions.

Until its activated, the phone cannot be used on Orange UK. (Its the phone, not the sim, that needs 'activating'.)

Even if you don't currently intend using Orange, I reckon its worth activating, because nobody knows what the future might hold.

Email - Orange's own email app only works when the phone is on the Orange network (so needs an Orange phone number).

Internet access (for everything, including email) - on Orange with the stock rom, it should set itself up properly. However, the stock rom wouldn't be expected to setup automatically for other networks.

So, when you put in a sim from a different network (with the stock Orange rom), you have to enter the APN details manually.

There is a thread with lots of APN details for various UK networks. (Most of the custom roms have a big library of APNs, and will autosetup on most networks.) Practice using the forum search - look for APN o2 if you want the various possibilities for using the o2 network.

If you don't have a working internet connection, then your email can't possibly work, and its just about possible that the error message you'd get, might (wrongly) indicate that the non-connection problem was due to not being on Orange ...

As I have no further information on his problem I would like to ask about the second Orange activation and top-up please

I have it running on giffgaff but if I put the Orange SIM in what will happen to the settings etc and if I do activate will I be able to go back to giffgaff without settings changed perhaps due to unlocking before activating even?

Cheers

[Guest Lew247]

If the phone works without activating it then don't worry about it

The phone will NOT get/allow internet access on any other network other than Orange UNLESS you put the APN for the network you wish to use in the phone

Please do a search for the APN for the sim you wish to use the internet/MMS on.

There are many threads with the APN settings for every network in them.

You will need to put the APN for every network you wish to use in the phone.

You don't normally have to delte any of them to put another set in, you normally just tick the one you want to use

but sometimes with some roms they will not work unless you delete the old ones first

Search the market for APN Backup and Restore - this will not only allow you to save on your memory card the APN you already have but it will also delete old ones if you want, as well as being able to restore any of them at any time.