I have a Handspring Treo 600 CDMA phone. This is a ledgitimate, brand
new phone with no contractual obligations. I know the Master Subsidy
Code for the phone and can access the setup menu.
I want to clear the existing MSL to 000000 so that Verizon will be
able to reprogram the phone over the air (Verizon assumes the MSL is
always 000000).
Please only answer with a proceedure that I can actually use. Please
do not, for example, tell me that it is possible to clear the MSL with
some black market device you once heard of in russia. |
Request for Question Clarification by
jbf777-ga
on
21 Dec 2003 19:31 PST
Hello -
Have you cleared this with Verizon so that it is indeed legal to do
this? We wouldn't be able to give you any information without it
being completely above board in that regard.
Just curious... with the money you're spending on this question,
wouldn't it make sense to buy a Verizon brand phone? :)
jbf
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Clarification of Question by
bigjosh-ga
on
21 Dec 2003 20:23 PST
Verizon is actually very happy about this.
I've already activated the ESN for this phone with Verizon and I am
able to make and recieve calls on it using my Verizon account. The
only hitch is that Verizon is unable to download a Verizon SID/PRL to
the phone becuase thier system is hardcoded to use the MSL of 000000.
They send the over-the-air programming with an MSL of 000000, but the
phone ignores it becuase of the MSL mismatch.
If Verizon was able to send my MSL (which I have) in the programming
message, everthing should be hunky-doory. They just never built this
feature into thier software since they didn't think they'd ever need
it.
On most phones, it is trivial to change the MSL if you know it's
current value, the Treo 600 just doesn't have this feautre in the
current revision. Presumably, Handspring will add this feautre in a
future release, just like they did with the previous Treo CDMA models.
Until then, I'd like to find a way to do it. My guess is that this
will require some sort of PRC to beloaded onto the phone to make the
change programatically.
The only similar Verizon-branded product is the Blackberry 6750. While
the 6750 is a nice product, the Treo 600 has some very compeling
features that would make it a better choice for many people.
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Request for Question Clarification by
jbf777-ga
on
22 Dec 2003 11:23 PST
What about Sprint?
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Request for Question Clarification by
jbf777-ga
on
22 Dec 2003 12:37 PST
According to Handspring, the data is hard-coded/burned into the ROM of
the phone, so there's no way to reconfigure the MSL (presumably
without replacing the ROM).
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Clarification of Question by
bigjosh-ga
on
22 Dec 2003 16:53 PST
Perhaps they meant to say that the ESN is unchangable (or at least
very hard to change). This is important becuase it prevents people
from making illegal "cloned" phones.
I think it is very unlikely that the MSL is burned into a ROM. The
Treo 600 uses a fairly standard CDMA module and other phones that use
that module have functions in thier software to update the MSL. Plus,
this would be a manufactuing nightmare, since the MSL would have to be
calulated and burned into the ROM durring manufacture.
More likely is that this feature was simply not included in the
initial software release (possibly at Sprint's urging), but will be
added in a future software update.
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