HOWTO: Flash TMO-TM506 to CB-TM506

[nickrussel]

Thanks, Jet. As per S.D.'s setp-by-step, that supposedly applies to "revision R3CA or R3DA" :
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5. SEUS will inform you that the "Latest software is already installed! TM506 AMERICA-BAND1-4 CDF1218-2095" (Make sure it says that, not TMO-US)
---
It doesn't say that. So, is the above obsolete now due to the SEUS update? or only happens if one has R3DA ?
After dropping customize_upgrade file in there and restarting, system-> software menu shows customization, as follows:

==
1218-2095 R9A (if I use S.D.'s CDA#) or 1217-0527 , if I use wiki
next lines, though:
1203-3659 R3CA033
16E0W
TMO-US
==
I'm concerned about TMO-US - wouldn't it cause SEUS to identify it as TMO phone and flash it with the TMO firmware?

[jet1000]

---
5. SEUS will inform you that the "Latest software is already installed! TM506 AMERICA-BAND1-4 CDF1218-2095" (Make sure it says that, not TMO-US)
---
It doesn't say that. So, is the above obsolete now due to the SEUS update? or only happens if one has R3DA ?

I answered this in my last post:

you are getting the correct message of "new firmware available for your phone" since you have R3CA. If you have a phone with T-Mobile R3DA it will give you the message that is shown in the wiki, "Your phone already has the latest software".

BTW, If I were to use A2 uploader (say, to revert to the original firmware), would I flash both ...MAIN... and ...FS... files or what would I do? What's the difference between them?

Yes, you would need both files. For the procedure, (and for your answer to what a main and fs file is) go here:

http://www.akshayy.com/sonyericsson/...tutorialguide/

After the flash, you would put on the original custpak in the same manner that you do it in the wiki----using the file system tool. Then your phone would be back to T-Mobile firmware.

[nickrussel]

OK. I knew it wouldn't be too easy... I followed the wiki, flashed it with SEUS and replaced the contents of the custom folder with files of the custpack101 archive. Upon the reboot I got "invalid configuration, contact provider..." I then dropped Scottish customize.xml (not Customize_Upgrade) into the custom folder and restarted the phone. It turned on and I can tether with SE PC Suite, as before but can't figure out the settings for dialup-less tethering just yet. Where are those, Jet? And where do I control which APN do I connect to? My speed seems to have dropped a notch...

[Scottish Skyedance]

OK. I knew it wouldn't be too easy... I followed the wiki, flashed it with SEUS and replaced the contents of the custom folder with files of the custpack101 archive. Upon the reboot I got "invalid configuration, contact provider..." I then dropped Scottish customize.xml (not Customize_Upgrade) into the custom folder and restarted the phone. It turned on and I can tether with SE PC Suite, as before but can't figure out the settings for dialup-less tethering just yet. Where are those, Jet? And where do I control which APN do I connect to? My speed seems to have dropped a notch...

menu-#-connect-USB-USB network
network mode: phone as modem
account: (choose whatever for you)

[jet1000]

menu-#-connect-USB-USB network
network mode: phone as modem
account: (choose whatever for you)

Right, when you connect via USB network, it uses whatever APN you have set as default for the phone in the Connectivity tab, Internet Settings menu.

[nickrussel]

menu-#-connect-USB-USB network
network mode: phone as modem
account: (choose whatever for you)

Performed master reset and everything is now super, except the radio is asking for headphones. Any way to make it work without 'em and stream to my bluetooth stereo phones?

Perhaps, wiki & sticky should be updated with customize.xml and master reset?

Interestingly, when I plug it into my PC, I get a corresponding Local Area Connection and it takes a while to acquire the IP address. When I tether with my Mogul, the NCS service in it's WM6.1 has the NAT, so that my PC gets an internal IP assigned (e.g 192.168.0.101) and I manually set that IP to the same static address in the properties of the LAN connection on PC to save some time, so that it's an instant plug-n-play. Here, however, I'm getting a real external IP (e.g. 14.0.148.109) and I'd think that it's going to be different all the time, right? So that trick wouldn't work...

So, why was I getting an error before I dropped your customize.xml in there?

Also, does it matter whether I connect to T-Mobile GPRS or one of the other connection on that list? I've got grandfathered t-zones for $5/mo

Should I try cin-bell instead of generic? Any benefits?

[jet1000]

Why was I getting an error before I dropped your customize.xml in there?

I went back and looked at the link to the Scottish customize.xml file that you linked to last night. It was from February. That's not the latest one. The latest one is here from July. See posts 33-39.

http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...1&page=3&pp=15

That has all of the notes and is meant to be used with the generic firmware.

It gives 4 different data accounts with all 4 APN's.

Yes, the radio needs a headphone wire plugged in. That's standard with any FM radio on a cell phone. Needs it for the antenna.

[nickrussel]

I went back and looked at the link to the Scottish customize.xml file that you linked to last night. It was from February. That's not the latest one. The latest one is here from July. See posts 33-39.

http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...1&page=3&pp=15

That has all of the notes and is meant to be used with the generic firmware.

It gives 4 different data accounts with all 4 APN's.

Yes, the radio needs a headphone wire plugged in. That's standard with any FM radio on a cell phone. Needs it for the antenna.

Am trying it now, Jet, Thanks. Though, I'm having hard time cutting-pasting and matching the code. Could someone post a complete file somewhere, please?

Now does it matter which APN and connection I use with my t-zones ? Just don't want to be the next one after that poor fellow

http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...0#post12861400

[jet1000]

Will do, Jet, Thanks. Now does it matter which APN and connection I use with my t-zones ? Just don't want to be the next one after that poor fellow

http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...0#post12861400

I think T-Zones is limited to only epc.tmobile.com or wap.voicestream.com. They calculate data usage on your bill when you use epc, (not that they've done anything---it just shows as a total on your online billiing detail). I don't think usage on the wap APN is tracked anywhere yet.

[nickrussel]

As per the last post on the thread (your link above):
---
You could download the full customize.xml that is in the custpak on the wiki and then review it with Scottish's notes or even make some changes yourself.
---

So, that latest file of July is already in custpack?.. weird it didn't work the 1st time...

[jet1000]

This must have gotten me in trouble the 1st time. Smth's must be wrong with that customize.xml in custpack101. Don't you think?

No. I've personally used the customize.xml in the wiki and so have many others to good results.

I don't know the procedure that you used to copy the contents of the tpa\preset\custom folder to your phone. There are only a few steps, but if anything is altered slightly, it could cause an error. The phone must remain off after step 2. You have to fully delete the existing files. You have to create the desktops and themes folders on your phone before copying anything into them. You have to make sure that all files were copied over and are residing on your phone before you turn it on.

Can't tell you what happened as I wasn't there when you did it. Can only tell you that I've used SD's wiki numerous times and so have many others and they haven't had any problems.

Even if you combine the posts to put Scottish's customize file together, the wiki steps remain the same. Only difference is you're copying in a different customize.xml file.

[jet1000]

As per the last post on the thread (your link above):
---
You could download the full customize.xml that is in the custpak on the wiki and then review it with Scottish's notes or even make some changes yourself.
---

So, that latest file of July is already in custpack?.. weird it didn't work the 1st time...

No, the file in Scottish posts is not in the wiki custpak. SD did the one on the wiki. Scottish did his own version for people that want more options.

All you have to do is copy and paste it into one big notepad file. He can't put it in one post because howardforums has a limit on how large a file can be and they don't permit attachments.

If you copy the customize.xml on now, you may have to do a full phone reset when you turn it on, for all of the changes to be permanently in place.

You're almost there. Good luck.

[nickrussel]

gotcha, Jet! Now, lemme try out the cin-bell fw, as per post #1 of this thread...

[nickrussel]

I think T-Zones is limited to only epc.tmobile.com or wap.voicestream.com. They calculate data usage on your bill when you use epc, (not that they've done anything---it just shows as a total on your online billiing detail). I don't think usage on the wap APN is tracked anywhere yet.

you're right, as always, jet! And wap is so much slower than epc even though speeds on both produce about the same results

I reverted back to generic firmware and xml from the custompack + some ringtones and themes that I copied off the phone before debranding...
Splatta theme is pretty hardcore

btw, any way to store more than 1000 phone #s in TM506 ? I thought debranding would solve this but it seems to be a hardware limit on these...

[jet1000]

btw, any way to store more than 1000 phone #s in TM506 ? I thought debranding would solve this but it seems to be a hardware limit on these...

Technically there's a 1000 contact capacity and each contact can have 7 numbers so 7,000 numbers maximum. But that is a limitation by Sony Ericsson and currently most of their phones have that.