Phone changed to a ZTE WF721. How do I update SIM?

[tqk]

I have a PublicMobile SIM for my old phone, but now I have a new phone: a ZTE "HOME PHONE".

How do I activate my  PM SIM on it with a 16-digit unlock code?
As there is no screen or keyboard, I believe I can dial  *983*86* (unlock code)*#

[Nezgar]

@BearFBI I can keep my keep my Internet modem+router+fongo adapter up for a few hours with a moderate sized APC UPS... but that's what the cel phone can be for afterwards I guess.

Oh 911 via fongo apparently goes to a national call centre first where it is then redirected to the appropriate local facility... something to consider along with the significant cost savings...

[BearFBI]

Yeah no big deal @Nezgar. The only thing that might be better with a ZTE router vs a VOIP provider is that you can call during power and internet outages. It also serves as a LTE line for an alarm.

[Nezgar]

@BearFBI Oh one minor "negative" I noticed - even though fongo claims it does caller ID with name display, I find that most calls that should have a name, I only get the number... some do though. Something to do with Fongo only using explicit name transmitted through the SIP gateway, where regular carriers keep their own local databases to assocate names with numbers...

[BearFBI]

@Nezgar Wow thanks! I might consider getting one.

[Nezgar]

@BearFBI Fongo home phone has been absolutely rock solid. The audio quality is "perfect" - just as good as a real land line. They don't do any audio compression that I remember from my Vonage days 15 years ago, and in 5 months I don't think I've ever heard any "smearing" or dropouts in the audio which you often associate with internet calls. The fact I'm on fibre Internet today which has lower latency etc may be a major factor.  Rogers wireless home phone was good and reliable, but the audio quality was definitely slightly reduced like a cell phone call. Sniffing the Fongo IP network connections, it appears to route to a datacentre in Toronto area. Over a decade ago when I tried Vonage in Vancouver, it was routing to a DC in New york - not good.

A coworker was lamenting that he couldn't drop his traditional home phone line because of his alarm system requirements, but when I got mine I lent the box to him, and he tested it successfully! Needless to say he signed up as well after confirming that for himself. 🙂 Fongo's website FAQ even states that it apparently works for fax machines, but they will not support it - YMMV.

Unlimited canada wide calling, and less than a few C per minute to most international destinations. Currently USA calling is free as part of their COVID-19 response.

Also some useful features like voicemail to email, setting forwarding via the website useful when you forget to do it before travelling, and simultaneous ring - ring a few other numbers like you cell, whichever answers first.

[BearFBI]

@Nezgar How is your fongo home phone going? I was thinking of getting one. Too bad PM dosent have a Home phone or call only plan for mabey 10$ monthly. if that was the case you could load a PM SIM in a ZTE device and your good to go. You would also get that 1$ referral. 

[Nezgar]

@AnonymousAh jeez... I was looking all over for my previous post which had the unlock instructions, and it's in bloody page 1 of this thread, lol!

The SIM that came with my Rogers WF720 when I had the Rogers wireless home phone service was actually locked to the device, so it was impossible to transfer to the WF721 or any other even unlocked device even after an escalated support call with rogers.. So that was that and I ported my "home" line to Fongo, and the wireless line to PM. Done!

Anyhow.. I now have 2 of these ZTE home phone adapters as a result of those adventures unlocked collecting dust, lol.

[Anonymous]

 @Nezgar 

Yes thanks I saw your post earlier in the thread. I don't think it's locked as I had purchased it after locking was a thing. Maybe I need a SIM from another carrier.

(Seems I'm violating a thing I wrote about somewhere else... hypocrite much 🙂 )

[Nezgar]

Heya @Anonymous - Good to hear you got it sorted out. It may still be worthwhile to get it unlocked for the long term, as it makes it more useful in the future.

I have both a ZTE WF720 from Rogers, and an WF721 from Koodo. Both locked. The Koodo WF721 worked right away with a Public Mobile SIM, as you have also found. After acquiring the respective 16 digit unlock codes with a quick online-chat with both Rogers & Koodo, both worked perfectly fine with other provider's SIM's. (PM in the Rogers device, Rogers in the Koodo device, etc)

Here is how you unlock these:

 
Connect the phone to the ZTE device, pick up the receiver and dial * 9 8 3 * 8 6 * xxxx # (XXXX means 16 digits unlock code)
 
You should hear a single confirmation tone. Reboot the device with a foreign SIM and the signal strength light should change from from blinking red (meaning invalid SIM) to solid green (full signal).

Cheers!

[Anonymous]

Never mind. Call off the hounds. I had found an AT&T manual and it actually had a troubleshooting section that hinted at "did I see that?". So I swapped the SIM's again and hey presto it works now. Not even proceeding with the troubleshooting from the manual. Just green lights on start up. Go figure.

So I have that option. But yeah as above...even just a plain ol' flip phone.

Telus did provide me with a 50% reduction for 6 months though. So it's the same as Koodo now. I suspect I won't bother keeping the service at the end of the day though. But not at all bad for 5 bucks a month...unlimited Canada-wide. But with 2 active PM accounts and one dormant, I don't need to be spending all this money. Hooray for rewards.

[Korth]

@tqk 

I asked a similar question long ago

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Discussions/Wireless-home-phone-on-PM/td-p/54369

I've since learned that these ZTE devices can be rooted. But it gains you little because they're factory-programmed to work for the OEM (carrier) which issues them.

I couldn't find any modded firmware or imaged firmware which "unlocks" them for other carriers - and Public Mobile never carried the devices anyhow so there won't be any specific to PM network settings.

They could be hacked and modded and unlocked - anything can, given enough time and tech work - but nobody's shared this work online (yet) and it hardly seems a worthwhile enough device to justify the time or effort it would take to commit a DIY project. These days you could replace a ZTE base unit with a compatible flip phone to gain more usefulness at lower cost.

I expect newer ZTE devices will likely use embedded eSIMs, functionally making them even harder to unlock or migrate.

[Anonymous]

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@gblackma wrote:

@Anonymous I found this Telus link on the ZTE WF721 https://www.telus.com/en/on/support/mobile-device/wf721-wireless-home-phone

Don't know if this helps. Stay safe. 

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Yup. Been there. If you're interested, check out the network features tab there. They list features and none of them are applicable. Helpful. Perused the FCC ID too. Apparently there aren't any switches or jumpers. I still have the useless manuals and no help there.

Thanks though.

[gblackma]

@Anonymous I found this Telus link on the ZTE WF721 https://www.telus.com/en/on/support/mobile-device/wf721-wireless-home-phone

Don't know if this helps. Stay safe. 

[Anonymous]

So I'm resurrecting this thread because recent posts are by still-active people.

I finally got around to trying an active PM SIM in this device. No luck. I did find I had to fully reset the box. Like battery and power out. This was after I put the original Telus SIM back in and it didn't work either. So I tried the PM SIM again. Nope.

I got it after the fall of 2017 so it _should_ be unlocked. But it's from Telus anyway so it shouldn't matter either.

Do I need to get a cable and connect it to a computer? What software on the computer if any? Any codes to dial that would configure it at all? Any switches inside to flip? Do I need to wait longer?

All I got was a red antenna. No bars. My first try was all red bars.

If this ought to be moved to a new thread then so be it.

[Nezgar]

Yes, Koodoo is one of the Telus brands, so a locked WF72X will work with a Telus, Koodo, or Public Mobile SIM without needing to unlock.

It still can't hurt to ask Koodo for the unlock code to increase its usability for someone in the future.

[Jb456]

Just a follow up. I have the WF721 from Koodo.

Put my PM sim card in it and it works perfectly!

Tried calling a virgin mobile cell subscriber and it worked. They called back no problem.

Calling voicemail and 611 worked as well.

So the Koodo model will work on Public Mobile without any unlocking 👍

[Nezgar · Accepted solution]

The ZTEWF 721 is a "Wireless Home Phone" Device... I have two now decommissioned ones (a WF720 and a WF721) that were previously in use on Rogers, and Koodo. They work with a conventional analog phone plugged into them. They came carrier locked to each of their former carriers, but there is a way to unlock them by dialing a special sequence.

First, call the previous carrier that sold the device, and ask them for the unlock code. In my case, they were both 16 digit codes.

Then, unlock in this way:

Insert a foreign SIM, connect WF720 with a landline phone, then pick up the receiver and dial * 9 8 3 * 8 6 * xxxx # (XXXX means 16 digits unlock code)

You will hear a long beep tone if it is successful, and the signal strength LED indicator on the device will light up green instead of red.

[gblackma]

@tqk can you insert the SIM card  into  a cellphone to see if it is set up correctly? And I found this Telus Tutorial on setting https://www.telus.com/en/on/support/mobile-device/wf721-wireless-home-phone

Where do you enter the phone brand? Is there some sort of reset button on the ZTE WF721? 

[Jb456]

@tqk 

So it's one of those home phones that providers like Koodo, Fido sell??

Where did you get it from?

It's likely locked to whoever provider it came from.

I have one on Koodo

Its locked but have not tried the PM sim in it as I use a plan from them for it but maybe one day I'll play around with it to see if PM sim works on it since Telus owns Both Koodo and PM. Maybe it will work like there cell phones that don't need to be unlocked.

I did awhile ago read up on unlocking it. If memory serves me correct. You have to plug it into a computer or laptop via USB. install any new drivers that popup on computer then a message should pop up to enter unlock code.

Then you enter the unlock code you have.

If you try it let us know if it worked or not.

[tqk]

If this device is locked, you'll need to contact the old carrier for the network unlock code.

 What locks the device? internal firmware? Or the previous SIM?

[tqk]

Is this locked to a previous provider?

No. It is a PM SIM card and I accidentally put in the wrong  phone brand!

And now the WF71 will not connect to tower.  All 5 lights are flashing RED..

So how do I enter the proper brand of phone?
Or, having made this idiot mistake, do I have to buy a new SIM card?

grrrr...

[gblackma]

@tqk Is this locked to a previous provider? According to this, you should just be able to plug the SIM in https://www.wirelesswave.ca/en/phones-tablets-and-devices/m753031/zte-wireless-home-phone-wf721/

[computergeek541]

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@tqk wrote:

I have a PublicMobile SIM for my old phone, but now I have a new phone: a ZTE "HOME PHONE".

How do I activate my  PM SIM on it with a 16-digit unlock code?
As there is no screen or keyboard, I believe I can dial  *983*86* (unlock code)*#

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If this device is locked, you'll need to contact the old carrier for the network unlock code or you can purchase the code from one of many online sellers who sell such unlock codes.  As for the exact techniques to enter the code on this device, that's likely a question best to ask ZTE.

[CannonFodder]

@tqk  You SHOULD simply be able to take the SIM out of the old phone, and install it in the new one, assuming the size is the same. If they use different sizes, you may have to punch out the SIM to a smaller size, or possibly(although quite unlikely), use an adapter to make the SIM larger, to fit in the new phone.