topic Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail. in Get Support

Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

davidlikesbikes — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 07:30:55 GMT

Hi friends.

I have a Asus Zenfone 4 Max (ASUS X00ID purchased in Taiwan), running Android 8.1.0 "Oreo", ZenUI Launcher 5.0.1.44_18-7-0_1

I ran a factory reset on my phone (attempt to fix camera issues) and now my network mobile data fails to connect, although calls, sms/texting, and wifi work. This was not an issue before the factory reset.

Automatically select network shows "Public Mobile" in greyed out text. If I try to select from the list of networks "Public Mobile 3G" appears, but also fails to connect.

I searched around and it seems this is an ongoing issue regarding Android 8.1.0 removing APN editing/manual add function. In March, when I began using Public Mobile, I remember having to manually input the APN. Similar problem now, but without the ability to manually add the APN as per these instructions https://apn-canada.gishan.net/en/apn/public-mobile

Will Public Mobile fix their "auto add" function, or allow their SIM cards the ability to bypass Androids APN restrictions? I read people have had success inputing a Freedom Mobile SIM to bypass the manual add block, or downgrading their Android version.... Is there a better way to fix this issue. Or am I having other APN issues? Does Public Mobile have new SIM cards that fix this issue?

Please help! Thanks in advance 🙂

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

davidlikesbikes — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 05:36:36 GMT

I should also mention that I put the Public Mobile SIM into my old Iphone 4 and the data/3g works fine on that phone.

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

hairbag1 — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 05:42:30 GMT

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

Anonymous — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 06:01:35 GMT

@davidlikesbikes wrote:
Hi friends.

I have a Asus Zenfone 4 Max (ASUS X00ID purchased in Taiwan), running Android 8.1.0 "Oreo", ZenUI Launcher 5.0.1.44_18-7-0_1

I ran a factory reset on my phone (attempt to fix camera issues) and now my network mobile data fails to connect, although calls, sms/texting, and wifi work. This was not an issue before the factory reset.
Automatically select network shows "Public Mobile" in greyed out text. If I try to select from the list of networks "Public Mobile 3G" appears, but also fails to connect.

I searched around and it seems this is an ongoing issue regarding Android 8.1.0 removing APN editing/manual add function. In March, when I began using Public Mobile, I remember having to manually input the APN. Similar problem now, but without the ability to manually add the APN as per these instructions https://apn-canada.gishan.net/en/apn/public-mobile

Will Public Mobile fix their "auto add" function, or allow their SIM cards the ability to bypass Androids APN restrictions? I read people have had success inputing a Freedom Mobile SIM to bypass the manual add block, or downgrading their Android version.... Is there a better way to fix this issue. Or am I having other APN issues? Does Public Mobile have new SIM cards that fix this issue?

Please help! Thanks in advance 🙂

Throwin' ideas around...it's dual SIM...try the other slot maybe....is there a setting to tell it to use one of the SIM's for particular services? Remove SIM, restart, maybe be able to edit then.

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

davidlikesbikes — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 06:07:35 GMT

Yep, I tried that. Think I spent over an hour trying a variety of sequences, restarts/slot swaps, safe modes, old SIMs etc.... trying to brute force a solution to a goofy problem.

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

Anonymous — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 06:17:40 GMT

What about these settings?

Make that the actual post.

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

Dunkman — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 06:28:09 GMT

Here is an interesting thread with people with similar issues. Not sure whether you read it already.

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Phones-Hardware/Android-8-1-APN-settings/td-p/241715

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

mimmo — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 06:31:07 GMT

I vaguely remember something about putting a different carriers sim in and that might allow you to edit Apn. Again not sure it was same situation, but it might jog someone else's memory.

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

Anonymous — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 06:33:02 GMT

Found this procedure.

And one of Dunkman's link here.

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

will13am — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 15:20:19 GMT

@davidlikesbikes, the APN settings don't reside in the SIM card. They are in a database in the phone. The phone uses the SIM card to determine possible matching APN settings. The APN editing function gives the user the freedom to make their own APN settings should those residing in the phone database don't have a good match. Along the way Google decided to disable APN editing in android oreo at the suggestion from carriers. That has since been restored. I suspect what could have happened is you were using a manually created APN that was created prior to the APN editing lockdown. The factory reset wipes the /data partition containing this user created APN and now you are stuck with the stock database residing in the system partition. This is a bit of a guess on my part. If I am right, your phone will not be usable for data. There's nothing that Public Mobile can do to help. If I were to point a finger, it would be at Asus. It's absolutely ludicrous that they push out a phone with an inadequate and incomplete APN database.

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

NewZQ — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 19:43:22 GMT

As far as i know, android 8.1+ does not allow users to edit apn. it is stupid.. i know

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

computergeek541 — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 03:28:06 GMT

@NewZQ wrote:
As far as i know, android 8.1+ does not allow users to edit apn. it is stupid.. i know

I fully realize that there are some phones running Android 8.1 that do not allow APN edits or APN additions, but that doesn't include all phones running 8.1.

Whether or not you can edit or add depends on the specific sofware that the phone maker has put onto the phone. I played around with a Moto x4 that had Android 8.1 and it allowed users to add new APNs.

Refusing to allow users to edit existing APNs has been going go long before Android 8.1 on many phones. However, it is starting with 8.1 (and only 8.1) where a bunch of different phone models (specifically those using software identical or similar to stock Android) didn't allow customers to add a new one either.

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

srlawren — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 17:58:20 GMT

@computergeek541 agreed--can confirm I can edit APNs to my heart's content on my OnePlus 5T running 8.1.0 (on OxygenOS 5.1.x)

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

davidlikesbikes — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 05:04:19 GMT

I was reluctant to take on the responsibilty and leg work to solve this problem. But I finally caved and followed the instructions in your links.

My home internet isn't very fast, so I tried downloading the Command Line Tool file rather than the full Android Studio Bundle (ASB) onto my laptop. After remembering I'm not great with computers, I ended up downloading the full file anyways (took about an hour).

I searched online to figure out how to enter "developer mode" on my Zenphone and how to open the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) shell tool on my laptap. I connected my phone to my laptop and realized my ancient laptop, running Vista, can't open ASB.

Pretty frustrated about this whole thing.

I"ll try visiting a Freedom Mobile location next. Trying this solution found in another thread about this same issue.

This is pretty much my last resort before I accept the various offers from Koodo to switch my service from PM.

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

davidlikesbikes — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 05:13:44 GMT

@will13am and rest of replies, thanks for confirming what I suspected was the problem I'm experiencing. I'm pretty upset and frustrated, but it's good to know I'm not the only one having this issue.

As mentioned in my other reply. I will try inserting a Freedom Mobile SIM to "trick" my phone into allowing me to edit the APN.... or I'll just switch back to Koodo.

Technology eh...

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

Dunkman — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 05:15:42 GMT

Thanks for the update. That is frustrating. Keep us updated. Your situation may help others in the future. Good luck. Hopefully, the Freedom mobile sim "trick" will work.

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

will13am — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 05:32:27 GMT

@srlawren wrote:
@computergeek541 agreed--can confirm I can edit APNs to my heart's content on my OnePlus 5T running 8.1.0 (on OxygenOS 5.1.x)

We talked about this before. There were certain versions of oreo for certain devices that had the APN editing locked down. This never affected the OP devices. We have the perfect storm here; Asus did not supply a proper apnconf.xml file and APN editing is locked down. The essential phone had the APN lock down for some time as well until the September edition of security update restored functionality. During the lock down phase, there was no issues using the Public Mobile service because th apnconf.xml was not defficient.

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

will13am — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 04:36:18 GMT

I am going to revive this thread. I found an RFD member who wrote a script to bring back the add APN function. Download the apk and side load it. Follow the instructions as discussed in the thread.

https://forums.redflagdeals.com/solved-fido-apn-miui-10-cant-add-apn-2239645/

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

NewZQ — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 16:13:22 GMT

I can not find the apk link 😄

Edit: But this seems interesting.

Re: Calls work. No Data. Cannot edit/add APN. "Automatically select network" fail.

Anonymous — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 16:34:58 GMT

@NewZQ wrote:
I can not find the apk link 😄
Edit: But this seems interesting.

It's post #12.

Your link was something I linked to earlier and also the thread that will13am linked to included similar steps.