Rezound GSM w/ Stock ICS OTA

[kefler]

Hey. Every time someone talks about using GSM, I hear something about needing to patch the rom or more people seem to recommend just installing a GSM rom. I really don't want to do either, so I got a .99 tmobile SIM and tried a few things, just on stock ICS..

Calls work.
SMS messages incoming work
Nothing else works.

Now, if I have the T-Mobile SIM card inserted I am able to go in and create a new APN. It lets me set every field. In fact the Verizon APN doesn't even show up at that point. So far I've tried every APN setting I have found on the various forums without any luck. But this seems like more functionality than others had on previous releases. So I am wondering if there is *any* way to get basic data going on stock ICS. I don't care about SMS (who cares if you have data?).

In general what I see is people wanting all Verizon or all GSM. I really just want the roaming capabilities while overseas, and while I know there is some mysterious update that might enable this in the future I don't hold my breath that it will show up in any reasonable amount of time. Any thoughts? Does anyone running the rezound on GSM on TMobile have any "tried and true" APN settings? Is there a patch of any kind that would work without having to factory wipe?

 

[HowardZ]

I am also interested, and a T-Mobile sim should arrive any day now to experiment with.

Do you get any warning messages about the sim card?

I have ideas about the APNs, but will require root and modifying build.prop

feel free to msg me

 

[kefler]

Yeah I did get the SIM warning, on the lock screen only. For me, I only need to be able to throw in some random chinese or european sim card for a week or less whenever I travel (which is like 3-4 times a year only).. So I can live with that honestly.

Do you know if the patch to the build prop requires wiping the phone after? I am fine rooting if I have to.. I always ran a ROM on my droids but I have not had the need with the Rezound (but I did buy it because of HTC's decision to release the unlock capability).

On stock ICS, the UI is all there to set any APN setting you want.. So I keep hoping that I can do this without any modification. I read in other threads people saying you can't change the APN.. Well, you can't on Verizon's network but you seem to be able to just fine with the TMobile sim.

Thanks!

 

[HowardZ]

I found a solution to the SIM warning. I have not tried it because I am waiting for the T-Mobile sim card. The solution requires s-off.

I also suspect I know what to change in the build.prop file to be able to enter APNs, but have not tried it. This requires root to be able to edit or replace the file.

 

[kefler]

Cool well, I'd be willing to try a few things.. I just didn't want to factory wipe the phone right now. I haven't rooted yet but I suppose I could, although I also keep holding out hope that Verizon will roll out this last update which might enable global roaming.

It really does seem like even now I am able to edit the APN on my phone when the TMobile SIM is in. I can create a new one, set every field, and mark it as default. When I go back to the Verizon LTE sim, it gets locked to verizon. But when the TMobile SIM is installed I can do any APN stuff I want via the normal ICS interface. Still no luck w/ data though. I am using "LTE On/Off" to switch the mode (I tried every GSM mode I could find).

 

[HowardZ]

I am using the 4.03.605.2 ICS global phone leak.

Are you using 3.14.605.13 ?

 

[kefler]

I am using the 4.03.605.2 ICS global phone leak.

Are you using 3.14.605.13 ?

I am just running the stock ICS that came OTA. I am not rooted (yet) and was running stock GB before.

So i am on 3.14.605.12 I guess...

I will totally load up the ICS global leak if it works, so let me know if you get any success.. thanks!!

 

[HowardZ]

Well, yesterday a T-Mobile SIM card arrived.
I did not activate, but put it into my rezound which is unlocked, S-OFF, rooted, and using 4.03.605.2

I received the SIM warning, and from Bootloader screen selected SIMLOCK to load the config.dat file I received from a european developer to unlock the SIM. This requires S-OFF, and loads of people thank him for his system that it works. However, it did not remove the SIM warning. I did it a few times, but it made no difference. I mention this config.dat file only because it is something I did which I can not un-do.

So, I went on. Now, remember that my T-Mobile SIM is not activated yet, so I did not expect anything to work. In the settings there used to be one APN for verizon, and it was locked - no changes possible. Well now this one APN says T-Mobile and it is editable. It looks correct except for two fields.
The second field APN said VZWINTERNET, and it should say: APN: epc.tmobile.com
Also the APN type said default,hipri, and it should say: APN Type: default,supl,admin,dun,mms
So, I changed these fields and saved them. After a reboot the APN stayed set, but the APN Type kept changing back to default, hipri. I played with changing a few fields in the build.prop file (requires root) but the changes didn't make any difference and I changed them back. These were gsm.operator.alpha=T-Mobile US gsm.sim.operator.alpha=T-Mobile US and I tried commenting out ro.net.apn.whitelist These changes made one at a time had no affect so I changed them back the way they were.

I found that I could search for providers and sometimes connect to T-Mobile, and sometimes not.
Sometimes only AT&T shows up in the providers when searching.
Perhaps I don't get a good T-Mobile signal at my home, or maybe it is because the card is not activated.

So, then I put back my Verizon SIM and I find I have no data. The APN, that it's name in the list is "Internet" where before (I think) it had been either Verizon or VZWINTERNET - don't recall exactly. Also the APN is ept.tmobile.com. Apparently the changes I had made while the t-mobile SIM was in the phone had stayed, but there is a padlock on it. Also, the APN type is default,hipri and it had been (I think) a longer list of options before.
So, now I can make phone calls, but no data, only data via Wifi.

 

[HowardZ]

So, I figured the easiest way to put things back was to restore a nandroid backup made with TWRP a week or so ago. I load the backup, but it doesn't help. Then I RUU the 4.03.605.2 zip file, and it still doesn't help. So, I wonder where on earth is the APN data being stored? It isn't in the hboot, boot/kernel, system, data, cache, or radio firmware partitions, as the RUU replaced or wiped all of those.

So, I RUU'd to 3.14.605.12 which I can go backwards like that because I have S-OFF. Now the APN looks ok, and data works with Verizon. Then I RUU'd to 4.03.605.2 and the problem is back. Makes me really wonder what magical place the APN is stored? So, I did a little googling and found that the APN should have APN: VZWINTERNET. I put the T-Mobile SIM back in the card, made the APN: VZWINTERNET change, put back in the Verizon SIM, and now the phone works right again.

The "APN NAME: Internet" isn't right (I think, it's hard to remember), and the "APN Type: default,hipri" isn't right(Pretty sure it was a longer list of options), but everything works. Perhaps these differences are because I ran the SIMLOCK config.dat file to unlock the SIM card? or maybe not? Anyway verizon data works.

Moral of the story: With 4.03.605.2 and a T-Mobile SIM card, write down any changes you make to the APN, and undo those changes before putting back the Verizon SIM card. Looks like the only field that needs changing is the APN: epc.tmobile.com to be APN: VZWINTERNET. Also, the phone somehow knew to change other fields like MMC and MNC automatically when the SIM card is changed back and forth between Verizon and T-Mobile - perhaps it reads this from the SIM cards? Or maybe 4.03.605.2 has an internal database of all the APNs in the world? I don't know.

The next step is to activate the SIM card and try it out. I'm not sure whether to just activate it as pay as you go - and use the free 10 minutes on the SIM card? The alternative is to pay $30 for one month of 100 minutes of call time plus 5GB of data. Or maybe I'll wait until early September when T-Mobile is supposed to release new plans?

 

[HowardZ]

Today I activated the T-Mobile SIM card as a prepaid card.
It should have 10 minutes of calling or 10 texting.
Rather than modify the verizon APN, I added a second APN for T-Mobile which worked.
I immediately got a text from T-Mobile telling me my new phone number.
I also put the phone in GSM only mode.

Eventually, not sure how many minutes, I got a data indicator of "E".
Instead of 4G LTE or 3G I have instead "E".
Maybe "E" stands for Europe? Or maybe it stands for Edge?
Oops, it went away in under a minute. Perhaps because I didn't sign up for data,
or maybe because it is roaming? Or maybe just because I have zero signal bars in my home!!!

I went outside the house, turned on airplane mode, turned airplane mode off and have the "E" again.

I also have a notification all the time that I have a voice mail message.
I touched it and my phone started to dial *86, I stopped it, but I think I am now down to 9 minutes.
No, I got that initial T-Mobile text message telling me my phone number, so I am down to 8 minutes.

Everytime I unlock the home screen I get a SIM card warning, but it's easy enough to ignore it.
I also get a notification from AccuWeather App : Network Connection Error.
I think that is expected since I did not pay for a data plan.
Apparently the $30 monthly plan with 5GB data and 100 minutes per month is only for new activations.
So, I lost the opportunity. But, there's supposed to be new plans announced by T-Mobile next month.
I also don't know if I want to waste $30 right now, as I don't see cutting off my Verizon contract early.

In my house I get either zero or one signal bar (using extended battery and extender cover).

For now I am going to power off and switch batck to the verizon SIM card.
It is still a pain to switch back to the verizon SIM card, I need to remove the T-Mobile APN I had added or else the Verizon uneditable APN shows the T-Mobile APN inside it. This is certainly not as simple as swapping SIM cards.

I think a future test will be to text my son, have him reply to the text, Call my son's cell, and have him call me.
I can't test with my wife as she's totally against moving her iphone to Tmobile.
That test should chew up 4 minutes, for now I should have 8 minutes on the card.

I bet this will work well, and I'll have tested the capability to text and phone using the prepaid SIM card system where $100 gets you 1000 minutes (or texts) and expires after one year. Of course data will be only in a wifi area.

I might also drive around places and see what my signal is like for phone calls, but it won't tell me what kind of data speeds are available in those areas with the Rezound on T-Mobile.

 

[HowardZ]

Looking at the user's manual for the HTC One S (for T-Mobile) on page 174,

http://www.htc.com/us/content/documents/HTC_OneS/htc_ones_tmobile_userguide_05012012.pdf

I had the E ICON for EDGE data.
Also possible is G for GPRS and H for HSDPA, and 3G for 3G.

I am getting alot of entertainment for a $1 SIM card.

 

[kefler]

Thanks for the detailed progress report! I need to read up more and try a few things but:

Just FYI I activated with "pay as you go 2G Data".. I added a $10 Tmobile topup.. It is $2 per day for this, only on days you use it. I used up my 1 day which ate up the free money on the sim, and now I should have 5 testing days left. I have not gotten any data transfer to work yet though.

 

[HowardZ]

I did another T-Mobile test.
I sent a text to my son, and he responded with a text.

I get Edge data connection.
I don't know if I only get edge because I am on a prepaid voice/text plan, or the phone can't do HPSA, or if it is my location.

I also don't know if my doing boitloader SIMLOCK with the special config.dat file to unlock the sim card had anything to do with my success.

 

[HowardZ]

After much searching with Google I found good radio specs for the rezound

HTC Rezound

I suspect T-Mobile may be using hspa frequency that the rezound does not support.

 

[kefler]

Hey I thought i would update this thread since I started it. I finally got around to flashing the 'Global RUU' by going here [Exclusive Download] Full RUU Build 4.03.605.2 For The HTC Rezound and following the instructions.

I am non-rooted, not s-off.. just totally stock.. Downloaded the zip, updated it per the instructions, and restored all my apps (what a pain). It does completely wipe the phone. Wish there was a way to get around that.

So after that, I set it to GSM/UMTS mode, I put in the t-mobile SIM, and it came up with the unrecognized sim warning. SMS outbound and inbound works fine, calls work fine. I had to go into the APN's and create a new one for tmobile, all I set was apn field to "wap.voicestream.com"... After that I was on Edge and it works perfectly!

So this is good news for an upcoming trip through europe where I would like to buy a SIM and get data. I was unable to do better than edge, but really for me that is OK... Just need basic data and that's really it. Thanks so much for doing your test earlier, it really confirmed to me that the global RUU was all I needed.

Only thing: After going back to CMDA/LTE mode, putting in the Verizon LTE SIM, and rebooting, the phone did not have 3g/4g at all. I had to go manually create the Verizon APN, even if i tried to reset to default it didn't work. Fortunaley I took screenshots of my APN settings before I started on this.

I'm attaching them here in case anyone else gets into similar trouble. Thanks again!