Blackberry Curve 8310 Won't broadcast to network

[biggy238]

Hello. I have a Blackberry Curve 8310 that will not broadcast to the network. It will recieve, and can see that there are other networks. I've done all of the troubleshooting that I can. I have checked software, changed antennas, changed sim cards, checked the contacts on the card holder. The phone shows the "upload" arrow over the signal (signal reception is 80-90dB BTW). IT can see ATT network and Tmobil. SIgnal ranged anywhere from 70dB to SOS.

It's to the point that I need more knowledge about the board itself and what I can repair with guidance.

I don't want to get rid of the phone because I don't have warranty and to upgrade or replace I have to purchase a data plan.

Any help is appreciated. Pictures of the board upon request.

 

[Sceadwian]

To upgrade or replace you'd have to purchase a data plan? So your current phone doesn't have one and you've just hacked it to allow free data? There is likely nothing wrong with the phone, they just fixed what was wrong with you gaining the access you had before that you weren't paying for.

Pictures or even schematics of the board itself will do you no good as the problem you're having is either the network intentionally denying you access or software on the phone, neither of which are alterable legally. Unless you can explain better why and what you're trying to do.

 

[biggy238]

No, I haven't hacked anything. The data plan allows web browsing and connection to other servers. It still functions as a phone with SMS texting as normal without a data plan. It functions well as other things also, without a data plan. ATT changed their policy because people were using data transfer to the tune of thousands of dollars in usage fees and then claiming they knew nothing about it, so now, to have a capable phone from them, one has to purchase the plan. I simply don't use these features. Nothing illegal. Don't need to pay $30 more a month for web browsing and email on my phone.
Also, I went through the hoops with ATT. Nothing has been done to the account. They checked the IMEI on the phone and found nothing. The other Curve I had as backup never stopped functioning, and neither did my pearl. I had to give the backup curve back to its original owner, so now i'm out a gps capable phone.

Nothing illegal is taking place, and nothing has been hacked. It's just a regular smartphone, and i'm just a tinkering diesel mechanic who wants his phone back. The only thing that i'm aware of that they disable is the SIM card, and mine never stopped working, and I had it replaced (it was four years old) just to eliminate it as suspect.

I'm in hopes this satisfies your needs, and that we can discuss other options now. I had the same thoughts about ATT having disabled the phone because of the abrupt nature of its failure. ATT said they don't disable devices. The gentleman I spoke with also said it was beyond his capability and wanted me to purchase another phone. I feel like its a hardware problem because I've tried other versions of the software, and the signal does range a bit when it shouldn't.

thanks, Kyle

 

[biggy238]

So I guess i'm out in the cold now?

 

[Sceadwian]

No offense but what is the reasoning behind using a blackberry without the e-mail and other advanced features? You have the wrong phone. Find someone that'll buy that one and purchase one that meets your needs.

So far what you're saying doesn't make sense logically. If it can see the network then it can obviously send to the network as it requires two way authentication to connect. What specifically do you mean that the phone can not 'broadcast' to the network? What exactly are you trying to send that's failing. Because if the phone can do voice calls and SMS works then there is nothing wrong with the hardware.

 

[HarveyH42]

I've never own, intend to own, and have only reluctantly used a cell phone twice. But if the hardware was at fault, you wouldn't get any use. Pretty much anything you do it after the purchase and activation, to alter or enhance function, is hacking. Most likely, the phone or service, detected some of your improvements, and shut down those features. You can also download viruses to your phone, remember seeing an article about that a year or so ago.

If there is someway to do a hard reset, and revert to the original firmware, it should update to the current accepted firmware, and you have what you paid for.

I don't use the phones, but get asked about them, and read about what can be done with them, always amusing to see how people circumvent security, very creative work. You may need to send it somewhere to get it fixed. Also kind of wondered if there is a 'death chip' in some of these gadgets, so you have to buy a new one occasionally. They are mostly money-suckers anyway, so why not.

 

[Sceadwian]

They don't need to put 'death chips' into cell phones, new features and faster phones force people to upgrade if they want the new services, and the average cell phone user is actually pretty rough on their phone. I personally HAD to alter my phone, it came with the voice codec set to such a low level that voice calls were horrible. All it takes is a simple changing of a setting in a hidden menu to enable higher bandwidth usage for the audio. They don't even put passwords on the things anymore.

 

[biggy238]

No offense but what is the reasoning behind using a blackberry without the e-mail and other advanced features? You have the wrong phone. Find someone that'll buy that one and purchase one that meets your needs.

I can't sell a phone that can't make a phone call.... The offense was taken to being made into a crook for trying to fix my own phone. I'm getting over it though. I'm in hopes that I'm clear about my intentions. I want to fix my phone and use it.. Legally.

I have a phone with web based applications that I do not need. I don't need ATT navigator so that ATT can charge me for my phone to act as a GPS nav unit.. I don't need it to connect to a server to identify the song playing in front of it. I have intentions of having a data plan in the future but that is of little relevance. As far as "modifications" I have upgraded and downgraded OS versions that are available to anyone through ATT and RIM. Again, nothing illegal.

What I mean by "won't broadcast"; over the area on the screen occupied by my signal meter, the phone will indicate a transfer any time it is broadcasting to the network. Now that it is malfunctioning, It continually shows the upward facing arrow as if it is trying to broadcast to the network. It may be a case that it will not recieve a protocol over the network. That's why i'm here, I don't know these things. Maybe the phone is broadcasting but not recieving? I don't know.

The phone Stopped being able to place calls and SMS. It will show a signal meter, identify which network it has available to it. (depending on the presence of a sim card and signal strength) Occassionally it will display GSM, sometimes just Bars, sometimes SOS. The phone will not recieve network time. I don't have a way to view what radio band it communicates over, although it should be quadband. Sometimes, it will show 5 bars for about one minute while displaying the "upload" arrows, and then after about a minute will kick over to SOS.

This weekend, I put it back together, and traveled to my home 2 hours from here, with the SIM in. 70 miles into the trip, the phone recieved a text message. I picked it up, in amazement, and called voicemail. It worked. I called my home. Clear as a bell. The phone handed off to towers for the next 90 miles, with no obvious gap in service. Once home, I hooked the phone to my laptop, hoping that it had remedied itself, and loaded my phonebook into the phone (one reason I have it) and one theme that was gone after the last wipe and OS upgrade. The phone restarted after I loaded the theme, and that was it. I'm back in the same boat with no reception.

Why would the phone lay useless for 6 weeks, work for two hours, and then stop functioning again?

If it can see the network then it can obviously send to the network as it requires two way authentication to connect.

This is the kind of information I need, limitedly. As I said, I talked online with a rep from ATT. He couldn't fix my problem. It seems logical that the problem I have was caused by a bill not being paid on time and a stop in service. The bill was paid immediately (literally 20 minutes after service was cut). I didn't know about it. My wife screwed up the online bill paying, I didn't even see a gap in service that day. She told me 3 days later. All of the other phones, and my BB 8100 work fine. Why wouldn't the rep have suggested this if it were the problem, and corrected it?

Why would the phone lay useless for 6 weeks, work for two hours, and then stop functioning again?

You can also download viruses to your phone, remember seeing an article about that a year or so ago.

If there is someway to do a hard reset, and revert to the original firmware, it should update to the current accepted firmware, and you have what you paid for.

I have done hard rests, and upgraded and downgraded the OS' provided on ATT's website. Unless RIM/ATT wrote something into the software, ALL security feature in place before still are. I shouldn't have recieved a virus since I don't use web based data transfer, and even so, i've wiped the handheld a few times since.

Gentlemen, This phone was literally laying on my toolbox, after having functioned on my way to work, and stopped functioning over the course of that day. That's the end of anything I played a part in to CAUSE the problem (short of my wife not paying the bill on time). If you believe it is a provider Issue, I will rehash with them. The man I spoke to seemed to believe that it was not on their end. So, in order to tie up any end I might have, I wanted to make sure whether I have a network issue, or a hardware issue.

 

[Sceadwian]

This weekend, I put it back together

You dissembled the phone? To what degree? If it's a hardware problem you can't fix it, there's nothing repairable in there. The only thing you can do if somethign goes wrong with your phone is bring it to the providers store and let them deal with it. If you broke a security seal on the phone they'll see notice, and let you know you own a brick and then try to sell you a new phone.

If you didn't do anything to remove the casing of the phone then all you can do is be insistent with the provider.

 

[biggy238]

Thank you for being helpful........