vB Easy Archive - Sidekick/HipTop 2 Unlocking Possible?

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Sidekick/HipTop 2 Unlocking Possible?
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Posted by: Solearius

Hello HF!

I was just curious if a Sidekick or HipTop 2 can be unlocked and used on the Rogers Wireless network? I was planning to buy one for cheap on eBay or something and do this.

If it can be done, let me know.

If not, is Fido a good service? I need to a Prepaid service. So with that, how will Web Browsing, Text Messenging, work?

Let me know!

Solearius

Posted by: Spcman03

can't read can ya?

>>>>>>>NO BUY, SELL, TRADE ADS OR UNLOCKING POSTS<<<<<<<<

Posted by: Sonic McTails

Techinically, he's not asking about getting his phone unlocked, he's asking if it's possible, which is a valid question.

As for the answer, I know if you stick a forgien SIM into a locked Sidekick, it asks for Special Unlock Code: (or something like that), and I assume that can unlock it. Best bet is getting a T-Mobile one, waiting 90 days, and getting the unlock code from them. Note that unless you have Fido, T-Mobile, or one US regional carrier (who's name escapes me), the phone will only be a phone, and MAYBE SMS, no other features will work.

Posted by: Scott

No it's not possible.

Posted by: Sonic McTails

^-? Why? I know that code screen pops up? Is there a praticular reason why the phone can't be unlocked?

Posted by: manchuia

That's odd. I had a SK2 when it first came out, and they tried to get it unlocked for me at my request (they being T-Mobile), but I never really followed through, because I sold the phone.

I know the originals can be unlocked so I don't see why the SK2 cant.

Posted by: Scott

Because the hiptop/sidekick data uses a special Danger APN and you can not access it via any other network other then the carrier its designed for.

Posted by: Sonic McTails

^- This I know. However, voice and SMS do not go over Danger's data networks. A quick Googling confirmed that you can use a forgien SIM in an unlocked Sidekick, and SMS and Voice will work. As for unlocking, my googling says that if you hard reset the Sidekick (by hitting the power button AND holding the reset button down with a paperclip) while there is no SIM in the phone, it will unlock for a new carrier (aka you can put in another carriers SIM, but it will lock to that carrier until you repeat the process). THis is TOTALLY untested, so take with a grain of salt.

Posted by: Scott

Yeah you could use the voice and sms however I think I read once that after a while a login screen comes up asking for your username and password to logon to the danger server and it doesn't go away until its entered and connected. I may be wrong though.

Posted by: Sonic McTails

^- That can be bypassed with Jump-Action-L, which keeps it off unless I think you pull up the ABout Screen. (I also think it pops up if you try to use data services).

Posted by: Scott

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic McTails

^- That can be bypassed with Jump-Action-L, which keeps it off unless I think you pull up the ABout Screen. (I also think it pops up if you try to use data services).

Ok my last question

Why would you want to use the hiptop/sidekick without data? Personally i hate using it as a phone. I could see for texting it would be ok i suppose....

Posted by: Sonic McTails

^- Simple. On other service providers, they have AIM-SMS gateways which work very well (CIngular and AT&T have it) so you can AIM on it, and installed Java programs work on it as well. I suspect that the Sidekick actually has a full GPRS chipset on it, and when you use a Java program, it doesn't need to use Danger's servers (specuation). If you could get a devel key, you could stick Opera Mini on it and life would be good. Also, the sidekick is a tri-band phone, so it can be used internationally. If I go to the UK, I can get a prepaided Sidekick SIM from T-Mobile UK, log into my Danger account, and life will be good.

Posted by: Scott

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic McTails

^- Simple. On other service providers, they have AIM-SMS gateways which work very well (CIngular and AT&T have it) so you can AIM on it, and installed Java programs work on it as well. I suspect that the Sidekick actually has a full GPRS chipset on it, and when you use a Java program, it doesn't need to use Danger's servers (specuation). If you could get a devel key, you could stick Opera Mini on it and life would be good. Also, the sidekick is a tri-band phone, so it can be used internationally. If I go to the UK, I can get a prepaided Sidekick SIM from T-Mobile UK, log into my Danger account, and life will be good.

Ok.... but good luck getting a developers key they aren't like they use to be.

Posted by: Sonic McTails

Yeah, I know, but if I was to travel abroad, I would like to use SMS over calling, and I could see why you'd want it. I just orginially just wanted to state that it could be done, but now we've got into this long-winded dicsussion.

Posted by: Data1025

I unlocked mine for voice/SMS use overseas when needed. Since my primary voice line is Verizon, I needed a GSM phone for this, and my SK2 works fine. I have prepaid and TMO will unlock after 90 days of service.

Posted by: Solearius

Should I just get a HipTop2 and use it with Fido?

If I do get a Prepaid Fido SIM, do I still have access to use Web Browsing, Text Messenging, etc?

Posted by: Scott

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solearius

Should I just get a HipTop2 and use it with Fido?

If I do get a Prepaid Fido SIM, do I still have access to use Web Browsing, Text Messenging, etc?

If you want to get a hiptop on Fido you should get it on a monthly plan. No you can not use web browsing on the hiptop without the hiptop data data (which is only available on a monthly plan)

Posted by: jgeorge

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic McTails

I suspect that the Sidekick actually has a full GPRS chipset on it, and when you use a Java program, it doesn't need to use Danger's servers (specuation).

Nope, sorry. The entire network stack of the hiptop connects through the Danger backend - much like a VPN connection. You don't actually connect to the local carrier's network at all, other than to tunnel through to Danger's servers. Without data service you won't get anything other than phone and SMS.

Joe

Posted by: Sonic McTails

^- Wow, really, I think that was really badly planned. I suspect though that the reason it doesn't work on non-sidekick carriers is that the sidekick is preprogrammed with GPRS data, but has no info for carriers that doesn't have it. (I also suspect that a Sidekick requires 23-48 hours to work because it has to recieve an OTA update from T-Mobile which gives it the data network settings, allowing it to connect to GPRS, and then to Danger through the net, or is it that each provider must run a local Danger server, which then connects into the master one)

Posted by: jgeorge

Your post is a mix of right and wrong info. I'm too tired right now to differentiate, so I'll just say that it's not an issue of getting an OTA to get the settings, the settings are put into flashprom on the device at manufacture time.

The connection that he device uses is VERY VPN-like and normal GPRS networking pretty much doesn't matter. ALl of thehiptop's network connection goes through Danger's backend. It's not badly planned, that's the way it's designed, it's actually quite clever if you see how it works, and it's dead easy for a carrier to implement something as complex as a hiptop network platform because Danger does all the heavy lifting.

Joe

Posted by: sniper0981

there is a site online that offers an unlocking method, but u have to search for it.

Posted by: Sonic McTails

I haven't seen much in Google unlocking a Sidekick. I wonder if it's possible to get GPRS working on a non-Sidekick carrier using the JTAG interface and a hexteditor. Anyway, if I was to take an unlocked sidekick, and take it to SunCom/Fido, and pop one of their SIMs in, will it work, due to the fact that they offer Sidekick/Hiptop service?

EDIT: Ok, answering my own question:
You can change the APN, IP, and DNS servers on the device itself
(APN: Menu+Shift+S, IP Jump -> menu -> Network Status -> menu+m, DNS menu->shift->n. All done in the phone app).

Aleast it seems possible if you take a Sidekick to another provider with Sidekick service, you can aleast change the APN/IP/DNS options as required. Makes me wonder if you change it while on a non-Sidekick carrier if it will still work through GPRS and access Danger's servers.

Posted by: jgeorge

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic McTails

I haven't seen much in Google unlocking a Sidekick. I wonder if it's possible to get GPRS working on a non-Sidekick carrier using the JTAG interface and a hexteditor.

No, it's not. The ONLY thing a hiptop can connect to is a danger backend server. It's not capable of connecting to the net directly, no amount of hacking is going to get this working short of rewriting the entire network stack in the OS. If you can do that with jtag and a hex editor go for it.

Quote:

Aleast it seems possible if you take a Sidekick to another provider with Sidekick service, you can aleast change the APN/IP/DNS options as required. Makes me wonder if you change it while on a non-Sidekick carrier if it will still work through GPRS and access Danger's servers.

Again, no. Changing the APN allows you to specify another access point for the device, but the "new" APN must also connect to a Danger backend.

Trust me, I'm not trying to burst your bubble, but this just ain't gonna work. A hiptop is only going to work on a carrier that has a connection to the Danger backend, and it's really only going to connect properly to the Danger backend for the carrier it's designed to connect through. You can, sort of, get a device to talk to the network on another carrier that carries the sk/hiptop (there are people who have made t-mo sidekicks work on Fido) but it's really only a marginal definition of what I'd call "work". It's certainly not reliable or supported, and you run the risk of getting your account nuked at any given point because you're freeloading on one of the carrier's networks.

Joe

Posted by: sniper0981

i have had my sidekick for a while now, and i have seen no reason as to why i would want it unlocked. it doesnt benefit me in any way. the method is out there, but its not worth my time doing.

Posted by: Sonic McTails

Ok, I conceed defeat, the Sidekick will only work on the provider that it was bought on for full data services. I'm just curious then - if I was to take an unbranded Hiptop, drop a T-Mobile SIM in it, will it work since the phone is unbranded, but T-Mobile has a backend server, will it cause the T-Mobile branding to be flashed onto the phone/the email ringtone options be removed. Also, can you give me some information on converting sidekicks to T-mobile from other providers?

Posted by: Paolo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic McTails

Ok, I conceed defeat, the Sidekick will only work on the provider that it was bought on for full data services. I'm just curious then - if I was to take an unbranded Hiptop, drop a T-Mobile SIM in it, will it work since the phone is unbranded, but T-Mobile has a backend server, will it cause the T-Mobile branding to be flashed onto the phone/the email ringtone options be removed. Also, can you give me some information on converting sidekicks to T-mobile from other providers?

thats the thing, no such unbranded hiptops or side kicks exist, its either the fido, t-mo or the sum com software, and there is some settings HARDCODED into the phone's HARDWARE which can NOT be changed, which allow it to access the Danger Servers, meaning you can not make it work on any other gprs account.

Posted by: Sonic McTails

Well, aleast I got that answer answered. I'm suprised the damn things can even be unlocked at this point.

Posted by: jgeorge

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic McTails

As Paolo said there's no such thing as an "unbranded" device - they *all* are programmed to be bound to a particular backend at manufacture time. Even Danger's internal devices are bound to their internal backend. There's no "generic" about it.

As for unlocking the device, you have to remember that there are 2 separate components in the device, the OS, and the GSM (phone) module. The GSM module is manufactured by another company (Enfora) and it's a generic OEM module. As a phone, it supports SIM locking like any other GSM phone does. Unlocking the GSM module will allow any SIM to work, and by extension will allow the device to work as a phone (phone/SMS only) on any carrier. I've done this, it works, though admittedly the hiptop without a data service is really kind of a brick.

The backend configuration is built into the device at manufacture time. There's no causation here. If you have a tmo device, the tmo backend configuration (including carrier-specific configuration options) is already built into the device before it even sees a simcard. This binding is NOT dependent on what simcard you use (you're thinking of some phones that are programmed to simlock to the first simcard they see, this is common in some phones but it's not how the hiptop bit works).

Converting one carrier-bound device to another is extremely nontrivial. Each carrier is assigned a specific set of digital certificates by danger when the device is manufactured (all tmo devices have the same cert, which is different from the suncom devices, which is different from fido, etc). These certificates reside in the recovery rom of the device which is not overwritten by OS installs. It's a standard digital certificate with a public/private key pair. The recovery ROMs hold the public keys. When you attempt to load an OS image on the device, the recovery rom validates the OS images digital signature with it's key and only loads if it's a match.

This means, assuming you could GET the OS image (which is hard enough to do, as theyre not public):
1) You can't tamper with the OS image to reset things like configuration options, because you'd invalidate the signature;
2) you can't strip the digital signature to load the image (altered or not) as unsigned because the digest must be there and match;
3) you can't load an OS image for a carrier that doesn't match the recovery rom because the certs wont validate

Now, you're going to ask about switching recovery ROMs and I'm going to tell you again that its not something you're going to be able to do. That's a protected part of the flashprom and reloading it in and of itself is non-trivial. Assuming you had another recovery rom image from the proper carrier, good luck finding one.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that the hiptop designers thought of all this crap long before you and I have, and they've made it as close to impossible to do this as one can theoretically get. The time and expense (and lack of access to the software) involved in converting, say, a Fido hiptop to a TMobile Sidekick are just not worth the trouble and effort, and even if you managed to do so you wouldnt' buy yourself any real extra abilitites. The tmo OS has ringtones locked out, and the only way you're goint to get a device to work on tmo's network is to use their OS with the ringtones locked out. There's no half-***** conversion allowed - if you had the time, tools,and software to convert say a Fido hiptop to T-Mo, the end result would be exactly the same device as if you'd just bought a Tmo one to begin with except the screen bezel would say "hiptop" instead of "t-mobile".

And if you just wanted that, just swap screen bezels, it's easier.

I know what you're trying to do. You're not the first person to have the idea. You're not the first person to postulate on it. But nobody yet has even begun to come close to scratching the surface of even figuring out how it might be possible. The hiptop isn't very hackable, and it isnt' hackable because it's a damned solid design.

Trust me. I've been there.

Joe

Posted by: Paolo

wow jgeorge, I couldn't have said it better myself... I have a Fido Hiptop II and plan to keep it to use on Fido. There is really no point in me trying to unlock it to use on Rogers, it will NEVER work, so thats why I dont bother, and the rest of you reading, should also realize this.. NO BODY buys a hiptop to use without the Hiptop Data Plan.. its just pointless.

Posted by: r2tincan

I'm a perspective Sidekick buyer... what's this I hear about Ringtones being disabled?

Is it possible to transfer files to/from the Sidekick (including ringtones) with a dev key?

Posted by: Chinasaur

Quote:

Originally Posted by r2tincan

I'm a perspective Sidekick buyer... what's this I hear about Ringtones being disabled?

Is it possible to transfer files to/from the Sidekick (including ringtones) with a dev key?

As a prospective buyer..do yourself a favor and educate yourself by searching for information. If you read this post, you know what I mean. jgeorge and others spend an inordinate amount of time re-explaining the basics. And a lot of the time, people refuse to listen and continue to believe the urban legends they've been told ie - dev key, which used to be a way in, but aren't any longer.

The data is out there, it's just waiting for you to find it.

Posted by: Sonic McTails

Well, I'm done trying to make the Sidekick work fully on any other carrier, and I'll just hug my Treo ;-). I really wonder why Danger really decided to lock down this device, it would be better profit wise if it was available as a general phone - usable on any carrier.

Posted by: wilferd

I had a quick question. Is it possible to unlock a sk2 by hitting the power button AND holding the reset button down with a paperclip for use with AT&T wireless? What features of the phone would be available to me?

Posted by: wilferd

Quick Question....Would it be possible to unlock a SK2 so that it would be available to a AT&T sim....if so, what features of the phone would be available. Could it be used for data (e.g. to do lists, organizer, etc.)

Posted by: Sonic McTails

^- You could use PHone and SMS. The offline apps such as To Do lists, and organizers will still work, but Web, and AIM won't. Getting a Sidekick unlocked is no small feat however ,since I haven't seen any sites that commerially do it. You could check eBay, but your bust bet is to get a prepaided Sidekick, use it for 90 days, then get it unlocked from T-Mobile, and drop your SIM into it. IMHO, I have never seen professional sidekick unlocking.

Posted by: jgeorge

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic McTails

Well, I'm done trying to make the Sidekick work fully on any other carrier, and I'll just hug my Treo ;-). I really wonder why Danger really decided to lock down this device, it would be better profit wise if it was available as a general phone - usable on any carrier.

Actually, it's not better profit-wise. The sidekick is a cheap phone to buy and the carriers sell it at a cheap price point because they make money on the tie-ins like catalog downloads and the fact that you can't take the device elsewhere.

Treos and MDAs and HTCs and stuff are more open platform and more fully featured, but you pay for it. A LOT more for it.

Joe

Posted by: jgeorge

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilferd

I had a quick question. Is it possible to unlock a sk2 by hitting the power button AND holding the reset button down with a paperclip for use with AT&T wireless? What features of the phone would be available to me?

That's a hard reset of the device, and it will not unlock any features of the phone - it wont' let you use a foreign simcard.

Joe

Posted by: Sonic McTails

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgeorge

That's a hard reset of the device, and it will not unlock any features of the phone - it wont' let you use a foreign simcard.

Joe

Googling seems to suggest it resets to factory lock mode - aka it will lock to the first SIM card inserted, so if he stuck his AT&T SIM, and then did it, it should (in theory) lock to that SIM from T-Mobile, but I haven't tried it.

BTW, Treo 600 Full Retail can be had for 200-250 dollars now, and isn't that much older then the Sidekick II.

Posted by: Paolo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic McTails

I tried it, it still says Enter Special Code.. which means no it does NOT unlock it, it just resets it though

Posted by: Sonic McTails

^- Ok, again, foot in mouth, turn to the left :-p

Posted by: jgeorge

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic McTails

Can you link that article? It's quite incorrect. A power+reset is a common hard reset and a standard diagnostic for things when they go wrong. I highly doubt that such a common procedure would unlock the devicein such a way.

Joe

Posted by: Solearius

To tell you the truth.

All I want to do is buy a Sidekick 2 for CHEAP on eBay, online somewhere. Then I want to use a Rogers SIM card with it on a Prepaid Service. If the phone has to be unlocked in order to use the Rogers Service, I want to know how I go about doing that.

Thanks.

Posted by: Paolo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solearius

To tell you the truth.

All I want to do is buy a Sidekick 2 for CHEAP on eBay, online somewhere. Then I want to use a Rogers SIM card with it on a Prepaid Service. If the phone has to be unlocked in order to use the Rogers Service, I want to know how I go about doing that.

Thanks.

if you want to use it for Rogers prepaid service, why not just use it for Fidos prepaid, since its the same gsm network, and you dont have to waste your time trying to unlock it... also fidos prepaid billing system is the same as rogers.

Posted by: Solearius

^Alright.

If I use FIDO Prepaid Service with a Sidekick2 from eBay or whatever, wouldn't I still need to unlock the phone since the Sidekick2's are made to work for the T-Mobile service?

Posted by: Paolo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solearius

^Alright.

If I use FIDO Prepaid Service with a Sidekick2 from eBay or whatever, wouldn't I still need to unlock the phone since the Sidekick2's are made to work for the T-Mobile service?

argh, now your getting complicated, why not just get a FIDO HIPTOP if your going to use FIDO network. thats the simplest way.. otherwise, ITS NOT WORTH IT to use an unlocked one on fido, too many problems, not worth the hasle imo

Posted by: jgeorge

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solearius

^Alright.

If I use FIDO Prepaid Service with a Sidekick2 from eBay or whatever, wouldn't I still need to unlock the phone since the Sidekick2's are made to work for the T-Mobile service?

Don't even screw around trying to make a tmo sidekick work on fido. It's not worth the hassle, and it's not going to work well enough for you to be satisfied with it.

Joe

Posted by: bsoft

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic McTails

Not true on dhte dev part. All data goes over the Danger backend servers, either through the funnel connections (HTTP, AIM, a few other things) or through a SOCKS proxy.

The Hiptop cannot and will not connect through any APN other than one designed for use by the Hiptop.

Note that it appears that you can roam between providers that support the Hiptop - I have been signed in to the Hiptop service while roaming on Edge Wireless, for example.

Posted by: SameGuy

I'm unclear why it keeps being repeated that "it's just not worth it."

My friend is willing to give me his unlocked T-Mobile SK II. You don't think it's worth my effort and trouble to get it mostly working on Fido for the cost of a $25 SIM card? Fido wants $500 without a contract, or $200 on a three-year.... how is it "not worth it"?

I've searched again and again, but I haven't seen anywhere what exactly is hamstrung in a T-Mobile Sidekick II on the Fido network. Yes, I understand that T-Mo ( or Danger) could decide I'm a leech at any time and disable the connection to the Danger backend (has this happened to anybody you know?), but for $25 I think it's worth at least a shot.

Posted by: Gutterpunk

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameGuy

I'm unclear why it keeps being repeated that "it's just not worth it."

My friend is willing to give me his unlocked T-Mobile SK II. You don't think it's worth my effort and trouble to get it mostly working on Fido for the cost of a $25 SIM card? Fido wants $500 without a contract, or $200 on a three-year.... how is it "not worth it"?

I've searched again and again, but I haven't seen anywhere what exactly is hamstrung in a T-Mobile Sidekick II on the Fido network. Yes, I understand that T-Mo ( or Danger) could decide I'm a leech at any time and disable the connection to the Danger backend (has this happened to anybody you know?), but for $25 I think it's worth at least a shot.

No one ever said its not worth it, but that its not worth the trouble. I'm sure they are a thousand way to save money by doing so, but the same can be said about turning lead into gold. With the same chance of it happening.

Edit : And Fido don't offer 3 years contract.

Posted by: SameGuy

OK, but that still didn't answer the question: what doesn't work on a T-Mo SKII on Fido? Just saying "It doesn't work as well," isn't the kind of detail I'm after. If it doesn't "fully work," what's missing? I've read of people actually being able to do this, and I've never seen one of them say that functions were limited or missing.

And what is the difference between "not worth it" and "not worth the trouble"? If it takes me an afternoon and a dozen calls to Fido and Danger, and entering the APN on the phone, I fail to see how that is too much "trouble."

Please just tell me why, I'd really like a definitive answer.

Posted by: Gutterpunk

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameGuy

OK, but that still didn't answer the question: what doesn't work on a T-Mo SKII on Fido? Just saying "It doesn't work as well," isn't the kind of detail I'm after. If it doesn't "fully work," what's missing? I've read of people actually being able to do this, and I've never seen one of them say that functions were limited or missing.

And what is the difference between "not worth it" and "not worth the trouble"? If it takes me an afternoon and a dozen calls to Fido and Danger, and entering the APN on the phone, I fail to see how that is too much "trouble."

Please just tell me why, I'd really like a definitive answer.

Fido doesn't know **** about that, and Danger will never divulge that information. Its not a question of the APN, which anyone can change, its a question of the whole software. Its like if you bought a computer with a chinese OS and you wanted it in english. Only the OS is not stored on a easily changed hard drive but on a flash rom.

You would first need access to a virgin copy of the OS, and then to tools to write it to the device. And by "tools" I mean hardware stuff, with jtag points to locate or maybe replacing a ROM or two.

And the difference between "not worth it" and "not worth the trouble" is that it would be worth it, as its the holy grail of a lot of hiptopers, but its not worth the trouble. Your time and money will be better spent buying a hiptop at full price than spending money on bribes to Danger employees.

Posted by: SameGuy

OK, I'm really not trying to emmerde you. That was a better answer than I've seen.

But I still don't know what doesn't work on a T-Mobile SKII on Fido. Does anybody know? Encore, je lis des notes ici qui disent que c'est tout-à-fait facile mettre un SKII sur Fido utilisant le plan "Hiptop Data" et des autres qui disent c'est impossible, ou que ça ne fonctionne pas trop bien. Mais qu'est-ce qui ne fonctionne pas?

Posted by: Gutterpunk

Dude, don't post in french. 'Cause I will reply in english so I don't have to explain it again in two languages. And its probably against the forum rules.

The data side of the hiptop will not work. Thats all. The Danger servers is clever enough to check the OS version/IMEI/whatever they use against the provider sim card. But its not a matter of changing the APN to change server, as all the Danger server will perform the same check.

And before you ask why they do that... Who knows. They probably have a good reason (just out of my *** here, licensing of the phone or some stuff in the catalog, different locales that need to be provided to different countries, FCC vs Industry Canada approval, or for the DI syncing) it's beside the point, because it will stay that way.

Posted by: SameGuy

Another good answer, I appreciate it. Thank you.

So how come we read here that others have been able to [temporarily] use the data service on tmobile.danger.com while on the Fido service. Which is it? Working? Or not working?

Posted by: Paolo

the sidekick 2 is set up in a way that the e-mail comes in at username @tmail.com while on fido its username @fidohiptop.ca. lets face it, there is no easy or known way to change the mail client on the sidekick to get your hiptop mail. Also one girl had one, and every thing worked well except her web browsing client, from time to time it would not work.

Posted by: Gutterpunk

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameGuy

Another good answer, I appreciate it. Thank you.

So how come we read here that others have been able to [temporarily] use the data service on tmobile.danger.com while on the Fido service. Which is it? Working? Or not working?

A fluke, a glitch, a check that wasn't performed for X reasons? They were probably booted off in no time. Or they received a US bill they "forgot" to mention.

Thats not what this thread is about though. Its about unlocking a sidekick to be a Fido hiptop, using the Fido network. I'm sure Danger and no providers want any Sidekick riding the Fido pipes while using the T-Mo network for free.

Posted by: SameGuy

OK I give up. Apparently assumptions = answers.

Posted by: Gutterpunk

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameGuy

OK I give up. Apparently assumptions = answers.

I'd call them "well informed assumptions"...

Posted by: jgeorge

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameGuy

OK, but that still didn't answer the question: what doesn't work on a T-Mo SKII on Fido?

Dude, gutterpunk has been describing this far better than most people know about. I *KNOW* you want to make this work, and the point we're trying to make is that you're far better directing your energies elsewhere.

So in the hopes of you not having to ask the same question again, here's WHAT DOES AND DOES NOT WORK.

1) Assume you have an unlocked T-Mo SK2 and an active Fido simcard.

PROBLEM #1: T-Mobile, as a policy, does not supply unlock codes for Sidekicks anymore to keep people like you from trying to do what you're doing and then getting pissed off when it doesn't work.

2) The phone and SMS functionality of the device will work on Fido's network, as does any other unlocked GSM phone. w00t.

3) ANY application that uses GPRS data will not work, because you will be unable to establish a GPRS connection through Fido. The device is not a standard GPRS phone - it uses the carrier's network to establish a VPN-like connection to Danger's backend service. The connection point to that service is hardcoded in the OS and not alterable. Ignore everyone who says it's the APN and that the APN can be changed, the connection we're talking about here is NOT the APN but the equivalent of the VPN concentrator on the other end. It's built into the OS and CAN NOT BE CHANGED.

This means the following device functions WILL NOT EVER WORK:

Web, Email, AIM, YIM, Download Catalog, Data Sync

PROBLEM #2: The lack of Data Sync here is important, because it means that all of the PDA functions of the phone are also useless. If you put data in the Notepad, or address book, or take a camera picture, the data is stored on the device as long as it's got power. If you let the battery drain, EVER, or if the device OS crashes and causes it to reset, then all that data is GONE. It's stored in RAM, not flash, because it's normally synced to the backend service.

This means you can not *reliably* store data in: Address Book, Notes, Todo, Calendar, or Camera. You can't even save your high score in freaking Rock and Rocket.

3) The simcard address book function works (250 names/numbers). It's not all that hot on the Sidekick, because nobody uses the simcard address book since the device address book is so much better, except you'll have to use it because that'll be the only address book you can reliably use.

4) There have been people here in the past that said they've managed to get this to work. I don't doubt that one bit - it is (or at least at one point WAS) *possible* to make this work, just as it's *possible* to fly to the Mars or it's *possible* that Salma Hayek will pull into your driveway in a Bentley and demand that you come back to her place for the hot lovin' she so badly needs from you. Possible? Yes, but NOT BLOODY LIKELY.

PROBLEM #3: The people who have managed to do this in the past have essentially been using T-Mobile's data service for free, which in the law books is "Theft by Taking" and a) against the law (US and Canada) and b) something not likely to get you on T-Mo's Christmas Card list.

PROBLEM #4: T-Mo can *easily* identify the people who are connecting to their network from non-t-mo access points and drop your service at will. Whether they choose to identify you and report you to the authorities is up to them but you don't have much of a legal leg to stand on, because this isn't something that just magically works by accident - you have to know what you're doing and make very specific steps to do it.

PROBLEM #5: All of this I'm talking about now is not possible anymore. I know at one point it was possible, and at one point there were a couple of people here who said they had made it work, but not anyone that I've seen in the last year or so, which makes me pretty sure that whatever loophole there was in the system has since been closed.

So in short, you need an unlock code you can't get so you can spend $250 on a phone that gives you phone, SMS, and Rock and Rocket and will never do anything else. There's no better definition of "not worth the effort" that I can possibly come up with.

Joe

Posted by: TonyDee

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solearius

Hello HF!

I was just curious if a Sidekick or HipTop 2 can be unlocked and used on the Rogers Wireless network? I was planning to buy one for cheap on eBay or something and do this.

If it can be done, let me know.

If not, is Fido a good service? I need to a Prepaid service. So with that, how will Web Browsing, Text Messenging, work?

Let me know!

Solearius

it is possible to unlock the phone but if you do then you can no longer use the data capabilties which it the whole point of having a sidekick

Posted by: vinoe79

so exactly how do u unlock this phone it seems impossable is that true ???

Posted by: mikepalombo

well i pretty much got screwed over big time..i bought a sidekick 2 off ebay, and was told that it was completely unlocked and that i could use it on the rogers network, and then when i recieved it, it had the PHONE LOCK on, which i quickly figured out how to bypass and get rid of, and then the phone was locked to t-mobile..needless to say im still pretty upset about all this, but hopefully one day someone will find a way to unlock these babies