[Tutorial] D2G GSM band unlock--Worked on 330 to GB

2.4.29 and 2.4.330 radios have been unstable on UMTS (3G), but quite stable on 2G (GSM). 4.5.608 did really solve all issues with GSM/UMTS connections but sadly for US users aren't unlockable for TMo or ATT.
Tmo users won't really suffer as GSM is fine even on the oldest radio. AT&T not so much unless used on GSM/EDGE only.

The hack with build.prop is to set VerizonGlobalPhone to 0 so phone displays proper readings for 3G signal, buy it really doesn't make stability of any of the radios any better. Just number of bars in signal indicator display properly.


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

leobg said:

2.4.29 and 2.4.330 radios have been unstable on UMTS (3G), but quite stable on 2G (GSM). 4.5.608 did really solve all issues with GSM/UMTS connections but sadly for US users aren't unlockable for TMo or ATT.
Tmo users won't really suffer as GSM is fine even on the oldest radio. AT&T not so much unless used on GSM/EDGE only.

The hack with build.prop is to set VerizonGlobalPhone to 0 so phone displays proper readings for 3G signal, buy it really doesn't make stability of any of the radios any better. Just number of bars in signal indicator display properly.


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

So do you think the following radio will eventually be unlockable? Or will it always be like this? I guess I don't mind 2g if I can successfuly get a dumbphone plan on it.

what does this method actually do??? Unlocking the verizon d2g so as to use other carriers like T-mobile,AT&T etc. isn't?? i know that this does not help in sim unlocking,but can there be a possible way or hope to unlock the locked d2g with a method related to this.

Help Upgrading to Gingerbread from New-bee (keeping unlocks, of course)

Hi, Folks,

(I also posted this at: rootzwiki today but because I'm a new bee, I can't provide the link per understandable forum guidelines). In any event, Ihope it's ok to spread the love.

I'm quite new at this, so in advance, pardon my ignorance that shows up in the questions below.

That being said, before I ask my questions, I'm really grateful to the folks who are working in this. Makes me want to learn a lot more (as you'll see with some of my questions)!

Also, with my Droid2 Global (DG2) I have Froyo, Version 2.2. (Kernal 2.6.32-9-g), I'm now able to use a T Mobile Sim card derivative (Simple Mobile).

Thanks, Thanks, Thanks!!!

Now for nuts and bolts and a few cloudy questions -- noting that I've been digging through several forums to try to get more clear, I'm just a little stuck nonetheless).

The directions from AXL at rootzwiki make logical sense to me, I'm stuck on the specifics. Just search rootzwiki for this with AXL's name and [D2G] Gingerbread Hack For Us Band Unlockers.

AXL writes that:


(1) Flash D2G-608-Kernel.zip (This should only need to be done once to get to GB)

2) Restore nandroid backup or flash a GB rom. Nandroid should be labeled as 2011-10-26.14.34.37

Downloads: (note, you'll have to go to the AXL comment page to get the two files)


3) Wipe data/cache and Dalvik

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In terms of (1) -- I think that means that once I've used a program such as Droid2 Bootstrap Recovery (which gives me the option of reboot recovery) and then after the restart at the dos / linux / unix ) like screens the option to install zip from zip -- there I think what I'm supposed to do is load D2G-608-Kernel.zip. / and or label it or something within the zip. 2011-10-26.14.34.37

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In terms of (2), in the two files that were included, is the second file (the nandroid backup?, file gingerbread rooted.zip.). I'll assume it is for now. I don't know how to use that file. For example, when I brought my phone back to life with RSD, I had an SBF file that loaded rather nicely and let me then apply the radio updates (again thanks for those too!!!).

-So, would I use the gingerbread file in the same reboot recovery menu?

-Would I use RSD lite (I'm using 4.9 by the way)?

-Or is there something else to it? Specifics for me would be very much appreciated! (For example do I convert the second zip file into something else and then use a particular procedure to get it up and running?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In terms of (3) Wipe Data and Dalvik.

-Do I wipe the data from same reboot recovery menu or rather the the system one ("Holding "X" + "Power" that takes you into the normal recovery."

-What does wiping Dalvik mean? (do I need Kleenex; ok is bad humour ok to introduce at this point)? I mean, looking it up, I see that refers to Dalvik is the process virtual machine (VM) in Google's Android operating system). But how (and I'm curious why) would I do that. Of course the obvious answer to the second question, why, well, "it works" would be one answer. For me to understand better, is it like preparing a hard drive and doing different levels of formatting?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In any event, I'll await replies before I make the gingerbread plunge with your assistance!!!


(and 4)

Also, after I complete this little adventure, I'd like to also do CDMA work on the phone so that I can use it on Cricket. Thoughts about conflicts between the two worlds (GSM and CDMA on this phone)?

Quick reply to a couple of your questions.
At this point you are done using RSDlite, unless for some reason you need to sbf again. If you are able to use the phone on tmobile currently, all the radio unlock process is done. From page 1 of this forum then, all that is left for you to do is to
Put D2G-608-Kernel.zip in SD card (root directory)
Unzip D2G-608-nandroid.zip, put the folder "2011-10-26.14.34.37" in your SD card: /clockworkmod/backup (the folder should be named either "2011-10-26.14.34.37" or gingerbread rooted, depending on which version you got. In that folder you should have several .img files. If they are in another subdirectory inside that folder, they are too deep. The unzip process should be done on your computer before copying to the sd card.
Now from page 1 again, you have part of the steps left to do, and they are all done from the clockworkmod recovery screen (except starting bootstrap recovery of course).
4. Go to Bootstrap recovery, (you already have band unlocked, so don't need to flash the band unlock)

5. Flash D2G-608-Kernel.zip, after that, do not reboot!!! (this is done with the install zip option)

6. Restore D2G-608-nandroid. (thru the backup and restore, restore option)

7. Wipe data/cache/dalvik. (wipe data and wipe cache are on the first screen, wipe dalvic cache is under the advanced menu)

8. Reboot, all done.
Hope this helps clear things up.

---------- Post added at 07:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:24 AM ----------

seijidinzuala said:

what does this method actually do??? Unlocking the verizon d2g so as to use other carriers like T-mobile,AT&T etc. isn't?? i know that this does not help in sim unlocking,but can there be a possible way or hope to unlock the locked d2g with a method related to this.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Per Boster27, this does help with enabling data when using a sim-interposer. at
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1660713 he mentions, and I quote: "I am one of the (un)lucky owners of a non-unlockable D2G. I was able to use it to make calls with a SIM interposer (i-smartsim), but wasn't able to get data working on the 850Mhz band (900Mhz worked fine on EDGE, with another carrier). After following this how-to, now I get full speed 3G (H+) on my "locked" D2G using i-smartsim!

I know that I shouldn't use data with the interposer, that it will probably burn out, but I just feel better knowing that I can use data now if I need to"

I don't know what carrier he is on, and don't know if this would work with US carriers, but is something that could be tried if one was desperate.

bhigham said:

Per Boster27, this does help with enabling data when using a sim-interposer.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

That's because, as he stated, his carrier uses the 850 MHz band for 3G data. That's a band used by AT&T Mobility, and one of the bands unlocked by the TBH band-unlock hack.

For carriers using GSM bands other than those used by AT&T Mobility and T-mobile USA (i.e., for most carriers outside the U.S.), the band unlock hack will have no effect.

That is true. However, I have seen a lot of erroneous information stating that a sim-unlocked D2G will not work on the 850 Mhz bands. I know this to be false, as I am using a sim unlocked D2G on 850 Mhz bands, just not in the US. It is on the US bands, just not on the US Carriers.
I discovered the way to do the USA band unlock on 629 and posted it on Rootzwiki, but am not using it myself, since it does me no good in South America. And with or without the band unlock, my sim unlocked phone works perfectly on 850Mhz networks.
All this to say that if the band unlock does something to remove some firewall preventing data connection, it might also work on other bands. It is typically true that the Band Unlock only is of any use for the US bands, but it would actually be more accurate to say that it is only of use for US carriers, since sim unlock already allows them to be used on US bands. (So this so called Band unlock is not a Band unlock at all, but a carrier unlock.)
However, without a Sim unlock, the phone is still locked to a Verizon sim. So, in general terms Band unlock (in actuality US Carrier unlock, the bands aren't what is locked), is of no use to anyone outside of the US. But, from what Boster27 reported, it did actually have an effect on a non-US carrier that was otherwise blocked.
So, I am not saying it will work, but wonder what the basis for dismissing the idea out of hand is.
Also, per the same post referenced, the 900 Mhz band was able to receive data with just the sim interposer, so that means that doing the band unlock might allow the phone to work in all South and Central America on the 850 Mhz band (maybe Europe and Asia don't use 850, almost all of the South American carriers do), and it already works on Edge on European networks with a sim interposer. I don't know if anyone else will get the same results as Boster27 did, I just threw it out as a possibility for those who have run out of other possibilities.

Hey guys, thanks for this.

I'm thinking of purchasing one of the Verizon DROID 2 R2D2 phones.

This should work with one of these phones yes?

I'm planning on using it on the OPTUS network in australia which uses 900/1900mhz bands.

Cheers!

Well, as long as you replace R2D2's CDMA-only transceiver with a GSM-capable one…

could anyone say if this would work with the R2-D2 Droid 2

appreciated.

theadamtron said:

could anyone say if this would work with the R2-D2 Droid 2

appreciated.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Yeah, it would; you need to do the following:

1. Head over to Motorola Mobility.
2. Tell them to make you a custom R2D2 DROID2 with a GSM transceiver.
3. Get that custom made phone from them.
4. ???
5. PROFIT!

Gasai Yuno said:

Yeah, it would; you need to do the following:

1. Head over to Motorola Mobility.
2. Tell them to make you a custom R2D2 DROID2 with a GSM transceiver.
3. Get that custom made phone from them.
4. ???
5. PROFIT!

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Well, that's probably the easier way, but recall his goal:


I'm planning on using it on the OPTUS network in australia which uses 900/1900mhz bands

So another approach is to get OPTUS to switch to CDMA on the 800/1900 bands, and then the R2D2 would work without any need for the multiple SBFs etc. Well, I guess there might still be work with CMDA tools to flash to a different carrier, so the solution would be for Verizon to take over OPTUS and run exactly the same kind of CDMA network there as they do in the states.