Cingular Orange - SIM Cards
The current sim is a green sim card w/ an orange wave (Cingular Orange). The phone is a Sony Ericsson Z500a and the current SIM card is a 64k Smart Chip. Will that SIM card use the strongest signal regardless if the strongest signal is coming from Cingular Orange GSM or Cingular Blue GSM tower? If not, how can that be corrected?
Is there a way to do a manual network selection and try to determine (Cingular Orange GSM or Cingular Blue GSM) which network is the best for a particular area?
Is there anything that has to be done to update a SIM Card with the list of latest towers (Something similar to a "PRL Update" that has to be completed occasionally on a CDMA network such as Sprint or Verizon)
I know nothing when it comes to GSM...So...
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Is there a way to do a manual network selection and try to determine (Cingular Orange GSM or Cingular Blue GSM) which network is the best for a particular area?
Is there anything that has to be done to update a SIM Card with the list of latest towers (Something similar to a "PRL Update" that has to be completed occasionally on a CDMA network such as Sprint or Verizon)
I know nothing when it comes to GSM...So...
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Your phone is a "new age" Cingular phone, meaning it is ENS capable. ENS compatibility means that it will treat AT&T towers just like Orange towers. The problem with a non-ENS capable phone is that if there is an AT&T (Blue) tower right next to you, but an Orange tower is farther away but in range, it will try to connect to that Orange tower to try and not make Cingular's roaming costs extreme. But with AT&T and Cingular being the same company, there are no roaming charges, so the implemented ENS in their phones. I hope this makes sense.
The SIM card has nothing to do with reception. A 64K sim card in comparison to 32K is just the memory size. 64Ks can hold 1000 numbers instead of 500.
Some phones do have manual network selection...
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The SIM card has nothing to do with reception. A 64K sim card in comparison to 32K is just the memory size. 64Ks can hold 1000 numbers instead of 500.
Some phones do have manual network selection...
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CSR reps can also send an OTA or update to the SIM via a system called CARD...
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AshDizzle said:
The SIM card has nothing to do with reception. A 64K sim card in comparison to 32K is just the memory size. 64Ks can hold 1000 numbers instead of 500.
actually both 32 and 64k sims hold 250 # a piece. i thought the 64's hold more but they dont. atleast when i have transferred numbers from the phone to sim it still max's out at 250.
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Does the Sony Ericsson Z500a have ENS compatibility?
The problem at hand is inconsistent service. Sometimes I receive great service and other times there is "Network Busy" error message when trying to place a call. If a call can be placed, there may be a lot of signal bouncing. You could set the phone down in one spot and have full service one second and a no network error message another second along with the amount of bars going from 5 > 2 > 4 > No Network > 5. I have a couple Sony Ericsson Z500a phones so I don’t think it is just the phone. I guess the SIM card being the problem is ruled out?!? How is the Sony Ericsson Z500a as a phone…Is it pretty good for reception?
The problem at hand is inconsistent service. Sometimes I receive great service and other times there is "Network Busy" error message when trying to place a call. If a call can be placed, there may be a lot of signal bouncing. You could set the phone down in one spot and have full service one second and a no network error message another second along with the amount of bars going from 5 > 2 > 4 > No Network > 5. I have a couple Sony Ericsson Z500a phones so I don’t think it is just the phone. I guess the SIM card being the problem is ruled out?!? How is the Sony Ericsson Z500a as a phone…Is it pretty good for reception?
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that phone in my experience has been ok for reception. no worse than any other average phone. there was an issue however about a month or so back where there were some defective sim cards and what would happen is that if would burn itself out and say inset sim on the screen. if i were you id try a new sim then if that doesnt work do the warranty exchange. if its still an issue than its probably your service area. and yeas the phone has ens built in.
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a few corrections...
not true. it is for load balancing, which will not even be required once integration is complete. but the larger memory size does allow for a larger IRDB file.
both hold 250 numbers, no difference
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AshDizzle said:
Your phone is a "new age" Cingular phone, meaning it is ENS capable. ENS compatibility means that it will treat AT&T towers just like Orange towers.
not true. it is for load balancing, which will not even be required once integration is complete. but the larger memory size does allow for a larger IRDB file.
AshDizzle said:
The SIM card has nothing to do with reception. A 64K sim card in comparison to 32K is just the memory size. 64Ks can hold 1000 numbers instead of 500.
both hold 250 numbers, no difference
AshDizzle said:...
If you ever have noticed, if you put your phone next to your computer speaker
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I have had one of my phones exchanged already...So then I'm guessing it is the service area. I did forget to mention in my original post that the SIM Card is green with an orange wave...Not sure if that makes any difference or not. 😉 If I wanted to go about trying a different SIM Card just incase the current SIM Card I have is bad how would I go about doing that?!? Would Cingular switch out the SIM free of charge or will I have to buy a new SIM and have it programmed by Cingular?!?
I wish that I had not have switched from Cingular Blue (TDMA) to Cingular Orange (GSM) a year ago. TDMA was perfect. Cingular GSM coverage seems really weak and spotty. ☹️ It seems to me Cingular's coverage maps seem really generious.
I wish that I had not have switched from Cingular Blue (TDMA) to Cingular Orange (GSM) a year ago. TDMA was perfect. Cingular GSM coverage seems really weak and spotty. ☹️ It seems to me Cingular's coverage maps seem really generious.
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Correct, a phone wont reflect any OTA or IRDB changes unless it is rebooted.
A 64k sim card is a 64k simcard regardless of the colors on it. Usually a change in the pattern of connecters, or different color cards is simply a change in smart chip manufacturer. (Lowest bidder).
Most phones (even before the merger) are ENS capable. The network selection screen however on Cingular side was always disabled. You do however have to have a 64k sim card (cingular side) to be able to roam/load balance on blue towers.
A 64k sim card is a 64k simcard regardless of the colors on it. Usually a change in the pattern of connecters, or different color cards is simply a change in smart chip manufacturer. (Lowest bidder).
Most phones (even before the merger) are ENS capable. The network selection screen however on Cingular side was always disabled. You do however have to have a 64k sim card (cingular side) to be able to roam/load balance on blue towers.
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"You do however have to have a 64k sim card (cingular side) to be able to roam/load balance on blue towers."
This is done automaticaly correct? Probably just the network coverage...It appears nothing can be done on my end. I will try getting the phone exchanged one more time.
I suppose it is my fault I didn't do something about this problem sooner...I guess the bright side is that I have a little over a year left on my Cingular 2 Year Contract. After that, I can try to find a carrier that fits my needs a little bit better.
What is Cingular's early termination fee?!? Is is something that Cingular would let a person out of for lack of coverage (guessing not, but if I don't ask I don't know).
Thanks all for your continued help! 🙂...
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This is done automaticaly correct? Probably just the network coverage...It appears nothing can be done on my end. I will try getting the phone exchanged one more time.
I suppose it is my fault I didn't do something about this problem sooner...I guess the bright side is that I have a little over a year left on my Cingular 2 Year Contract. After that, I can try to find a carrier that fits my needs a little bit better.
What is Cingular's early termination fee?!? Is is something that Cingular would let a person out of for lack of coverage (guessing not, but if I don't ask I don't know).
Thanks all for your continued help! 🙂...
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The load balancing is dependent on the physical tower conversion from blue to orange. Not just the "alpha tag". To support a common service experience Cingular changed the alpha tags on all (almost) the AT&T towers to reflect "Cingular". But the actual merger of the towers will take time as it is done physically by network technicians. Cingular began with TDMA tower conversions.. in most locations they simply looked at the coverage in a specific region and just turned one or the other off. Since GSM is the new technology, and has a slightly shorter range/slightly more difficult hand-off, they are actually doing it on a tower-by-tower coverage-by-coverage basis. (They are also taking the opportunity to perform UMTS upgrades and split cove...
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doczaius said:...
Are you by chance a former at&t migrated customer? If you are and experienced better coverage with the blue network pre-migration you can talk to management at a company owned retail location (or possibly, no gaurantees with someone at 611) and get a request put in to lock your Cingular sim to the blue network until your area IS merged.
Things I can recommend in no particular order (i would try them all):
1. Get on the phone with customer service and ask to speak to tier 2 technical support. If you hound them enough they should actually send a technician out to your location to test for reception vs your equipment.
2. XBM your z500 for reception issues until they give you a choice of a differe
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Exchange by mail -- warranty exchange, you can do it over the phone or through the online account manager. If AT&T dominated the area I would try to get switched anyways... couldnt hurt! 🙂
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