Xperia Z3 not working with SIM

[knyaz]

Hello everyone,

Have an interesting case here.

My Sony Xperia Z3, that I have purchased recently, doesn't work with PublicMobile SIM card.

Could it be that IMEI number check on PublicMobile website shows it as "Your device has been reported as lost or stolen."

But same check by Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association on http://www.protectyourdata.ca/en/check-the-status-of-your-device-in-canada/

shows "Your device HAS NOT been reported lost or stolen and is not currently on the national blacklist."

Please help.

Below are the screenshots that are made today.

[Luddite]

OK. Sadly, seems you are stuck waiting for the moderators to get to your issue. 

[knyaz]

Apparently the problem is not with SIM but IMEI. It is blacklisted with Public Mobile only. All other providers happily work with my phone.

[Luddite]

@knyaz I admit I'm too lazy to read all of this thread. So at the risk of repeating your experiments:

- is the problem SIM account "Active" or "Suspended"?

- does the problem SIM provide service on another phone? If not, order a new SIM, or if near Mississauga private message me for my spare.

Now the "shopping" list:

- go to settings, general-profile and delete any existing profile

- remove all APN profiles except Public Mobile

- check network is not set to 2G; use auto, 3G, or LTE

- check for operating system updates

- APN settings correct (APN setup)?

- delete current APN, and re-enter settings

- toggle airplane mode off/on

- reset all network settings; you will need to add back wifi passwords after that.

- remove sim for 5 minutes, then install and reboot

- if dual sim use LTE/3G slot

- LAST desperate measure when all else fails; erase all data and restore phone to factory settings

[knyaz]

I have confirmed the phone is from Rogers. It was not reported by the previous owner of the phone or the Rogers, as it is working with Rogers, Fido and Chatr. It is working with Bell, Virgin and Windmobile. The only company it is not working with is Public Mobile. IMEI national database number shows that my phone is not reported as lost or stolen. If Public Mobile will not fix this issue I will be forced to change my provider and take two more lines that I currently have with Public Mobile.

[ckl]

If there is a resolution to this, could you guys please post what the problem was? I'm curious. Thanks.

[Mary_M]

Hey @knyaz

Please private message me the IMEI of your device as well as your phone number.

We'll look into this and confirm if the device is in fact blacklisted, or if this may be related to something else.

Cheers!

Mary

[srlawren]

Hi @knyaz,

Okay so to recap....

- The Z3 works with a Rogers SIM fine

- Your PM sim works fine with other unlocked phones you tested

- Z3 is unlocked

- it looks like all models of Z3 support 850+1900MHz 3G from what I can tell, so the phone SHOULD be compatible

- phone won't lock onto the network

- you get potentially conflicting into about whether the phone is blacklisted

I'm thinking the most likley issue here is that, regardless of what the national registry says when you search, PM seems to think that your phone is blacklisted.

I did tag @Shazia_K previously, but I don't see her having replied here.  Shazia or @Mary_M, are you able to investigate @knyaz's IMEI to verify whether or not PM is treating the phone as blacklisted?  I think your assistance is required here, please and thank you!

[knyaz]

Thanks for suggestion. I did check settings for network and it shows Public Mobile as default, however it also says "failed to register" no matter what settings I choose.

[ckl]

@knyaz I'm not sure of the menu structure of Sony phones, but it is Android. So, there should be a menu setting relating to the network carrier. In there, there should also be an option to search for network carriers. Try that and when it returns, PM should have one or more entries and there may be others as well. Click on the PM entry to manually connect to it, then wait to see if it connects. If not, there should be a message that pops up. Let us know what it says.

Also, you could try switching the preferred network type setting (which is also in the cellular network section). If it says LTE (recommended), you could try switching it to 3G or vice versa. Don't select 2G.

I am curious as to why the PM phone checking site thinks your phone is blacklisted and if that has anything to do with why your phone does not work.

[srlawren]

@Mary_M, are you able to help @knyaz with this?  Sounds like it may or may not be a blacklisting issue?

[knyaz]

 I have posted the screenshots of clean IMEI status at the beginning

[Grant_J]

I'm currently using a formerly Rogers Z3, if there's any settings you'd like me to confirm or check let me know.

[Luddite]

So in @knyaz's case the Rogers network has different data than Public Mobile. Hope it's just a database syncing issue in favour of "not stolen".

[imm1304]

@Luddite, all north american carriers subscribe to the blacklist.  When any device connects to a network, the imei number is reported to the carrier wirelessly and is checked against the database.  Thats why the brief connection to PM in this case.

[Luddite]

PM does not require the IMEI number to activate an account. So, how do they know a phone is blacklisted?

[imm1304]

@knyaz, you just confirmed that the phone is unlocked for sure.  

Also, the behaviour of brief connection followed by disconnection and "Emergency only" status is consistent with a blacklisted device.  Someone had sold me a blacklisted phone off kijiji once a few years ago and thats exactly how it behaved.  

Time to send PM the relevant info and screenshots of clean status from the CWTA link to see if PM can correct the database error.  

Worst case scenario:  someone sold you a lost/stolen device... or the original owner just got around to reporting it to Telus that the phone is lost.  PM/Telus system is picking up the blacklisted status slightly earlier than the CWTA if this is the scenario.. I hope this is not what happened to you.  

[Luddite]

Let's wait for an Android afficionado, like @imm1304, but it seems you will need to try a factory reset. Just be sure to back up photos, contacts, etc. so they can be recovered.

Clearly a phone setting issue.

[knyaz]

I did factory reset, and entered *#*#7378423#*#*

Network 0

Network Subset 0

Service Provider 0

Corporate 0

SIM 0

[knyaz]

It is single SIM tray. On reboot it just displays Emergency Services, and I think I saw a quick flash of Public Mobile and it changed to Emergency Services.

[imm1304]

@knyaz, one generic solution I routinely try is to do a factory reset.  Often solves inexplicable/unknown issues for me.  

Also, no need to look for and try different carrier sims on your phone.  You can easily check your phone's network lock status by entering the service menu:

Punch in *#*#7378423#*#* and then tap on "Service info" and then tap on "Sim Lock"

On the next screen, all 5 items should say "0" if your phone is unlocked.  If it says 10 or any number other than 0 beside "Network" then you need to get the phone unlocked before using it with PM.  

[Luddite]

If you reboot your phone with the PM SIM installed what message is displayed on start up?

If you have the dual SIM model try switching the tray.

[knyaz]

It has LTE/GSM.

I will check with if it will work with Bell/Virgin/Telus/Koodo. Thank you for suggestion Luddite.

[Luddite]

You need a Bell/Virgin/Telus/Koodo SIM to test the lock status. Which carrier besides Rogers works in the phone?

The other possibility is you have one of the Z3 models that connects to Rogers 2G network but not PM's 3G; PM has no 2G network.

[Luddite]

$11 to unlock here: Protech I have successfully used them for iPhone and Samsung.

[knyaz]

It is not locked. Works with other networks.

[knyaz]

If IMEI check is broken, then I guess this message is not correct either:   "Xperia Z3

Your device should work on our Network."

[Luddite]

Sounds as though it is locked to Rogers.

[knyaz]

SIM card works with Iphone5S and Nexus 4

[knyaz]

It does work with Rogers

[Luddite]

Easiest way to check whether you have a phone issue, or not, is to try your SIM in another phone and another active SIM in yours.

What message is on the phone with the PM SIM installed?

Is it the dual SIM model?

Where was it purchased? Has it been used on another network in Canada?

Find the submodel of your phone; there are 1 or 2 models incompatible with Public Mobile.