[Q] HTC Sensation - SIM can't connect

[Motorratice]

Hello everyone!

First of all, I am not an expert in Android but I am definitely not a noob. I have even watched the noob video (so funny!).
I have looked everywhere to try to solve my problem and I couldn't find a suitable answer. And yes, I even asked my mother! She doesn't know the answer, that's why I am asking the experts now!

Ok, I will try to be brief and clear:

A few days ago I found on the street an HTC Sensation and I thought "this is my lucky day!". Oh well, sort of...
So the first thing I did was to unlock the screen, and obviously there was a code to access so I couldn't really know to who this device belonged to. So I started the bootloader, reset to factory, take de SD out and format it. Whoever lost the mobile was most probably feeling bad already so I think that a bit of respect for his/her privacy was the least I could do.

So I tried my SIM card (Giffgaff) and it didn't accept it. So I have unlocked the bootloader using the official HTCDev method, then put it S-OFF and unlocked to any network. All this following threads from XDA Developers - Thank you!

OK, now the problem is that whatever I do, the mobile will not let me connect to any provider, I always have a "your SIM card does not allow connection to this network" message. But the data connection works!!! I just don't get it.
If I search for networks, it will show me all of them, but never allows me to connect. So it is not an aerial problem.

At the moment I have installed DarkSense 4.0.4 (great ROM by the way)
HTC Sensation (No branding on it)
Kernel 3.0.16-v1.5.2 SebastianFM #1 SMP PREEMPT
Radio 11.76A.3504.00P_11.24A.3504.31_M
Firmware 3.33
SuperCID

I have tried flashing loads of different combinations of ROMs, kernels, radios and firmwares with no luck!
I have tried SIM cards from all the major UK networks and same result.

Every function works fine except that it will refuse to connect to any network, but the data connection works! I just don't get it. To be sure that I was not accessing the internet via Wifi, I even turn off my router. I can access the internet via the data connection from Giffgaff.

Help!

I thought that most probably whoever lost it, declared it as lost to O2 (that was the SIM on it) and this IMEI was banned. But if that was the case I don't think that the data connection would work. It can't be SIM/Network locked as the mobile never asked me for any unlock code when putting a new SIM.

Does anyone know how I can I fix this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[KiD3991]

When the IMEI is banned, odds are major functionalities wont work. But things such as mobile network and such might.

 

[AndroidSupporter318]

bad esn

Since you found the phone on the street, the former user probably contracted their carrier and told their carrier that they lost their phone. I think the phone has a bad ESN.
Check out what a bad ESN is here: http://reviews.ebay.com/What-is-a-q...ne-and-should-I-buy-it?ugid=10000000175264001

 

[Motorratice]

How to find out if bad ESN

I was afraid that it would be banned.
This is the only plausible possibility, seen that softwarewise I think I have tried everything possible.
But do you guys know if there is a way to confirm that? Same way you have services where you can text a car's number plate and it will tell you if the car has been written off.
And, if the phone is banned, will it be only here in the UK, or you think it will be in all the European Union? Or even worldwide?
Because if it's only here, I'll send it to my brother in Portugal...

 

[heavy_metal_man]

I was afraid that it would be banned.
This is the only plausible possibility, seen that softwarewise I think I have tried everything possible.
But do you guys know if there is a way to confirm that? Same way you have services where you can text a car's number plate and it will tell you if the car has been written off.
And, if the phone is banned, will it be only here in the UK, or you think it will be in all the European Union? Or even worldwide?
Because if it's only here, I'll send it to my brother in Portugal...

You could try contact the phone company which the phone was tied to and ask them? At this point its only a glorafied media player for you, but the original owner may give you a reward?

Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio Z715e using xda premium