Is a non 3G handset on 3 for voice and text only ok?

gerryR

Hi All

Just wondering, all the talk about "you cant use a non 3 handset on 3" and in particular a non 3G handset, is all this just related to data use? IE would it be ok/ acceptable to use a non 3G (unlocked) handset on 3 if you don't even have data setup and just usee txt and voice calls?

thanks
gr

cold_filter

Yep, you will default to the Vodafone 2G network for making calls and txts.

garthv

No you wont,
When you plug the Sim in, you'll get an error saying "incompatible handset".
Happened to me when I tried to use a 6230 anyway!

Sam Vimes

in most of the country 3 only has 3g masts so a 2g phone won't get any coverage at all. you'd only really get coverage in the cities. a non-3 3g phone is fine though

Sam Vimes

cold_filter wrote:

Yep, you will default to the Vodafone 2G network for making calls and txts.

that only happens with specific masts, ie where 3 doesn't have their own coverage

Sam Vimes

GaRtH_V wrote:

No you wont,
When you plug the Sim in, you'll get an error saying "incompatible handset".
Happened to me when I tried to use a 6230 anyway!

that's happens with some 2g phones and not others. don't know why

cold_filter

GaRtH_V wrote:

No you wont,
When you plug the Sim in, you'll get an error saying "incompatible handset".
Happened to me when I tried to use a 6230 anyway!

Read his post, his phone is unlocked.

cold_filter

Commander Vimes wrote:

that only happens with specific masts, ie where 3 doesn't have their own coverage

True but 3 doesnt have any 2G coverage which is what the phone will be searching for so it will access the vodafone 2G

hefty_langer

cold_filter wrote:

Read his post, his phone is unlocked.

Phone unlocked or not - I'm pretty sure that 3 use 3G SIMs and these will not be compatible with 2G handsets... might give it a try here to change my 3 SIM into an old 2G handset... will report back

Sam Vimes

cold_filter wrote:

Read his post, his phone is unlocked.

its nothing to do with the phone being unlocked, 3 do something to their sims to stop them being used in 2g handsets. it usually says "sim card rejected". if the phone is locked it says "phone restricted"

cold_filter wrote:

True but 3 doesnt have any 2G coverage which is what the phone will be searching for so it will access the vodafone 2G

it can only do that on predetermined masts. 3 has to pay vodafone every time someone's phone connects to one of their masts so if they have coverage in an area, people's phones are denied access to the masts in that area

its the same as meteor's deal with o2. you'll only ever see o2 on a meteor phone down the country. if you're in a city and you have no meteor coverage, you could be standing directly under an o2 mast and you still won't connect to it

cold_filter

hefty_langer wrote:

Phone unlocked or not - I'm pretty sure that 3 use 3G SIMs and these will not be compatible with 2G handsets... might give it a try here to change my 3 SIM into an old 2G handset... will report back

I currently have 3 3 Ireland sims on my desk and a multitude of 3g and 2G phones, i have tried all of those sims in 2G phones and they all work fine

hefty_langer

I stand corrected then!

cold_filter

Hey i may be wrong and they could be working on the phones i have as they are all specially modified

Sam Vimes

cold_filter wrote:

I currently have 3 3 Ireland sims on my desk and a multitude of 3g and 2G phones, i have tried all of those sims in 2G phones and they all work fine

i've seen it work and i've seen it not work. in fact i've seen 3 sim cards be rejected from many 6230s and accepted in many more. i have no idea what the criteria for acceptance is. i can only assume newer firmware accepts them.

but even if the sim works in the phone, you won't be guaranteed coverage. the last time i tried it i put my 3 sim in a 6230i. it was accepted fine but got zero coverage. this was in dublin 15 and my 3 phone had full coverage while sitting on the same table

GekkePrutser

Commander Vimes wrote:

its the same as meteor's deal with o2. you'll only ever see o2 on a meteor phone down the country. if you're in a city and you have no meteor coverage, you could be standing directly under an o2 mast and you still won't connect to it

True, apparently Meteor is even in agreement with Vodafone because when I was in Cong last weekend my Meteor phone roamed over to Vodafone a few moments after losing coverage. I was still able to make calls but GPRS didn't work. But when I try to force it (Network Selection to Manual) to Vodafone here in Galway it gets rejected.

gerryR

Thanks for all the replies, I'll just have to give it a go.

My biggest concern is that if it does work and I can use my own 2G phone that when the bill comes out 3 screw me cos they know I've what I've been doing.

thanks again
gr