Help with imported "unlocked" Palm Pre activation on 2 Degrees "Unable to Write Settings"

Forums › Legacy mobile platforms (Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Web OS, Symbian, Meego, Blackberry) › Help with imported "unlocked" Palm Pre activation on 2 Degrees "Unable to Write Settings"

jaywontdart

20 posts

Geek

#96992 8-Feb-2012 20:37

I've imported an "unlocked" Palm Pre GSM, new in the box, but it wont work on 2 Degrees network. The SIM is working, the network shows up in the top left corner, "2degrees", but it wont let me actually use the phone, just to dial an emergency number. I'm stuck on the "Enter Phone Settings" as you create a Palm account, it asks for the Internet APN, Username and Password, of which I have for 2degrees

http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/settings

but when I tap "Change Settings", it does its loading bar circle thing for a few seconds, then "Unable to Write Settings" with a yellow hazard sign.

I believe there is some crazy way around this by flashing the phone with a jailbroken ROM or something...but I really dont want to muck around with all that.

I bought this phone as a curiosity, it was sold as unlocked, from a reputable company. The problem *might* be that "it only wants to check for certain networks" based on its "built in list" or something.....the fact that it says "Unable to Write Settings" is cryptic to me, if it outright said "this phone is locked" etc, I could understand, or, is this the case, that the phone IS locked, and that it wont outright say that?

Any advice you could offer would be much appreciated!

This is not my main phone, but a secondary curiosity phone, joining my Newton collection :-)

Thank you for your time :-)

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20 posts

Geek

#579026 8-Feb-2012 23:57

I've gotten this reply from the seller, a large company who sell phones, I'll try working through these in the coming days

"All phones are FACTORY UNLOCKED
and not related to any network. Few ways to assure this ;

* If you see
on the box, label, it says there GENERIC/PURE GENERIC = Meaning, not
branded to any network, directly from Palm
* If you see our feedbacks, you
may see others buyers who using the units in different parts of the world
with their local networks.

The matter you refering is a common this
with regard to palm web os, if you do some search on the palm forums you
will see this had happen with any factory unlocked devices. You need to set
up your APS settings to match with your local network provider, if not you
will not be able to activate the unit. Whether you buy from us, elsewhere
the problem will continue to exists.

We give below some usefull links
and tips to try :

http://forums.webosnation.com/palm-pre-pre-plus/214348-confirmed-manual-carrier-apn-settings-webos-1-3-a.html

http://forums.hpwebos.com/

http://portal.hpwebos.com/LMIChat/chat

After at all, if you not able to resolve your problem, please be assured you have the option to return for a refund. But, this will be a common thing with all palm devices web os.

Let us know, how you have got on with it.

Thanks"

stevenz

2802 posts

Uber Geek

#582257 16-Feb-2012 10:56

Check that the MCC/MNC settings are correct and the right way around.

Failing that, there's a longwinded fix here:
http://forums.webosnation.com/palm-pre-pre-plus/211728-modifying-webos-carrier-network-settings.html

@KnightNZ

jaywontdart

20 posts

Geek

#582959 17-Feb-2012 19:56

Thank you, but that doesnt quite help, my issue is that the phone is *not* activated, and I really cannot do a single thing but try and enter details which I've been given by 2 Degrees (the network), which are not accepted...thats it, entering numbers/letters and ok are my only options, leaving me to pull the battery in disgust.

I'm busy at the moment, so I'm letting this cursed Pre sit for awhile before I try really messing around with it, but its frustrating as hell, when I know the device is actually unlocked, but for whatever reason, it wont activate, if only I could do it over Wifi somehow....but I honestly have no other options at all.

Some people suggest a hugely complicated "reflashing of the OS" with some hacked version which will be activated no matter what.....bloody ridiculous.

Thank you for your time!

Damager

2125 posts

Uber Geek

#582998 17-Feb-2012 21:50

Tried a Voda sim in the phone? That might show up in it's built in list of carrier settings and then activate. If it activates, insert the 2degree settings and save (if it does save) and then drop the 2degrees sim in.

If it doesn't, might have to go voda (if it does activate with the voda sim).

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jaywontdart

20 posts

Geek

#583000 17-Feb-2012 22:04

Thank you, im planning on trying that :-)

mckenndk

911 posts

Ultimate Geek

#583001 17-Feb-2012 22:14

your not in a area where 2Degrees only has WCDMA 3G coverage?

Dion

jaywontdart

20 posts

Geek

#583003 17-Feb-2012 22:16

I'm not sure, my iPhone 4 works fine here, I'll borrow a friends Vodafone sim and see what happens, thank you :-)

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mckenndk

911 posts

Ultimate Geek

#583004 17-Feb-2012 22:19

jaywontdart: I'm not sure, my iPhone 4 works fine here, I'll borrow a friends Vodafone sim and see what happens, thank you :-)

If you give us a location we can tell you if you are.

Dion

jaywontdart

20 posts

Geek

#583006 17-Feb-2012 22:22

123 Fake Street, Invercargill :-)

Have a lovely weekend

mckenndk

911 posts

Ultimate Geek

#583007 17-Feb-2012 22:26

jaywontdart: 123 Fake Street, Invercargill :-)

Have a lovely weekend

No 3G coverage there so you should be ok.

mckenndk

911 posts

Ultimate Geek

#583328 18-Feb-2012 23:49

I had a look on http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22487235/fusion.html and it states that Invercargill has a number of 2 degrees towers around so it could be causing you a problem.

Dion

jaywontdart

20 posts

Geek

#583329 18-Feb-2012 23:55

A very interesting resource, thank you for showing it to me! :-)

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79308 posts

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Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#583344 19-Feb-2012 08:36

You should use the other map instead since you can check by address, a lot quicker. Link is on top of all our pages too.

sangha

53 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#590258 4-Mar-2012 19:54

Were you able to activate your phone? You can do it via wifi. This is a common problem with webos phones as said by the seller.

jaywontdart

20 posts

Geek

#590261 4-Mar-2012 20:04

Still waiting to be able to activate the damn thing, its sitting on my desk right now...

It wont let me do *anything* but try and enter the "internet" details, which it always says "cannot write", that is it, I cannot even turn it off, let alone enter wifi details etc.

I wish I could simply do it over wifi, its such a simple thing, "yes, this phone is now activated", DONE, and then I'd be up and running....but as it stands, its a complete brick until I can find a way to activate it. My best bet is borrowing a friends Telecom or Vodafone sim and seing if that will work....

I'm furious at this phone for being so unusuable! Hell, I've never even turned it on properly, and it already has the "oreo effect", where the slider is fairly wobbly, if this is the trouble you go through just trying to activate the phone, no wonder Palm went under, and damn near took HP with them.

Very unhappy with my Pre.

I hope to have a try at activating it this month.

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