HOW-TO: the iDEN-->CDMA method to activate your Sprint phone on Boost CDMA

[Azazello]

I'm saying exactly what I said.

Notice that you can use ANY SIM-ID with ANY IMEI, for example you could use the first SIM and keep trying with all four of the IMEI.

I was clarifying you can not use ANY. First of all if a Boost SIM ID or IMEI is in use, you can't use it, just like with CDMA phones. Also, I can vouch that you can not use ANY IMEI, even if you can use some Nextel IMEIs, not all of the ones form Nextel work. I have tried numerous times and have been rejected with "incompatible device". I won't say you can't use one at all, but you can't use anyone you want.

I'm sure you provided the warning 'cause you know someone will come along and ask "Can I used a T-Mobile IMEI to open a iDEN account?" or some such nonsense.

Thanks for the clarification.

PM me the changes you'd like to see and I can edit it ti clean it up a bit. (I got my moderator hat for the sprint prepaid section now too LOL)

I forgot that Hofo no longer allows us to edit our own posts after a certain time (which is what now?). Never understood the logic in that, but oh well.

Perhaps we should change the wording to <without the bold, and split them into 2 lines>:
Notice that you can use any of the above listed SIM-IDs with any of the above listed IMEIs.
For example, you could use the first SIM-ID and keep trying with all of the IMEIs in the list.

I also think the advice about the starter kit should go up there. Great advice that. Could've saved the $10 to apply to the monthly fee.

[Rcdd]

Damn....I'm having a helluva time with this one.......My personel one was easy.......*L*......Bought it already activated....

Trying to get it activated for a Buddy of mine......Had the Boost CSR all the way to " enter ##3282#"........and then the phone comes up with "Please enter unlock code".......can't get past it.....

Bought it off E-bay as a refurb.......

Anyone know how to get past the "unlock code"? Or help me get it ativated some other way?.....Any help would be greatly appreciated.....

UPDATE: Phone is up and flying.....shoulda just checked he phone......I went and looked in the Hardware info, and notice the MDN and MDID had changed.......Yeehaw......

Thanks to everyone at this site.......As I couldn't have done it without the info gathered here......

[Rcdd]

Even better....seems like they didn't take the $10 outta the account either......

Should I be worried about the unlock code issue?......

[2 Bunny]

Even better....seems like they didn't take the $10 outta the account either......

Should I be worried about the unlock code issue?......

I don't think so. Here's my entire story with my little "payphone adventure" on Sunday to activate my Diamond:

Two payphones here, so I pick up the first one. No dial tone: Drat. I figured I was gonna have to wait, because they are probably disconnected, but the second one ended up working (they did keep a few of them working for emergency purposes)(I should also probably note that I had the iDen account already activated two days earlier - I tried leaving a voicemail, but all I was told was "the customer is unavailable" or something). I called the "TLK MORE" or whatever number and picked four on the main menu, from there I picked the most relevant options until I got to a rep. The payphone was really quiet even on full blast, and the reps were even quieter than the menu voice, so it was hard to hear, but usable. The first time, I was told I would be transferred to the "migration department" and that I needed to stay on the line, which I did for three or four minutes after I was supposedly "transferred" before I got bored of listening to nothing at all and decided to try again. This time, he was able to help me right away and everything went smoothly. After he does his work, he tells me to turn on the phone (which I do), and then type in some numbers, but while he is telling me to type in the numbers, I keep agreeing with him Out Loud, but all the while I am actually going into the settings and picking the "update profile" button or whatever. Perfect timing too, because after he got done, and he said "now what does it say?", I told him that it said "updating" or whatever (which it did), and that it would require a reboot, which if anyone has a Diamond or any smartphone knows how long it takes to reboot. It didn't help that all the while at least once or twice he made a comment "how long does it take to start up a phone", and I just calmly in a cool way told him it was a smartphone and that it takes a bit. It started up, and I dialed some random toll free number, and it sounded like it worked - I heard the boost message. This meant that my transfer had gone okay. Next, he was able to work with me to add my credits that I had purchased on Saturday from a shop, and then we went our separate ways. After dinner, I tried it and once again got the Boost message of "insufficient funds" and had also received a text message and I right away saw that somehow the rep accidentally put me in for a monthly plan instead of a "pay as you go" plan, but I was able to resolve this with a second rep right from my Diamond in a matter of mintues after which I pressed "update profile" once again and rebooted. Data and voice worked right away, and I activated the MMS fix shortly thereafter. Right now, everything is working fine, but data is really slow. I figure it is probably just my location though. MobileSpeedTest.com/whatever told me that I was just below "par" for Ev Do, but it sure felt a bit slower, although it was certainly bearable.

Along the way I also gleamed a few gems of knowledge, including when you call twice and it sounds like you have the same guy, don't panic, they all sound the same. Also, I found that with the iDen to CDMA method (not sure if it works with the just plain "ESN transfer method") you get to pick your area code and first three digits of your phone number, which made it a ton easier for me to remember mine (memorized it a day before I activated it, how about that!), even the rest that I didn't get to pick was a very catchy, easy to remember numeral combination.

In the end it all worked out find, and for the money it saves, I would encourage other users to use this method to get up and running with Boost.

Good Luck!

- 2 Bunny

[DaddyMikey1975]

Got it all updated. What do ya think.. I think it looks fairly accurate now. I also included the info that deathtrip and turbointhailand contributed as well.

If you need any other changes or if we need to add to it, just let me know

[bigike21]

is here a way to move a boost iden phone over to boost cdma?

[turbointhailand]

is here a way to move a boost iden phone over to boost cdma?

No, they are completely Different Technologies... They briefly tried to integrate both into some handsets, but it was short lived and very problematic. You will need a CDMA Phone, either sprint or boost branded.

[bigike21]

aww man , thanks though.
are there any android phones coming to boost cdma? cause the i1 is cool but i hear bad things regrading txting and internet speeds

[turbointhailand]

aww man , thanks though.
are there any android phones coming to boost cdma? cause the i1 is cool but i hear bad things regrading txting and internet speeds

Well if your on the Iden side of boost now... then those are the speeds you would expect to have on the i1 as well... although even if I weren't a data person, the fact that the iden network takes so long to recieve a text message is a major reason I wouldn't be able to use it for myself.

I haven't heard any plans to put a droid on boost as of now... but the sprint prepaid thing is kinda a guessing game right now... but if you wanted one today the only legit way to get android on boost is to hack a touch pro or something and putting an android build on it.

[SergeTruth]

I gave the CSR the MEID DEC instead of the ESN. Did I fail?

I inserted the MDN and the MSID, but the phone is not working When I call I get a message that says "Your account cannot be validated".

[turbointhailand]

First off what phone are you using? Generally when we say ESN we mean MEID (DEC) Most of the time. Perhaps you flipped the MSID and the MDN by mistake. The MDN is your phone number and the MSID is the number with the same prefix. Did you write down all the numbers that the CSR told you during activation? You will need the unlock (MSL) code in order to change or view any of these settings.

[SergeTruth]

The phone is HTC TP2. I set MDN to the phone number. I wrote down all the numbers the CSR gave me. The MSL he gave me didn't work, but that might be because I got an unlocked phone from ebay. I got the MSL by using the regedit method.

"The MDN is your phone number and the MSID is the number with the same prefix."
What do you mean by the same prefix? Do the first three numbers have to be the same in the MDN and the MSID? The MSID I have is nothing like the MDN.

Update: I changed the MSID to have the same first three numbers as the MDN, and now when I try to call I get a message offering me to make a collect call, instead of telling me my account cannot be validated.

[turbointhailand]

Yeah for example my MDN and MSID Both start 541-720-XXXX (720 is the prefix)

*Edit* hmm I Googled it further to make sure I am right... in theory it "could" be a different prefix -- but I am fairly confident that it shouldn't be so maybe we should see if someone chimes in (Enter Deathtrip lol).

But you could call and verify it with boost because that seems most likely, that would be the problem... but the fact that it had a different MSL code is a bit worrisome, does it have the standard sprint ROM or is it flashed to a mightyrom or something?

[SergeTruth]

I tried with both the stock Sprint ROM and the MightROM with the same result.

Thank you for clearing up regarding the ESN/MEID.

Yeah, I must have heard the MSID wrong.

[turbointhailand]

I would try doing a hard reset, that might knock out the problems and reset everything including the MSL (Hopefully) I wonder if someone had flashed it to another carrier... that could have created the problem