Identify original carrier?

**hexwulf** · 06-28-2009, 10:12 AM

Greetings,

I am curious if there is a way to identify a device's originating carrier. The situation:

Purchased an unlocked 9530. Works great with voice/data on my current provider, FIDO.
No issues.

In the future, we are looking at migrating/porting to possibly Bell, maybe Telus. I have read a few articles stating some CDMA carriers will not activate foreign ESNs on their network etc. So, I'd like to look into where the 9530 'originated'.

There is no labeling / decals on the unit itself. I have no box / packaging to make reference to either.

Ideas?

Cheers

**Reed McLay** · 06-28-2009, 10:15 AM

All BlackBerry are carrier branded. The simplest way to determine the brand is to force a restart.

Just prior to completing the restart, it will show the branded carrier's logo.

**mark-d** · 06-28-2009, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by Reed McLay

All BlackBerry are carrier branded. The simplest way to determine the brand is to force a restart.

Just prior to completing the restart, it will show the branded carrier's logo.

My original curve came from Carphone Warehouse and has no branding at all other than Blackberry. On the re-start where the carrier logo comes up on my Bold on the curve I just get a Blackberry screen so obviously not all Blackberries are carrier branded.

However, watching the screen during the re-start will tell you if yours is and if so to which carrier.

**Mythico** · 06-28-2009, 10:22 AM

In my experience the blackberries will also show the carrier on the device itself. For instance on the front of my device at the bottom it says Rogers.

**Reed McLay** · 06-28-2009, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by mark-d

My original curve came from Carphone Warehouse and has no branding at all other than Blackberry. On the re-start where the carrier logo comes up on my Bold on the curve I just get a Blackberry screen so obviously not all Blackberries are carrier branded.

However, watching the screen during the re-start will tell you if yours is and if so to which carrier.

Thanks for the information, now, I will am wiser.

**hexwulf** · 06-28-2009, 10:48 AM

Is there any other ways people know of?

Sorry, to clarify initial post;
The unit itself has no wording / label / carrier / decal etc ; other then the blackberry logo/wording on the top near earpiece.

Restarting the device via quickpull, or battery pull, show no carrier info.

Reboot results:
1) Device off, LED red.
2) White screen with clock
3) near the end of the white screen, a blue statusbar at the bottom moves across the screen.
4) icons show up, the background picture is the lightning / storm one, no carrier markings etc.
5) device is now ready for use.

**Sith_Apprentice** · 06-28-2009, 10:51 AM

You have a unit from RIM. It is branded, and likely the vendor code is 1, -1 or 179. To find it, you need to get to the help screen or the ALT+EACE equivalent.

**hexwulf** · 06-28-2009, 11:33 AM

Hmm. I wondered if this were possible.
Unfortunately on this device the 'alt EACE' / hold down back and tap top corners on storm doesn't get me to a status screen as other berries have. It results in an engineering screen.

If the unit is in fact a RIM branded storm, anyone know if cdma carriers will accept activation on their network?

Cheers.

Originally Posted by Sith_Apprentice

You have a unit from RIM. It is branded, and likely the vendor code is 1, -1 or 179. To find it, you need to get to the help screen or the ALT+EACE equivalent.

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**Reed McLay** · 06-28-2009, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by hexwulf

Hmm. I wondered if this were possible.
Unfortunately on this device the 'alt EACE' / hold down back and tap top corners on storm doesn't get me to a status screen as other berries have. It results in an engineering screen.

If the unit is in fact a RIM branded storm, anyone know if cdma carriers will accept activation on their network?

Cheers.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

That is confirmation, it is an Engineering unit. That screen is always displayed and active.

**hexwulf** · 06-28-2009, 11:39 AM

Thanks for all the info guys.

Anyone know or tried to activate an engineering unit with say Bell or Telus?

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**Sith_Apprentice** · 06-28-2009, 11:39 AM

There is a way in the engineering screen but I cannot remember off hand. Let me do some research, I will post this.

**hexwulf** · 06-28-2009, 11:41 AM

TY Sith.

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**Sith_Apprentice** · 06-28-2009, 11:49 AM

Go into your engineering screens > OS engineering Screens > Device Info > Vendor ID

List it

**hexwulf** · 06-28-2009, 12:03 PM

There is no vendor id option.
There is however a line that reads:

Device is NOT branded.

This is under the device info screen between lines:
Band type , and Device capabilities.

Cheers

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**Sith_Apprentice** · 06-28-2009, 12:24 PM

Its either 1 or -1 then. I believe those are the engineering unit vendor IDs

**dictoresno** · 06-28-2009, 12:37 PM

That's correct. I rebranded my bold as an engineering unit. Its vendor ID is 1.

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**hexwulf** · 06-28-2009, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by dictoresno

That's correct. I rebranded my bold as an engineering unit. Its vendor ID is 1.

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Is there any particular benefit to an engineering unit?
Any troubles with carriers?

I'm guessing activating this set on Bell cdma will be a crapshoot then.

Thanks all.
Huzzah for CB and its members.

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**Sith_Apprentice** · 06-28-2009, 01:13 PM

The issue with CDMA carriers is that they need the ESN in their databases. If its not there, they almost certainly will deny the activation.

**hexwulf** · 06-28-2009, 01:19 PM

That's my fear.
Was hoping to discover if it came from a certain cdma carrier in order to figure out if my future efforts will be all for not.

Perhaps I will just need to contact Bell and/or Telus.

Boourns.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Sith_Apprentice

The issue with CDMA carriers is that they need the ESN in their databases. If its not there, they almost certainly will deny the activation.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com