tomboy

Exposing my ancientness here:
I've a 5 yrear old Nokia 5110 from Mobal. Got the IMEI code, but the unlocking sites want a 5 digit network code. What's/where's that?

Also have a LG500G Tracfone. Can that be unlocked to put a sim card for France in it? Would I put the old US sim card back in to use it in the States, or would the French sim void out my US account?

Help!!

greg

Network code consists of Mobile Country code plus Mobile network code. You can google possibilities, but since most carriers have multiple MNC, it is difficult to find the correct one just by looking at a table.

LG500G: You know you can google the spec. You get "Network Compatibility - GSM 850, 1900" which means no good in Europe. That is there is no trick to make it work with French carriers.

kybourbon

You can tell if your phones are unlocked by putting a different sim card in. It's not the brand that locks the phone, it's your phone service provider (AT&T, Verizon, etc.). If your phone is Verizon, borrow someone's AT&T sim and see if your phone is locked.

>>>Would I put the old US sim card back in to use it in the States, or would the French sim void out my US account?<<<

When you get back to the states, you just use your US sim. No problems.

Your phones need to be quad band to work. A quick Google of the Nokia doesn't appear to be.

tomboy

So much for the LG working in Europe. I guess it's just a US phone then. Still, I suppose I should know for the future whether it can be unlocked, for maybe there'll be cheaper minutes available someday. My needs are few--we bought it for emergencies, and haven't had an emergency requiring a phone. We buy the minimum 400 minutes a year, and use about 100 of them. We now have about 3500 minutes in inventory.

So, where does one find a network code?

The Nokia worked in France 5 years ago. The sim in it came with it, from Mobal. So, if I keep the sim in, I pay $1.50/min, and if I swap it out for a Lebara chip, I could pay $0.01/min. Nobrainer. But......where does one find a network code?

ggreen

<i>So, where does one find a network code?</i>

I don't remember needing this when I used a website to unlock my phone 5 years ago. I wish I could remember which company I used!

I can tell you that, on your phone, you should be able to find a list of Phone Information. (On my current phone, this is under Settings.) It includes the IMEI number, info about the software version, etc. Perhaps the network code might be listed there too?

More recently, my provider unlocked my (newer) phone for me, since I had owned the device for over a specified period of time. All I had to do was call AT&T. (Devices are "locked" to the provider from whom they were purchased. Here in the States, they do this because the cost of the phone is so significantly subsidized at the time of purchase "with a plan", and the provider wants to ensure being able to recoup money...)

Is it possible to have Mobal unlock it for you? Or maybe it's already unlocked: you could try removing the Mobal sim and testing an AT&T or T-Mobile one in it. If the phone is locked, when you turn it back on, it won't acknowledge there's a sim inside.

tomboy

So I could take the sim out of the LG500's defunct predecessor, put it in the Nokia, and (even though the defunct predecessor's account with Tracfone is inactive) see if the Nokia does.....what? It's a europhone in the US, so it won't even work, right? I sure feel like a Neanderthal.

kybourbon

Yes, take the sim from the LG and put it in the Nokia. It will tell you if it's locked or not. If the Nokia accepts the LG sim, then your phone is unlocked. It's possible the Nokia is locked to Mobal.

>>>So, where does one find a network code?<<<

Remove the battery and see if the specs are listed there.

AlessandraZoe

Tomboy: I think that if the Nokia worked in France years ago, it would still work as long as the battery will still charge.

You don't need a quad band GSM. You just need the RIGHT bands that operate in the country you are staying.

The countries of Europe use the dual band frequencies of 900-1800. The US uses mainly 850-1900. Here's a band listing map: http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html.

I think my old Nokia only had a 900 band--and we were fine throughout Paris at Thanksgiving.

Are you sure your Nokia is not unlocked? I certainly think ggreen is right: it's worth a shot to call Mobal.

ggreen

<i>even though the defunct predecessor's account with Tracfone is inactive</i>

Since the account is inactive, you wouldn't be able to make a complete test, i.e., attempting a phone call or text message. But as kybourbon says, I believe you should be able to at least see if the Nokia registers that there's a (different) sim in there. (FWIW, with a functioning sim, the phone call test would be to see if it rings, or succesfully sends a text.)

<i>It's a europhone in the US, so it won't even work, right?</i>

That's not true across the board, but it gets complicated. AlessandraZoe has it right with the explanation of the band frequencies. (The reason you'd ideally want a "quad band" device in Europe is that it would work on the bands the US uses *and* the ones used in Europe...)

There's also the question of network speed. If the phone is 2G, I don't think it will work on a 3G or 4G network. Maybe someone who knows more about this aspect than me will chime in!

kybourbon

>>>>The sim in it came with it, from Mobal. So, if I keep the sim in, I pay $1.50/min, and if I swap it out for a Lebara chip, I could pay $0.01/min. <<<<

Are you going to France? Isn't a Lebara chip Australian or UK? Why wouldn't you get a French sim? Usually the minute rates are better (no roaming) if you buy a sim from the country you are visiting. I don't travel in France often so am not familiar with their particular sims. I seem to recall Orange being one.

Most sims will expire after a year so you have to get a new one (instead of just topping it up) which gives you a new phone number.

ggreen

kyb, I've never used Lebara myself, but a few months ago I found this thread very informative!
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...g-on-may-1.cfm

xyz123's explanations here are really good too:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...or-roaming.cfm

AlessandraZoe

Don't worry about the 3g thing. For example, we are Verizon Wireless here in the US. My mother refuses to get rid of the old-style LG flip phone I bought her eons ago. No bells, no whistles. Her reception is better than any new thing I own.

AlessandraZoe

And I forgot to add: daughter's crappy Nokia got stolen right from her side at a college mixer in Paris. She replaced phone and SIM next day. Another crappy phone ("Dallas" brand) but it came with SIM card and a boatload of free airtime. Reception was fine. So if the old Nokia doesn't work, cheap options abound.

mrcamp

I'd suggest your forget Mobal and their old phone. Get to your destination and get a cheap phone and sim. the lebara can be had cheaply or free, and costs a WHOLE lots than Mobal to call with. I am surprised anyone still uses Mobal these days. On a side note, I believe Mobal's phones are locked to O2 UK. So that would be whose country/network code you need. really not worth the hassle. Just get a cheap phone and sim and you are all set.

tomboy

That would explain the O2 logo on the sim card. Thanks.

Somehow, mrcamp, your advice is clarifying things for me.
Am I correct that Lebara rates are 15 e-cents unless the callee is also Lebara? What are the roaming tariffs of 41 e-cents voice to zone 1?

If I can unlock the old Mobal phone (and insert a Lebara sim), what benefit would I get from a newer cheap phone & sim?

mrcamp

BTW, in my post above, I meant to say that Lebara costs a whole lot less to call with than Mobal. Yes, it's 15 euro cents to other mobiles, and free to other Lebara mobiles. Roaming tariff is the rate if you use it outside of France. It's 1 cent/min to call US numbers and a 15 cent connection fee. So, the 1st min will be 16 cents and 1cent/min there after. Comparing that to Mobal's insanely expensive rate is like day and night. Bottomn line - get a cheap phone for 20 euro or less and get a lebara sim card. Happy travels!

tomboy

Can a phone be purchased in a Parisian phone store for 20 euro or less? Or do you mean thru e-bay?

Those rates are MUCH better than Mobal...which I think I saw were $1.49/minute.

ggreen

<i>what benefit would I get from a newer cheap phone & sim?</i>

I can't answer the Paris phone-shopping question.
But I can tell you that, generally speaking, a new phone will have better technology inside. In phone-life terms, five years old is ancient!

Phone manufacturers are constantly improving things like battery life, screen clarity, and form factor materials (strength and weight). They also optimize their devices to the latest network speed, so a device manufactured to run on 4G will work a lot faster than one created when 2G was the norm. (Network speed is most important in relation to data access, but it can affect call clarity and dropped calls.) This doesn't mean necessarily that the older one won't work - but it might be so slow accessing data that it times out!

mrcamp

You can get a basic unlocked phone that has the Europe bands for about $25 on ebay. I know you can do it for about 20 euro in the UK. Paris may be similar.

tomboy

ttt